For a lot of businesses that sell online, what they have is a website, not a system that supports their commerce. 

What does this mean, you may ask?
When websites became a thing, they were generally online brochures. They helped you know the business but weren’t made for you to interact with or make a purchase. 

Till today, that is still the broader definition of a website.

Still confused?
We all have that someone who has a website, but their customers message them every time to place an order, or the website of that clothing brand, but you’re scared of making a purchase because you know their website’s stock is not up to date. So, you copy the link and send it to their WhatsApp to confirm its availability. That there is a website and not an e-commerce website or a commerce system. 

A commerce system is supposed to actually help you enable commerce, make buying and selling easy for both you and your customers. 

The clothing store that you have to text to confirm stock just has a portfolio website showing you information, but you can’t interact with it in the way that you’re supposed to. There’s nothing wrong with that. But if you’re to grow your business and get to 100 orders daily or 300 weekly, that will be too much for you to always confirm via text before customers now go back to your website to complete the order. 

A website can serve as a portfolio to showcase what you do.

It is like saying, “This is who we are. This is what we do. This is what we have. This is how to reach us.”

And for many people, that is exactly what they need. 

A website shows things, but it doesn't do anything with them.

A commerce system, on the other hand, is different.

A commerce system shows information, receives input, processes it, gives output, and fulfills the order.

So, for a “website” to become a “commerce system”, it has to go beyond just displaying information. It should be able to receive payments, process orders, make logistics easier, manage inventory, and support the actual buying and selling process.

Everything from supplier sourcing to uploading products, listings, product imagery, cart, checkout, shipping, payments, inventory, and more.

That is what makes a website a commerce system.

So now, do you have a website or a commerce system?