What software do I need to open my e-commerce?
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 4:40 am
You have a great e-commerce idea and, in fact, you have already started working to turn that idea into a reality. But then you come up against another equally hard reality: to build an online store, you need a whole set of software to help you manage it.
And that can be a bit complex because, in this field, there are always a truly impressive number of questions: what is the best software? Should I go for the best even if it is too complex and I have to adapt? Should I opt for a simpler one even if it is not the best? Do I need three hundred different software or can I go with one that integrates them all?
Each e-commerce is a world in itself and, therefore, each e-commerce will respond differently to each and every one of these questions. But, to give you an idea, below we will talk about the five basic fields that you should cover with different software in your online store .
Online store
Here’s the bottom line and the obvious: an online store needs technology to run on. And that technology is managed by its own software. As of today, the basic options are Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento . These have different levels of usability so you can get more or less use out of them depending on your level of computer australia number data knowledge. But don’t despair: pick one and stick with it. (Or hire someone who understands the stuff.)
Accounting and billing
Accounting and invoicing , even in e-commerce, are two fields that are crowned by an absolute king: the spreadsheet. And it is clear that these spreadsheets can be used in one of the prevailing software: Excel for accounting and Google Drive with its online optimization…
As a starting point, this is already sufficient. Little by little, you will grow and, then, it will be time to consider a more specialized solution that allows you to perform more complex operations.
Inventory and catalogue
It is clear that the heart of any e-commerce is precisely its catalogue and, consequently, its inventory. Managing this stock, however, requires a truly colossal effort if you do not have the necessary tools. The best thing in this regard, then, is to resort to specialized software… And here it is necessary to do some research, because it is very likely that your online store requires specific solutions for your field of business and trade.
CRM
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one of the key points of any e-commerce business because, after all, it is dedicated to managing all types of relationships with our business' customers. In this regard, and again, it is necessary to know the needs of our e-shop and, from there, choose between the many existing and well-known software: Salesforce , Zoho , Act!, SAP , Oracle ... You can also integrate your CRM to your online store that you have chosen to run your e-commerce and have everything in one place.
Team and project management
This is where things get complicated, as each team and project needs to be managed differently and therefore generates different software needs. Arguably, however, the basics are to optimize internal communication, whether at the email level (with omnipresent solutions such as Microsoft Outlook or Gmail ) or chat (with specialized options for work teams such as Slack ).
There are also other exciting possibilities to consider, such as team project management offered by tools like Trello and Asana . Shared calendars are also available, whether they are from Google , macOS or whatever is closest to you, since nowadays almost all of these software programs include the option to be shared with other people.
Why not go for an “all-in-one”?
Do you think that all the above points imply too much effort when looking for different software? Then your best option is to go for an integrated software solution such as, for example, Holded, which , in addition to offering integrations with WooCommerce, PrestaShop or Shopify , includes in a single online space a whole set of tools that help you manage everything that revolves around an e-commerce. It couldn't be more comfortable.
And that can be a bit complex because, in this field, there are always a truly impressive number of questions: what is the best software? Should I go for the best even if it is too complex and I have to adapt? Should I opt for a simpler one even if it is not the best? Do I need three hundred different software or can I go with one that integrates them all?
Each e-commerce is a world in itself and, therefore, each e-commerce will respond differently to each and every one of these questions. But, to give you an idea, below we will talk about the five basic fields that you should cover with different software in your online store .
Online store
Here’s the bottom line and the obvious: an online store needs technology to run on. And that technology is managed by its own software. As of today, the basic options are Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento . These have different levels of usability so you can get more or less use out of them depending on your level of computer australia number data knowledge. But don’t despair: pick one and stick with it. (Or hire someone who understands the stuff.)
Accounting and billing
Accounting and invoicing , even in e-commerce, are two fields that are crowned by an absolute king: the spreadsheet. And it is clear that these spreadsheets can be used in one of the prevailing software: Excel for accounting and Google Drive with its online optimization…
As a starting point, this is already sufficient. Little by little, you will grow and, then, it will be time to consider a more specialized solution that allows you to perform more complex operations.
Inventory and catalogue
It is clear that the heart of any e-commerce is precisely its catalogue and, consequently, its inventory. Managing this stock, however, requires a truly colossal effort if you do not have the necessary tools. The best thing in this regard, then, is to resort to specialized software… And here it is necessary to do some research, because it is very likely that your online store requires specific solutions for your field of business and trade.
CRM
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one of the key points of any e-commerce business because, after all, it is dedicated to managing all types of relationships with our business' customers. In this regard, and again, it is necessary to know the needs of our e-shop and, from there, choose between the many existing and well-known software: Salesforce , Zoho , Act!, SAP , Oracle ... You can also integrate your CRM to your online store that you have chosen to run your e-commerce and have everything in one place.
Team and project management
This is where things get complicated, as each team and project needs to be managed differently and therefore generates different software needs. Arguably, however, the basics are to optimize internal communication, whether at the email level (with omnipresent solutions such as Microsoft Outlook or Gmail ) or chat (with specialized options for work teams such as Slack ).
There are also other exciting possibilities to consider, such as team project management offered by tools like Trello and Asana . Shared calendars are also available, whether they are from Google , macOS or whatever is closest to you, since nowadays almost all of these software programs include the option to be shared with other people.
Why not go for an “all-in-one”?
Do you think that all the above points imply too much effort when looking for different software? Then your best option is to go for an integrated software solution such as, for example, Holded, which , in addition to offering integrations with WooCommerce, PrestaShop or Shopify , includes in a single online space a whole set of tools that help you manage everything that revolves around an e-commerce. It couldn't be more comfortable.