Ask HN: What are the best SAAS options to set up an online store?
A friend of mine has a designer garment & jwellary business and she wants to setup an online store. I think instead of using a custom made or open source option it is better to use a SAAS provider for a couple of years to see how it goes.
So, who are the best SAAS e-commerce providers right now in terms of features & quality of service?
Comments
I cannot speak for the backend of setting up but from a consumer and checkout process perspective I like Shopify. They have really simple streamlined checkout process that will remember your details if you have previously checked out on another shopify store. I would think this would help with conversion rates.
Shopify is totally worth it. However i sometimes opt for woocommerce when I see it as long term project without direct profits. However nothing beats shopify especially when you are willing to pay for extras.
I have used many options but for you i would definitely recommend cs-cart. It has good features and easy to use GUI. Take a look at it here https://www.cs-cart.com/compare.html
If your target audience is in Europe and you care about multi-language support then Shoperb might be an option (I'm the founder). While it is a SaaS, we work rather closely with our merchants and help them often to get their store going, do custom integrations etc.
If she already has a Squarespace site or wants one, you can set up a store there https://www.squarespace.com/ecommerce-website/
Since nobody has mentioned BigCommerce, I wanted to throw it out there. I'm not sure what your specific needs are, but you could use the free template or one of the paid templates.
A related question:
How does one handle International Shipping, Import restriction, custom packacing etc?
To me setting up a shop online is the easy part. Getting the rest running is the most difficult bit.
There's also https://www.bigcartel.com, which is a bit cheaper than shopify.
Go to is shopify for sure
look at bigcartel as well