Having trouble deciding if a hosted eCommerce platform is the right choice for your business?

Before you sign-up with an online service, you should consider some the following challenges and pitfalls:

• They do require work to set-up; someone will need to create graphics, upload images, change storefront settings, implement payment gateways & import products. The amount of work here is often underestimated
• Custom interface design is not always possible; sometimes limited to static display templates and can be hard to make your storefront ‘stand-out’
• Hosted eCommerce platforms can have limited flexibility; things are often locked-down and you cannot manipulate the underlying codebase
• Limited ability to add new features and functions
• You will not own the website and will pay perpetual fees or commissions to lease the offering; could be more expensive in the long run
• There is a chance that the hosted solution will cease operations or drastically change their policies, (i.e. Magento Go)
• Lack of control of the server environment and the ability to address performance issues; hosted solutions are usually running 100s of sites on a server
• Hosted platforms can be a little more challenging to market; limited ability to manage technical SEO, multivariate testing and perform subtle changes that can create a lift in sales
• May have limitations if integration is required in the future (i.e. inventory, fulfillment, ERP, CRM, QuickBooks)
• Limited ability to easily extend functionality; for instance adding multi-channel sales, inventory feeds or features like automated abandoned cart emails can prove difficult

E-dreamz develops custom eCommerce solutions that meet your specific needs. Forget paying perpetual licensing fees and sales commissions. With an E-dreamz solution, you own your eCommerce website and therefore have the flexibility to modify and customize your solution to meet ongoing and future business demands.

Visit the E-dreamz eCommerce portfolio for some live examples. If you would like additional information on how a custom solution can go to work for you, contact us today.