Revealed: How $10M+ Brands Choose Their Enterprise Ecommerce Platform.

I have more than a decade of experience working with enterprise ecommerce brands and it’s common for them to reevaluate their ecommerce platform.

Many large businesses opt for enterprise ecommerce platforms like Adobe Commerce (formly known as Magento), Shopify Plus, or BigCommerce Enterprise due to their scalability, flexibility, and robust feature sets.

So which ecommerce platform is the best and why?

Magento ecommerce platform.

In the world of ecommerce, choosing the right platform for your business is crucial. Among the myriad of choices available, Magento (now known as Adobe Commerce) consistently stands out for its scalability, flexibility, and powerful features.

What is Adobe Commerce?

Adobe Commerce is an open-source ecommerce platform that provides online merchants with a flexible shopping cart system, as well as control over the look, content, and functionality of their online store.

Launched in 2008, it quickly gained popularity as an enterprise ecommerce platform and was acquired by Adobe in 2018.

Today, it’s trusted by a wide range of businesses, from small companies to large enterprises.

Adobe Commerce‘s key features.

1. As an open-source platform, Magento offered virtually limitless possibilities for customization. However, it is no longer open source and has now been rebranded as Adobe Commerce.
2. Magento is designed to grow your business. Whether you’re adding new products, expanding to new markets, or dealing with peak holiday traffic, Magento can handle it with ease.
3. Adobe Commerce’s advanced SEO features help businesses reach their target customers. With SEO-friendly URLs, meta tags, sitemaps, and more, Magento makes it easy to optimize your site for search engines.
4. Adobe Commerce takes security seriously. It offers a variety of security features, including SSL certificates, two-factor authentication, and a dedicated security centre for proactive protection.
5. With a vast library of extensions and integrations, Adobe Commerce allows businesses to extend their store’s functionality and integrate with third-party services such as CRM, ERP, and payment gateways.

Adobe Commerce for enterprise ecommerce.

For businesses operating at an enterprise level, Adobe Commerce, the premium paid version, offers additional features that can be game-changers when selecting an enterprise ecommerce platform.

Features like customer segmentation, targeted promotions, a loyalty program, and full-page caching ensure fast performance and a highly personalized customer experience.

One of the most beneficial aspects of Adobe Commerce is its B2B functionality.

With features like company accounts, custom catalogues, and quick order forms, it provides a robust solution for businesses serving other businesses.

Making the most of Adobe Commerce.

To truly harness the power of Adobe Commerce, consider the following:

• While Adobe Commerce provides incredible flexibility, it also means you’ll need a skilled development team to customize and maintain your site.
• Adobe Commerce’s robust features can be resource-intensive. Regularly monitor your site’s performance and make necessary optimizations to ensure a smooth customer experience.
• Adobe Commerce regularly releases updates that include new features, performance improvements, and security patches. Make sure to keep your Adobe Commerce installation up-to-date to benefit from these enhancements.

Adobe Commerce offers a feature-rich, scalable, and customizable ecommerce platform for enterprise businesses that can meet the needs of virtually any ecommerce store.

With its ability to grow with your business and adapt to your unique needs, Adobe Commerce is a compelling choice for those seeking ecommerce success.

However, dependency on developers is a hidden cost and there are often issues with page speed that requires a significant amount of work to resolve.

BigCommerce Enterprise.

BigCommerce is another strong contender with a good balance between customization options and user-friendly management.

It provides various built-in features that other platforms might require as add-ons.

When it comes to selecting an enterprise ecommerce platform for your online business, several choices stand out in the market.

One such platform, known for its robust features and user-friendly interface, is BigCommerce.

But, like any platform, BigCommerce has its strengths and weaknesses.

Here’s an exploration of the pros and cons of choosing BigCommerce for your ecommerce venture.

What is BigCommerce?

BigCommerce is a leading SaaS (Software as a Service) ecommerce platform that enables businesses of all sizes to build and scale their online stores.

Offering a range of features from product management to payment gateway integration, BigCommerce has become a popular choice for many online merchants.

The Pros of BigCommerce.

1. BigCommerce is known for its intuitive interface. Setting up a store, adding products, and managing orders is straightforward, even for those with limited technical expertise.
2. BigCommerce is an ecommerce platform that is designed to support businesses as they grow. The platform can handle high volumes of traffic and sales without sacrificing performance, making it a great choice for both startups and established businesses.
3. BigCommerce includes a wide array of built-in features that other enterprise platforms often only offer as paid add-ons. These include a variety of SEO tools, reviews and ratings, and an integrated blog.
4. BigCommerce integrates with a wide range of payment providers, offering more flexibility when it comes to choosing how customers can pay.
5. Unlike some enterprise ecommerce platforms, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees, meaning you get to keep more of your revenue.

The Cons of BigCommerce.

1. BigCommerce’s pricing structure can be a downside for some businesses. Their plans are based on annual online sales, and businesses will need to upgrade (and pay more) as sales increase.
2. BigCommerce offers a smaller selection of free themes compared to some of its competitors. While their paid themes are high-quality, this could add to your costs if you’re on a tight budget.
3. BigCommerce’s robust feature set is generally positive, it can be overwhelming for ecommerce beginners. Some users report a steep learning curve when it comes to utilizing advanced features.
4. While BigCommerce does offer 24/7 customer support, some users have reported mixed experiences with the quality and speed of support.

BigCommerce free trial.

BigCommerce is a robust, feature-rich ecommerce platform that’s designed to scale with your business.

It offers a range of built-in tools and features that can streamline operations and improve the shopping experience.

However, its pricing structure and potential learning curve may not suit every business.

As with any business decision, choosing an ecommerce platform should involve careful consideration of your specific needs, resources, and goals.

It may be helpful to take advantage of BigCommerce’s free trial to get a hands-on feel for whether it’s the right fit for your enterprise ecommerce business.

Enterprise ecommerce brands using Shopify Plus.

Ecommerce has evolved into a highly competitive marketplace, and choosing the right enterprise platform for your business operations is vital.

Among the top contenders, Shopify Plus stands out for its scalability, simplicity, and robust feature set.

However, it’s important to balance these advantages against some potential limitations.

Here’s a comprehensive look at the pros and cons of Shopify Plus for enterprise ecommerce brands.

What is Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is the enterprise-level offering of the popular ecommerce platform, Shopify.

As an enterprise ecommerce platform, it’s designed to handle the higher volume needs of larger businesses and brands, providing advanced features, more customization options, and dedicated support.

The Pros of Shopify Plus

1. Shopify Plus is designed to handle significant traffic and transaction volumes, making it an excellent choice for high-growth, high-volume businesses.
2. Shopify Plus retains the user-friendly interface that Shopify is known for. This allows non-technical team members to manage the store without relying on a developer for every minor change.
3. Shopify Plus offers features that are especially valuable for enterprise businesses. These include advanced discount and shipping rules, customizable checkout, and automation tools.
4. Shopify Plus integrates seamlessly with a host of online marketplaces such as Amazon and social media platforms, enabling businesses to sell across multiple channels from one central platform.
5. Shopify Plus customers have access to a dedicated support team available 24/7, ensuring timely assistance when issues arise.

The Cons of Shopify Plus.

1. Shopify Plus isn’t cheap with pricing beginning at $2,000 per month, which may be prohibitive for some businesses. However, considering the features and support provided, many enterprises find it worth the cost.
2. Shopify Plus offers more customization than the standard Shopify plan, it’s not as flexible as some other enterprise-level platforms. Businesses with very specific requirements may find some limitations unless they hire a developer with experience of working with Shopify’s Liquid.
3. Unless you use Shopify Payments, Shopify Plus charges transaction fees. This could add significant costs if you prefer to use a different payment gateway.
4. While Shopify Plus has robust built-in features, businesses often need to rely on third-party apps for additional functionality. This can increase costs and potentially affect site performance.

I would choose Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is a powerful, scalable, and user-friendly platform that can effectively support the needs of enterprise ecommerce brands.

However, its cost, potential limitations in customization, and transaction fees can be downsides for some businesses.

In considering Shopify Plus, it’s crucial to assess your business’s specific needs, budget, and long-term growth plans.

It may also be beneficial to take advantage of Shopify’s free trial to assess if Shopify Plus aligns with your business operations and goals.

As with any significant business decision, thorough research and evaluation are key to finding the best ecommerce platform for your enterprise.

Non-negotiable features enterprise ecommerce brands need when choosing an ecommerce platform.

For enterprise-level ecommerce, some non-negotiable features include:

Scalability.

The platform must be able to grow with the business, handling increased traffic and transactions without performance issues.

Security.

High-level security features are essential, including SSL certificates, two-factor authentication, and PCI DSS compliance.

Integration capabilities.

The platform should easily integrate with existing systems like ERP, CRM, payment gateways, and email marketing software.

Customization.

The ability to customize the storefront, checkout process, and backend operations can be crucial.

Multi-channel selling.

Enterprises often need to sell on multiple channels, so integrations with platforms like Amazon, eBay, and social media platforms are often necessary.

Best Practices and Lessons Learned.

• Before choosing an enterprise ecommerce platform, thoroughly understand your business requirements, technical capabilities, customer needs, and growth plans.
• Besides the base price, consider other costs like development, maintenance, add-ons, and transaction fees.
• An enterprise ecommerce platform with a large ecosystem of developers, partners, and apps can provide additional resources and help.
• Do a trial run: Use a demo or trial version of the platform to test it out before committing.
• Check references and reviews: Look at other companies of similar size in your industry and see what platforms they’re using and why.

Remember, the best enterprise ecommerce platform depends on your specific business needs, resources, and goals.