Volusion Expert Review
Volusion is a cloud-based platform that offers all the features you need to run an online store. Since its inception in 1999, Volusion has processed over 185 million orders for its clients. As of now, there are more than 30,000+ active stores on this platform.
What’s so unique about this platform?
Keep reading our detailed Volusion review to learn if it’s worth the investment.
Pros And Cons
There’s no such thing as a 100% perfect eCommerce platform. Each one comes with its benefits and limitations. When choosing the right online solution for you, ensure that the disadvantages don’t overshadow the benefits.
That said, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of Volusion.
Pros
- Has an excellent selection of analytical tools
- Includes a mobile app so you can manage your website on the go
- Allows integration with multiple payment gateways
- The platform itself doesn’t charge any fees on transactions
- Powerful eCommerce features like inventory management, built-in SEO tools, CRM and newsletter systems, tax rate calculator, shipping options, multi-level product management, and more
- 24/7 access to customer service
- Custom domains, well-designed responsive themes, and intuitive functionality
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
Cons
- Doesn’t include an in-built blogging platform
- SSL certificates are charged extra
- Not as many integrations as other eCommerce platforms
- SEO features can be expanded a bit more
- Costly templates
Pricing And Payment Methods
Volusion is offering a 14-day free trial, and you don’t need a credit card to get started. Once the trial expires, you can choose from four premium packages. Each plan has a yearly limit on the gross merchandise value (GMV), but you won’t be charged any transaction fee. You’ll also be eligible for a 10% discount if you opt for annual plans.
Here are the plans:
- Personal – $29/month. It has a GMV limit of $50k/year and allows you to create one additional staff account. With this plan, you can only add 100 products to your store
- Professional – $79/month. It comes with a GMV limit of $100k/year and allows you to create five additional staff accounts. With this plan, you can only add 5,000 products to your shop
- Business – $299/month. This plan has a GMV limit of $500k/year. You’ll be able to create up to 15 staff accounts, and there isn’t any capping on the number of products you can add to your store
- Prime – Pricing for this isn’t mentioned on the official website. This plan is for business with a GMV of $500k+ per year. Contact the sales team to learn more about this package
In addition to the monthly fee, you’ll also have to bear the costs of SSL certificates, paid integrations, fraud protection, and payment gateway fees.
Ease Of Use
The interface is clean and easy to navigate. It features detailed support videos on the user dashboard. The primary steps for building your site are also clearly listed. There are self-explanatory buttons for adding a logo, custom pages, and products. However, the design interface can be a bit complicated, even for experienced users.
You can view several reports right on your dashboard, allowing you to make necessary changes without much hassle. You’ll also have one-click access to orders, inventory, settings, reports, and other important features. The latest update has added a lot of new features that make the user interface on par with brands like Shopify and BigCommerce.
Design And Templates
You’ll get a few free templates and some paid themes. However, keep in mind that the paid templates are extremely pricey ($180 each). This is one of the major areas where Volusion has room for improvement.
All of the templates are responsive and well-designed. They’re very feature-specific, so you may end up with a theme that isn’t specific to your industry. Although if you need custom designing, you can get it done from the company’s team of experts.
Load Times And Reliability Features
If you aim to sell products, this platform can work wonders for you. First of all, it has a product video option, something that isn’t provided by other eCommerce builders. If you want to engage customers using visuals, you can benefit a lot from this platform. It also has a “suggested product” feature, which is unique and unlike other online shop sites. For instance, Shopify relies on third-party integrations for the same function. The only limitation is that you can’t sell digital products on this platform.
All of the premium plans offer unlimited bandwidth, and the company also guarantees 99.9% uptime. You can further optimize your website by adding CDN and lazy-loading apps from the store. It supports over 1000+ apps through the Zapier App Store.
Besides these, you’ll also get access to an array of eCommerce and sales features like:
- Secure checkout (PCI-certified)
- Product display customization
- Recurring pricing
- Adding vendor codes
- Barcode generator
- Advanced shipping and tax fields
- Mobile app for store management
Customer Support
Customers get 24/7 access to premium customer service through phone, email, and chat. The site’s support team is professional and experienced. You can expect prompt responses to your queries and quick resolutions for your grievances.
One of the best things about this company is that it cares for the clients. This can be seen from it’s A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Once you reach out to the team and find a resolution, you’ll receive a follow-up call to make sure things are working fine for you. You can also access an extensive library of how-to guides, videos, articles, and tutorials to learn on your own.
User Reviews
The company has a fair share of positive reviews from satisfied customers. Most agree that it offers a cost-effective solution for selling online. However, the unanimous feedback is that the company should consider expanding its features and functionalities if it wants to compete with larger eCommerce website builders like Shopify, Weebly, and BigCommerce.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a sales-centric eCommerce solution that provides plenty of support for small and medium businesses, Volusion is a great choice. It doesn’t charge any transaction fees and offers dedicated tools to help you grow your online store.
To sum it up, it may not be the best online shop builder, but it does offer value for money. If you want a well-organized store with sleek features within a budget, make sure to give the free 14-day trial a go.