Choose Best Ecommerce Website Builder For Small Business

Small businesses are in an ideal position to thrive in the current digital era. It used to be that selling anything required significant funds or having a physical location to attract customers. Nowadays, however, all it takes is tips from a drag-and-drop website and anybody can sell goods and services on the net. Given the numerous selections available, however, choosing just one can be overwhelming.

That’s where this concise manual steps in. In this post, we’ll examine the ideal website builders for small businesses in 2024.

The best website builder for you depends on the reasons you need it and your location. In the UK, for instance, Shopify and Wix have good prospects. In India, local businesses may benefit from Zoho Commerce and BigCommerce.

In terms of choosing free alternatives, you can use WooCommerce and Squarespace to your advantage. To ease your worries for your future endeavors, you should bear in mind the ease of usage and growth-oriented functionalities regardless of your selection.

By the conclusion of this manual, the selection of the platform you view as best suited to your business will be seamless.

Important Features To Look For While Choosing an Ecommerce Website Builder

But first, let’s review the fundamentals before we evaluate the predominant best options. Picking the accurate e-commerce website builder for your small business is important, and here are the essential considerations to keep in mind.

Ease of Use

If you’re just starting out and aren’t a tech expert, it makes sense to choose a platform such as Gator that is straightforward to use and comes with uncomplicated tools.

Customization

Wouldn’t it be great if you had absolutely no restrictions when designing your store? Some website builders allow you to have that freedom, while others craft stores for you using templates to speed up the process.

Scalability

Does your business plans on expanding there’s a need to ensure that the platform you are going for has the potential to support your future goals such as a larger number of products or sophisticated marketing tools.

Pricing

The cost to build a website varies greatly depending on the website builder. Consider your budget, as well as the features offered by each platform for the price.

Payment Processing

For any business selling online, it is imperative to ensure that transactions are seamless. Check that the builder offers a good variety of payment methods and secure options for the customers.

Inventory Management

If your business has a good range of different products, it’s essential to have good inventory management solutions in place. Choose a platform that enables the tracking of stock, the management of various product options, and the placing of orders with ease.

Now, let us explore the eight best e-commerce website builders suitable for small businesses.

8 Best Ecommerce Website Builder For Small Business

Small businesses will look for different tools when creating a website while costing not much. Shopify is considered favorable as it can be easily managed and has a lot to offer. Wix ecommerce on the other hand, is a good solution for those on a budget.

Squarespace is a great passion for those adoring the best elegant templates while WooCommerce is the go-to option if you have a WordPress site. When looking for the best options, be sure to factor in the level of mobile compatibility, SEO capability, inventory management, and tracking.

Are you looking for the best e-commerce website builders for small businesses? Here’s a list:

1. Shopify
2. Wix
3. BigCommerce
4. Squarespace
5. GoDaddy
6. Weebly
7. Volusion
8. Zyro

1. Shopify: The All-Around E-commerce Powerhouse

According to a survey carried out, research and stats confirm that the top spot in website builders is occupied by Shopify. There are claims that it is the most user-friendly, well-stocked with apps, and has great features. But apart from that, a lot of business owners choose to use a Shopify store since it makes product selling very convenient.

Strengths: Shopify is quite user-friendly and has a huge app market to boost its functionality with safe payment options as well. It is also effective at managing stocks, has templates with responsive designs, and provides SEO support.

Weaknesses: As someone who has used Shopify in the past, I am aware that there are some shortcomings. One problem that stands out is that they do not have a free account, and their pricing bane how reasonable their prices are. On the flip side, someone proficient in designing might feel that its customization does not provide enough options.

Pricing: At the lowest tier, if a customer is only looking for the most basic features, they would have to pay around $29, however, customers who need additional features will have to spend more.

Ideal for: Several types of businesses or e-commerce stores can be built using Shopify, with the most common types being businesses that intend to sell a variety of physical goods those that intend to scale rapidly, or even someone looking for a fully built e-commerce platform.

2. Wix: Drag-and-Drop Design Freedom for Creative Businesses

Wix had become an instant favorite of mine as I managed to utilize its drag-and-drop feature with ease. The store required no advanced settings or themes, as I already had a clear view of how I wanted it, which Fit the store perfectly.

Strengths: I am not a web designer, but I have come to appreciate that Wix provides its users plenty of options to create the online store of their dreams. I also liked how intuitive it is and how many built-in marketing tools it comes with, not to mention its free version for users who are not starting out.

Weaknesses: There is a lack of apps on their platform, their SEO optimization features do not seem as promising and contain the free plan in general.

Pricing: The free plan is available with limited access as I mentioned before, and in order to enable basic features for an online store, you will have to spend around 13 dollars.

Ideal for: Sweet-looking business online stores, brand enthusiasts with an artistic flair, and people that prefer drag and drop interface.

3. BigCommerce: Scalable Powerhouse for Enterprise-Level Businesses

BigCommerce is one of those e-commerce platforms that goes exceptionally well for businesses looking to expand constantly. It has great features and is built for major transitions, so it is great for small companies looking to turn into economies of scale.

Strengths: BigCommerce was designed for growth, therefore, will keep expanding with your company, it has many sophisticated features designed for large market players, has basic SEO tools on its dashboard, great product filtering, and navigation system, and developed analytics.

Weaknesses: Some consider it more complex to use than other solutions and some small companies may not want to pay the premium price.

Pricing: For $29.95 your company can start viewing the basic features and there are more paying plans that come with more options.

Ideal for: Companies with a wider range of products that need more robust features and intend to grow in the future.

4. Squarespace: Elegance and Ease for Service-Based Businesses and Creatives

Squarespace is known for its great templates and an easily usable interface. It is already a good pick for companies that offer services and creative professionals who are seeking to have an elegant website design.

Strengths: Serves the best industry with pre-built billing/staff scheduling/other such templates. It is user-friendly and marketing tools are effective.

Weaknesses: It lacks competitive features like e-commerce and gives fewer options for customization as compared to its counterparts which in turn is a factor limiting it to a specific market niche.

Pricing: The prices begin at $16 for essential stores and the highest allow advanced features for better e-commerce capabilities.

Ideal for: Suitable are basic e-commerce stores, photographers, design illustrators, or other creative individuals who are showcasing their work or have service-based businesses.

5. GoDaddy: A Budget-Friendly Option for Local Businesses

If a local business is new in the field of ecommerce it can avail of GoDaddy’s services making it a suitable target market. Though the platform lacks sophisticated features it provides a cheap alternative to ecommerce solutions.

Strengths: Very competitive pricing alongside ease of use integration with other GoDaddy products such as email or domain hosting also include built-in promotions.

Weaknesses: Its features are limited and there are not many design options too which might not suit businesses having a wide range of products.

Pricing: It charges $10.99 every month for at least basic e-commerce options.

Ideal for: Businesses that are small and are looking for easy and affordable options to make e-commerce, businesses that have a limited number of products, and those that already have a link to some other services of Go Daddy.

6. Weebly: Simplicity Reigns Supreme for Beginners

Weebly is a cutdown website builder that comes with an e-commerce plan. The website can be easily constructed since it has an easy drag-and-drop interface making it good for novices.

Strengths: Weebly is easy to use has a drag and drop, is inexpensive, and is compatible with all well-known gateways.

Weaknesses: It does not have many design options, lower number of tools than many other builders, and will likely not be suitable for a business that plans on rapid expansion.

Pricing: Its lowest plan begins at $12 per month but only provides the basics of an e-commerce setup.

Ideal for: Persons who have never done website building before, people having a small business with limited products, and people who want an easy and affordable way to set up their online store.

7. Volusion: Feature-Rich for Growing Businesses

Volusion is meant for growing businesses since it has strong features like CRM tools and active social media marketing drives.

Strengths: Volusion features many applications that are effective for emerging merchants. Among them are built-in CRM tools, social media marketing, as well as effective management of goods.

Weaknesses:  One of the drawbacks is that it can be more complex to use than some alternatives. Also, it could be pricey for smaller enterprises.

Pricing:  It is available from $35 a month for basic features and the more expensive packages allow more functionality and additional bandwidth as well.

Ideal for:  Manufacturers that are increasing their assortment, those who want to have CRM and other marketing programs, and those who are not afraid of using a more complicated platform.

8. Zyro: The AI-Powered Up-and-Comer

Zyro is a relative newcomer to the e-commerce website builder landscape that employs AI tools in an effort to simplify the process of building a site.

Strengths:  Zyro is equipped with tools making the creation of an AI-driven site which is very easy to operate, it’s also relatively cheap and offers good mobile optimization for the themes.

Weaknesses:  It has relatively fewer app integrations than more established brands and is a new platform therefore has less mature features.

Pricing:  It starts from $8.90 for basic features, and has other higher-priced plans with more advanced features and storage.

Ideal for:  Depending on AI Tools, computer-knowledgeable businesspeople, companies having narrow product lines, and any person wanting low-cost and easy-to-navigate sites.

FAQs

I have never worked on web pages and sites. What is the easiest platform to start with?

For complete novices, I recommend Wix, Weebly, and Zyro. They are quite intuitive, and when you want to make your online store, you simply drag and drop elements since no coding is required of you.

I have a tight budget. Are there any cheap e-commerce website builders that you could recommend?

Yes, there are budget-friendly options. To set up an Elefant cybor shop Get GoDaddy and Weebly or the new Zyro online store. Most economical plans are there with these providers but keep in mind, that these are the basics and more options would be there in costlier plans.

I want my online store to look beautiful and different from my competitors. Which builder allows the most flexibility and variety of designs?

If you don’t want ordinary shops and want every store to be a little different then Wix and Squarespace may be your options. Both these offer numerous templates and design alternatives to enable you to create a store in your desired style.

My business is expanding rapidly, should I consider a scalable platform?

For retailers that are growing in sales volume, BigCommerce and Volusion are appropriate choices. These are high-volume platforms with many products and lots of features to enable expansion for your business.

What strategies should I implement to get my online store in front of customers?

For one, ensure that your store is optimized well to rank in relevant search queries as well as the marketplace. Also, utilize social platforms and marketing channels to showcase your products and in turn get new buyers.

Conclusion

Identify the best e-commerce website builder for small businesses would depend on its features relative to your needs. Squarespace is a great option if you are selling services. But overall, Shopify should be the best recommendation for anyone building an e-commerce website. It is just unmatched in the range of selling features it offers.