We have covered the best Ecommerce platforms to sell your products online earlier. In that blog, we’d mentioned that building your own website, using robust ecommerce website builders, is the best, when it comes to maximizing profitability and having complete control on your inventory and operations.
Yes, managing an ecommerce inventory may become a tedious task, taking into consideration that due payments, the excess and scarce stock, restocking inventory and more! This is why having an easy-to-use an ecommerce accounting and inventory software like ProfitBooks is a must, as it automates all these menial and tedious tasks for your ecommerce business.
You can use ProfitBooks, completely FREE, without spending a single buck! Yes, it’s a 100% FREE software, so why not sign up and try it now?
Anyway, I digress. Just as important as a cloud inventory software, is having ecommerce website builders to develop your own ecommerce platform.
In this article, we’ll discuss what Ecommerce website builders are, how they work, and the five best and free ecommerce website builders we’ve found online!
What Are Ecommerce Website Builders?
Imagine you have a brilliant idea for a product and want to sell it online. But the thought of building a whole website from scratch sounds daunting. This is where ecommerce website builders come in! Think of them as user-friendly platforms designed specifically to create online stores, even if you have zero coding experience.
These platforms offer a complete toolkit, eliminating the need to hire a web developer or programmer. Instead, they provide pre-built components, like product pages and shopping carts, that you can easily assemble to create your dream store.
Many builders even have drag-and-drop interfaces, allowing you to visually arrange your store’s layout just by clicking and dragging elements around. It’s like building a virtual storefront with Legos – simple, intuitive, and perfect for beginners.
But what exactly makes ecommerce website builders so powerful? Let’s dive deeper into the key features they provide:
The Ecommerce Platform Builders Toolbox
- Stunning Storefronts: Gone are the days of plain, text-heavy websites. Ecommerce builders offer a library of beautiful themes that act as the design foundation for your store. These themes are fully customizable, allowing you to incorporate your brand colors, logos, and images to create a unique shopping experience.
- Product Powerhouse: Adding your products is a breeze! Simply upload clear pictures, write compelling descriptions, and set prices – all within the builder’s user-friendly interface. Some builders even let you manage stock levels in real-time, ensuring you never run out of inventory and disappoint your customers.
- Seamless Payment Processing: This is the cash register of your online store! Ecommerce builders integrate with popular payment processors like PayPal or Stripe, allowing customers to securely pay using credit cards, debit cards, or digital wallets at checkout.
- Effortless Shipping: No need to become a shipping expert! Builders often connect with major shipping carriers like UPS or FedEx, enabling you to offer different shipping options and calculate costs automatically for your customers. This saves you time and ensures a smooth shopping experience for your buyers.
7 Best FREE Ecommerce Website Builders To Build Your Online Store
Developing an ecommerce website is now essential to the expansion of your company. Consequently, it’s critical to choose the best eCommerce website builder platform.
This section will help you explore the wide world of ecommerce website builders and highlight the most creative and user-friendly solutions out there. Additionally, we’ll offer some advice in the next section on selecting the best website-building tool.
1. Woocommerce
With the help of the free, open-source plugin Woocommerce, WordPress websites may now provide eCommerce features. WooCommerce is among the greatest options for creating an online store because of its smooth integration.
WooCommerce also has the benefit of not charging extra for transactions, which makes it very affordable for WordPress websites.
However, the way you configure it will determine how well your WooCommerce website performs. The customer experience of your online business will be influenced by the hosting provider you select as well as the quantity of plugins and extensions you utilize.
Key Features:
- WooCommerce on mobile: Manage your store & process orders anywhere (mobile app).
- Sell globally: Reach wider audiences with multilingual stores & multiple currencies.
- Showcase products: Easily display products with product blocks & filter by category.
- Accept payments: Offer a variety of payment options (credit cards, cash on delivery, etc.) through 100+ gateways.
Pricing:
The WooCommerce ecommerce website builders software is included with WordPress.com and is free.
But in order to utilize it, you first need to get a domain name and hosting. You also need to budget for any possible expenses, such as additional fees.
WooCommerce hosting services are available at Hostinger for as little as $3.99 per month. This comes with an SSL certificate and a free domain name for the first year.
2. Square Online
Square Online is an entirely free plan that includes an infinite number of goods, SEO tools, omnichannel selling, QR code ordering, different shipping and delivery choices, and Square POS syncing.
What are the pros and cons of using Square Online?
Pros:
- Sell unlimited products, even on the free plan.
- Leverage social selling features.
- Built-in SEO tools to improve search ranking.
- Accept a variety of payment methods (Afterpay, Google Pay, Square Pay, Cash App, Apple Pay).
- Integrates with Square POS for in-person sales.
- Offer discounts on shipping rates.
Cons:
- Requires a paid plan to use a custom domain name.
- High processing fees (2.6-2.9% + INR 24 per transaction).
- Displays Square ads unless on a paid plan.
- Can only accept PayPal with the Performance plan or higher.
Pricing & Key Features:
You may test drive a premium plan for free for thirty days.
The monthly cost of these plans starts at around INR 989 and is invoiced yearly. You’ll require a premium plan in order to get a personalized URL.
View Square Online free ecommerce website builders and paid plans here.
What is Square Online’s afterpay feature?
Square Online allows you to offer Afterpay, a pay-in-four option for your consumers, even on its free plan. In addition to the seller receiving immediate access to the cash (less a modest charge), the client also receives their merchandise immediately. Since each client who signs up has a little amount they may borrow at first and their ability to borrow improves with consecutive purchases and timely payments, Afterpay bears the risk.
Since the minimum cart value to use this service is INR 2,886 or more, e-commerce companies with a typical cart total of that much or more would benefit greatly from the pay-in-four option.
You may also take contributions, Google Pay, Square Pay, Cash App, and Apple Pay on any of its plans.
3. Odoo’s Free Ecommerce Website Builders – With AI
I consider Odoo’s ecommerce website builders module to be a promising platform for online sales. It received praise for having an AI-powered website builder and 3M free stock photos, but it lost points for being limited to using just its Odoo corporate system, which reduced the number of third-party software alternatives available.
Its ecommerce website builders tools are really user-friendly and driven by artificial intelligence. Online companies will find the platform a terrific platform for selling and expanding, but they should be aware of the additional costs that come with selling an unlimited number of items and managing inventories in real-time.
Pricing & Features:
Included in the FREE plan:
- Free domain for a year
- One app only
- The choice of using a WYSIWYG site editor or an AI-based site builder
- UPS and FedEx shipping calculators
- Comprehensive SEO tools
- Embedded live chat
- Automated inventory management
- Product recommendations—upselling and cross-selling features
- Google Analytics integration
Standard Plan: Rs 950/- per user per month
- All apps
- Odoo Online
Custom Plan: Rs 1,420/- user / month
- All apps
- Odoo Online / Odoo.sh** / On-premise
- Odoo Studio
- Multi-Company
- External API
Check the detailed pricing plans of Odoo ecommerce website builders models to better information.
4. Strikingly
One of the best when it comes to the free ecommerce website builders option. However, there’s a catch!
Strikingly is the only one of the free ecommerce website builders I looked at that only lets you sell a single item. Although extremely limiting, it could be effective if you are selling limited edition or one-of-a-kind things like paintings or vintage or antique objects.
You may use the lovely landing page templates from Strikingly to serve as both your sales page and checkout page simultaneously!
Pricing & Key Features:
Free Plan:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
- Attractive templates
- Unlimited free websites
- Limited to one product, 500MB storage, 5GB monthly bandwidth
- 5% transaction fee
- 24/7 live chat
Paid Plans:
- Digital downloads need an upgrade.You need to upgrade to Pro ($20/month), its second-tier paid plan, to be able to sell digital goods.
- Marketing tools such as abandoned cart savers, custom forms, and email automation are also unlocked at Pro ($20/month).
- Storage limits are enforced even at its highest tier, VIP ($59/month) at 100GB of storage.
5. Ecwid
Ecwid is the ideal option if you want to create an online store with the least amount of money possible. It offers a fantastic free plan that enables you start selling your first five physical items.
Additionally, there are no extra transaction fees beyond what your payment gateway charges, meaning that there is no profit-skimming from unstated costs.
A lengthy, bold to-do list that guides you through establishing your website, uploading your first merchandise, identifying your store, and deciding how you want to distribute goods—and be paid for them—is what you’ll find at the Dashboard. Completing the entire list requires less than fifteen minutes.
Ecwid offers a large feature set in its subscription plans, despite being a fantastic free eCommerce website builders tools.
You may post your things on Amazon or eBay, sell directly to your followers, or accept payments in person thanks to its integration with social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. It keeps track of your inventory, computes taxes automatically, and provides discounts.
Pricing:
- Standard functions are free;
- professional features start at $19/month with the Venture Plan;
- payment gateway costs apply.
5 Pieces of Advice For Ecommerce Businesses Before You Start Building Your Online Store
Before you dive headfirst into ecommerce website builders, take a moment to strategize! Here are some key things to consider that will lay a solid foundation for your online business:
- Know Your Niche: What problem does your product or service solve? Who is your ideal customer? Conducting thorough market research helps you identify a niche market with a demand for your offerings. Understanding your target audience allows you to tailor your website’s design, tone, and product selection to resonate with them directly.
- Competitor Checkup: Don’t build in a vacuum! Research your competitors in the ecommerce website builders space. Analyze their strengths and weaknesses – what are they doing well, and where are there potential gaps for you to fill with your unique offerings? This allows you to develop a competitive edge and position your brand effectively.
- Product Power: Before you start building your website, have a clear understanding of your product catalog. Gather high-quality photos, write compelling product descriptions that highlight features and benefits, and determine competitive pricing strategies. Remember, your products are the stars of the show – ensure they shine brightly on your website.
- Logistics and Operations: Running an e-commerce store involves more than just a website. Consider how you’ll handle inventory management, order fulfillment, and customer service. Will you dropship products or manage your own inventory? What shipping options will you offer? Having a clear plan for these logistics ensures a smooth operation and a positive customer experience.
- Marketing Magic: Building the website is just the first step. Develop a marketing strategy to drive traffic to your online store. This could involve social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), or even pay-per-click advertising. Consider your budget and target audience when crafting your marketing plan.
By taking the time to answer these questions and developing a solid strategy, you’ll be well-equipped to build an e-commerce website that’s optimized for success.
Remember, a little planning goes a long way in ensuring your online business thrives!
Conclusion
Ecommerce website builders are user-friendly platforms that let anyone create an online store. They offer tools for design, product management, and secure payments. This article explored free and paid options, catering to various needs, as ecommerce website builders are even better when you can use them for free.
But a successful store requires more.
You need a strategy!
Define your target audience and niche. Craft a winning product strategy. Plan logistics like inventory and shipping. Finally, explore marketing channels to drive traffic.
By following these steps, you’ll be equipped with ecommerce website builders optimized for success and turn your entrepreneurial dream into reality.
The most important thing for any ecommerce business is effectively managing their inventory, taking care of the items sold, plus the stock…and what about due payments, income and expenses…it’s a lot!!!
To manage all this efficiently, try ProfitBooks’ Ecommerce accounting software for FREE. Yes, this is another free software that you can add to your software toolkit, which is trusted by thousands of ecommerce business across the globe.
Get your 100% FREE account now!
Also Read:
5 Best Ecommerce Platforms To Sell Online In India
5 Effective Product Videos Ideas For eCommerce
5 Effective eCommerce Product Videos You Can Learn From