Today we are going to explain what LemonStand is and analyze how it can help you set up your ecommerce.
LemonStand is an ecommerce platform, a CMS on which you can set up your online store. One of its main features is that it includes all kinds of customization options, but you will need a developer to really take advantage of them. So it’s not a suitable platform for someone without too much knowledge of code and who can’t afford to hire a professional to cover that need.
There is a lot to consider before deciding on LemonStand. Let’s take a look at the company, its platform, tools and conditions to find out if this CMS is right for your store.
About LemonStand
LemonStand eCommerce, Inc. is the parent company behind the LemonStand ecommerce platform, a cloud-based solution that includes hosting, a content management system (CMS), inventory management tools and much more.
Headquartered in Vancouver, LemonStand was founded in 2010. Initially a licensed, server-based application, it evolved into a cloud platform built on PHP.
LemonStand Hosting and CDN
LemonStand is based on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model. Websites built with LemonStand are hosted on LemonStand cloud servers, so you don’t have to buy a hosting for your web.
Hosting with LemonStand
LemonStand hosting offers the level of security you would expect from an e-commerce specialist.
The platform includes built-in data encryption as well as payment processing systems that separate purchase data from other order information. LemonStand site owners also benefit from hourly backups.
LemonStand CDN
LemonStand also provides a CDN (Global Content Delivery Network) that currently covers 54 locations worldwide. CDNs help your ecommerce speed and performance to be optimal, regardless of peak demand or geographic location of purchase.
Source LemonStand
LemonStand Plans
An interesting feature of LemonStand is that its various plans share the same features. All plans include advanced SEO tools, responsive templates, the ability to offer discounts with promotional code, bitcoin support, and unlimited products and product categories.
Source Lemonstand prices (November 2018)
The main difference between the different LemonStand plans lies in the number of transactions you can make with your ecommerce, as well as the type of customer service you can receive (Standard or Premium).
LemonStand Site builder and templates
If you don’t have much time – or just don’t want to – you can use LemonStand as it comes: with a default configuration, minimal customization and an initial template.
But you can also customize it in the following ways:
- Add an unlimited number of products, images or categories.
- Add related products for cross-selling and up-selling.
- Use the subscription option to set up recurring subscription plans (weekly, monthly, quarterly, or other).
- Choose one of their free and open source themes or templates.
- LemonStand templates can be used as is, but are designed to serve as a framework for creating a custom store.
- You can also modify the appearance of each product (colors, styles, fonts, etc.). Sometimes it can be a bit cumbersome to modify all these aspects.
- It includes an easy-to-use blog interface. For most ecommerce companies, it’s more than enough.
- There is a payment system that is not too complex to customize, although the default setting is probably enough.
- You can customize the payment process, including reducing redirects for optimization.
LemonStand has a fairly intuitive process for configuring, configuring and maintaining static pages and dynamic product/category pages.
If you want to go further, you can take full advantage of the customization of this ecommerce platform and hire a professional developer to manage it. This is how you can turn your store into something unique and completely customized. LemonStand is a very good tool for businesses that want to be very scalable and grow in the future.
Features of LemonStand
LemonStand offers customers access to some very useful features, such as tracking, header tags and unlimited product images.
In addition, users can do A/B tests between products or landing pages, to adjust copy, CTAs, colors and other elements.
These are some of the most interesting features of LemonStand:
Personalized Emails
You can customize all email messages with just a little bit of HTML.
Discounts and recurring subscriptions
Gift cards are not compatible, but you can offer discounts to your customers.
LemonStand also supports the creation and management of recurring revenue streams based on subscriptions. Subscriptions that charge an automatic payment can be very useful to have a constant income.
Third-Party Applications and APIs
There is no app store, but you can integrate third-party software and products into your store (including Google Analytics).
API
Apart from that, you can integrate almost any application with LemonStand’s open API. You will need advanced knowledge of code or a developer who can do it for you.
Use with Zapier
In addition to the flexibility of the LemonStand API, you can also use Zapier, which allows you to connect hundreds of applications for automated processes and optimized workflows.
After establishing and configuring the rules of your workflows, these applications can help you with different tasks, such as email marketing, CRM, accounting, social media marketing and much more.
Possible integrations of LemonStand with Zapier. Source Zapier
Payments with LemonStand
One of the most important reasons for choosing an ecommerce platform are your payment options:
Supports almost 100 payment gateways
Currently, LemonStand supports more than 95 different payment gateways for its customers (which are spread over more than 100 different countries in the world). In addition to the most popular and well-known options such as Amazon Pay, PayPal and Stripe, LemonStand supports smaller providers and bank-specific options.
Payment options in LemonStand. Source LemonStand
Personalize your checkout
If none of the supported payment gateways is suitable for your business, LemonStand offers a custom payment option, in which you can manually configure things like COD payments or accept checks.
Your ecommerce can be configured to support as many payment gateways as you want.
The LemonStand Cart
One of the most important selling points of LemonStand is its flexibility. It has been proven that overly complex payment processes tire buyers, so you can choose to streamline the process and eliminate things like redirects, which can distract customers from the task at hand.
If you want an ecommerce platform that allows you to fully customize the payment process, LemonStand is clearly a platform to consider.
LemonStand’s customer service
LemonStand’s on-site chat function is particularly powerful. When we asked a question using your chat, we were asked for an email. When we received the response to our email (about two hours later), we responded by email. Later, when we returned to their website, the chat window included both our response and that of LemonStand.
This is quite ingenious and would allow users to have more options to track their support requests and responses.
Knowledge base
In addition to the customer service options specific to your plan, LemonStand offers a solid collection of supporting documentation.
The documentation also includes a growing library of pieces of code that you can use to adjust and refine your website.
Some of these code samples include collecting product reviews, displaying average product ratings, displaying a list of manufacturers, randomizing how products are displayed on product pages, and more.
Billing and Cancellation
Although you will have to pay the fees to the company behind the card payments, you will not have to pay any transaction fees with LemonStand. This is something unusual among ecommerce/SaaS platform providers. And it’s sure to help you save some money, especially if your website includes a lot of transactions.
Free trial of LemonStand
If you’re not sure if LemonStand is the right choice, you can use its free 14-day trial. During the trial period, you can explore all the features of LemonStand without restrictions and without choosing a specific plan level.
LemonStand Terms and Conditions
The terms of use of LemonStand are quite clear and easy to understand. However, there are a couple of points worth mentioning here.
The first thing to keep in mind is that you have to log in from time to time. If you don’t, they may consider your account to be inactive, and LemonStand has the right to delete your data – that is, your website – 14 days after that time.
In addition, by subscribing to LemonStand and using its platform, you give LemonStand the right to use and display your name, trade name, logo and service or trademarks for its own marketing purposes.
Conclusion: Is LemonStand the right choice for my ecommerce?
LemonStand is a platform for creating your ecommerce that provides solid tools to customize your store. It is more suitable for companies that are growing (or that foresee, at least, a considerable growth in the future).
Although you can use LemonStand in a standard way and without making many customizations, LemonStand is much more complete if you have technical knowledge.
So, yes:
- you are looking for a solution that adapts easily
- that offers powerful customization
- that includes your own hosting
- that has integrated site-builder
- and if you have knowledge of code (or someone who does it for you)
Lemonstand is a very good choice.
