Online shopping…Almost everyone is shopping online now in some form or another. Maybe you even know someone who talks about their online store and always has extra income to take vacations, splurge on spa treatments, or pay off their mortgage earlier than planned. Perhaps they have even quit their full-time job to focus solely on their online business.
You might think that it is too difficult to set up your own store. Too time-consuming. Too expensive. You couldn’t be further from the truth – even if you are not a tech guru!
What is an E-Commerce Store?
E-Commerce stands for electronic commerce and refers to the buying and selling of goods and services over an electronic network, usually the internet. E-Commerce transactions can be business-to-business, business-to-consumer, consumer-to-business, or consumer-to-consumer.
All that really means is that instead of having a physical store that people walk into, they browse through your product offerings (goods or services) online. Oftentimes, you can be ready to sell your products on the same day you set up the store. It’s that easy!
There are basically 2 methods to establish your online store:
- Build your own website. You need to purchase a domain name and hosting package, design your website, Post products and set up a shopping cart system. It is not technically difficult, but it is more time-consuming than option 2.
- Go to one of the sites below and sign up to be a seller. From there, you can choose a template, name your store, choose the products you want to sell, and start selling that day.
Popular sites that will host and help you run your E-Commerce Store are listed below.
Full disclosure: I may earn an affiliate income – at no cost to you – if you click on some of the links below.
Shopify– Your brand, your way. No design skills needed. Establish your brand online with a custom domain name and online store. With instant access to hundreds of the best-looking themes and complete control over the look and feel, you finally have a gorgeous store of your own that reflects the personality of your business.
eBay – If you have a business, or just want to run your eBay life like one, we’ve got powerful tools to help you manage your inventory and orders, track your sales and build your brand.
Amazon* – Start selling now and reach hundreds of millions of Amazon customers. Sell products in the US, Canada, or both. Control what you sell and where, and manage your business from a single Amazon seller account.
Etsy – Etsy is a marketplace where people around the world connect to buy and sell handmade and vintage goods. Etsy offers a meaningful and personal shopping experience to consumers and gives independent, creative businesses around the world the tools to be successful. Our mission is to reimagine commerce in ways that build a more fulfilling and lasting world.
BigCommerce*- Build your online store with BigCommerce. Customize your site, manage shipping and payments, and list your products on Amazon, eBay, and Facebook with the #1 e-commerce platform.
Volusion – Volusion’s all-in-one platform makes it easy to get your store set up in minutes — and selling for years to come. Our sleek dashboard makes it easy to run your store, whether it’s accepting credit card payments, stocking items or updating your site design.
Wix * – Create your own beautiful website. Your stunning website is just a few clicks away. It’s easy and free with Wix. Choose from a huge selection of designer-made templates. Change, customize or add anything to your site. Create a professional online presence with your own domain.
Weebly*– Provide shoppers with the convenience of a fully integrated shopping cart and a secure checkout experience directly from your eCommerce website. Weebly’s shopping cart software is set-up automatically when you create your online store so you can start selling online immediately, no technical skills needed.
Woo Commerce*- Built for WordPress. WooCommerce integrates seamlessly with WordPress, making it the obvious eCommerce choice for existing WordPress users. With hundreds of free and paid WooCommerce extensions, spanning all your logistical & technical requirements, you can rest assured there’s an extension for your specific needs.
Yahoo Small Business – Merchant Solutions is the most customizable and flexible ecommerce platform in the market. Try one of our plans and see how we can make your store the best it can be. Every plan includes online store design, product/inventory management, shopping cart and checkout, payment processing, order management, and merchandising and promotions.
3dCart* – Build your online store with 3dcart, the best eCommerce software for SEO. Try it 100% free, with our 15-day, no-risk trial, and start selling online today. Access over 200 built-in features. Choose from 50 free themes. Get an SEO-ready online store. Choose from 100+ supported payments.
