Dropshipping might sound like something the ordinary Joe (with an internet connection) can do. But in reality, it’s an online pursuit with numerous technical hurdles.
When planning to run a dropshipping business, we highly advise to take help and get everything right the first time which will definitely improve your chances of succeeding.
Honestly speaking, the platforms used by both – E-commerce and Drop Shippers are typically the same, given the synonymous nature of the business models. But when it comes to dropshipping, there are things like accessibility, pricing, and support which needs to be considered – slight differences that make a platform more apt for creating a dropshipping store.
In this blog post, we will discuss all the important aspects and E-commerce platforms on which you can run your dropshipping business.
So, without any further ado, let’s dive straight in!
What are the current platforms that famous dropshipping website use?
When it comes to deciding the right E-commerce platform for your E-commerce store, beginners should give close attention to different platforms used by top dropshipping websites.
Top dropshipping businesses like Ripley, Eukanuba Shop and Wool Couture Company are using the WooCommerce platform for running their websites.
Dropshipping stores like Helly Hensen, Miss Guided, Marucci Sports, 6 Dollars Shirts use various E-commerce platforms like Magento, BigCommerce, OpenCart, etc.
Shopify is also a great platform for building your dropshipping business from scratch and is being used by top drop shippers like Negative Underwear and UgMonk.
If we look at the market share of all such E-commerce platforms, it would become less difficult to find the right platform for your dropshipping business. In 2019, the leading E-commerce platform in the world is WooCommerce and is closely followed by website building platforms like Magento and Shopify. When we talk about BigCommerce and OpenCart, they don’t possess a significant market share to rank on our list. With the increasing automation in the tech world, the dropshipping business model also has not escaped from the automation trend. Dropshipping automation apps such as Dropified might be a new concept but is quickly taking control of the online world of business.
Another great debate on the internet is related to the hosting preferences drop shippers like to have. So, should one go with a self-hosted E-commerce platform or buy a hosted one?
Let’s figure it out once and for all.
Self-Hosted Platform
- Choose the hosting server you want
- Take complete liberty in-store customization
- Manually add themes and e-commerce plugins
- Can use for personal or commercial use
- Brilliant support community
- Complete autonomy on the platform
Hosted Platform
- The platform provides a server
- Less liberty to customize the store
- Pre-installed themes and plugins
- Provides paid space with multiple plans
- The support community is rare
- Store set up is fast but no autonomy
The answer boils down to two things: affordability and technical knowledge.
If you have the money and do not possess any technical knowledge, we would recommend a hosted platform. However, if you have the right knowledge and skill, then choose freedom with a self-hosted platform.
Now, let’s discuss the best dropshipping platforms in the world and understand their features.
Top E-Commerce platforms for creating Dropshipping Websites
WooCommerce
- One of the most widely used E-commerce platforms around the world.
- Enjoys a market share of over 28% when considering overall E-commerce stores.
- Provides free and easy to install plugins.
- Installation can be done in just a few clicks making it the best E-commerce platform for people with less or no technical knowledge.
- Comes with a simple GUI interface to help beginners.
- Allows users to add multiple add-ons as it is built on WordPress.
- Provides a widespread community of developers, ton of content online regarding installation and support.
Magento
- Being the second most used website platform in the world, Magento is not the right thing to choose for beginners.
- A developer-friendly platform requiring basic programming knowledge and understanding.
- Advanced E-commerce platform with a user-friendly design.
- Official support forum visited frequently by Magento officials.
- Completely free E-commerce platform
Shopify
- Considered one of the most powerful E-commerce stores for dropshipping.
- Holds a record 500,000 E-commerce store and dropshipping websites.
- Extremely user-friendly. Provides pre-filled About Us, Privacy Policy, Return Policy and other important content for quick set up.
- Provides 24/7 customer support through email, phone, and online chat.
- Shopify plans range from $29 to $299.
BigCommerce
- A Hosted E-commerce platform. Currently hosts more than 50,000 business websites and more than 2000 enterprise companies.
- Boasts of its simple UI quick setup process.
- Affordable when compared to Shopify as no transaction fee is charged.
- You can set up a trial account to get started easily.
- Support matches that of Shopify.
- Comes in three basic packages that range from $29 to $250.
Over to You
We hope after reading this blog post, you are better equipped to choose the E-commerce website builder for your dropshipping business.We hope this piece of content brought great value to you.
Written by Jim Bates, who runs successful E-commerce stores for the past 8 years.
