eCommerce flows through every market possible, and that only seems to be snowballing. Square Inc. is a company that performs an oddity within all markets: massive success primarily through brick-and-mortar businesses. That’s quite an impressive feat, but it makes sense! This new form of payment brings the digital world to business and personal transactions in a way that other similar platforms have simply failed to do.
Square announced last week that they had “entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Weebly,” paying “a mix of cash and stock of approximately $365 million.” Square is already an impressively lucrative business, and this is a big move that business owners should pay attention to. Weebly offers a website platform filled with pre-made templates that allow businesses to create a better-made website, and free and premium plans offered, it’s quite popular. In fact, Weebly touts itself as being the “highest rated website building mobile app in the App Store and Google Play.” That’s no joke of a purchase!
Competition in the Market for Cheap eCommerce Platforms
What does this mean for eCommerce? The intention is to allow merchants to create an omnichannel business in which the combined tactics of Square and Weebly will be utilized. Once again, brick and mortar and eCommerce matchup in a huge way; this promises to become a pivotal platform for business owners everywhere. With Square’s customer base expanding through Weebly’s efforts, and Square’s incredible software flowing into Weebly’s typical services, global expansion is on its way.
This isn’t the first time that Square has delved into other markets; the acquisition of Caviar and Zesty come to mind. Weebly has been honing its sights on small businesses and eCommerce while maintaining the intuitive platform for individual use. One of Weebly’s few competent competitors? Ironically, Squarespace. Luckily, Square offers the potential for Weebly that Squarespace may not be able to keep up with.
Is Weebly Right For You?
Although Weebly may come off as a savior for those who are on a low budget, it isn’t a place to remain. Weebly offers a simple interface and intuitive user experience to those who cannot build their own website or small businesses that do not have the funds to start up. Once these funds are acquired, however, it is imperative to a business’s success to move to a better platform.
If you’re thinking about making the switch from your Weebly site, it’s time to consider what BigCommerce, Shopify, Volusion, Magento, and plenty of other better eCommerce platforms could do for you. Need help finding one? Stay tuned to Genius eCommerce for a thorough explanation of the benefits and downsides of each eCommerce platform!
