Learn how to Create an Ecommerce Site in 5 Easy Steps

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Really want the quick answer? The ultimate way to create an ecommerce site is with Wix. Keep reading to learn how.

Whether you have a brick and mortar business and want to expand online or you’re interested in starting a brand new business from scratch, ecommerce could be a highly profitable venture.

But before you can start thinking about your profit margins and selling products online, you need to develop an ecommerce website.

For those of you who have never done this before, it could seem like a daunting task. But it’ s not as tough as you think. Regardless of your own experience level and specialized knowledge, I’ll teach you ways to get your ecommerce site up and running in no time.

The Best Platform For Your Ecommerce Site

Before you can produce your ecommerce site, you need to figure out what platform you’re going to use.

There are dozens of options on the market today, but Wix is the clear winner.

Wix

Visit Wix

• 14-day free trial
• Drag and drop site builder
• Integrated payment digesting
• 500+ ecommerce templates
Try Wix for Free

In fact , we ranked Wix first on our list of the very best ecommerce website builders.

It’ s the best ecommerce website builder due to one thing: Simplicity.

You don’t need to learn tips on how to code or have any technical expertise. The platform makes it easy for anyone to create a beautiful and highly functional ecommerce site from scratch in no time at all.

Wix is a top selection for beginners. It’s a drag-and-drop site builder that’s completely customizable and SEO-friendly.

What’ s drag-and-drop? It’ s a type of contractor that allows you to simply use your mouse to drag various website elements around — changing them to your specific needs.

The platform offers everything you need to start selling on-line. In addition to the site builder features, you’ll be able to accept commission-free payments, manage end-to-end satisfaction, and set custom shipping guidelines worldwide.

Wix supports dropshipping and multi-channel sales. It allows you to market on other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

If you want the ability to fully customize your storefront, shopping cart, product galleries, and more without having writing a single line of code, choose Wix. You’ll also be able to set up features just like a customer wish list, related product galleries, mini-cart, quick add-to-cart buttons, and more.

You can add coupons, promo codes, and even let your customers create accounts to increase loyalty and speed up the peruse process with saved billing and shipping details.

The price for ecommerce capabilities starts at $23 per month. It comes with reward features like $300 within advertising vouchers and a totally free domain for one year.

As your site grows, you can easily upgrade your intend to scale with you.

How to Build an Ecommerce Site: A Step-by-Step Guide

  • Step 1 : Register and choose your strategy
  • Step 2: Choose how you want to create your site
  • Step 3: Link your domain
  • Step 4: Set up your ecommerce site
  • Step 5: Publish your e-commerce site

Follow these steps with any kind of ecommerce site builder. However for this article, we’ ll use Wix as an example.

Step #1: Sign up plus choose your plan

The first thing you need to do will be create an account with Wix. Compared to other platforms, the sign-up process is about as easy as it gets—10 seconds max. You’ll only need to provide an email address and password to continue.

You can start using Wix for free right away. But the free of charge plan doesn’t give you any kind of ecommerce capabilities. It’s generally an extended trial to play about with the site builder.

Navigate to the premium subscriptions and make sure to select “Business & Ecommerce, ” since I’ve highlighted in the screenshot below.

Ecommerce Plans

The “Website” plans don’t all possess online selling capabilities, which you’ll obviously need for your ecommerce site.

All of the ecommerce plans include the ability to accept online obligations, a free SSL certificate, improved storage, unlimited bandwidth, as well as a free domain for one season.

Choose a strategy based on the size of your web site and business. If you’re a small company selling a handful of products, you’ll be fine with the Simple Business or Business Unlimited plans. Bigger websites along with additional needs should go using the Business VIP plan or potentially the Enterprise remedy.

Wix provides a 14-day money-back guarantee. So you can always opt-out or switch plans within two weeks should you be not satisfied with your choice.

Step #2: Determine how you want to create your web site

Once you register, there are two different ways to get started. You can use the Wix ADI or the Wix Editor to carry on.

With the ADI, you’ll answer a series of queries about your ecommerce web site, and the platform will instantly design it in a few minutes using artificial intelligence. Using the editor, you’ll start with a template and make it by yourself.

How to create

There’s no right or wrong way right here. It all depends on your personal choice. Even if you use the ADI, you will still be able to make modifications using the editor later on.

For beginners, leveraging AI to build your ecommerce site based on the answers to you provide will probably be the best option. It’s faster, and you’ll have a working site to edit instead of just starting from scratch with a template.

But the editor is easy straightforward too. It will just be a bit more time-consuming.

If you are using the ADI, you’ll become asked to choose the type of ecommerce site you’re building (such an online clothing store, jewelry store, etc . ), and pick your features (like an Instagram feed, reside chat, subscribe form, and so forth ).

For anyone who already have an online presence, the particular AI tool can transfer content from your existing website or Google Places.

Next, you’ll become asked to pick a theme and choose a template.

themes

We went through this entire process in less than two minutes, as well as the platform automatically created an ecommerce site for me. After that it’s just as simple since editing the template with your own content, images, and other things you want to customize.

Step #3: Connect your domain

At this point connect your domain before you decide to publish the ecommerce web site.

Navigate to the “Settings” menu on the left aspect of your dashboard and simply click “Domains. ”

Domain

You’ll find two options right here: Buy a new domain name or even connect a domain name a person already own.

Pro tip: Need a site? Find one of the best domain registrars. Once purchased, you can simply the actual steps to connect a domain that you own. Check out our guide on how to buy a domain name if this is your first time going through this process.

Obtaining a domain from a domain registrar is typically the best course of action. When you want to keep it simple and proceed directly through your ecommerce platform, that’s fine too.

Step #4: Set up your ecommerce site

After the domain continues to be connected, you need to set up the ecommerce functionality of your web site. These are the components that will actually allow you to sell products online.

  • Add products
  • Setup shipping regions
  • Select payment methods

I’ll give you a quick overview of each one of these e-commerce site elements below.

Products

To add a product, navigate to the “Store Products” portion of your dashboard on the remaining side of the screen. Then click “+ New Product” on the top right corner of the screen.

Add Products

From here, you will be able to name the product, include it to a collection, arranged the price, and write your product description. You can add product images and videos as well.

Wix lets you add a product ribbon (such as “new arrival), mark the product because “on sale, ” create a section for things like a positive return policy or care guidelines, and manage the taxes settings.

You will also be able to control the product size options, color choices, and inventory tracking.

Shipping

Next, you will have to manage your shipping guidelines. Determine what regions you’re shipping to and how those rates are calculated.

For the example site I’ve been creating in this tutorial, I set up free shipping in the US and set a flat price for international orders.

Shipping

Maybe you only want to sell to customers in the US plus Canada. Just uncheck the particular international toggle box within the right side of the display, and add a new region for Canada.

You’ll have lots of flexibility with all the shipping rates. For example , you could offer free shipping to customers that spend a certain amount of money per order.

In addition to a flat price, you can charge shipping simply by weight, based on order total, or USPS calculated prices. You can even manage handling rates and give your customers the option to pick up orders in-store for certain areas.

Transaction Methods

Before you can get paid, you need to setup your accepted payment strategies. This is very easy to do with Wix’s integrated payment processing system.

Payments

For this instance, I selected the incorporated processor as well as PayPal.

This gives you the ability to accept all major bank cards like Visa, American Communicate, Discover, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB, and Maestro.

Processing rates are second . 9% + $0. thirty per transaction, which is pretty standard in this space. Wix doesn’t take any percentage on top of that.

Step #5: Publish your ecommerce site

Now it’ s time for that big moment: Publishing your blog.

In order to do this particular, you MUST have a connected area (explained in step #3).

You also should be on a paid Wix plan. Technically, you could publish your site while on a free plan, but it won’t be with your custom URL. You won’t possess any of the ecommerce capabilities possibly without a paid plan. So if you haven’t done so already, be sure you go ahead and finalize your membership before proceeding.

Click on the publish button within the top right corner of your editor for the site to look live.

Publish

By the way, the preview of the site you’re seeing on the screen was 100% generated by the AI solution we discussed earlier. I didn’t adjust the particular layout, add images, or customize anything yet.

It just goes to show you how easy it is to produce an ecommerce site in case you go that route.

Best Practices For Creating an Ecommerce Site

The five steps explained above will get your e-commerce site up and running in no time. It’s simple, and anyone can perform it.

Yet that alone won’t create your site successful. Here are some best practices to keep in mind while you’re building out the site and dealing with this process.

Retain it Simple

Your own theme, homepage, product web pages, and interior pages ought to be simple.

Do not try to clutter your website with every product that you’re selling. Just highlight 3-6 of your most popular items. You can even take your all-time greatest seller and include a giant photograph of it with a CTA over the fold.

The simplicity and layout ensure that your website visitors are instantly exposed to your most popular products, which increases the chances they make a purchase.

Contact Page

Such as the rest of your ecommerce web site, the contact page needs to be simple.

It will include your phone number, address, email address, and a contact form so individuals can reach out. Make sure that the contact form goes to an email accounts that’s actively monitored. In this way, you can respond to customer queries as fast as possible.

Regarding Us Page

The About Us web page should not just be a boring history about when your company opened and what you’re selling.

This is your opportunity to tell a compelling tale that inspires customers to join your mission. Maybe you contribute 10% of all sales to save the planet. Or maybe you’re a professional B corporation that only sources inventory from environmentally friendly vendors.

Your own About Us page ought to be authentic, and written since clearly as possible. It should confer with your target audience and resonate with these as well.

Product Names

Guideline: Unless you have lots of experience within naming products, you should stay with names that are clear with no trying to get too creative.

Too many ecommerce internet sites get too cute using their product names. This leads to confusion and eye comes from the customers.

A simple and boring name for a great product can still generate tons of sales. But the wrong name can destroy it.

Product Descriptions

Every product on your e-commerce site should have a unique product description. This is essentially a single or two paragraph pitch for your products.

Here’s the standard structure that I’d recommend for a item description:

  • One or two sentences identifying the problem that the product solves.
  • One or two sentences artwork a picture of what life will be like once problem is solved.
  • Two or three sentences describing how your own product solves those problems and what features make this possible.

With that said, not every product solves problems. Clothes and apparel is a perfect instance. If you’re selling a trendy t-shirt, consumers are buying it to make them feel self-confident, refine their identity, and change their look. In this case, the description should be less about the product itself and more about how the item makes the buyer feel.

Product Pictures

I know it sounds lame—but a picture really is really worth 1, 000 words. You can’t rely on descriptions alone to market your products.

Hire a professional photographer to shoot your products. Capture the products from every angle. Show it in action. Should you be selling a shirt, get photos of a person putting on that shirt, as opposed to just laying it flat on the table. If you’re selling trekking boots, show someone wearing them on a hiking trail. If you’re selling bed sheets, take a photo of the sheets with an actual bed.

As I briefly mentioned within the step-by-step guide, you can also add videos to products. This really is perfect for products that require any type of demonstration that can’t end up being shown in photos on your own.

Conclusion

Creating an ecommerce site isn’t that complex. You could realistically get one ready to go in ten minutes.

While it will obviously take you longer compared to that to add your items, write product descriptions, add images, and everything else that will goes into having a highly profitable ecommerce website, the actual constructing process is quick.

Using an ecommerce website builder, you can create an online store in just five easy steps.

Follow the step-by-step instructions that I’ve discussed in this guide. You don’t need to know how to code and have any technical experience to get through this process.

Wix

Visit Wix

• 14-day free trial
• Drag and drop site builder
• Integrated transaction processing
• 500+ ecommerce templates
Try Wix for Free

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