The 5 Best eCommerce Platforms for Furniture Businesses in 2023

Posted on March 6, 2023

SaaS-based eCommerce platforms using lookalike design templates are the index funds of the eCommerce world. They help furniture businesses more easily get online with a deep selection of innovative eCommerce functionalities. In this article, we’ll cover just a few ways the following popular eCommerce platforms can help furniture companies become pioneers in the industry by streamlining the backend of their business, improving site search, inviting complex customizations, and leveraging 3D and AR:

Magento Open Source
Adobe Commerce
BigCommerce
Shopify
WooCommerce

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Magento Open Source

Magento Open Source has been a popular solution in the eCommerce world for a long time. It's known for its flexibility and scalability, making it an excellent choice for furniture businesses looking to expand. Here are some key features:

Customization: Magento Open Source offers unparalleled customization options. You can design your online store to match your brand's identity, and you have full control over the layout and functionality. This is crucial for furniture businesses with distinctive aesthetics.

Scalability: Magento is built to handle high volumes of traffic and large inventories. Whether you're a small furniture retailer planning to grow or a large business with extensive product catalogs, Magento can scale with your needs.

Community Support: Magento boasts a vast and active community of developers and users. This means you can tap into a wealth of resources, including plugins, extensions, and community-driven solutions. If you have questions or run into issues, chances are someone in the community has encountered and solved them before.

At IronPlane, we’ve found that Magento Open Source helps us give furniture manufacturers the flexibility they need to craft an unforgettable site and continue evolving their brand and offerings over time. In fact, one of our clients, Gat Creek, was recently ranked 11th out of 100 furniture brands as a result of their unique website experience.

Adobe Commerce (and Adobe Commerce Cloud)

If you're looking for a premium eCommerce solution, Adobe Commerce might be the right fit. This platform offers a seamless blend of B2B and B2C capabilities, making it a great choice for furniture businesses with a diverse customer base. Key features include:

Advanced Marketing Tools: Adobe Commerce provides a suite of advanced marketing tools that can help your furniture business stand out. From targeted email campaigns to personalized product recommendations, you can engage your audience effectively.

Personalization: Personalization is crucial in the furniture industry, where individual preferences play a significant role in buying decisions. Adobe Commerce allows you to create personalized shopping experiences based on user behavior and preferences, increasing the likelihood of conversions.

Integrated Inventory Management: Managing your furniture inventory across multiple channels is simplified with Adobe Commerce. You can efficiently track stock levels, update product information, and synchronize inventory data with your physical stores.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a user-friendly platform that doesn't skimp on features. It's perfect for small to mid-sized furniture businesses that want a straightforward yet powerful eCommerce solution. Key features include:

Responsive Themes: BigCommerce offers a wide selection of responsive themes that are ideal for showcasing furniture. These templates are designed to be visually appealing and mobile-friendly, ensuring your products look great on any device.

SEO-Friendly: Furniture businesses can benefit from BigCommerce's built-in SEO tools, which help improve your search engine rankings. This is vital for attracting organic traffic and driving more potential customers to your online store.

Payment Options: BigCommerce supports various payment gateways, allowing you to offer a convenient and secure checkout experience to your customers. This flexibility is crucial for catering to a diverse customer base with varying payment preferences.

Shopify

Shopify is a household name in the eCommerce industry, known for its ease of use and reliability. It's a great choice for both newcomers and established furniture businesses. Key features include:

User-Friendly: Shopify's intuitive interface makes it accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise. Setting up your furniture store is a breeze, and you can start selling online quickly.

App Store: With thousands of apps and integrations available in the Shopify App Store, you can enhance your store's functionality as needed. This means you can integrate tools for inventory management, marketing, and customer support seamlessly.

Mobile Optimization: As mobile shopping continues to rise, Shopify ensures that your furniture store is mobile-optimized out of the box. This means your website will look and perform well on smartphones and tablets, providing a smooth shopping experience for mobile users.

WooCommerce

If you're already using WordPress for your furniture business's website, WooCommerce might be the ideal choice. It seamlessly integrates with WordPress, allowing you to add eCommerce functionality to your existing site. Key features include:

WordPress Integration: WooCommerce seamlessly integrates with WordPress, the world's most popular content management system. If your furniture business already has a WordPress website, you can add eCommerce functionality without starting from scratch.

Flexibility: WooCommerce is highly customizable. You can tailor your store's appearance and functionality using a wide range of extensions and themes. This flexibility allows you to create a unique and branded online presence.

Cost-Effective: WooCommerce is known for being budget-friendly. It's a cost-effective option for businesses that want to enter the world of online retail without incurring substantial upfront expenses. This makes it ideal for smaller furniture businesses looking to expand their online presence.

A Simple Guide for Evaluating eCommerce Platforms for Furniture

Choosing the right eCommerce platform for your furniture business can be overwhelming, but breaking it down into key criteria can simplify the decision-making process. Here's a simple guide for evaluating eCommerce platforms:

Features: Consider what features are essential for your business. For example, do you need advanced inventory management, a seamless checkout process, or robust marketing tools? How about ERP integrations, 3D and AR visualizations, and search functionality? Make a list of must-haves and nice-to-haves.
Price: Determine your maximum budget for an eCommerce platform. Are you willing to pay more for certain features that could significantly benefit your business in the long run?
Scalability: Think about your growth plans. Do you anticipate rapid expansion, or are you primarily focused on supporting a local business? Your choice of platform should align with your scalability goals.
User-Friendliness: Evaluate the platform's ease of use, especially if you or your team aren't tech-savvy. A user-friendly interface can save time and reduce the learning curve.
Support and Community: Research the availability of customer support and the size of the platform's user community. Having access to help when you need it can be crucial.
Mobile Optimization: With the increasing use of mobile devices for online shopping, ensure that the platform offers responsive and mobile-friendly designs.
Security: Protecting customer data is paramount. Look for platforms with robust security measures to keep your online store and customer information safe.

By carefully considering these factors and comparing them across different eCommerce platforms, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your furniture business's goals and needs. Whether you're a budding furniture entrepreneur or an established retailer, choosing the right eCommerce platform is a critical step towards achieving online success.

Replatforming Your Furniture eCommerce Store

Leveraging the capabilities of a highly customizable platform like Magento is only the first step for setting your furniture company apart from the morass of sameness. Once you know the capabilities you want your store to have, it'll likely be time to replatform your site to the platform of your choosing. IronPlane is here to help with that process — take a look at our replatforming guide below.

Curious about what is involved in a Magento implementation? Contact the experts at IronPlane for a free consultation, or read:

Photo credit: Phillip Goldsberry on Unsplash