If you’re running a small-size business in 2022 and think you need a good and reliable ecommerce platform like Magento, this article will help you decide if it’s indeed the best choice for your business.
Magento is undeniably one of the world’s most popular and powerful ecommerce solutions available to every ecommerce business owner at the moment.
To truly tap into the magic of Magento and discover the length and breadth of its incredible features, you’ll need the help of a Magento ecommerce development company. If you choose to do so, Magento can prove to be a great asset for your business in the long run. And here’s why.
Magento offers great value to both small and large businesses. Its rich platform that’s full of plug-ins, features, and other options allows business owners to design their ecommerce site exactly the way they want it, with all the customisations they can think of. In other words, Magento can help you truly personalise your store and bring your vision to life.
With the recent boom of ecommerce, all businesses without exception are busy creating a great online presence. To stay in the game, small businesses are looking to establish powerful online stores that are big in terms of engagement and performance. Read on to know what the Magento benefits are and if they’re the right fit for your business.
So, what’s Magento after all?
Magento is an open-source website and ecommerce development platform built on PHP language. It allows small and large business owners to create well-designed and high-performance websites that are cost-effective and scalable. Unlike some other ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Magento’s code belongs to its users. This is a great benefit for business owners who wish to build and manage their own sites without any intervention or limitation.
Key Magento Features That Can Help Your Business
Now, let’s look at some amazing Magento features that can go a long way in making your online business successful. These are some important features every small business needs in order to attract customers and make quick conversions:
- Promotion and Conversion Marketing Tools
- SEO Features
- Effective Catalog Management
- Enhanced Browsing Features
- Study Checkouts and Payment Features
- Dedicated Customer Accounts
- International Multi-Currency Shops
- Built-in Analytics and Reporting
- Mobile Optimisation
These are only some features of Magento, but there are many more in-built, free and paid features on this amazing ecommerce platform that can prove to be very effective for your business. But the main question is — why exactly is Magento good for your small business? Read on to find out!
Advantages of Magento
There are good reasons that Magento is one of today’s best ecommerce platforms. Speak to a trusted development company to understand how Magento can be leveraged specifically for your business. But off the top, here are some advantages of using Magento if your business is looking for that extra edge.
Complete Freedom
If your business has the ambition to grow bigger and if you wish to keep complete control of your ecommerce store customisations, nothing gives you more freedom, power, and flexibility than Magento. In other words, Magento is perfect for those business owners who wish to look after their business like their own baby.
No Restrictions & Increasing License Fees
Choosing a SaaS platform like Shopify requires you to agree to their terms and conditions which could change time after time. These ecommerce platforms might introduce some future restrictions that may impact your business. Additionally, these SaaS platforms also increase their licensing fee on a regular basis, putting an unnecessary financial burden on small business owners. On Magento, however, you can run your business on your own terms.
Truly Professional Platform
By choosing to develop your website on Magento, you will join a league of professional businesses that are serious about their trade. Magento is a platform that was created for high-performance businesses that distinguish themselves from small-time players. So, if you’re a small business but with big goals, dreams and ambition, Magento can prove to be a winning factor for you.
It’s Free!
Well, yes, you read that right! The basic version of Magento is free. Magento comes in many different editions but the Magento Open Source edition is absolutely free. On the contrary, editions such as Magento Commerce (now known as Adobe Commerce) are based on a subscription fee. Each Magento version is suitable for specific kinds of businesses. No wonder, Magento is one of the most loved ecommerce platforms in the market.
As a free option, Magento Open Source was designed exclusively for small and medium businesses. You needn’t make a purchase at the beginning or pay an annual fee for this option. Small business owners can simply download it for free and use it to create their ecommerce website.
Adobe Commerce, however, charges users an annual subscription fee. That’s because Adobe Commerce was created for larger businesses that require more complex functionalities and premium support. Although Adobe Commerce charges a sizeable yearly subscription, it comes with plenty of advanced business features.
Incredible UX Capabilities
Magento can be a great option when you’re looking to create an ecommerce website that intuitively leads customers to conversions. Magento’s vast collection of marketing, promotion, and conversion tools combined with its robust catalogue and browsing features make for a great UX. These are just the weapons any business needs in its arsenal.
Wide Choice of UI Themes & Templates
Magento has a wide range of free themes and templates that small business owners can use to build their ecommerce websites. Discover themes under different industry categories such as retail, technology, sports, and many more. You can also choose theme styles such as modern, fashion, clean, and more. This platform empowers businesses of all types and flavors across sectors and categories.
High Levels of Customisation
Since Magento is built on PHP open-source technology, it’s highly customisable and extremely flexible, allowing your business to do whatever you wish with it. You can easily add or remove anything you want on your ecommerce website to reflect your exact business vision and aspirations. High-end customisations are exactly what you may need to take your business closer to your dreams.
Mobile Optimisation
On Magento, you can achieve great ecommerce experiences for both desktop and mobile versions. Whether your customers are visiting your ecommerce website on their laptops or phones, Magento offers reliable cross-platform journeys all along the way.
Huge Range of Extensions
If you wish to add specific features to your ecommerce website, you can find an extremely large and wide range of extensions on Magento. Talk to a specialist web developer, tell them which features you want for your business, and they will recommend the best options for you.
These extensions can be added quickly and easily and can help your ecommerce site to perform at its best. Talking about the prices of these extensions, some are free while some are paid. Useful extensions such as PayPal and Braintree payment gateways, USPS, UPS, DHL, and FedEx for shipment, and Mailchimp for email marketing are completely free to explore. Small businesses can download and install these free extensions easily.
Reasonable Development Services Cost
There are many extensions and developments on Magento that call for the help of a Magento development company. The good news is that these services aren’t expensive, time-consuming, or complicated. Hiring a reliable web development company can help small business owners take their businesses to the next level. Developing your ecommerce website beyond its basic features can help your business stand out from the crowd.
No Payment Gateway Handling Fee
When you access payment gateways of SaaS ecommerce platforms like Shopify, you are obliged to pay Shopify handling charges for each transaction. But on Magento, there are no financial middlemen and you’re free to transact directly with payment gateway companies. Saving handling fees in each transaction can save your business a lot of money as the number of transactions increases over time.
Should You Use Magento for Your Small Business?
Magento Open Source can add a lot of value to your small business, and in many cases, help you level up to a larger business in due course of time. Once you’ve built your website on this platform, it makes your website and your business scalable. In other words, your business can grow with this platform at its own pace.
Magento is the perfect choice for small businesses in this day and age. Millions of small businesses have chosen to build their ecommerce website on this platform and have experienced high amounts of success at an affordable cost.
But here’s the bottom line and a list of extremely important pointers before you hop on to this platform:
- Find a Magento development expert that provides hosting and maintenance services at a low cost. This will help you save a large amount of money over time.
- Even better, find a Magento development company that specialises in hosting. This will save you loads of confusion and complications.
- Ensure that you agree to an upfront maintenance cost that protects you from future fixes or upgrades.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that Magento is a great option for small businesses. This powerful platform can help you realise your ecommerce business goals at an affordable cost. Magento’s open-source flexibility can bring your business a lot of options. However, it’s important to be mindful of the different levels of services and choose what’s best for your business. We recommend that Magento Open Source is perfect for small businesses while other editions are best for larger businesses.
Before arriving at any decision, it’s best to consult a development expert. Some reliable development companies offer free consultations. Talking to a trusted development company also makes you aware of the choices you have in terms of subscriptions, development, and fees. To tap into the full benefits of this platform, find the right technology partner for your business today.
