--- tytul: "How to Choose an Ecommerce Platform: Full Guide" opis: "See how to choose a platform for your online shop. We compare the leading options and suggest what will work best for your ecommerce business." adres: https://justidea.agency/en/blog/how-to-choose-an-ecommerce-platform/ serwis: "JustIdea Agency" jezyk: pl zrodlo: automatyczny odpowiednik strony HTML, generowany przy każdym buildzie --- Article # How to choose an ecommerce platform: a guide for online shops See how to choose a platform for your online shop. We compare the leading options and suggest what will work best for your ecommerce business. [![Paweł Pasterak](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/pawel-c7d4b9e1.webp) Paweł Pasterak Project Manager Web Developer](https://justidea.agency/en/author/pawel-pasterak/) 31 October 2023 10 min read 7 sections ![How to choose an ecommerce platform: a guide for online shops](https://justidea.agency/_astro/szablon-13-6-1-972a4dfc.B5yj85t5.webp) Web Development Trusted by ![LPP](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/lpp-logo-2-b64d3a02.svg) ![House](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/logo-house-c706eeae.svg) ![Toyota](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/toyota2-1-63c6570a.webp) ![Fame MMA](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/fame-ffb4e0d0.webp) ![Surf Inc.](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/surfinc-91e5b73d.webp) ![LyoFood](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/lyo-cb899d46.webp) ![ExpertSender](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/expert-ca00548d.webp) ![Purinova](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/purinova-217da6ab.webp) ![Mennica Gdańska](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/mennica-98166c12.webp) ![Group IB](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/group-ib-b711171e.webp) ![Smart Kids Planet](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/smart-kids-151311c5.webp) ![SuperSonic](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/supersonic-a35404fe.webp) ![Wierzynek](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/wierzynek-1-d027e7cc.webp) ![RegoBis](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/regobis-a8b446e3.webp) **In this article** 1. 01The most popular ecommerce platforms: buy a ready-made shop, or build your own? 2. 02Step by step to a professional online shop: what you need to know 3. 03Types of ecommerce platforms 4. 04WooCommerce or PrestaShop? Choosing the right ecommerce platform 5. 05Criteria for choosing an online shop platform 6. 06Ecommerce in Poland: what's the current situation? 7. 07Summary: which online shop platform should you choose in 2023? Share ## The most popular ecommerce platforms: buy a ready-made shop, or build your own? The growth of ecommerce in Poland and worldwide is an undeniable fact. More and more entrepreneurs are asking which platform to choose for their shop, so they can succeed at selling online. In this article we'll look at the most popular platforms and advise you on which one to choose. How do you build your own online shop? Which platform will suit a first shop best: a free platform, or a shop built on subscription payments? ## Step by step to a professional online shop: what you need to know When you start your journey with **ecommerce**, many entrepreneurs face the same question: **how do you set up an online shop** that can compete in a crowded online sales market? The decisions you make at the start can affect your shop's future success. Here are a few points worth considering. - **First steps in ecommerce**: Before you build your shop, it's worth thinking about the software you'll use to create it. Are you interested in a free online shop, or would you prefer an online shop on a subscription? Choosing the right platform is important, but it isn't the only thing. It's also worth paying attention to aspects such as how easy the shop is to run, how far you can customise it to your own needs, and the potential costs of keeping it running. - **A Polish ecommerce platform or a foreign one?** While ecommerce is growing worldwide, it's worth considering using a Polish ecommerce platform. It may offer features tailored to the specifics of the Polish market, which can prove crucial for local businesses. - **Professionalism first**: While a simple shop might seem tempting, today's ecommerce world often demands a shop with a higher standard. Taking care of your shop's professional look, optimising it for SEO, and tailoring it to your customers' needs are all keys to success. - **Sales platforms and supporting tools**: It's worth paying attention not just to your ecommerce platform, but also to additional ecommerce tools that can make running your shop easier. These include tools for optimising shops, tools for search engine optimisation, and solutions that help you manage customer relationships. - **Assumptions vs reality**: Building an online shop is one thing, but running a shop means constantly adapting to changing market conditions. It might be worth starting with your own shop built on a popular ecommerce platform, and then, once the shop gains traction, considering a move to more advanced solutions. ![online shop platform](https://justidea.agency/_astro/s-o-c-i-a-l-c-u-t-exmrw9i1fnw-unsplash-2726b683.OIM2YfiF_ZYVh1o.webp) online shop platform ## Types of ecommerce platforms There are many options available to shop owners when it comes to choosing an ecommerce platform. They fall into a few main categories: - **SaaS platforms (Software as a Service)**: These are solutions where the whole technical infrastructure and software are hosted by the provider. Customers pay a subscription to use the platform. Examples include Shopify, BigCommerce and Wix. The advantage of these solutions is how easy they are to set up and manage, though they can be less flexible than other options. - **Open source platforms**: These are solutions whose source code is publicly available and can be modified to suit your needs. Examples include Magento, WooCommerce and PrestaShop. These platforms offer great flexibility, but also require greater technical involvement and maintenance. - **PaaS platforms (Platform as a Service)**: These are solutions that combine the advantages of SaaS and open source. They allow customisation and expansion while delivering the infrastructure as a service. An example is Commerce Cloud from Salesforce. - **Self-hosted solutions**: These are platforms that require you to buy and maintain your own servers. While they give you full control over your environment, they also require significant effort to manage and maintain. - **Marketplaces**: These are ecommerce platforms that let many sellers offer their products on a single site. The best-known examples are Amazon, eBay and Allegro (Poland's largest online marketplace). ## WooCommerce or PrestaShop? Choosing the right ecommerce platform The first step is choosing an ecommerce platform. The most popular ecommerce platforms in Poland include WooCommerce and PrestaShop, though the market also offers other options, both free ecommerce platforms and subscription-based online shops. Choosing an open source platform, such as an open source ecommerce solution, gives you the option to fully customise your shop. Choosing between WooCommerce and PrestaShop is a dilemma for many online shop owners, since both platforms have their own strengths and weaknesses. **WooCommerce** is a plugin for WordPress, the world's most popular content management system (CMS). As a result, it integrates seamlessly with existing WordPress-based sites. Its advantages include: - **Flexibility**: As a WordPress extension, WooCommerce can draw on the huge library of plugins and themes available for that CMS. It's a great choice for your shop if you run a small or medium-sized business. - **Intuitiveness**: Anyone already familiar with WordPress will find WooCommerce easy to use. - **Cost**: The basic version of WooCommerce is free, though certain extensions are paid, which makes this platform ideal for a first, own online shop. On the other hand, **PrestaShop** is a dedicated ecommerce system, a shop engine built specifically for creating online shops. Its strengths include: - **Functionality**: PrestaShop offers extensive ecommerce features right out of the box. - **Customisation**: It offers a wide range of themes and modules, letting you tailor your shop to individual needs. - **Community support**: With a strong community of users, PrestaShop offers plenty of free resources and support in various languages. As for downsides, [WooCommerce](https://justidea.agency/en/services/e-commerce/woocommerce/) can be less efficient for large shops, and extra functionality often requires buying paid plugins. PrestaShop, although free, can generate higher costs related to buying specialist modules or themes. To sum up, the choice between WooCommerce and PrestaShop depends on your individual needs and preferences. If you already have a WordPress site and want to start your ecommerce journey, or you value flexibility and integration with other tools, WooCommerce may be the better choice. If, on the other hand, you're starting from scratch and want to focus purely on ecommerce, PrestaShop offers dedicated solutions that may better meet your expectations. Building your online shop on the PrestaShop platform can be a great solution for anyone who wants to invest in growing their shop and is serious about generating profit from it. ![where to set up an online shop](https://justidea.agency/_astro/carlos-muza-hpjsku2uysu-unsplash-8415ede2.B_OXZb96_Z2fBJly.webp) where to set up an online shop ## Criteria for choosing an online shop platform Choosing the right online shop platform is a key step that can significantly affect the success or failure of your ecommerce business. Before launching your shop, it's worth setting out its goals. Will it be a shop offering a wide range of products, or one that specialises in a single category? Who will your main target groups be? The answers to these questions will help shape your offer and marketing strategy going forward. There are several key criteria worth considering when making this decision: - **Scalability**: Your platform should be able to adapt to growing traffic and sales as your business develops. Scalability is particularly important for shops planning dynamic growth. - **Costs**: Besides the initial purchase or subscription costs, it's worth thinking about additional fees, such as transaction fees, monthly charges, or fees for extra features. - **Flexibility and customisation**: The ability to tailor the platform to individual needs, integrate it with other tools, and add functionality is crucial for many entrepreneurs. Once you've chosen your shop engine, the next step is adapting the shop to your own needs. That means both its appearance and the features it offers. For small and medium-sized shops, it's important that the shop is simple to run while still offering all the necessary features. - **Usability and interface**: The platform should be intuitive both for the shop owner and for customers. It's also worth paying attention to the quality of technical support. - **Security**: In an age of frequent cyberattacks, solid safeguards are essential. Make sure the platform you choose offers security updates and complies with data protection regulations. - **SEO and marketing**: SEO features are crucial for your shop's visibility in search engines. Optimising your shop for SEO matters a great deal. Integration with marketing tools, such as email marketing or remarketing, can also significantly affect sales. To attract customers, proper search engine optimisation of your shop is important. Good visibility in search engines is key to success in the world of ecommerce. It's worth investing in optimising your shop for SEO and using the search engine optimisation tools available on the market. - **Payment methods**: The platform should support a range of payment methods popular with your target audience. - **Mobile experience**: Today, mobile shopping accounts for a significant share of all ecommerce transactions, so it's important for the platform to be responsive and offer user-friendly mobile solutions. - **Community support and reviews**: Platforms with a strong user community often offer better support, add-ons and guides. Other users' reviews can give you insight into real-world experience with a given platform. Weighing up the criteria above, it's worth carefully analysing your business needs, your budget and your growth plans, so you can make an informed choice of ecommerce platform that will best serve your business goals. ## Ecommerce in Poland: what's the current situation? The ecommerce market is growing at a breakneck pace in Poland. More and more consumers are choosing to shop online instead of in traditional bricks-and-mortar shops. As a result, choosing the right ecommerce platform is becoming a key element of success for many entrepreneurs. Ecommerce is growing not just in Poland, but worldwide. It's worth watching global trends and adapting your shop's offer to changing customer needs. Monitoring the competition will help you spot niches worth pursuing. **Here are a few key trends that have shaped this segment:** - **Accelerated digitisation**: The COVID-19 pandemic sped up the adoption of online shopping among Poles. Many people who previously shopped online only occasionally, or not at all, started shopping online regularly. - **Growing mobile use**: More and more purchases are made on mobile devices. Ecommerce shops are investing in responsive websites and apps to deliver customers an optimal shopping experience on smartphones and tablets. - **Delivery and logistics**: The growing popularity of online shopping has driven rising demand for fast, efficient delivery. Many parcel pickup points have sprung up, and courier companies have expanded their services to meet growing market demands. - **A more diverse offer**: The Polish ecommerce market has become more diverse, with a growing number of specialist online shops and trading platforms offering a wide range of products. - **Transaction security**: Security issues have become a priority for online sellers, driving the adoption of modern payment solutions and security certifications. - **Sustainability**: Sustainable development and an eco-friendly approach have become important issues for consumers, influencing the strategies of many shops, for example offering eco-friendly packaging or sustainably made products. ## Summary: which online shop platform should you choose in 2023? Ecommerce in Poland is a fast-growing market that offers plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs. Setting up an online shop, though, isn't just about choosing the right platform; it's a whole process that requires careful thought and planning. Remember that the key to success isn't just an attractive offer, but also professionalism, customer care and flexibility in adapting to changing market conditions. To sum up, choosing the right platform for your online shop depends on many factors, such as the specifics of your business, your budget, and your individual needs. While **WooCommerce** is a popular, flexible solution, particularly for those already familiar with WordPress, **PrestaShop** stands out as a dedicated ecommerce system, offering a wide range of features tailored specifically for running online shops. What's more, [**building a shop on the PrestaShop platform**](https://justidea.agency/en/services/e-commerce/prestashop-stores/) with specialists such as our agency ensures professionalism, optimisation and an individual approach to every project. So for anyone looking for a solid ecommerce solution tailored to their needs, PrestaShop with our support could prove to be the ideal choice. ![Paweł Pasterak](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/pawel-c7d4b9e1.webp) Written by [Paweł Pasterak](https://justidea.agency/en/author/pawel-pasterak/) Project Manager Web Developer Have a question about this article? Write to us. Want this in your business ## Let's turn this knowledge into results in your store 30 minutes about your numbers. The call starts with someone from sales, and we bring in the channel specialist once we get into the details. The call is free of charge. Book a call about your numbers [See how we build websites](https://justidea.agency/en/services/websites/) Client reviews ## Ratings of the agency that runs this blog Clients gave them after working with us, and you can read each one on the site where it was posted. They cover the work of the whole agency, not this one article. 4.96 / 5 weighted average of 224 reviews across three platforms [Read the reviews](https://justidea.agency/en/justidea-reviews/) [![Google](https://justidea.agency/assets/logo-google.svg) 4.97 / 5 156 reviews on our Google Business Profile](https://www.google.com/search?q=JustIdea+Agency+Krak%C3%B3w+opinie)[![Facebook](https://justidea.agency/assets/logo-facebook.svg) 5.0 / 5 33 reviews on our Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/justidea.agency/reviews)[![Clutch](https://justidea.agency/assets/logo-clutch.svg) 4.9 / 5 35 B2B reviews, each verified in a call with the client](https://clutch.co/profile/justidea-agency) Statuses awarded by the platforms: PrestaShop Expert ★★★, Google Premier Partner 2025, Meta Business Partner, Microsoft Advertising Elite Partner 2025. [All certificates and awards](https://justidea.agency/en/our-awards/) Read on ## See also [Web Development 1 December 2023 PrestaShop vs WooCommerce - which should you choose for your online store? Mateusz Olszański](https://justidea.agency/en/blog/prestashop-vs-woocommerce/)[Web Development 2 October 2025 WordPress & WooCommerce: A Guide to Store Administration Joanna Hoły](https://justidea.agency/en/blog/wordpress-woocommerce-admin-guide/)[Web Development 28 November 2023 How Much Does a WooCommerce Store Cost? Mateusz Olszański](https://justidea.agency/en/blog/how-much-does-a-woocommerce-store-cost/) Contact ## A conversation about your numbers: 30 minutes The call is led by a new business specialist. When we get into the details of an account, the specialist for that channel joins in. We reply within one business day. A quick review of your tracking and campaignsThree priorities for the next quarterA written summary that stays with you Before the meeting we review your website, your visibility and what your campaigns show from the outside. We will not open with “so, what does your company do?”. [4.96 224 reviews](https://justidea.agency/en/justidea-reviews/) What happens after you send it 01 within 1 business day ### We reply to your email The reply comes from the same new business specialist who will run the call. No qualification form and no call from an unknown number. 02 this week ### A 30-minute conversation We go through your numbers and your questions. If it turns out we are not the right fit, we will tell you straight away.