Want to create your own online shop yourself?
I have used EKM for many years and have found them to be very helpful.
EKM Description: EKM was founded in 2002 and was the first cloud based eCommerce platform in the UK. On the surface EKM is quite similar to Shopify, but since they’re 100% UK based, they tend to be a bit more attuned to UK business needs.
They offer an all in one Ecommerce platform that includes everything you need to sell online, from your own domain name to the ability to take payments. They have over 150 themes, so your shop will look unique. Plus all Ecommerce features come standard with all plans, which means you don’t have to pay for expensive add-on apps.
They claim to power over 30,000+ Shops which have collectively generated £5 billion in sales worldwide. They also have a very impressive 9.4 out 10 on Trustpilot based on over 1,500 customer reviews.
Plans start from £34.99 +VAT per month with no contract, and you can even try it free for 28 days through our special offer link. (Normally you only get 14 days free)
EKM Features:
- All features included on all plans
- 3 Month Account Manager to help you get your shop up and running
- Free Domain & SSL
- Unlimited products
- UK Based Support
- Payments included
- Hosting included in price of all plans
- No transaction fees
- Ability to add your own WordPress blog to your site
- Free live chat feature
- Free 033 number
- 28 day free trial
EKM Pros:
- Upfront pricing that really includes everything (no hidden charges or add-on costs) starting from £34.99 +VAT per month.
- Great Trustiplot reviews (9.4 out of 10 based on over 1,500 reviews)
- Powerful range of features included as standard
- Free domain name, SSL certificate and payment processing included
- Free account manager to help you set-up and market your shop.
- 28 day free trial
EKM Cons:
- Transaction fees for payment processing are not the cheapest (1.99%-2.49%), but you can use your own payment gateway if you want.
- Prices for all plans are not the cheapest on the market, but they do include all features, so may work to be cheaper in the long run.
- Since they are a UK company, they charge VAT on all plans
- A few customers have complained about support issues, but EKM seem to be quick to follow up and try and resolve problems.
- Plan pricing is based on how much you sell, so if you sell more you do pay more
Final Verdict: EKM is probably the best Shopify alternative for UK businesses, and in many if not most cases should probably be their first choice. Considering you can try it free, it’s definitely worth a look.
