11 Most Successful eCommerce Websites of 2017

The most successful eCommerce websites of 2017 are those that have recognized the importance of having a well-integrated online presence and have adjusted themselves according to the ever-changing needs of their customer base.

In the modern age, the consumer has evolved. The days when the concept of online shopping was treated with much trepidation and apprehension by shoppers are gone. With the technology development and more secure payment methods, customers have warmed up to the idea of purchasing products online. An annual study conducted under a collaboration between comScore and UPS found that consumer behavior has tilted in favor of eCommerce. The survey included 5,000 participants who had made two or more online purchases over the last three months. Within this sample, it was found that the participants now do 51% of their shopping online, compared to 48% in 2015 and 47% in 2014.

Sharp-eyed entrepreneurs have taken advantage of this trend and gone on to establish highly successful eCommerce websites. One good example is Jeff Bezos, the man who started Amazon as an online bookstore and later made it the behemoth that it is today. You can read more about him and other entrepreneurs like him in our list of the Most Successful Entrepreneurs of 2016.

Companies have taken note of this change in consumer behavior, and the eCommerce industry has scaled at a phenomenal rate. But it is important to realize that eCommerce is not merely a matter of setting up a website. In order to become a major player among the huge eCommerce websites, you have to position your business in such a way that your entire business model is geared towards serving your customers online. Keeping this is mind, we have compiled a list of the most successful eCommerce websites of 2017.

We have done this by taking into account four key variables to compile a comprehensive and holistic list of most successful eCommerce websites of 2016 from among the retailers in North America:

a) Number of eCommerce Annual Sales in 2016 as reported by E-Marketer. Because sales are a direct reflection of the success of an eCommerce website, we have given this variable 60% weightage.

b) Global Ranking on Alexa, which ranks a website’s popularity based on a combination of page visits and page views site over a historical period.  Since a website’s popularity is a good proxy for its eventual success, we have given this variable 10% weightage.

c) Internet Retailer Performance Score (IRPS), a proprietary scoring system from Internet Retailer 2017 Top 500 report which quantifies a retailer’s success in online retail in comparison to their competitors and the overall eCommerce market, which we have given 20% weightage.

d) The size of the online company relative to the other companies on this list ranked according to the Internet Retailer 2017 Top 500 report, which has been given 10% weightage in the overall score.

11. Target

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $2,524
Alexa Global Ranking: 429
IRPS score: NA
Size of the online company: NA

We are starting our list of most successful eCommerce websites of 2017 with Target, who might have come in the last place in our rankings but is only behind Walmart regarding the size on the list of discount store retailer in the United States. With a large assortment of items including clothing, furniture, electronics, grocery and much, much more, customers flock to their website for their everyday shopping needs.

10. QVC

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $3,722
Alexa Global Ranking: 3764
IRPS score: 60
Size of the online company: 7^th

For those unfamiliar with the name, QVC (Quality Value Convenience) is a digital shopping platform that revolutionized the concept of televised home shopping. Television shopping hosts showcase their products on screen and viewers can go online or call to order their preferred products, which has generated annual eCommerce sales of $3.7 billion for the company last year.

9. Dell

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $ 3,650*
Alexa Global Ranking: 472
IRPS score: 48
Size of the online company: 4^th

*Annual Sales figure is for 2014. Figure for 2016 not available

Founded way back in 1984, Dell, the next one on the list of most successful eCommerce websites of 2017 has become one of the great success stories of a company that adopted its business model to the coming of the eCommerce age. Before the boom in eCommerce, Dell used to sell computers and computer technology to consumers and businesses by advertising through traditional means and finalizing orders over the phone. Fortunately for them, their forward-looking leadership invested heavily in developing their eCommerce operations which is paying dividends today.

8. Staples

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $10,700
Alexa Global Ranking: 1847
IRPS score: 50
Size of the online company: 5^th

Staples is another example of a thriving B2B vendor in the online market that has a very successful eCommerce website. You would think a company that primarily sells office stationery would struggle in this climate of digital transformation as we slowly shift towards an increasingly paperless world. But Staples has shown the way for businesses to adapt to the new digital age by getting a firm foothold in the online market as the go-to office supplies provider on the internet. Their annual sales through eCommerce was a staggering $10.7 billion last year.

7. Costco

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $3,618
Alexa Global Ranking: 1108
IRPS score: 67
Size of the online company: 9^th

Being aware of the shifting tide of consumer behavior, Costco, number 7 on our list of most successful eCommerce websites of 2017 launched their online shopping website way back in 2001 to facilitate their sales to consumers and other businesses. They have come a long way since then and their annual eCommerce sales last year was just over $3.6 billion which allowed it to take the seventh place on our list of most successful eCommerce websites of 2016.

6. Best Buy

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $3,780
Alexa Global Ranking: 330
IRPS score: 66
Size of the online company: 10^th

One of America’s leading specialty retailer in the field of consumer electronics has had great success on the eCommerce front as well. Best Buy has carried on its positioning as one of the best places to shop for consumer electronics on to the digital platform with almost $4 billion in annual sales last year.

5. Home Depot

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $4,267
Alexa Global Ranking: 394
IRPS score: 69
Size of the online company: 8^th

America’s largest home improvement retailers, Home Depot, the number 5 on the list of most successful eCommerce websites of 2017, has racked up impressive figures in the eCommerce sector and have shown other companies the way to establish a successful eCommerce website. Home Depot customers contributed to over $4 billion worth of annual sales in 2016 through their website and other online platforms.

4. Macy’s

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $4,829
Alexa Global Ranking: 775
IRPS score: 70
Size of the online company: 6^th

Macy’s ranks among the biggest department stores to be found online. With its plethora of private brands catering to various consumer needs, Macy’s attracted almost $5 billion in annual sales last year.

3. Apple

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $12,000
Alexa Global Ranking: 65
IRPS score: 60
Size of the online company: 2^nd

When we are talking about Apple, the next one on the list of most successful eCommerce websites of 2017 there are people with different opinions. On the one hand, you have the faithful disciples who defend Apple no matter what while, on the other hand, you have people who dismiss Steve Jobs as a false prophet who amassed followers with marketing gimmicks. Whichever side of this divide you stand on, you cannot deny that Apple is right up there when it comes to the biggest eCommerce players in the business. Their loyal fans scramble to order their favorite Apple products online which means last year they had annual eCommerce sales of $12 billion.

2. Walmart

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $13,484
Alexa Global Ranking: 219
IRPS score: 68
Size of the online company: 3^rd

Despite a widespread network of brick-and-mortar stores and warehouses throughout the country, Walmart that ranks second on our list of most successful eCommerce websites of 2017 has not neglected its eCommerce business and came at number two on our list. It has successfully transferred its promise of ‘Everyday Low Prices’ to the digital sphere and shoppers flock to its website for their everyday shopping needs which have translated to annual eCommerce sales of $13 billion.

1. Amazon

Annual eCommerce Sales (in Millions): $79,268
Alexa Global Ranking: 12
IRPS score: 71
Size of the online company: 1^st

Back in 1994, when Jeff Bezos was about to launch Amazon as an online bookstore, he also registered the domain name www.relentless.com, as a possible name for his company which also acted as a signal to his work ethic and drive. Indeed it is his relentless pursuit of perfection that has helped him expand Amazon into the best eCommerce website of the last year and many years to come. We’re not making this up. Go ahead, click on relentless and see where that leads you!

Today Amazon stands tall among the largest eCommerce players in the world, but they are not still satisfied. With innovations such as the use of drones to deliver goods to your doorstep, Amazon has an incessant appetite to grow and a forward-looking leadership at the helm which can only mean great things for their future. Hence it is not surprising that Amazon is at the very top of our list of the most successful eCommerce websites of 2017.