Which CMS should you choose for your Ecommerce site?

When it comes to building an Ecommerce website one of the first steps is choosing the right content management system (CMS), which is the platform where all the contents of your website are developed and managed. These platforms allow professionals and non-professionals to develop websites using intuitive interfaces, sometimes without the need for technical programming expertise. Some companies choose to go for a custom CMS, which is developed specifically around their needs by software developers. However, this is a viable option with a certain level of economic investment and support from the developers.

Fortunately, modern CMS are widely used at different levels of expertise and customization. No wonders the global content management software application market is rapidly growing and expected to reach 43.1 billion U.S. dollars by the end of 2021 and 43.9 billion U.S. dollars by 2024.¹

Among the many options available, making the right choice for your Ecommerce can be daunting. In this post we aim to provide you with information that can help you make an informed choice. Let's take a look at some of the most well-known and widely used platforms on the web.

The best CMS for Ecommerce: a comparison of the leading platforms

Content management tools make life easier for those developing and maintaining Ecommerce sites and are widely used: according to research by W3Techs², only just over 40% of sites worldwide do not use CMS.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of platforms for managing online multimedia content, and in this post we will focus only on those most often used for creating Ecommerce stores.

1.   Magento
Based on research carried out by EcommerceDB, Magento was the most frequently used CMS in UK Ecommerce in 2020. In fact, 25% of the top 500 online shops by net sales in the UK in 2020, with available information, use Magento as a CMS.³ This is one of the most versatile and flexible platforms available on the market today and is part of the Adobe product suite. It offers many opportunities according to requirements: from the possibility of customising the language to the management of multiple stores, from multi-language to multi-currency, not to mention the wide choice of graphic themes for a unique website layout.

Thanks to the thousands of extensions available on its marketplace, it is possible to add many useful features to enrich the website experience, such as social profile feeds or optimisers that make it faster and more intuitive, along with many more.

2.    Commerce Cloud
This platform is a solution from Salesforce, international leader in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions, which was formed through the 2016 acquisition of Demandware, a platform that was very well-known amongst those in the field. This is probably the platform best suited to medium to large projects and companies, also considering the costs.

It is one of the most advanced cloud-based tools available on the market, not least because of its omnichannel-compatible features that allow mobile access to the digital inventory through which in-store staff can sell and ship in real time, in and from any store. A dashboard based on artificial intelligence and advanced marketing tools are just some of the resources Salesforce offers to merchants.

4.   Shopify
In this TOP 5 of the most widely used CMSs for creating Ecommerce sites, Shopify stands out because of its all-in-one nature. Once registered, this service includes everything you need to create an online store, including a customisable domain. It has a very intuitive drag-and-drop interface, also supports sales from the physical store and allows you to choose one of the partner payment gateways when onboarding.

It is a cloud-based solution, so any updates to the platform are performed directly online without having to install anything. There are many apps—additional functions similar to Magento and Prestashop extensions and modules—and themes to customise the layout of the web store. Here too, it is possible to use marketing tools to optimise the site and increase visibility and sales.

5.   Wordpress
With over 27 million sites worldwide², Wordpress is certainly the most widely used platform globally.

It is an open-source tool, and enjoys the availability of numerous graphic themes and plug-ins for any requirement: from the creation of a catalogue to a calendar for booking a room in a hotel, there is huge scope for customisation. The essential plug-in for those who want to transform their Wordpress website or blog is Woocommerce. Although this CMS was not originally created for e-stores, unlike the other tools in this article, it offers many advantages over its competitors, such as customisation via extensions and ease of use even for the less experienced.

5.   Prestashop
Prestashop is an open-source CMS widely used in the Ecommerce sector. The solution includes a localisation add-on that allows you to add new languages to the online store, as well as currency, tax rate, and taxation rules by country. Like Magento, there are many themes to customise the design and no shortage of modules for additional functions and services to improve the experience of the merchant and the buyer. All popular CMS have very active user communities and Prestashop is no exception. Thanks to the contribution of other users, it is easy to get tips and tricks to optimise your store.

To sum up, there are many CMS available on the market, each with its own features. We have tried to give you some useful information to help you make your own choice, based on the experiences of the Ecommerce merchants who work with us. If you have already chosen the CMS for your website, take a look at our free Axerve Ecommerce Solutions plug-ins on our dedicated page. If you haven't decided yet, come back whenever you're ready, we'll be happy to advise you on the best solution for your business.