How to create an ecommerce website for free?

Whether it’s a new dress or a car – everything is available online. It is estimated that around 24 million e-com sites across the globe. And about 7.87 billion people 27.2$ of the world’s population are shopping online. Taking your business online with an e-com site is the best thing to do now. 

Many agencies specialize in designing eCommerce websites but you can choose to build a free eCommerce website. These stores are functional, pleasing to the eye and give your customers an easy way to reach you. So, let’s take a look at how to create an eCommerce website for free.

Step 1: Name your domain

Choosing a domain name that reflects your brand for your website is very important. You may use the best eCommerce website builder but if you don’t have a unique name that’s easy to recall, your site may not get the traction you want. 

You must understand what kind of products you want to sell, who your target consumers are and what you want your store to be known as. The name you choose for your website should reflect these points.

Go for a name with a simple spelling so your customers can find it easily. To ensure that it’s unique, search for the name online. Also, avoid giving your website a name that is similar to an existing website to minimize the risk of confusion and comply with trademark regulations. 

Step 2: Find The Right eCommerce Builder

You don’t always need a web designer to work on front-end and back-end designs to launch an eCommerce website. An eCommerce builder is a software that lets anyone build an online store by themselves. You don’t need to know how to code and you can launch your website from your smartphone! 

That said, it is important to choose the best eCommerce website builder for your website. There are many website builders- some are free while others are expensive, some are reliable while others don’t offer the kind of support you want. So, weigh the pros and cons of each builder carefully. We’d recommend Platform as a Service (PaaS) options like Is Going Online, Wix and Weebly.

Step 3: Add Products

It is advisable to have a list of products and their prices ready before you start building your free eCommerce website. However, don’t use this as an excuse to procrastinate – you can add products in phases too. For each product, you need a name, appealing photos and price as well as a short description. This description should tell people what to expect from the product and make it appealing. You may also need to provide dimensions and weights. 

Lastly, you’ll need photographs of the product. Ideally, these should be styled and taken by a professional. You can use more than one photograph for a product. In fact, you should have at least 2 photos – a photograph of the product to highlight all its features and another photograph with the product in use. 

Step 4: Launch The Website

No matter how good your product is, you can’t expect people to visit the website just by chance. No, you need to talk about it and tell the world about it. Use your social media channels to launch and promote the website. If you have the budget, you can advertise.

To sum it up, setting up an eCommerce website doesn’t have to be an expensive affair and it needn’t take more than an hour. There’s an easy answer to ‘how to create an eCommerce website for free’ – get started with Is Going Online. Reach out to us for more information.