How to Choose the Best Site Builder for an Online Store

14 min read

Your online store’s success hinges on the foundation you set. For small business owners taking the plunge into the digital market, it means finding the perfect platform to build their ecommerce empire. But with a sea of site builders promising the moon, where does one start? And which choice ensures that your online presence is not just launched but thrives?

This comprehensive guide dissects the site-building process for small business owners looking to launch or revamp their digital storefront.

We’ll explore the best site builders in the market, including a deep dive into the bespoke Ecwid Instant Site, designed to cater to online retail’s demanding needs without coding complexities. La care se adauga, we’ll uncover the virtues of integrating ecommerce into a custom site.

Ready to hit “publica” on your digital dream? Read on!

Why Use Site Builders for Your Ecommerce Journey

Before we launch into the specifics, it’s crucial to understand why opting for a site builder can benefit your online store.

Modern site builders are not just about dragging and dropping elements; they are scalable and offer immense flexibility. They handle the nitty-gritty details of hosting, domain management, and security, leaving you to focus on what truly matters – your products and customer experience.

For small businesses, the efficiency and affordability of site builders are unmatched. You can create a professional-looking site without an extensive investment in development or design. Updates are typically easy to perform so that you can adapt swiftly to the market’s demands.

Ready-Made Templates

Pre-designed website templates act as a framework that you can customize to fit your branding.

They take the legwork out of layout and web design so that you can quickly build off a pre-established format. Without a template, building a website can be a significant time investment with a hefty price tag.

Customizing a ready-made template is much easier than creating a site from scratch

Mobile Optimization

Site builders also work well because they offer mobile-friendly designs that accommodate the growing number of mobile users.

In January 2024, mobile devices (excluding tablets) accounted for almost 60% of global web page views. Data shows that mobile usage outpaced desktop usage – and it continues to do so. Având în vedere acest lucru, it’s important to approach web design with a mobile-first mentality to cater to the online preferences of your audience.

Hosting

Most site builders offer hosting as part of their packages — which means your website is securely hosted by the site builders’ servers, and you can purchase a custom domain.

The beauty of this is that you can often manage your website hosting right within the site builder — no need to go through an external channel that adds another step to the process.

Optimizare motor de căutare

If search engine optimization (SEO) is a priority for you, some site builders offer templates created with this objective in mind.

Choosing an SEO-friendly template makes it simple for you to optimize your site content and copy to help you achieve your optimization goals. Again — you get this benefit without having to hire external developers.

Affordability

Site builders are an affordable option for ecommerce retailers because they typically offer different pricing packages based on the size and needs of the business.

Acest lucru le permite proprietarilor de afaceri să aleagă planul de prețuri care se potrivește cel mai bine bugetului lor și le va permite să aleagă numai caracteristicile de care au nevoie..

De asemenea, creează o oportunitate de a mări sau reduce serviciile constructorului de site pe măsură ce afacerea evoluează.

În timp ce unii comercianți cu amănuntul online pot decide să angajeze un designer care să ajute cu elementele unui site web creat prin una dintre aceste platforme (cum ar fi personalizarea unui șablon, elemente grafice, etc.), using a site builder can help make the process faster and more affordable as opposed to starting with a custom-made website from scratch.

De asemenea: Cum să creezi un magazin online fără un site web

Overview of the Most Popular Site Builders for Ecommerce

When it comes to site builders for ecommerce, one size does not fit all.

Numerous site builder options exist, but our attention will be on the more popular platforms consistently used to construct online stores.

Here’s a quick review of the most popular site builders and how they stack up.

Site-ul Ecwid Instant

For those seeking a straightforward, user-friendly path to an ecommerce site, Ecwid Instant Site is a game-changer. It embraces a code-free build, ensuring that anyone can easily set up a polished, feature-rich site.

An example of an Instant Site

Ecwid Instant Site includes professionally designed layouts and content, as well as free pre-designed templates tailored to different niches, such as apparel, home, electronics, Servicii, alimente, și altele. It takes the stress out of decision-making, and you can easily customize the design and layout to match your brand’s unique visual identity.

Alege din 40+ site templates tailored to various niches

Ecwid Instant Sites are optimized for mobile and include a free SSL certificate, which is a must-have for online stores.

La care se adauga, poti buy a domain through Ecwid, de asemenea, and it will be set up automatically – even less manual work for you!

Since Ecwid Instant Site was created with ecommerce in mind, it ensures that any site built through it comes with a built-in online store. Asa de, you don’t have to use any integrations or add-ons to add an online store to your website – it’s already there.

Specializing in ecommerce, Instant Site integrates with nearly a hundred payment methods and effortlessly connects with shipping providers.

If you’re concerned about your site’s discoverability, Instant Site has you covered. Some SEO tasks are taken care of automatically, like website robots.txt files and sitemap.xml, alt-tags for product images, URL-uri curate pentru produse, și altele.

Cel mai bun din toate, deoarece site-ul Ecwid Instant este gratuit, puteți experimenta și construi site-ul dvs. fără costuri inițiale. La care se adauga, puteți vinde gratuit un număr limitat de produse atât timp cât doriți.

Aflați cum să creați un site de comerț electronic folosind Ecwid Instant Site în articolul de mai jos:

WordPress

WordPress alimentează un număr incredibil de site-uri web pe internet, iar pluginurile sale extinse îl fac o alegere pentru mulți vânzători online. Platforma oferă un grad ridicat de personalizare și are o comunitate globală de susținere.

in orice caz, its open-source nature can mean that the responsibility for updates and security falls squarely on your shoulders or your developer’s.

What if you prefer using Ecwid for your online store but wish to create your website using WordPress?

Ecwid seamlessly integrates with WordPress, allowing you to turn any WordPress website into an online store with just a few clicks.

An example of an Ecwid store integrated into a WordPress website

The integration connects your WordPress site to your Ecwid account so you can manage your whole ecommerce site in one place.

De asemenea: Why I Use Ecwid for WordPress Ecommerce: Developer’s Review

Wix

Wix shines with its intuitive drag-and-drop builder that’s perfect for beginners. The Wix App Market offers a range of add-ons for ecommerce.

On the downside, the number of free apps is limited, and once you choose a template, you cannot switch to another.

Wix is also integrated with Ecwid, making it easier for Ecwid store owners to add an online store to their Wix website.

An example of an Ecwid store added to a Wix website

Weebly

Weebly is known for its ease of use and the free plan. Its robust ecommerce toolkit allows you to quickly set up an online store with support for digital and physical goods, managementul stocurilor, și opțiuni de plată.

in orice caz, its SEO capabilities could be more extensive, which might be a drawback for businesses aiming to build a solid online presence.

An example of an Ecwid store added to a Weebly website

Dacă aveți un magazin Ecwid, poti connect it to your Weebly site, oferind o modalitate simplă de a adăuga un magazin online.

Joomla & Drupal

Mai tehnic decât opțiunile anterioare, Joomla și Drupal sunt platforme open-source care oferă niveluri ridicate de personalizare și sunt potrivite pentru afaceri medii și mai mari.

În timp ce ele oferă un control mai mare, cer, de asemenea, mai mult know-how, iar curba lor de învățare s-ar putea să nu merite pentru un proprietar de afaceri mici abia la început.

Ecwid se integrează cu ambele Drupal și Joomla pentru a adăuga un magazin online pe site-ul dvs. creat cu aceste platforme.

Squarespace

Squarespace este lăudat pentru șabloanele de design uimitoare și caracteristicile de design ușor de utilizat. Se integrează bine cu platformele terțe pentru SEO și marketing, dar are gateway-uri de plată limitate legate direct, care ar putea fi un obstacol pentru companiile care se adresează unui public global.

in orice caz, dacă această opțiune vă atrage pentru site-ul dvs, ia în considerare crearea unui magazin Ecwid și integrându-l cu site-ul dvs. Squarespace. Facand asa, veți debloca accesul la gama extinsă de opțiuni de plată acceptate de Ecwid, which includes nearly a hundred different methods.

An example of an Ecwid store added to a Squarespace website

Impresionant

Strikingly is perfect for creating a simple website with ecommerce functionality. in orice caz, it might not be the best choice for complex websites because of its limited customization tools.

If you want to turn your Strikingly site into an online store, connect it with Ecwid and enjoy the benefits of both platforms.

Adding an Online Store to a Custom Website

While site builders offer convenience and a suite of ecommerce tools out of the box, some business owners may opt for a custom website with an integrated store. This route provides the most control and flexibility but at the expense of time and cost.

With a skilled developer, you can tailor every aspect of your online presence, ensuring it is unique and meets every specific requirement your business has.

Integrating ecommerce into a custom website allows for seamless design and user experience coordination. Puteți crea un ecosistem personalizat în jurul mărcii dvs., care să iasă în evidență dintre soluțiile disponibile.

Această opțiune este mai populară în rândul mărcilor cu o prezență online stabilită sau celor care prevăd nevoi personalizate pe care un constructor ar putea să nu le poată face față.

Dacă te hotărăști să mergi pe acest traseu, poti adăugați magazinul dvs. Ecwid la un site web personalizat atâta timp cât puteți adăuga coduri personalizate pe site. Pe aici, you can have the best of both worlds – a unique and personalized website with all the ecommerce features and capabilities provided by Ecwid.

Învelire

Selecting the best site builder for your ecommerce store is a decision that can shape the trajectory of your business. Whether you’re attracted to the convenience of an all-in-one service like Ecwid Instant Site or desire the comprehensive control of a custom site, it’s vital to match the platform’s capabilities to your business goals.

Consider your tech-savviness, buget, long-term vision, and any skilled individuals or agencies you can access. And don’t be afraid to test and learn — many platforms offer a trial period or a free plan – before committing. Tine minte, your digital storefront is not just a place to sell; it’s an online representation of your business, telling your story and connecting you to the world. Make it count.

For a quick, beautiful, and easily customizable option, consider the Ecwid Instant Site. Vă oferă o serie de instrumente ușor de utilizat și funcții de comerț electronic pentru a vă crea prezența online.

Indiferent dacă aveți nevoie de o pagină de destinație despre marca dvs, un catalog online simplu pentru parteneriate B2B, un site web profesional de comerț electronic cu un magazin online, sau orice alt obiectiv de afaceri — Instant Site răspunde nevoilor dumneavoastră.