How to Choose the Best Site Builder for an Online Store

Your online store’s success hinges onthefoundation you set. For small business owners taking theplunge into thedigital market, itmeans finding theperfect platform tobuild their ecommerce empire. But with asea ofsite builders promising themoon, where does one start? And which choice ensures that your online presence isnot just launched but thrives?

This comprehensive guide dissects thesite-building process forsmall business owners looking tolaunch orrevamp their digital storefront.

We’ll explore thebest site builders inthemarket, including adeep dive into thebespoke Instant Site, designed tocater toonline retail’s demanding needs without coding complexities. Plus, we’ll uncover thevirtues ofintegrating ecommerce into acustom site.

Ready tohit “publish” onyour digital dream? Read on!

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Why Use Site Builders forYour Ecommerce Journey

Before welaunch into thespecifics, it’s crucial tounderstand why opting forasite builder can benefit your online store.

Modern site builders are not just about dragging Իdropping elements; they are scalable Իoffer immense flexibility. They handle thenitty-gritty details ofhosting, domain management, Իsecurity, leaving you tofocus onwhat truly matters— your products Իcustomer experience.

For small businesses, theefficiency Իaffordability ofsite builders are unmatched. You can create aprofessional-looking site without anextensive investment indevelopment ordesign. Updates are typically easy toperform sothat you can adapt swiftly tothemarket’s demands.

Ready-Made Templates

Pre-designed website templates act asaframework that you can customize tofit your branding.

They take thelegwork out oflayout Իweb design sothat you can quickly build off apre-established format. Without atemplate, building awebsite can beasignificant time investment with ahefty price tag.

Customizing aready-made template ismuch easier than creating asite from scratch

Mobile Optimization

Site builders also work well because they offer mobile-friendly designs that accommodate thegrowing number ofmobile users.

InJanuary 2024, mobile devices (excluding tablets) accounted foralmost . Data shows that mobile usage outpaced desktop usage— Իitcontinues todoso. With this inmind, it’s important toapproach web design with amobile-first mentality tocater totheonline preferences ofyour audience.

Hosting

Most site builders offer hosting aspart oftheir packages— which means your website issecurely hosted bythesite builders’ servers, Իyou can purchase acustom domain.

The beauty ofthis isthat you can often manage your website hosting right within thesite builder— noneed togothrough anexternal channel that adds another step totheprocess.

Search Engine Optimization

Ifsearch engine optimization (SEO) isapriority foryou, some site builders offer templates created with this objective inmind.

Choosing anSEO-friendly template makes itsimple foryou tooptimize your site content Իcopy tohelp you achieve your optimization goals. Again— you get this benefit without having tohire external developers.

Affordability

Site builders are anaffordable option forecommerce retailers because they typically offer different pricing packages based onthesize Իneeds ofthebusiness.

This allows business owners toselect thepricing plan that best fits their budget Իwill enable them toselect only thefeatures they need.

Italso creates anopportunity toscale theservices ofthesite builder upordown asthebusiness evolves.

While some online retailers may decide tohire adesigner tohelp with elements ofawebsite created through one ofthese platforms (like customizing atemplate, graphic elements, etc.), using asite builder can help make theprocess faster Իmore affordable asopposed tostarting with acustom-made website from scratch.

Also: How toCreate anOnline Store Without aWebsite

Overview oftheMost Popular Site Builders forEcommerce

When itcomes tosite builders forecommerce, one size does not fit all.

Numerous site builder options exist, but our attention will beonthemore popular platforms consistently used toconstruct online stores.

Here’s aquick review ofthemost popular site builders Իhow they stack up.

Instant Site

For those seeking astraightforward, user-friendly path toanecommerce site, Instant Site isagame-changer. Itembraces acode-free build, ensuring that anyone can easily set upapolished, feature-rich site.

Anexample ofanInstant Site

Instant Site includes professionally designed layouts Իcontent, aswell asfree pre-designed templates tailored todifferent niches, such asapparel, home, electronics, services, food, Իmore. Ittakes thestress out ofdecision-making, Իyou can easily customize thedesign Իlayout tomatch your brand’s unique visual identity.

Choose from 40+ site templates tailored tovarious niches

Instant Sites are optimized formobile Իinclude afree SSL certificate, which isamust-have foronline stores.

Plus, you can buy adomain through , too, Իitwill beset upautomatically— even less manual work foryou!

Since Instant Site was created with ecommerce inmind, itensures that anysite built through itcomes with abuilt-in online store. So, you don’t have touse anyintegrations oradd-ons toadd anonline store toyour website— it’s already there.

Specializing inecommerce, Instant Site integrates with nearly ahundred payment methods Իeffortlessly connects with shipping providers.

Ifyou’re concerned about your site’s discoverability, Instant Site has you covered. Some SEO tasks are taken care ofautomatically, like website robots.txt files Իsitemap.xml, alt-tags forproduct images, clean URLs forproducts, Իmore.

Best ofall, since Instant Site isfree, you can experiment Իbuild your site without anyupfront costs. Plus, you can sell alimited number ofproducts forfree foraslong asyou like.

Learn how tocreate anecommerce website using Instant Site inthearticle below:

WordPress

WordPress powers anincredible number ofwebsites ontheinternet, Իits extensive plugins make itago-to formany online sellers. The platform offers ahigh degree ofcustomization Իhas asupportive global community.

However, its open-source nature can mean that theresponsibility forupdates Իsecurity falls squarely onyour shoulders oryour developer’s.

What ifyou prefer using foryour online store but wish tocreate your website using WordPress?

seamlessly integrates with WordPress, allowing you toturn anyWordPress website into anonline store with just afew clicks.

Anexample ofan store integrated into aWordPress website

The connects your WordPress site toyour account soyou can manage your whole ecommerce site inone place.

Wix

Wix shines with its intuitive drag-and-drop builder that’s perfect forbeginners. The Wix App Market offers arange ofadd-ons ڴǰ𳦴dz.

Onthedownside, thenumber offree apps islimited, Իonce you choose atemplate, you cannot switch toanother.

Wix isalso , making iteasier for store owners toadd anonline store totheir Wix website.

Anexample ofan store added toaWix website

Weebly

Weebly isknown forits ease ofuse Իthefree plan. Its robust ecommerce toolkit allows you toquickly set upanonline store with support fordigital Իphysical goods, inventory management, Իpayment options.

However, its SEO capabilities could bemore extensive, which might beadrawback forbusinesses aiming tobuild asolid online presence.

Anexample ofan store added toaWeebly website

Ifyou have an store, you can , offering asimple way toadd anonline store.

Joomla &Drupal

More technical than theprevious options, Joomla ԻDrupal are open-source platforms that offer high levels ofcustomization Իare suitable formedium tolarger businesses.

While they give greater control, they also demand more know-how, Իtheir learning curve might not beworth itforasmall business owner just starting.

integrates with both Ի toadd anonline store toyour website built with these platforms.

Squarespace

Squarespace islauded forits stunning design templates Իuser-friendly design features. Itintegrates well with third-party platforms forSEO Իmarketing but has limited payment gateways directly linked, which could beahurdle forbusinesses catering toaglobal audience.

However, ifthis option appeals toyou foryour website, consider creating an store Ի. Bydoing so, you will unlock access totheextensive range ofpayment options supported by, which includes nearly ahundred different methods.

Anexample ofan store added toaSquarespace website

Strikingly

Strikingly isperfect forcreating asimple website with ecommerce functionality. However, itmight not bethebest choice forcomplex websites because ofits limited customization tools.

Ifyou want toturn your Strikingly site into anonline store, Իenjoy thebenefits ofboth platforms.

Adding anOnline Store toaCustom Website

While site builders offer convenience Իasuite ofecommerce tools out ofthebox, some business owners may opt foracustom website with anintegrated store. This route provides themost control Իflexibility but attheexpense oftime Իcost.

With askilled developer, you can tailor every aspect ofyour online presence, ensuring itisunique Իmeets every specific requirement your business has.

Integrating ecommerce into acustom website allows forseamless design Իuser experience coordination. You can create atailored ecosystem around your brand that stands out from off-the-shelf solutions.

This option ismore popular among brands with anestablished online presence orthose who foresee custom needs that abuilder may beunable tohandle.

Ifyou decide togothis route, you can aslong asyou can add custom codes tothesite. This way, you can have thebest ofboth worlds— aunique Իpersonalized website with all theecommerce features Իcapabilities provided by.

Wrap Up

Selecting thebest site builder foryour ecommerce store isadecision that can shape thetrajectory ofyour business. Whether you’re attracted totheconvenience ofanall-in-one service like Instant Site ordesire thecomprehensive control ofacustom site, it’s vital tomatch theplatform’s capabilities toyour business goals.

Consider your tech-savviness, budget, long-term vision, Իanyskilled individuals oragencies you can access. And don’t beafraid totest Իlearn— many platforms offer atrial period orafree plan— before committing. Remember, your digital storefront isnot just aplace tosell; it’s anonline representation ofyour business, telling your story Իconnecting you totheworld. Make itcount.

For aquick, beautiful, Իeasily customizable option, consider the Instant Site. Itprovides you with anarray ofuser-friendly tools Իecommerce features forcreating your online presence.

Whether you need alanding page about your brand, astraight-forward online catalog forB2B partnerships, aprofessional ecommerce website with anonline store, oranyother business objective— Instant Site caters toyour needs.

About The Author
Kristen is a сontent creator at . She finds inspiration in sci-fi books, jazz music, and home-cooked food.

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