Easily set up and manage your online store with top-notch eCommerce solutions offering advanced features and global sales capabilities.

Online shopping is growing fast, and by 2027, about a quarter of all retail sales might happen online. For small business owners, having an online store is becoming important. Luckily, there are lots of tools that can help you set up your store quickly and easily. With a good eCommerce website builder, you can list your products, take payments, and handle shipping, all without leaving your store or home office.

After looking at over 50 different options for building eCommerce websites, we found the six best platforms. These platforms are great for small and medium-sized businesses, especially if you're new to selling online or focusing on physical products. While they can work for other types of businesses too, they're especially good for smaller operations

Let's take a look at the top six eCommerce platforms:

1. Shopify:
Shopify continues to dominate the eCommerce space with its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features. It offers a wide range of customizable templates, secure payment options, and seamless integration with third-party apps. Shopify's drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to design stunning storefronts without any coding knowledge. Moreover, its built-in analytics tools provide valuable insights into your store's performance.

2. WooCommerce:
Powered by WordPress, WooCommerce is a popular choice for those already familiar with the WordPress platform. It offers a robust set of features and extensive customization options, allowing users to create unique online stores tailored to their needs. With WooCommerce, you have full control over your store's design, functionality, and content. Additionally, it integrates seamlessly with WordPress plugins, providing endless possibilities for expanding your store's capabilities.

3. BigCommerce:
BigCommerce is a scalable eCommerce platform that caters to businesses of all sizes. It offers an intuitive interface, advanced marketing tools, and built-in SEO features to help you attract and retain customers. With BigCommerce, you can create beautiful storefronts that are optimized for conversions. It also provides enterprise-grade security and performance, ensuring a seamless shopping experience for your customers.

4. Wix eCommerce:
Wix eCommerce combines powerful website-building capabilities with eCommerce functionality, making it ideal for small businesses and entrepreneurs. It offers a variety of customizable templates, drag-and-drop editing tools, and integrated payment solutions. With Wix eCommerce, you can create a professional-looking online store in minutes, without any technical expertise. Additionally, Wix's App Market allows you to add extra features and functionality to your store as needed.

5. Squarespace Commerce:
Squarespace Commerce is known for its stunning design templates and easy-to-use interface. It offers a range of eCommerce features, including secure checkout, inventory management, and marketing tools. With Squarespace Commerce, you can create a visually appealing online store that reflects your brand identity. It also provides built-in analytics to help you track your store's performance and make informed business decisions.

6. Magento:
Magento is an open-source eCommerce platform that offers unparalleled flexibility and scalability. It is highly customizable and provides a wealth of features for building complex online stores. With Magento, you have complete control over every aspect of your store's design and functionality. It also offers a robust ecosystem of extensions and integrations to enhance your store's capabilities further.

What Qualities Define the Best eCommerce Website Builder?

Choosing the best eCommerce website builder depends on several factors, each crucial for ensuring your online store's success. Here are key aspects that contribute to making the best eCommerce website builder:

1. Ease of Use:
   The best eCommerce website builders offer intuitive interfaces and user-friendly tools that make it easy for anyone to create and manage an online store, even without technical expertise. Drag-and-drop editors, customizable templates, and straightforward navigation contribute to a seamless user experience.
2. Customization Options:
   A good eCommerce website builder provides a range of customization options, allowing you to tailor your store's design and functionality to match your brand identity and meet your specific requirements. Look for platforms that offer flexibility in layout, color schemes, fonts, and more.
3. Scalability:
   As your business grows, your eCommerce website builder should be able to scale with you. The best platforms offer scalability, allowing you to add new products, expand your catalog, and accommodate increased traffic without compromising performance or user experience.
4. Mobile Responsiveness:
   With the increasing prevalence of mobile shopping, your online store must be optimized for mobile devices. The best eCommerce website builders ensure mobile responsiveness, meaning your store will look and function seamlessly across various screen sizes and devices.
5. Payment and Shipping Options:
   A robust eCommerce website builder provides a variety of payment gateways and shipping options to accommodate the needs of your customers. Look for platforms that support popular payment methods and offer integrations with major shipping carriers to streamline the checkout process.
6. Security Features:
   Security is paramount for eCommerce websites, especially when handling sensitive customer information and payment transactions. The best eCommerce website builders prioritize security, offering SSL encryption, PCI compliance, and other measures to protect your store and your customers' data.
7. SEO Tools:
   To attract organic traffic and improve your store's visibility in search engine results, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential. The best eCommerce website builders include built-in SEO tools and features that allow you to optimize your product pages, meta tags, URLs, and more.
8. Analytics and Reporting:
   To track your store's performance and make informed business decisions, comprehensive analytics and reporting tools are essential. Look for eCommerce website builders that provide detailed insights into key metrics such as sales, traffic sources, conversion rates, and customer behavior.
9. Customer Support:
   Responsive and reliable customer support can make a significant difference when building and managing an online store. The best eCommerce website builders offer multiple support channels (such as live chat, email, and phone support) and comprehensive documentation to assist users whenever they encounter issues or have questions.
10. Affordability:
    While features and functionality are important, affordability is also a key consideration, especially for small businesses and startups. The best eCommerce website builders offer pricing plans that align with your budget and provide value for money based on the features and support they offer.

In summary, the best eCommerce website builder combines ease of use, customization options, scalability, mobile responsiveness, security features, payment and shipping options, SEO tools, analytics and reporting, customer support, and affordability to empower businesses to create and manage successful online stores. Consider these factors carefully when evaluating eCommerce website builders to find the one that best suits your needs and goals.

Determining the Cost of an eCommerce Website:

The cost of an eCommerce website can vary widely depending on factors such as the complexity of the site, the features and functionality required, customization needs, and ongoing maintenance expenses. Generally, you can expect to encounter the following expenses:

1. Website Development: This typically includes expenses related to website design, development, and implementation. Costs can vary based on whether you hire a professional web developer or use a DIY website builder.
2. Domain Name: You'll need to purchase a domain name (e.g., www.yourbusiness.com), which usually involves an annual fee ranging from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars, depending on the domain registrar and the chosen domain extension.
3. Hosting: eCommerce websites require hosting to store website files and make them accessible online. Hosting costs vary based on factors such as the hosting provider, hosting plan, and server resources required.
4. eCommerce Platform: If you opt for a hosted eCommerce platform like Shopify or BigCommerce, you'll need to consider subscription fees, which can range from around $29 to $299 per month, depending on the plan and features included.
5. Customization and Integration: Depending on your requirements, you may incur additional costs for customizing the website design, integrating third-party tools or plugins, and implementing specific features such as payment gateways, shipping calculators, or inventory management systems.
6. Security Measures: Ensuring the security of your eCommerce website is essential. Costs may include SSL certificates, security plugins or services, and compliance with data protection regulations.
7. Maintenance and Updates: Ongoing maintenance and updates are necessary to keep your eCommerce website running smoothly and secure. This may involve costs for software updates, security patches, and technical support.
8. Marketing and Promotion: Building an eCommerce website is just the first step; you'll also need to invest in marketing and promotion to attract visitors and drive sales. Costs may include expenses for advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, and social media campaigns.

Overall, the cost of an eCommerce website can range from a few hundred dollars for a basic DIY solution to several thousand dollars or more for a fully customized, feature-rich website developed by professionals. It's essential to carefully consider your budget, requirements, and long-term goals when estimating the cost of building and maintaining an eCommerce website.

Conclusion:

Picking the perfect eCommerce platform is key to your online store's success. When deciding, think about your budget, what features you need, how comfortable you are with website builders, the support you'll need, and how well you can track your store's performance. With the right platform, you can set up a top-notch online store fast and easily, and begin selling your products to customers everywhere.