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How do I find out what eCommerce platform a site is using?

There are a couple different ways to determine the technologies a site is using. Firstly, if you are technically savvy, you can right click on an eCommerce page (either catalog, checkout page, etc) and look at the source code. Many platforms will have hints in the source code that will give you an idea what the site is running.

The simplest way to check a platform is to use BuiltWith. It’s generally pretty reliable, as long as the system you're looking up isn’t custom or proprietary. Enter a domain into BuiltWith and it will show you the platform, widgets used, analytics and tracking codes, CDNs, CMS, payment processors, and more.

If BuiltWith fails, you'll have to continue sleuthing. First, you can try to look at the DNS and hosting information, which would help you determine if the eCommerce solution is hosted or SaaS (like Shopify, for example). Then, you could try using InterNIC and enter the domain name. The results will return the nameservers which could point you in the right direction.

If you'd like to learn more about which eCommerce platform is the best fit for your business, our eCommerce platform guide can help you with your decision.

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Questions & Answers

How much does custom eCommerce cost?

A custom eCommerce store could cost anywhere from $12,000/year to millions. Variable factors include the amount of custom features, the complexity of design, setup investments, training, and maintenance. Check out how to determine the cost of a custom eCommerce store.

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How do I build a WordPress eCommerce website?
There are two strategies to build eCommerce into your existing Wordpress site. First, you need to figure out if you need a complete eCommerce platform (ie. you need to sell many products, complex products, integration into other systems, etc.). The reason this matters is there are many eCommerce plugins for Wordpress with limited functionalities.
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What is Magento eCommerce?
Magento is an increasingly popular eCommerce platform. It is written in PHP on the ZEND framework and is distributed under the Open Source Initiative.
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How do I start an eCommerce business?
The most important thing to consider is your competitive advantage over others that may compete for the same type of eCommerce store. Low barriers to entry is both a pro and con to eCommerce.
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What is an eCommerce platform?
An eCommerce platform is software that online businesses use to build functions needed to conduct business. The platform may be as simple as a catalog and shopping cart, but traditionally "platform" refers to a more robust set of tools and services.
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What is the difference between eCommerce and eBusiness?
Because people like to define these terms to suit their purposes, there are many different definitions of eBusiness and eCommerce. We define eBusiness as completing primary business functions online.
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