Every successful online store begins with a fundamental step – the use of an e-commerce website builder. These tools simplify the process of establishing an e-commerce business by enabling you to construct a website from the ground up.
Therefore, if you intend to market products or services on the internet, it is essential to identify an e-commerce builder to establish your online store. Remarkably, you don’t need any prior experience in web design to embark on this journey. For guidance in selecting the most suitable option for your objectives, consider the recommendations provided below.
Here, you will find detailed evaluations of the top eight e-commerce website builders, along with a concise buyer’s guide to assist you in pinpointing the most appropriate one for your needs.
Bluehost Review — The Best Ecommerce Website Builder For Most
We must say, that our top choice for building an e-commerce website through a website builder is Bluehost.
Their dedicated service for WooCommerce Online Stores makes the process of establishing a WooCommerce store exceptionally straightforward.
It all commences with Bluehost’s Online Store Creation Experience, a user-friendly tool that will assist you step by step in creating your store and adding products.
We appreciate this feature because Bluehost has been a trusted hosting provider for WordPress for quite some time. They have a deep understanding of WordPress, so they are a reliable choice for optimizing the most effective e-commerce store plugin for it.
Moreover, Bluehost goes the extra mile by identifying and including essential companion plugins for your online store, and the best part is that they offer these plugins to you at no additional cost.
In the basic package, you receive several valuable features, including unlimited product listings, access to traffic analysis, around-the-clock customer support, streamlined payment processing, manual order creation, and more. Additionally, you enjoy a complimentary year of CodeGuard Basic for regular website backups.
All of these benefits are available for a reasonable price, provided you commit to a 36-month plan. If you are committed to the long-term success of your e-commerce venture, this should be a prudent choice.
Opting for the Premium package for the same 36-month duration offers you even more advantages. This includes the ability to sell subscriptions, greater customization options for your products, and online appointment booking. Moreover, you’ll receive CodeGuard Basic, domain privacy, and protection at no extra cost.
In essence, Bluehost simplifies the complex tasks of research, maintenance, and management, making it one of the most straightforward approaches to creating and sustaining your e-commerce store on your WordPress website.
HostGator Review — The Best for Appointment Scheduling and Collecting Deposits
HostGator’s e-commerce website builder includes integrated web hosting, making it a convenient all-in-one solution for initiating your online store.
If you haven’t already acquired a domain, you can also register and obtain a complimentary domain for a year when you subscribe to HostGator.
Beginning the process is straightforward. You can select from a wide array of over 150 mobile-friendly and expertly crafted templates. Afterward, you can customize the design using HostGator’s user-friendly DIY site builder.
HostGator’s e-commerce website builder offers a distinctive feature: an integrated appointment scheduling system. You can configure it to enable your customers to book various activities, such as workshops, classes, or online events.
Moreover, HostGator provides automated email reminders once your customers have made an appointment. This ensures better attendance and helps reduce no-shows since customers have already made a financial commitment by paying in advance.
In addition to scheduling capabilities, HostGator offers various advantages, including a free SSL certificate, private domain registration, unlimited appointment bookings, social media integration, SEO-optimized designs, shipping software, and inventory synchronization.
If your primary need is appointment scheduling and deposit collection, HostGator’s Website + Marketing package. However, if you also intend to sell products through your e-commerce website builder, you should consider the Online Store plan.
Web.com Review — The Best for Simple Online Stores
To be honest, even Do-It-Yourself website builders can sometimes become overly complex. Many available options offer an abundance of features and extras that you might never actually require or utilize.
Thankfully, Web.com stands out by not overwhelming you with unnecessary add-ons. It’s my preferred choice for individuals who prefer a straightforward approach.
If your primary objective is to swiftly create a website and start selling a small number of products, then Web.com should be your top consideration.
Web.com serves as an easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder, making it challenging to find a more straightforward way to construct your site. This simplicity has earned it the trust of over three million users worldwide.
In case you encounter any difficulties with the tool, though it’s unlikely, Web.com offers assistance. They provide one free hour of expert design support with your plan.
Furthermore, Web.com offers several additional features and benefits, such as built-in web hosting, a free domain name, domain privacy and protection, social media and email marketing tools, an AI copywriting tool, and appointment scheduling capabilities.
Depending on your chosen plan, Web.com supports sales on third-party platforms, including social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, as well as online marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, and eBay.
Shopify Review — The Best Out-of-the-Box Ecommerce Functions
Shopify reigns supreme in the world of e-commerce. With the trust of over one million websites spanning 175 countries, it stands as one of the most favored and widely used e-commerce platforms available today.
This platform offers remarkable versatility. Whether you are launching a new e-commerce venture from the ground up or extending your physical business to the online realm, Shopify can cater to your requirements. It provides all the essential elements for website creation and commencing online sales:
- Tailored templates for various industries
- Support for multiple sales channels, including point-of-sale, social media, and online marketplaces
- User-friendly drag-and-drop store builder
- Over 70 templates to choose from
- Custom domain options
- Secure checkout process
- Ability to offer gift cards
- 24/7 customer support
- No limit on the number of products you can list
- Integrated payment processing
- Shipping discounts
- Marketing tools
- Valuable business insights
Regardless of your business’s size or industry, Shopify’s e-commerce platform offers the flexibility to meet your website’s unique needs.
Wix Review — The Best For Beginners
Wix stands out as one of the simplest methods for constructing a new website, catering to a broad range of website types, including e-commerce.
Wix has been the choice of over 160 million individuals worldwide for building websites from the ground up. The beauty of it is that there’s no need to write code or master intricate technology. If you have a vision, you can bring it to life on Wix.
You can kickstart your website creation journey with one of Wix’s elegant online store templates, which have already been employed by thousands of businesses to showcase their products and special offers to potential customers. Following this, you can effortlessly customize the appearance and style of your website to align with your brand using the user-friendly drag-and-drop e-commerce website builder.
Wix serves as an excellent choice for newcomers in the field of website building. This platform is designed to accommodate anyone, regardless of their technical expertise, in creating an e-commerce website. Here’s what sets Wix apart:
- An easy-to-use drag-and-drop site builder
- A rich collection of over 500 visually appealing templates
- SEO optimization for better online visibility
- Access to an app marketplace for adding custom functions
- Incorporation of advanced design features like video backgrounds, animations, and scroll effects
- Mobile-friendly e-commerce websites for reaching customers on the go
- Provisions for a custom domain, free hosting, and a complimentary SSL certificate
- Support for multiple payment methods
- Tools for creating product pages and managing your store
- Round-the-clock customer support
- No restrictions on the number of products you can list.
BigCommerce Review — The Best for Large E-commerce Sites
BigCommerce is yet another dominant force in the realm of e-commerce. For over a decade, this platform has provided services to e-commerce websites in over 120 countries.
It proves to be an excellent choice for individuals who wish to avoid encountering frustrating restrictions on what their website can achieve.
This platform is exceptionally well-suited for wholesalers, international e-commerce operations, B2B sellers, and businesses engaged in multi-channel sales. When it comes to selling products on a large scale, BigCommerce is the optimal choice.
Here’s what makes it stand out:
- An easy-to-navigate and secure platform
- Robust e-commerce analytics and insights into customer behavior
- User-friendly drag-and-drop tools that require no coding skills
- Seamless integration with WordPress
- Customizable checkout features with a checkout API and SDK
- In-built capabilities for JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, enabling complete theme customization
- A focus on mobile-friendliness and search engine optimization
- Incorporation of a faceted search function
- Support for cross-channel sales, including brick-and-mortar stores, social media, and online marketplaces
- Compatibility with multiple currencies
- Employment of a global content delivery network (CDN) for enhanced performance
- Streamlined cross-border fulfillment
- In-house payment processing
In summary, BigCommerce ranks as our top recommendation for large-scale e-commerce websites. If you aspire to sell your products online without facing significant limitations, this platform should be at the forefront of your consideration.
Conclusion
The initial step in embarking on your online selling journey involves selecting a suitable e-commerce website builder. The choice of the best one, however, hinges on your specific needs. Here are my top recommendations:
- Bluehost: Ideal for most ecommerce needs.
- HostGator: Best for appointment scheduling and deposit collection.
- Web.com: Perfect for straightforward e-commerce sites.
- Shopify: Offers comprehensive out-of-the-box e-commerce features.
- Wix: A top choice for a user-friendly drag-and-drop e-commerce builder.
- BigCommerce: Tailored for large-scale e-commerce ventures.
For the majority of individuals, opting for Bluehost coupled with WooCommerce is the most advisable course of action. This combination proves to be an excellent solution for both existing WordPress websites and newly created ones.
