Lemonstand Review 2022

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The best ecommerce platform for code-savvy entrepreneurs.

Value
Functionality
Features
Customization
Support
  • Lemonstand does not take transaction fees for any sales.
  • Whichever pricing plan you choose, personal customer support will be available.
  • Access the Lemonstand API to create the ecommerce store of your dreams.
  • If you don't have a good knowledge of code, you'll need to hire a developer.
  • Pre-built themes are limited as Lemonstand places much more interest on customization.
  • Limited options for social integrations, built-in social integrations are only in the beta testing stage.

A highly customizable ecommerce platform for code-savvy entrepreneurs

LemonStand is one of the best coding-centric ecommerce platforms around today. While it’s still small compared to heavy hitters like Shopify or BigCommerce, it more than holds its ground against them.


Founded in 2010, LemonStand today boasts more than 2000 customers — and it’s growing. LemonStand is quietly making a name for itself in the ecommerce industry, and with an average customer revenue of over $150K a year, it’s enticing.

It proudly puts customization at the core of its marketing. In its own words: “customization is more than a ‘nice to have’”. And it lives up to its promise.

 

Technically-minded entrepreneurs can enjoy a high level of customization with LemonStand’s open API, letting them create the exact ecommerce store they want.


But while LemonStand is perfect for coders, those aspiring entrepreneurs who lack such technical expertise might struggle to build a store themselves. Instead, they’ll need to lean on a third-party web developer to help them, an unattractive prospect for ecommerce beginners.


However, LemonStand is still a promising platform that code-minded entrepreneurs will love. If you have the technical know-how and a burning passion to build your business, then LemonStand is the ecommerce platform for you. Click here to discover LemonStand today!

Benefits

  1. Excellent app integration options for growing stores
  2. More than 95 different payment processors available
  3. Personal customer support included as standard in all pricing plans

LemonStand is highly customizable, and proud of it. If you have the technical know-how, you’ll find building an online store with LemonStand a real breeze. Coders will take to its open API like a duck to water. And for those that are struggling, LemonStand’s personalized customer support will steer you right.

Pricing

  • Every plan includes core features
  • 14 day free trial
  • Phone and email supported included in all plans

Starter

Growth

Professional

$19 per month

$69 per month

$199 per month

  • 75 orders per month
  • Standard email support
  • 300 orders per month
  • Standard email support
  • 1000 orders per month
  • Priority email support
  • Unlimited products
  • Customizable design
  • Unlimited file storage and bandwidth
  • Coupons and discounts
  • Advanced SEO function
  • 95+ different payment processors
  • Blog and CMS included
  • Built-in and Zapier integrations
  • Data analytics function

What most stands out with LemonStand is the sheer functionality that every plan offers. The only real difference between each is the order limit and email support.


Whether or not you’re happy paying an extra $60 a month and only receiving more orders (or or $130 for more orders and priority email support) in return is up to you. And as most ecommerce stores offer email support as standard, some might feel that it hardly qualifies as a feature.


But for many, LemonStand’s pricing plans will suffice. The features listed above are not exhaustive, and such a comprehensive array of options is plenty for tech-savvy entrepreneurs to start building their store with.

Features

  • Usual ecommerce features included as standard
  • No transaction fees
  • Open API for full customization

Like most decent ecommerce platforms, LemonStand offers a range of standard features to help entrepreneurs get their store off the ground. Marketing, product management, social integrations, and so on are all offered as a matter of course.


But where LemonStand really comes into its own is its open API. This lets code-savvy entrepreneurs develop and integrate their own apps and customizations. While this might only be enticing to those with the technical knowledge to do so, it’s possible to hire an affordable web developer to help you create the online store you want.


Dashboard


  • Slick, intuitive dashboard
  • Shortcut for front end and back end development
  • Easy to add other team members

LemonStand’s dashboard is minimalist and easy to use. Navigation is fast and intuitive, and everything you might need is available with just a few clicks. There is also a shortcut for code wizards to easily switch between the front and back end of your online store, a nice touch.


Unfortunately, LemonStand do not currently offer a mobile app for ecommerce on the move. It did announce development of such an app… but that was in 2010, so don’t hold your breath.


Themes

  • Some pre-made themes available
  • All professional and responsive
  • Every theme is customizable with coding

LemonStand provides a number of pre-made themes and store templates, each of which is good-looking and mobile-responsive. However, their offerings are fairly slim on the ground, so entrepreneurs lacking any coding knowledge might need a third-party web developer to help them customize their store.


Because ultimately, to really customize your ecommerce business, LemonStand entrepreneurs need advanced coding skills. LemonStand is basically a platform for developers, and beginners to the field might find themselves out of their depth.


Content Management

  • Integrated same-domain blog
  • SEO functions for content marketing
  • Easy to upload and edit content

LemonStand includes an integrated blog as standard in every price plan, so entrepreneurs can rest easy in knowing their SEO and content marketing is catered to. Blog creation and editing is easy, and includes SEO tips for title tags, meta descriptions, and so on.


Managing content across your LemonStand store is easy. It’s all doable from your dashboard in just a few clicks. Despite LemonStand’s emphasis on coding, content management is easy for even first-time entrepreneurs.

Ecommerce Comparison Features

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Overall Rating

Price

From $9

Free to Install

Free to Install

From $29.95

From $2.99

From $5.00

Themes

100+

1000+

1000+

120

15

500+

SEO Tools

Ease Of Use

Functionality

Customization

Security

Support

Our Review

Plugins & Extensions

  • Decent range of built-in apps
  • Most other third-party apps are easily integrated

LemonStand’s app store is substantial. It offers a wide variety of popular app integrations as standard, including Zoho Books, ReferralCandy, Optimizely, and more. It’s not exhaustive, but offers a diverse array of apps, many more than some of its lesser competitors.


But for those seeking more customizability with their apps, LemonStand is able to integrate with just about any app you desire. LemonStand prides itself on its customization options, and if you want it, it can generally handle it.


Checkout

  • 95+ different payment methods available
  • No transaction fees
  • SSL encryption included for checkout pages

LemonStand offers a staggering variety of payment processors, with more than 95 different methods catered to in each of its pricing plans. Over 100 different countries are also tended to, so you can sell your products or services all over the world with ease.


LemonStand also provides advanced features such as subscription billing, a handy feature that lets those operating on subscription business models easily manage payments. Finally, SSL encryption is provided free of charge for all pages including your checkouts, so you and your customers can be safe in the knowledge they are protected from fraud online.


Shipping

  • Multiple carrier/shipping methods available
  • Simple shipping setup process

LemonStand lets its users include any number of shipping methods. Customers can choose their preferred method as they checkout, adding another level of customization to your online store.


LemonStand currently supports the following shipping methods and carriers:

  • Table rates
  • Australia Post
  • Bring
  • Canada Post
  • FedEx
  • UPS
  • USPS

Setting each of these up is straightforward, and LemonStand provides detailed instructions to guide novices through the process.


Inventory Management

  • Simple inventory management
  • Bulk edits easy to make from dashboard

LemonStand’s inventory management is fairly straightforward. Adding single or bulk products is simple, and entrepreneurs can create their own categories, collections, product variants, and so on with ease.


Stock management too is equally simple. Products out of stock can be paused, and the inventory management dashboard is clean and intuitive.


Unfortunately, each plan has its product limits. Even the most expensive plan caps sales at 1000 orders per month, which somewhat limits your store from growing further.


Marketing

  • Essential marketing apps included as standard
  • A/B testing available for fine-tuning ads

In ecommerce, marketing is vital. Thankfully, LemonStand makes it easy for you to market your store across email, social, and beyond.


LemonStand includes a number of essential marketing apps in its marketplace. MailChimp covers your email marketing, while apps like LiveChat and OmniStar cover your customer service.


There are lots of different marketing apps at your fingertips with LemonStand. And if you’re not satisfied yet? Zapier covers the rest for you.


Sales/CRO

  • Abandoned cart and discount apps available
  • Social proof available through the HelpfulCrowd app

While an abandoned cart feature isn’t built in like it is with BigCommerce, LemonStand does offer a number of app integrations that provide this. CartHook and CartStack are just two apps included that cover this vital marketing function.


Ditto for discount codes and reviews too. HelpfulCrowd is a great app that makes it easy for entrepreneurs to source and collate customer reviews and Q&As to provide valuable social proof.

SEO

  • Basic SEO functions included as standard
  • No need to add third-party app

LemonStand provides comprehensive product-level SEO for its users as standard. Title tags, meta descriptions, meta keywords, and more are all available in the inventory management section, making it easy to optimize your website.

Many other ecommerce platforms don’t offer these as standard, so this is a nice touch that makes running your online store that little bit easier.


Social

  • Built-in social integration in beta stage
  • Most other social platforms can be integrated with Zapier

LemonStand does not provide dedicated social apps for its users, instead letting them connect directly from within the dashboard. In a sense, this saves entrepreneurs time and hassle downloading extra apps, and makes integrating with social that bit easier.


That said, LemonStand currently only caters for Amazon and Facebook, and it is still in its beta stage. But hopefully LemonStand will allow for other social integrations as time goes on. Until then, Zapier can connect your social with your store.


Email marketing

  • MailChimp offered as primary email marketing app
  • Other email marketing tools accessible through Zapier

LemonStand offers MailChimp as its default email marketing provider. But if you’re more of a Moosend or Get Response aficionado, Zapier provides easy integration should you require it.


Hosting

  • Fully hosted with unlimited storage and bandwidth
  • SSL encryption on every page

LemonStand is fully hosted, a weight off the mind of entrepreneurs who want to code their own site without the hassle of sorting hardware or software specifics. Unlimited storage and bandwidth is another great touch that makes running a store with LemonStand that bit easier.


While LemonStand are a little coy with its security practices, it provides SSL certification as standard on every page of your website.


Analytics

  • Google Analytics for default analytics
  • Other analytics tools available through Zapier

Like most ecommerce platforms, LemonStand leans on Google Analytics to provide its metrics and monitoring data. For many, this is just fine. But as LemonStand has such a coding-heavy emphasis, advanced users might look elsewhere for more comprehensive tools. Thankfully, Zapier makes that possible.

Development

  • Excellent open API is great for web developers or coder-entrepreneurs
  • Good migration options with dedicated Shopify import tool

LemonStand’s open API is a standout feature that, for many, is its primary allure. It lets code-savvy entrepreneurs customize their stores to even the most precise of specifications. Apps and integrations are easy to add for those with the requisite coding skills. And for those that can’t? Most good web developers can do the work for you in the API.


It’s easy to migrate your store to LemonStand. Detailed instructions are provided on LemonStand’s support page for any entrepreneurs wishing to migrate their business to LemonStand. It caters for most ecommerce platforms, and even includes a dedicated Shopify import tool for those who need it.


Support

  • Reliable phone and email support included on all plans
  • Strong community and plenty of guides and tutorials

While some may be sceptical of LemonStand’s offer of email support as a special feature rather than a given, its support functions are still strong. As well as email support, LemonStand provides phone support on all plans, which frankly is a great touch that really makes its customer support excel.


LemonStand’s online community is tightly-knit and supportive, so users can crowdsource solutions to their problems with ease. It also features a live chat room for real-time conversations.


And for tutorials on everything from marketing and inventory management to coding and customization, LemonStand’s Docs provides it all.


How to set up a LemonStand store

  1. To set up your LemonStand store, head to the LemonStand homepage and click Try It Free For 14 Days. You will be prompted to enter your details, including how much revenue your business makes in a year for existing business owners.
lemonstand sign-up

2. Once your store has been created, click Take Me To My Store. You will then be presented with the LemonStand dashboard.

lemonstand store

3. The free trial guides you through each aspect of your online store. Choose a theme or customize it, add a category or product, and even place a test order, amongst other options. Experiment with your online store to get a feel for it.

lemonstand logo

If you’re a code-savvy entrepreneur who knows their way around an API, then LemonStand  is the platform for you. While LemonStand caters for ecommerce novices, it has plenty to offer thriving businesses who are looking to grow.


Of course, LemonStand’s biggest draw is also, for some, its biggest flaw. You really need to have advanced technical knowledge to make your store your own, which sort of detracts from the otherwise accessible nature of the platform.

But if you’re code-cognizant and you feel comfortable using an API, LemonStand is the perfect platform for you. Sign up to LemonStand today.

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