Introduction
Without a doubt, the future of buying and selling is moving to digital spaces, especially as most businesses are battling the aftermath of Covid-19. As a business owner, you are already aware of the way people use their phones each minute of the day. This is why you should know about the best e-commerce site builders for creating an online store.
Having an online store will make it easier for people to browse, compare and shop on your site. This is much more convenient for everyone.
Therefore, the question for any innovative business owner should be: how do I go online? It’s is not that difficult to do. There are lots of sites that you can use to build your website. These can easily be found with a simple Google search. The difficult aspect is in selecting the right one for your business.
An excellent website builder must be simple to use, provide the right blend of tools, and all fit within your budget. A little confused? You shouldn’t be. Below are my 10 of the best e-commerce site builders you can use to create your own online store if you are looking at expanding your business.
1. Shopify
All the right features in one place
Shopify is one of the best e-commerce site builders and definitely one of the most popular e-commerce platforms in the world now. It’s easy to work with, has lots of built-in tools, and even supports social media integration and multichannel selling.
Shopify has amazing features such as abandoned cart recovery and inventory management. Also, you can make use of over 100 payment methods for hassle-free transactions.
The one disadvantage of this highly diverse e-commerce site builder is that it charges a transaction fee for each transaction.
However, if you use Shopify Payments, you can skip this payment. But for people who are dedicated to their processors, they will be charged.
Shopify has excellent 24/7 customer support, around 12,000 external apps you can install, and over 50 wonderfully designed themes with a simple editor that gives your website a personal look and feel.
Pros
- Has a stellar reputation for excellent features suite
- Very simple to use
- More than 100 payment gateways
Cons
- When you switch templates, you have to reformat content
- Charges a transaction fee unless you make use of Shopify Payments
Pricing
- 14 days free trial
- From $29 per month after that
2. GoDaddy
E-commerce made easy
This is a simple website builder that you can start with for free and upgrade to a totally functional online store that works perfectly with the world’s main online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon.
You can select a template tailored to your industry, and create a custom store without the need for technical know-how. Also, you can add all the features you need for an efficient online store.
Features like easy product uploads and syncing of your inventory across different platforms, SEO optimizations, social media marketing content, among others, make GoDaddy one of the best e-commerce site builders on the market.
Pros
- It is simple to use for newbies
- Has stunning and mobile-friendly templates
- Integrates with top online marketplaces
Cons
- No custom code additions
- Can’t export content
Pricing
- Free plan
- From $25 per month
3. Squarespace
A seriously professional e-commerce design tool
Squarespace is not a top name, which is strange, given the fact that I believe it’s one of the best e-commerce site builders for creating really professional online stores. The quality of design templates and built-in tools make this platform stand out from the crowd.
And you can customize the hundreds of designs to your liking. There are also lots of essential tools from Squarespace such as video uploads and inventory management and unlimited products, added to your package. Although some online store builders are less expensive, this company offers a sleek, professional online store. You’ll get exactly what you paid for.
Squarespace is also one of the top companies when it comes to marketing and promotion. Online stores can grow their business with built-in SEO tools, social media integration tools, and email marketing campaigns that you can automate and leave.
You can create banners and promotions to show and sell specific items, and check your statistics as you do other things with the Squarespace mobile app.
Pros
- Excellent marketing tools, SEO, email campaigns, and more
- Most professional designs on the market
- Abandoned cart recovery and inventory management included
Cons
- Shallow sub-navigation
Pricing
- Free plan
- From $12 per month
4. Wix
Free website builder with so much more
There’s always an air of excitement when building your business and having to use one of the best e-commerce site builders like Wix. It has all the right tools in all the right places to help you get your online store up and running.
Wix has tons of templates to select from, a custom domain name, and a simple drag-and-drop editor really helps you to start things off smoothly.
All site templates are responsive, so they look great on any device, be it mobile, tablet, or desktop. Wix also has artificial design intelligence to help you design your site to your taste.
There’s no question about it: Wix is definitely the best choice for simplicity, and user-friendly interface and editing options.
You can virtually create your online store without having any knowledge of design. But Wix does much more than that. This site builder provides advanced tools such as SEO tools, blogs, and dropshipping with Modalyst.
Pros
- Simple design and edit tools for anyone
- Lots of tools included in the price
- Rich product galleries
Cons
- Locked into a template after launch
- So many choices can be confusing
Pricing
- 14 days free trial
- From $23 per month after that
5. BigCommerce
Best in class e-commerce builder tools and features
BigCommerce is one of the most reputable and the best e-commerce site builders on the market today. This is because of the wide variety of features, sales tools, and integrations it has in store available for its customers. The simple system allows you to set up an online store, sell products, and accept payments quickly and efficiently.
BigCommerce also does extra things, though, like providing features that help make your business more successful. Tools such as SEO tools, analytics, and next-level shipping let online stores deliver products faster.
Although not all its templates are responsive, the majority of them will work well on mobile devices. And with tools like SSL security certificate, abandoned cart recovery, and being able to sell on multiple channels like Facebook, Instagram Amazon, and more, it’s worth checking out a few designs to reap the benefits of creating your online store using BigCommerce.
Pros
- Scales easily with your business growth
- Multichannel selling made easy
- A huge assortment of features and tools
Cons
- Not all designs are responsive
- Tough learning curve at the beginning
Pricing
- 15 days free trial
- From $29.95 per month after that
6. WooCommerce
A reliable, affordable WordPress site builder
When you register for WooCommerce powered by Bluehost, you will get the strength of the 3 top companies behind your online store.
WooCommerce is an open-source online store builder designed particularly for sites running on WordPress, and it’s popular for being easy to use while having so much to offer at the same time.
BlueHost is an all-inclusive hosting service that offers you an SSL certificate, free domain name, and 1-click WordPress installation with every plan.
So, you realize that you’re working with one of the best e-commerce site builders in the industry. When it comes to website design itself, WooCommerce is an excellent option. It takes minutes to select and design your site from one of the templates available.
After that, you can set up your online store with the many extensions provided. You can add your products, offer coupon codes, and configure tax and payment rules according to your shopping cart.
Although this platform isn’t that great if you want to scale your business up or down if you want a platform that allows for easy migration, fast configuration, a lot of tools, plus being a more efficient and user-friendly system, WooCommerce by Bluehost is a wonderful idea.
Pros
- Get all your hosting requirements included
- 1-click WordPress setup
- Unlimited bandwidth and storage
Cons
- Not as scalable as other options
- Very WordPress-focused
Pricing
- 30 days free trial plus a 90-day money-back guarantee
- From $19.99 per month after that
7. IONOS
Space for up to 1 million products
For people who are in need of an e-commerce website builder that blends the simplicity of drag-and-drop with the ability to add up to 1 million products, then IONOS’s tool might be the best option for them.
It equally supports various online payment gateways, includes an SSL certificate, hosting, and the power to set up stores in more than one language. These are the reasons why I picked IONOS by 1&1 as one of the best e-commerce site builders.
Pros
- Multilingual support
- Up to 1 million items
- SSL for security
- Hosting
Cons
- No wish lists on the bottom tier
- B2B only on the top tier
Pricing
- No free trial
- From $25 per month
8. 3D Cart
Strong SEO tools and fast website design
3D Cart is one of the best e-commerce site builders, and it’s possible that you haven’t heard the name before. However, this online store builder has been around since 2001, and it’s gradually been making a name for itself in the industry.
Being focused on the 3 aspects of e-commerce, which are store owners, shoppers, and search engines, 3D Cart wants to have a simple and powerful online platform for anyone to sell their products on. According to its official website, it’s possible to create your own online store and have it ready to sell in 5 minutes. A reason for it to be on the list of the best e-commerce site builders.
It also provides more than 50 responsive templates for a wide range of businesses and the ability to sell on multiple channels, including Google, Amazon, and eBay. It’s equally a great thing that 3D Cart does not charge any transaction fees and that everything is hosted completely.
This means that you don’t have to worry about the installations. But 3D Cart really shines well in the area of SEO. Features such as canonical URLs, customizable page titles and URLs, easy 301 redirects, gift certificates, social wish lists, coupons and discounts, and MailChimp integration make sales and marketing easier and more efficient using 3D Cart.
Pros
- 200+ built-in features and tools
- All designs are responsive
- No transaction fees
Cons
- No mobile app
- Not as crisp as other website builders
- Maximum transaction limits
Pricing
- 15 days free trial
- From $29 per month (standard rate)
9. SITE123
Can be used to sell both physical and online products
SITE123 showcases itself as one of the best e-commerce site builders and as a tool for newbies in website building, but in reality, it offers way more than that.
This online store builder from Israel gives you the power to do everything from gate digital downloads to keeping automatic tabs on inventory levels.
Pros
- Automatic inventory tracking
- Sell digital downloads
- Wide integration library
Cons
- Can’t customize HTML/CSS
- Only 3 payment gateways
Pricing
- No free trial
- The premium plan is $12.80 per month
10. Weebly
Mobile-friendly website building tool
This is another top dog in e-commerce website builders. Weebly is an excellent option for startups and small businesses that are just starting. Being simple to use with a drag-and-drop editor, amazing design options, and an easy uploading process, Weebly really makes it easy to design and own an online store.
Weebly provides a wide variety of mobile-responsive templates that automatically sync. Therefore whatever you set up on the desktop site, will be the same on your mobile site as well. It also has an app center that gives you access to more complex features for everything from SEO to design and customization, marketing, and metrics.
Weebly lets you set up Google Analytics, which you can use to track visitors and review user activity data. It does not support multichannel selling, which is a big disadvantage, but with everything considered, Weebly is a powerful platform that will get your online store up and ready.
Pros
- Really simple to use
- Can switch between templates
- Unlimited storage
Cons
- Limited in your design customization choices
- Multichannel selling not supported
Pricing
- Free plan
- From $25 per month
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which website builder is best for e-commerce?
Wix is a very popular website builder and one of the best choices for online stores. It’s simple to use, has tons of templates, and features an in-built e-commerce shop that lets anyone build a professional-looking website regardless of their technical knowledge.
2. How can I make my own online store for free?
Nowadays, there is a wide range of free online store builders out there that you can use to build an online store. To pick one, ensure that it offers e-commerce capabilities, professional-looking themes, and a site builder that’s simple to use and is at your level of technical know-how.
3. Does Wix take a percentage of sales?
Wix charges a transaction fee of approximately 2.9% including $.30 per transaction.
4. How to choose the right e-commerce store builder
Once you have a plan that makes sense for your business, you’ll have flexibility in how to fit your website into your budget. Most platforms provide a range of options, and you can set your plan as your needs change or your online store grows.
The pricing for online store builders can start from around $10 per month, and some providers have a free trial period, which lets you check if a website makes sense for you or not. Your website can be a great way to grow your business, and you can get affordable services that will cost you less than hiring a professional.
If you don’t have a website, you risk missing opportunities for more sales and growth. These opportunities you miss will definitely cost you much more than the effort you might spend on maintaining your online store. Yes, you took a big risk when you started your business, and if you really believe in the vision of your business, you should be brave in taking the small risk of putting it online.
Now, how do you find out the best e-commerce site builder for your business needs? You should compare features that are vital to your business. This will help you in knowing the best provider for your specific business needs. Here are some must-have features that you should look for while searching for an online store builder:
Templates: Human beings take first impressions seriously. Therefore you need your online store to make a good first impression. This is only possible with a beautiful, elegant, simple, and responsive website design.
You should go for a website builder that offers beautiful and industry-relevant website designs to use. And unless you want your online store to be like every other store, you must have a unique look. What this means is that you need have either a lot of templates to choose from or an excellent editor tool that lets you customize the design to your taste.
Mobile-responsive: Consumers are increasingly shifting toward using mobile phones for purchases and research. This means that your online store has to be mobile-responsive. A poor mobile experience will be disastrous for a website, so you shouldn’t make that mistake.
Payment gateways/solutions: Processing payments is another aspect of your online store that needs to efficient. This is because if a customer runs into a problem while trying to pay for their purchases, they’ll most likely leave your store entirely and go somewhere else.
You should go for an online store builder that has a wide range of payment processing options, charges no transaction fees, or has affordable transaction fees, and makes it very easy for your buyers to check out.
Third-party integrations: There’s no builder that has everything, but the best ones give you the chance to integrate with an external platform, so they don’t have to. Using other applications in your store gives you more, provides more power and functionality in every aspect of your business.
Multichannel selling: This is not a must, but I believe it’s necessary. The ability to sell across channels will definitely increase your sales chances of making sales without you doing any additional work. Some online store builders are confident that their site will give you enough sales (such as Amazon) without you needing to have multichannel selling, but most sellers prefer to have the option available.
Other features that will give you a more wonderful package are things like customer management system, inventory management, and SEO tools.
In terms of functionality, you should know what your business’s needs are, the number of products you intend to sell, and what your budget is to be able to ascertain the best e-commerce platform for you.
Shopping cart features: There are tons of e-commerce app available today. All these apps have most of the same basic features, like the ability to list an item with a photo and description, the ability for a customer to buy the item and pay for it. Beyond the basics, however, apps are different in their simplicity and the tools provided. You should know the things you want before starting your research.
Having an online store involves more than just selling a product or service to customers online. Online store builders need to have the best security systems, as cybercrimes like identity theft and stolen personal data are now the commonest forms of consumer crimes in the US in the past ten years.
Having an online store builder with a credible reputation is a good place to start. All e-commerce platforms are mandated by the PCI Security Standards Council to keep to certain guidelines. You should always go for an e-commerce builder that is PCI compliant.
Having your own high-security level is vital to keeping your customers’ data safe, and at the end of the day, any security concerns are going to result in your business being seen as fraudulent.
Conclusion
Now that you have seen the need for your business to have an online store, you should be extra careful when choosing an online store builder. This is because not all e-commerce platforms will serve your business needs.
Here are some pointers that will help you to choose the best one for you:
If you want a simple and elegant-looking online store that is easy to design, you should go for Wix. For people who have businesses and want to expand into the online e-commerce world, Big Commerce is the best option. And if your site runs on WordPress and you want to have an online store extension, your best bet is WooCommerce.