6 Best eCommerce CMS for Online Businesses in 2025

Understanding eCommerce CMS

What is CMS?

A Content Management System (CMS), in the context of eCommerce, is a software application that empowers businesses to create, manage, and publish content on their online store without needing extensive coding knowledge. Think of it as the central hub for your online store, allowing you to easily add product descriptions, manage blog posts, create landing pages, and update website elements – all through a user-friendly interface.

An eCommerce CMS goes beyond just basic content management. It provides a robust set of features specifically designed to streamline the management of your online store, including functionalities for product listings, inventory management, customer accounts, and secure payment processing. This allows you to focus on the strategic aspects of your business, like marketing and sales, while the CMS handles the technical complexities behind the scenes.

Why is CMS a Need for eCommerce sellers?

In today’s competitive eCommerce landscape, having a user-friendly and feature-rich online store is essential for success. Here’s how an eCommerce CMS can be a game-changer for your business:

• Simplified Content Management: Easily add, edit, and update product descriptions, blog posts, and other website content without needing coding expertise.
• Streamlined Operations: Manage your entire online store from a single platform, including products, orders, customers, and marketing campaigns.
• Improved Customer Experience: Create a professional and engaging online store that is easy to navigate and provides a seamless shopping experience.
• Enhanced SEO Performance: Many eCommerce CMS platforms offer built-in SEO tools to help your online store rank higher in search engine results.
• Scalability and Growth: eCommerce CMS platforms are designed to scale with your business, allowing you to add new features and functionalities as your business grows.
• Cost-Effective Solution: Compared to building a custom eCommerce website, an eCommerce CMS offers a more affordable and user-friendly solution.

See more: Top 15 Website CMS Platforms for Australian Businesses

3 Common Types of CMS

There are three main types of eCommerce CMS platforms to consider, each offering its own set of advantages and drawbacks:

• SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) eCommerce CMS: These cloud-based platforms offer a user-friendly, subscription-based service. Everything is hosted by the provider, so there’s no need to manage servers or software updates. Popular examples include Shopify and BigCommerce.
  
• Open-Source eCommerce CMS: These self-hosted platforms offer greater flexibility and customization options. However, they also require more technical knowledge to set up and maintain. Popular examples include WooCommerce (built on WordPress) and Magento (now Adobe Commerce).
  
• Headless eCommerce CMS: This approach separates the front-end presentation layer (your online store’s design) from the back-end content management system. This offers maximum flexibility but requires more development expertise. Popular headless CMS options include Contentful and Prismic.

Main features of CMS

Revenue in the Content Management Software market is projected to reach US$22.27bn in 2024. A powerful eCommerce CMS goes beyond just creating content. It offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to streamline your online store’s operations and empower you to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Here’s a closer look at some of the key features to consider when choosing an eCommerce CMS:

• User-friendly Admin Dashboard: The admin dashboard is the central command center of your online store. An eCommerce CMS should provide a user-friendly and intuitive interface that allows you to easily manage all aspects of your store, from adding products and processing orders to creating marketing campaigns and analyzing customer data.
  
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): In today’s digital world, ranking high in search engine results is crucial for attracting organic traffic to your online store. Many eCommerce CMS platforms offer built-in SEO tools to help you optimize your product descriptions, meta tags, and website content for better search engine visibility.
  
• Integration with Social Media Platforms and Measurement Tools: Social media marketing is a powerful tool for reaching new customers and promoting your products. An eCommerce CMS should allow you to seamlessly integrate with popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Additionally, integration with marketing measurement tools can help you track the performance of your social media campaigns and website traffic.
  
• Version and Backup Management: Accidents happen, and content can get accidentally deleted. A robust version and backup management system ensures you can easily revert to previous versions of your content or restore lost data in case of any issues.
  
• Customized Templates: The look and feel of your online store play a significant role in branding and customer experience. Many eCommerce CMS platforms offer a variety of pre-designed templates that you can customize to match your brand identity. Additionally, some platforms allow for more advanced customization options through code editing.
  
• Multi-Language Functionality: Reaching a global audience can significantly expand your customer base. An eCommerce CMS with multi-language functionality allows you to translate your online store content into different languages, making it accessible to a wider audience.
  
• Robust Publishing Tools: Once you’ve created your product descriptions, blog posts, and other website content, you need to easily publish it live on your online store. An eCommerce CMS should offer user-friendly publishing tools with scheduling options to ensure your content is published at the right time.
  
• User and Group Functionality: Depending on the size of your team, you may want to grant different levels of access to your online store’s backend. An eCommerce CMS with user and group functionality allows you to create different user accounts with specific permissions, ensuring only authorized users can access sensitive information or make critical changes.
  
• Audit Logs: Keeping track of changes made to your online store is essential for security and troubleshooting purposes. An eCommerce CMS with audit log functionality records all user activity, allowing you to see who made changes, what changes were made, and when they were made.
  
• Security: Security is paramount when it comes to eCommerce. An eCommerce CMS should offer robust security features to protect your customer data and financial transactions. This includes features like secure login protocols, data encryption, and regular security updates.

Watch more: 8 Best Website CMS Platforms for Australian Enterprises

Top 6 eCommerce content management softwares and platforms for online stores

Choosing the right eCommerce CMS platform is crucial for the success of your online store. Here’s a closer look at six of the most popular options, each catering to different needs and budgets:

• Shopify: Known for its user-friendly interface and wide range of features, Shopify is a popular choice for businesses of all sizes. It offers a subscription-based model (SaaS) with a variety of plans to suit your needs. Shopify provides a drag-and-drop store builder, built-in marketing tools, and a vast app store offering additional functionalities. While it’s easy to use, extensive customization options might be limited compared to other platforms.
  
• Magento (Adobe Commerce): A powerful and scalable open-source eCommerce CMS platform, Magento offers a high degree of flexibility and customization. However, it requires more technical knowledge to set up and maintain compared to SaaS platforms like Shopify. Magento is ideal for larger businesses with complex needs and in-house development resources. It’s important to note that Magento recently transitioned under the ownership of Adobe and is now offered as Adobe Commerce.
  
• BigCommerce: Another popular SaaS platform, BigCommerce is known for its scalability and robust built-in features. It offers a user-friendly interface with a focus on B2B (business-to-business) eCommerce functionalities. BigCommerce is a strong choice for businesses looking for a scalable solution with powerful built-in features, but customization options might be more limited than some open-source platforms.
  
• WooCommerce: As a free plugin for WordPress, WooCommerce transforms your existing WordPress website into a fully functional online store. It’s a popular choice for businesses already using WordPress due to its ease of integration and vast plugin ecosystem. However, WooCommerce requires some technical knowledge to set up and maintain, and hosting and security management fall on the user.
  
• OpenCart: An open-source eCommerce CMS platform, OpenCart offers a good balance of features and customization options. It’s a cost-effective solution for businesses on a budget with some technical knowledge. However, similar to other open-source platforms, setting up and maintaining OpenCart requires more technical expertise compared to SaaS solutions.
  
• PrestaShop: Another free, open-source eCommerce CMS platform, PrestaShop offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of features. It’s a good option for businesses looking for a cost-effective solution with some customization capabilities. However, like other open-source platforms, technical knowledge is required for setup and maintenance, and app and theme selection might be more limited compared to other options.

Conclusion

Choosing the right eCommerce CMS can be overwhelming. But with the right platform, you can streamline operations, boost sales, and create a seamless shopping experience for your customers.

As a reliable eCommerce partner, SmartOSC offer expert consultations to help you select and implement the perfect CMS for your business needs. Contact us today and let’s unlock the full potential of your online store!