How to Choose an E-Commerce Platform for a New Business

Are you one of those dreaming of starting your own online store? If so, this article will help you think through how to get started and which e-commerce platform is best suited for your business.

There are countless articles and forum discussions online that evaluate various e-commerce solutions. Friends with e-commerce experience often share valuable advice as well. In this article, however, we aim to highlight the most important considerations to help you choose the right platform.

Before comparing platforms, take a moment to ask yourself (and your business partners) a few important questions.

1. What are you selling and how will that evolve?
Consider the number of products or services you plan to sell and how this might change in the near future. Different platforms cater to different needs: a solution designed for small businesses might hinder you later if your business grows quickly. On the other hand, enterprise-level platforms may be too complex and expensive for a smaller operation.

2. Will you work with a developer or do it yourself?
If you’re building the store yourself, you’ll need a user-friendly and relatively simple platform so that your days aren’t consumed by technical troubleshooting. With a developer’s help, you can create more tailored solutions to fit specific needs.

3. Map out your full e-commerce workflow
List all activities tied to running your online store – from order and inventory management to logistics and returns. Once you have a vision, you’ll be better equipped to assess whether you need specialized features (e.g., clothing stores often deal with frequent returns and sizing complexities).

4. Check supported payment and shipping options
Payment methods and delivery solutions vary by country. Likewise, e-commerce platforms differ in how easily they can be adapted or extended. MakeCommerce’s official modules provide not only payment integrations but also shipping options with Omniva, SmartPosti, DPD, and LP Express – Read more here.

5. What kind of support is available?
At some point, you’ll have questions. If you’re setting up the store solo or with a team that has limited technical knowledge, you’ll need responsive support from the platform itself. If working with a developer, make sure they’ll remain available even after your store goes live.

As a general recommendation, one can say that for small businesses just starting out, cloud-based platforms like Shopify or Wix are often the most suitable choice. They are easy to use, require no programming experience, and enable a quick launch of an online store.

However, for those with bigger ambitions or access to developer support, it may be worthwhile to explore more customizable platforms that offer greater flexibility and scalability over time.

Shopify

Shopify is the world’s most popular cloud-based e-commerce platform and has grown rapidly across the Baltics. A few years ago, it lagged behind WooCommerce in regional popularity, but today, more MakeCommerce merchants use Shopify than any other platform.

It’s a SaaS solution, meaning Shopify handles the software, store performance, and security. You manage the content and pay a monthly service fee.

No server maintenance is required, and even moderate computer users can launch a store without prior technical knowledge.

Shopify’s App Store offers thousands of add-ons to expand functionality and visibility. You can integrate with Amazon, eBay, Meta, and more. Apps exist for sourcing, logistics, customer service, and accounting.

MakeCommerce’s Shopify module enables payments via bank links, cards, and buy-now-pay-later options, and includes a shipping module that connects easily with delivery partners.

Pricing: Monthly plans start at $24 and can exceed $2,300 depending on your needs. Sales are also subject to transaction fees.

WooCommerce

As mentioned earlier, alongside Shopify, one of the most popular e-commerce platforms is WooCommerce – however, their approaches are quite different.

WooCommerce is a server-based, self-hosted platform that runs as a plugin for WordPress. You must choose your own hosting provider and configure all components manually. While that’s more complex, it allows for great flexibility.

Its popularity comes from its open-source nature and vast customization options. The software is free to download and modify, and countless plugins and themes are available to shape your store’s appearance and features.

WooCommerce integrates well with SEO tools, thanks to its WordPress foundation. As your business grows, you can scale up with over 1,000 free and premium extensions from the WooCommerce Marketplace. Learn more about MakeCommerce’s WooCommerce plugin.

Note: Since WooCommerce is hosted on a virtual server, you’ll need to budget for hosting fees. Also, setup requires more technical knowledge than cloud-based platforms.

Voog

Voog is a cloud-based platform, ideal for beginners who value simplicity. Ready-made templates and logical structure allow even non-technical users to launch an online store in minutes.

Like MakeCommerce, it is a platform created and developed first in Estonia, and the local language support serves as a big plus for Estonian merchants. The two companies have partnered to offer a combined package that makes it more affordable and convenient to use both services together. Read more about the integration.

On the downside, the platform has limited scalability and fewer integration options, especially when compared to larger solutions like WooCommerce or Shopify.

WIX

If Voog’s strength lies in its local approach and simplicity, then for those who are looking for more design flexibility and international reach, WIX may be a good fit – it is also one of the most popular cloud-based website platforms.

WIX’s biggest advantage is its user-friendliness. Its intuitive drag & drop editor allows users to quickly create professional-looking websites and online stores – even with no prior technical experience. The monthly price for an e-commerce-enabled plan starts at €29.

WIX is seeing increasing adoption in the Baltics, largely thanks to its integration with MakeCommerce. Our solution brings all the essential payment and delivery options directly to Wix stores, making setup simple and efficient. With MakeCommerce, merchants can easily ship orders to all major parcel lockers, including Omniva, SmartPosti, DPD, Venipak, and Unisend.

Magento

For large-scale projects, Magento is the recommended platform. It comes in two versions: open-source and Adobe Commerce for enterprises.

Magento supports tens of thousands of orders per hour and is ideal for multilingual stores, complex catalogs, or large international operations.

It offers a sleek interface, mobile-friendly designs, and extensive customization – but setup is complex and requires an experienced developer or team. Magento entails a substantial initial investment.

The Magento Marketplace provides thousands of plugins for integration with social media, marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, and powerful SEO tools. Learn more about the Magento 2 integration.

PrestaShop and OpenCart

Though less common, there are online shops in the Baltics that use PrestaShop or OpenCart – both are open-source and self-hosted like WooCommerce, but offer fewer features and extensions.

MakeCommerce has developed dedicated modules for both platforms, supporting local payment methods and shipping integrations with Omniva, DPD, and SmartPosti.

When starting fresh, it’s wise to favor popular solutions with robust support and expansion potential.

Summary – Which Platform is “the Right One”?

Most e-commerce platforms today offer similar core functionality and make it easy to launch an online business. To choose the right one, assess your current needs and your business vision for the next 1–5 year.

• For small-scale selling, cloud platforms like Shopify or Voog are ideal.
• If you anticipate scaling, consider WooCommerce for flexibility.
• If you’re launching big or expect high demand, go with Magento or Shopify Plus.

Choosing the right platform from the start will help avoid issues later, like outgrowing your system or overpaying for features you don’t need.