What Ekm Systems Ltd does

Ekm Systems Ltd, operating under the brand EKM, is a UK-based hosted ecommerce platform founded in 2002 and headquartered in Preston, Lancashire, with sales offices in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow. The company serves primarily UK small and medium-sized businesses selling products online, alongside a long tail of international merchants across 10 countries, and claims to power roughly 1 in 5 UK online shops with a cumulative base of over 100,000 businesses served since inception. The core offering is a cloud-hosted SaaS ecommerce platform featuring an in-house website builder, 70+ customisable themes, unlimited product listings and bandwidth, AI-powered content and SEO tools (including the SEB agent), embedded payments via EKMPay (ClearAccept), and a 99.9% uptime SLA, all bundled with a dedicated UK-based Ecommerce Manager and design/support team.

The business model combines multiple recurring and usage-based streams. The flagship EKM Platform subscription is priced at £327+VAT per month (with 50% off for the first 3 months on new accounts). Layered on top are transactional payment fees via EKMPay (from 1.4% + 20p per transaction), tiered email marketing (£14.29-£313.29 per month), AI-powered SEO (£95/month), managed SEO (from £650+VAT/month), managed PPC (from £220+VAT/month), and bespoke custom design services. Distribution is hybrid: self-serve 14-day free trial, inside-sales via regional offices, and an EKM Partners affiliate programme. EKM has been a wholly owned subsidiary of ClearCourse since November 2021, with sister-entity ClearAccept powering its embedded payments.

Operationally, EKM combines technology with a heavy human-services layer — 70-80 ecommerce specialists across design, marketing, development, and account management are included in the subscription, supplemented by an 'Evolution Mode' continuous-improvement service. Strategic priorities evidenced in 2025 include AI-augmented product surfaces (EKM SEO, AI Content Creation), embedded payments and subscription commerce (EKMPay, Subscription Payments), and a managed growth service (EKM Engage, powered by Salesfire).

Name

Ekm Systems Ltd

Legal name

Ekm Systems Ltd

Website

https://ekm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ekm Systems Ltd, trading as EKM, is a UK-based hosted ecommerce platform founded in 2002 serving primarily small and medium-sized businesses with an all-in-one SaaS store builder, embedded payments (EKMPay), AI-powered SEO (SEB), managed marketing services, and a dedicated UK-based Ecommerce Manager team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecommerce Platform Software

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Web Content Management (WCM) & Experience Platforms (Content Services) (HDAEAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

SME Cash Management & Payments (Merchant, ACH/Wires, Payroll) (FSABABAD)

Keywords

• Ecommerce platform
• Online store builder
• SaaS ecommerce
• Payment processing
• Digital marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Preston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. EKM Platform Subscription: Monthly or annual SaaS subscription for ecommerce platform access. Core plan is £327+VAT/month (50% off at £163.50+VAT/month for first 3 months for new customers). Includes shop design setup, unlimited products, unlimited bandwidth, SSL, dedicated Ecommerce Manager, and all core platform features.
2. EKMPay Transaction Fees: Payment processing revenue from embedded EKMPay/ClearAccept. Standard rate from 1.4% + 20p per transaction (plus VAT); custom rates for businesses with £1m+ turnover. Also includes virtual terminal, card machine, and Direct Debit options.
3. Custom Design Services: Premium custom website design service with bespoke pricing tailored to business size. Includes thorough research and analysis, multiple feedback rounds, project management, and fully customised online shop designed to boost revenue. Custom pricing available.
4. Email Marketing: Integrated email marketing platform with tiered plans: Basic (£14.29/month) for DIY, Advanced (£163.29/month) with guided setup, and Pro (£313.29/month) fully managed. Priced by contact list size (1,000 to 15,000+ contacts).
5. EKM SEO (AI-powered): AI-powered SEO platform at £95/month (first 3 months £47.50/month with 50% off offer). Includes strategy, technical audits, Google Business Profile, local directory listings, content tools, backlink monitoring, and monthly reporting.
6. Managed SEO Services: Fully managed SEO service starting from £650+VAT/month, including SEO audit, backlink campaigns (3 high-quality backlinks/month from Moz-ranked domains), on-site content optimisation, and monthly reporting.
7. Managed PPC Advertising: Managed pay-per-click advertising service on Google, Bing, and Facebook from £220+VAT/month. Includes dedicated account manager, monthly reports, granular campaign structures, and Google Partner ad credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Ekm Systems Ltd operates a cloud-hosted SaaS ecommerce platform that enables UK-based small and medium businesses to build, launch, and operate online shops. The core platform bundles website building, product management, order processing, secure hosting, embedded payments (EKMPay), email marketing, SEO, and managed services into a single subscription, augmented by dedicated Ecommerce Managers and continuous Evolution Mode updates.

Product overview

EKM is a unified all-in-one ecommerce platform offering a comprehensive suite of tools for UK businesses to sell online. The core EKM Platform provides website building, hosting, product management, order processing, and secure payments. This core is enhanced by integrated add-on services: Ecommerce Manager Support (dedicated account management), Store Design Services (design setup, custom design, Evolution Mode), Paid Advertising Management (PPC for Google, Bing, Facebook), EKM SEO and Managed SEO Support (AI-powered and manual SEO), Email Marketing, EKMPay (embedded payments), EKM Engage (conversion optimization), Subscription Payments, Ecommerce Themes (70+ free templates), EKM Academy (training), and Platform Migration Service. The platform positions itself as a complete growth partner rather than just software, with all services integrated into a single subscription model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EKM SEO: AI-powered SEO platform for EKM online stores, featuring an AI assistant (SEB) that handles SEO strategy, technical audits, content optimization, and local directory listings for store owners.
• EKM Engage
• EKMPay
• EKM Email Marketing
• EKM PPC
• EKM Academy

Products and services

• EKM Platform (Core Ecommerce SaaS) UK-based hosted ecommerce platform that enables businesses to create and manage online shops, including website builder, product management, order processing, secure hosting, and full feature set with UK-based support.
• Store Design Services Professional ecommerce website design services including Shop Design Setup (free within first 12 months), Custom Design (bespoke premium service), and Evolution Mode (continuous website updates by EKM's expert team).
• Paid Advertising Management (PPC) Managed pay-per-click advertising service for Google Shopping, Bing, and Facebook campaigns. From £220+VAT/month, includes dedicated account manager, monthly performance reports, granular campaign structure, and up to £400 Google ad credit for new accounts.
• EKM SEO (AI-Powered) AI-powered SEO platform featuring SEB (Search Engine Buddy) AI assistant. Includes keyword research, technical audits, content optimization, local directory management on 50+ directories, and Google Business Profile tools. £95/month with 50% off for first 3 months.
• Managed SEO Support Fully managed SEO service including audit, strategy, backlink campaigns (3 high-quality backlinks/month from Moz-ranked domains), on-site content optimization, and monthly reporting. Starting from £650+VAT per month.
• Email Marketing Email marketing platform fully integrated with EKM shop. Features include sequenced campaigns, WYSIWYG editor, HTML access, templates, advanced reporting, and dedicated account manager. Plans from £14.29/month.
• EKMPay (Embedded Payments) Embedded payment product powered by ClearAccept (sister ClearCourse company). Lowest rates on EKM from 1.4% + 20p (plus VAT). Features include virtual terminal, card machine support, Apple Pay, subscription payments, and 24/7 fraud monitoring.
• EKM Engage Fully managed conversion optimization and email marketing solution powered by Salesfire. Includes on-site messaging, customer profiling, abandoned cart recovery, automated email campaigns, and win-back flows. Priced on bespoke basis.
• Platform Migration Service Free platform migration service helping businesses switch from other ecommerce providers (including Shopify) to EKM. Handles data transfer, domain transfer, and Google ranking preservation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 in 5 UK online shops powered by EKM
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

AI capability6 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, key, minor and flagship.

• ClearAccept (ClearCourse)coreTechnology or IntegrationClearAccept provides the payment processing infrastructure for EKM's EKMPay embedded payments solution, offering the lowest rates available on EKM (from 1.4% + 20p per transaction). This in-house payment integration eliminates the need for third-party payment gateways. As both are part of ClearCourse, EKM and ClearAccept collaborate on product development and integration, with EKMPay purpose-built for EKM clients and evolving based on customer feedback.
• GooglekeyGTM or Marketing PartnerEKM is an official Google Partner. As a Google Partner, EKM manages Google Shopping Ads, Google search ads, and Google Business Profile optimisation for its merchants. EKM can offer new customers £400 worth of Google ad credit. The EKM SEO tool integrates with Google Search Console for technical SEO audits and tracking.
• SalesfirecoreTechnology or IntegrationSalesfire provides the technology powering EKM Engage — a fully managed conversion optimisation and email marketing solution for EKM stores. Salesfire's on-site messaging, customer profiling, and email automation technology is integrated into the EKM platform as a managed service.
• Bing (Microsoft Advertising)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEKM's managed PPC advertising service includes campaigns on Bing/Microsoft Advertising alongside Google, allowing merchants to reach customers across major search engines with granular campaign management.
• Meta (Facebook)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEKM offers managed Facebook/Meta advertising campaigns as part of its PPC management service, in addition to Google Shopping and Bing. Social media integration is also built into the platform for product sharing.
• ClearCourseflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEKM is a proud member of ClearCourse, a UK-based technology group providing software and payments for SMEs. As part of ClearCourse, EKM can tap into the knowledge, experience, and financial backing of fellow ClearCourse businesses. The relationship enables product integrations (EKMPay with ClearAccept), cross-brand learnings, and financial stability for continued investment in the platform. ClearCourse includes brands working in the charity, commercial, and retail sectors.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Adobe Commerce (Magento): Enterprise-grade ecommerce platform often used by larger merchants and agencies serving UK SMBs. Competes at the upper end of EKM's mid-market customers.
• GoDaddy: Large incumbent offering domains, hosting, website builder and ecommerce as part of a broader SMB digital presence stack. Overlaps with EKM's all-in-one positioning.

Direct peers

• Square Online: Square's hosted ecommerce offering tightly integrated with payments, targeting UK and US SMB merchants. Similar bundled payments-plus-store model to EKM/EKMPay.
• Shopify: Global leader in SMB ecommerce SaaS. Direct competitor across product, pricing tier, and target customer (UK and international SMBs selling online).
• Wix: Website builder with integrated ecommerce offering aimed at SMBs and entrepreneurs. Directly overlaps with EKM on UK SMB website-plus-store use cases.
• Squarespace: Design-led website builder with strong ecommerce features, popular with SMB and creator merchants. Competes for the same non-technical merchant segment.
• BigCommerce: Headless-friendly ecommerce SaaS targeting SMB to mid-market merchants. Competes on platform features, multi-channel selling, and integrations overlapping with EKM.
• WooCommerce: Open-source WordPress ecommerce plugin dominant among UK SMB merchants. Competes for the same hosted-or-self-hosted SMB online store use case.
• Ecwid: Lightweight SMB ecommerce SaaS that adds storefronts to existing websites. Competes for smaller merchants wanting simple, low-cost online selling.
• Volusion: Long-standing SMB ecommerce SaaS platform with similar subscription pricing and merchant focus. Comparable on hosted store, payments and basic marketing features.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ekm_uk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ekmpowershop
• Facebookfacebook.com/ekm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ekm.com
• Instagraminstagram.com/ekm_uk
• TikToktiktok.com/@ekm_uk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ekm Systems Ltd