E-commerce is one of the most promising avenues for profit these days, and it’s not that hard to get into anymore. There are so many accessible tools available to budding entrepreneurs that make it easy to create a fully-functional e-commerce website.
Right now, there are hundreds of platforms available to people that don’t even require expertise in coding and web design. WooCommerce leads e-commerce software platforms in 2023 with a 38.74% market share. Despite being ahead of Squarespace, Shopify, and Wix, WooCommerce doesn’t actually offer a website builder and works as a plugin for WordPress.
So, if you’re interested in getting the very best website builder to create your own e-commerce space, read on for the most important details on the options out there.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is one of the best website builders in 2023. It’s a pretty powerful platform that enables you to scale your business both locally and internationally. The robust features also go beyond the basics of website building, with creative design tools for branding, abandoned cart reminders for site visitors, robust inventory management, secure payments, and multiple-currency integration.
Whether you’re a small business or working on growing a large enterprise, BigCommerce has the resources to fit your budget and requirements. It also doesn’t hurt that it has quick updates and great customer analytics to help you expand your reach. Essentially, BigCommerce is the most promising option at your disposal.
Although it isn’t free, there is a 15-day free trial. If you want to get a plan, there are monthly and annual payments available (though annual plans are cheaper in the long run.) For an annual Standard plan, the cost amounts to $29 a month.
Wix
Wix is one of the most popular options primarily because it offers a solid suite of features while being very user-friendly. Online selling is one of the 15 best ways to make money at home, and Wix makes that easy to do whether you’re planning a fully realized shop or a select collection.
The most attractive reason to use Wix is its drag-and-drop interface, which lets you customize the various aspects of your website without inputting any code. Wix ADI also uses artificial intelligence to create a website for you based on your preferences. The basic website builder is free to use, but the Unlimited tier for entrepreneurs costs $12.50 a month for more bandwidth, storage space, visitor analytics, and the removal of Wix branding across your site.
Squarespace
Squarespace is another solid option because it is simple to use yet offers sophisticated templates that feel professional and curated. It also has great tools for in-depth user monitoring, such as payment tracking and emails.
The great thing about this website builder is that completed site designs are optimized for both desktop and mobile. Too often, small websites suffer from aesthetic and functional issues when users switch to a different device or adjust the window size. Mobile optimization is no small factor when focusing on e-commerce, especially since one in three Americans shops online with their smartphone at least weekly. On a global scale, 45 percent of consumers go online shopping on their phones at least once a day.
Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial and then offers different plans that can be paid either monthly or annually. You can get the E-commerce Basic plan for $36 a month, though this goes down to around $27 if you choose the annual payment scheme.
Shopify
Shopify is considered one of the pioneers of e-commerce websites. Despite being since surpassed by other website builders, it’s still a great option that continues to introduce innovations while carrying its years of expertise. Product-heavy businesses tend to go for Shopify because it has a top-tier inventory system.
It comes with Shopify Payments, which simplifies payments and transaction fees in a secure manner. This is very helpful if you want to be able to accept credit and debit cards. Aside from that, you also get integration with tons of third-party payment gateways including Paypal and Stripe. It’s always helpful for online businesses to have solutions that already come with automation and invoice generators. With digitized trails, accounts, and paperwork become more sustainable.
The Basic tier for new e-commerce businesses is $19 a month, billed annually. Shopify also offers a 3-day free trial.
