A decent eCommerce website builder isn’t just a tool. It’s your way of life. It represents the success you’ve had in your business and the passion that led you to where you are today.
You’re probably familiar with many of its benefits: unlimited products and bandwidth, full control over how much you charge for shipping, and more. But as a busy entrepreneur or manager, it can be tough to fit everything into a limited amount of time in the day.
That’s why you need an eCommerce website builder that will do most of the heavy lifting for you—and still leave room for creativity when it comes to images and design.
Luckily there are some easy solutions out there (like our favorite: Shopify). But best-of-all-worlds don’t always exist… so we decided to put together this list of all the things we think you need in an eCommerce website builder!
What is an eCommerce website?
In short, e-commerce is buying and selling of products and services over the internet. The term “e-commerce” refers to a subset of “e-business”. E-commerce encompasses a range of activities including:
- Online shopping
- Online auctions
- On-demand services such as delivery or streaming
The scope of e-commerce can also be extended to include offline transactions facilitated by technologies such as mobile phones, as in m-commerce (mobile commerce), or even NFC payments at the point of sale terminals. Additionally, it can also be expanded to include social media networks like Facebook where users generate revenue for companies through their interactions there (e.g., advertising).
What are the 3 types of e-commerce?
There are three main types of e-commerce:
- Static pages – these sites are built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, but don’t include a database or dynamic elements. This means you’ll have to manually update prices each time something is added or removed from your inventory.
- Content management systems (CMS) – CMS websites have an admin section where you can add and remove products, change product descriptions and upload images. You can also set up automated notifications like order confirmation emails so that customers know their purchase has been received.
- Shopping cart software – this option is best for selling multiple products at once; it’s usually integrated into your website rather than being separate software you need to install on your server (like with CMS).
How do I create an eCommerce store?
- Choose a platform
- Choose a theme
- Add products
- Add payment options like PayPal, Stripe, and more
- Add shipping options for your customers to choose from (FedEx, UPS, or USPS)
- Add a blog so that you can share your expertise with your audience and get their trust easily! You can also include some tips on how to use the product or service you are selling on your website!
- Set up email marketing campaigns to engage with customers and encourage them to come back again by signing up for newsletters and other communication channels such as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp groups etc. You can also set up automated emails when someone buys something from your store like: thank you messages which show appreciation towards customers who purchase stuff from eCommerce websites using platforms such as Shopify etc.
7 Best eCommerce Website Builders (2022)
Shopify
Shopify is a platform that makes eCommerce simple for small businesses. It’s easy to set up, and there are many templates to choose from.
Shopify comes with a free trial so you can see if it’s right for your store before you buy. There are also three different pricing plans available: Shopify Basic (free), Shopify ($29/month), and Shopify Advanced ($79/month).
The interface is simple enough that even someone who hasn’t used an eCommerce platform before will be able to navigate quickly and easily—and then get into more advanced features as they learn their way around the software!
Woocommerce
Woocommerce is a free, open-source eCommerce platform. It’s a good option if you want to build a store that is flexible and scalable. Woocommerce is good for selling physical products, such as clothing and appliances, but it’s even better for selling digital products.
A few things that make Woocommerce stand out from the crowd include:
- The ability to create custom pages with built-in templates or by modifying those already included in your theme.
- The ability to add product variations using different image sizes, colors, and more. You can add extra information like size charts and care instructions on each variation page so customers can easily find what they’re looking for without having to go through each listing individually!
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a great option for businesses that want to have a lot of control over their website, but don’t have the time or resources to build a custom website. BigCommerce has been in business since 2008 and has built up a solid reputation in the eCommerce space.
The main features of BigCommerce include:
- The ability to customize your store’s look and feel with themes, templates, and design elements
- A wide range of add-ons (like shopping carts) that can be added to your site without writing any code
Weebly
Weebly is a drag-and-drop website builder that claims to be the easiest way to create your professional website. While Weebly’s claim may not be entirely true, it has an easy-to-use interface compared to many other website builders on the market today.
The learning curve with Weebly can be small, but there are still some important things you will need to learn for your site to work properly. You won’t need any coding knowledge or design skills; however, if you want a great-looking website then some knowledge will come in handy when it comes time for customization.
Weebly offers hosting solutions for their users where they can pay for additional storage space or bandwidth for their websites which makes building a store very easy because all of the necessary tools are already built into this platform.
Wix
Wix is a website builder that focuses on ease of use and the ability to create a site quickly. Their platform is easy to navigate, especially for beginners.
They also offer a dedicated eCommerce section with templates that are pre-built for online stores, making it easy to set up an eCommerce business. As with other website builders, you can choose from hundreds of themes or design your template and add in custom features such as search engines, contact forms, and more.
Wix offers some great features including:
- Website builder (free) – Create your website using Wix’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface
- Domain registration ($1/month) – Register your domain name directly through Wix without having to pay third parties like GoDaddy or HostGator
- Email hosting ($0-$19/month) – Get email addresses like [email protected] instead of [email protected]
Squarespace
Squarespace is a great option for anyone who wants to build a site and see it live immediately, without having to wait for someone else to do it. SquareSpace makes it easy for you to create any type of page you want, from blog posts to contact forms and product pages.
There’s also a fantastic mobile app—which means if you need to make changes on the fly while you’re out shopping or in another room, you can do so with ease (no more having to carry around your laptop).
Squarespace offers many features that help your website stand out from the crowd: galleries where people can upload photos; blogging tools that let visitors leave comments on posts; and eCommerce tools that allow customers to buy products directly off their websites. If those things sound like they’d be useful in making sure people keep coming back again and again—and they are!—then Squarespace might be a good fit for your needs as well.
Magento Go
Magento Go is a lightweight eCommerce platform that offers an easy way to set up and manage your online store. It’s a good option for small businesses or those who want to sell online without spending too much time on it.
- Easy setup: Use the pre-built themes and templates to create your site in less than an hour.
- Mobile friendly: Magento Go makes it easy for customers on mobile devices to browse products and make purchases, so you can reach new customers wherever they are.
There are lots of eCommerce website builders out there, so be sure to choose the one that best fits your needs and use cases.
As the name suggests, an eCommerce website builder is a tool that helps you build and launch your online store. The best ones have tons of features, support integrations with all major payment gateways and shipping providers, and are easy to use for beginners.
There are many eCommerce site builders out there—so you must choose one that best fits your needs and uses cases. Before we dive into our top picks for 2019 (which include Shopify), let’s talk about some key things to consider when choosing an eCommerce platform:
Conclusion
In the end, it can be difficult to make a decision about which eCommerce platform is best for you. Each has its benefits and drawbacks, depending on your needs. We hope this guide has helped you decide what those needs are and where they will be met by certain platforms.
BigCommerce offers competitive pricing, powerful features, and excellent customer support. Shopify is a beginner-friendly option that makes it easy to get started selling online with great design templates and useful apps.
Wix’s eCommerce plan allows for some customization options at an affordable price but doesn’t have all of the advanced features available on other platforms. woocommerce can be a good choice if you already have a website powered by WordPress or want to build an online store from scratch with lots of flexibility at a low cost.
Squarespace’s eCommerce solution is an ideal option if you are looking for stylish design templates paired with basic functionality for selling online without the overwhelming technical skills required to set up your store experience. No matter what platform you choose, we wish you the best of luck in your journey as an entrepreneur!