Thanks to platforms like Shopify and Wix (which we’ll be covering in detail later), the barriers to entering the field of eCommerce are very low. It’s now easier than ever to create your own eCommerce website, entirely from scratch!

This blog will be introducing you to different eCommerce website builders, and making sure you are well-equipped to use them yourself. If you decide to make your own eCommerce site, this is a helpful read in order to carefully consider everything you need to know.

eCommerce is the process of exchanging goods or services over the internet. Startups and small businesses can now sell to an audience all over the world – and consumers can buy things from the comfort of their own homes. eCommerce sites can be hosted on a website with a digital storefront such as Amazon, and can even be accessed on a customer’s mobile phone.

Sounds good, right? It gets even better when you factor in all the benefits of eCommerce:

• Low startup cost: selling on an eCommerce site removes the need for physical retail stores and their associated costs, such as rent, inventory, sales equipment and staff.
• 24/7 access to storefront: although physical outlets have opening and closing hours, online stores are available at any hour of the day, even at weekends.
• International audience: reaching a worldwide audience is simple when customers can use internet browsers to access your eCommerce store.
• Option to automate: confirmation emails are just one of the many automatic processes which can be used to improve customer experience.
• Personalisation: talking of which, personalised landing pages, offers and discounts or email marketing campaigns are reasons why eCommerce can improve customer loyalty.

There are many more reasons to use eCommerce, but let’s move on to what sites you can use to get started.

Depending on how your business wants to make the most out of its online sales, there are many eCommerce platforms you could choose from:

Wix is a super simple drag-and-drop builder for any type of site, including eCommerce ones. Wix is good for beginners as you don’t need to have website design or coding knowledge to make a Wix website. However, you may not get the best results, as you’re limited to only the apps that Wix allows you to install. It does have excellent customer support, but it has been criticised for poor SEO and slow loading times. 

Squarespace doesn’t require any coding experience to use, and also offers a free trial. They offer templates and examples for inspiration, as well as excellent marketing features like social media and email support. However, it doesn’t give full customizability in its basic editor – so if the templates aren’t catching your eye, you’d be better off going elsewhere.

WordPress is one of the most popular platforms for building websites on – 42% of the web is built on WordPress, according to their website. It’s open source, which means it’s hugely customisable through builders and plugins (WordPress eCommerce is usually done through WooCommerce). However, with no experience, it’s incredibly difficult to get the hang of, so consider starting on an easier interface.

Shopify has a free trial and is a safe and efficient platform used by many companies. You can create your own store through customisable templates pretty easily: unlike WordPress, it’s not open source, meaning that Shopify handles the whole process, making it a lot easier to use. Professional developers are able to create something highly bespoke using Shopify, and their back-end logistics, shipping and order processing tools are a lifesaver.

Hopefully, you can now decide whether you have the expertise needed to craft your own eCommerce site, or if you’re better off getting a professional in to help. Either choice is fine – the most important factor is that your site suits your business as you grow, helps improve your brand image, drives traffic and becomes an effective marketing tool.

The Lincoln Be Smarter Scheme offers the opportunity for academic support, as well as grant funding of up to £50k to support your business’s quest to use the most up-to-date technology; get in touch with us today! Contact Stuart Cassey to learn more.