With most people opting to make their purchases online, getting into the ecommerce business sounds like a viable option for aspiring entrepreneurs. There is definitely a market for online stores in the new normal that we’re living in and, if you’re enterprising enough, success is almost guaranteed. All you need is a great idea for a product and the best ecommerce sites to help you set up your online store.
Regardless of the budget, you can find a solid free ecommerce website that is not only feature-rich but also at par with the best paid platforms in the industry.
As an internet company with humble beginnings, Strikingly takes pride in helping startups and aspiring business owners by providing free website building solutions to get them started. Being the first Chinese entrepreneurial team admitted by Y Combinator, we understand how important it is for upcoming movers and shakers to get as much support as possible to help them thrive in this competitive marketplace.
While we are confident that we can provide a solid start for aspiring online retailers, we are also cognizant of the fact that our platform serves a specific need. We are all about making informed choices especially when it comes to your choice of ecommerce website design and platform. To that end, here is a simple criteria you should look for when assessing your options.
1. Ecommerce website templates
With most free ecommerce website builders offering pretty much the same basic service - allowing individuals to start selling online at no cost - we need to look beyond this feature when choosing the right platform for our needs. An online storefront will benefit from modern and attractive ecommerce website templates. You want to go for a platform that offers a wide range of template design options and significant flexibility in customizing your website. On a free account, Strikingly lets you access its entire library of web templates to help you get off to a good start. If you feel that the design you picked is not working, you also have the option of switching to a different template at any point during the web development process or even after publishing your online store.
2. App integrations
The best ecommerce sites are packed with features that assist customers all throughout the buying journey. From discovering the product and how it can help make their lives easier to making the purchase and finally completing after-sales processes such as product support and updates, your ecommerce site builder should be able to support your online store’s functionality. Seamless app integrations allow you to develop a feature-rich online store without the need to write additional code to set up your payment gateway or custom order forms.
3. Additional fees
Some free ecommerce solutions allow you to set up your store without any initial cash outlay but doing business on that platform is a different story. Some platforms charge a transaction fee for every purchase made through your online store. This is on top of any normal service charge that you will pay for using a secure payment gateway. As such, always look at the bottom line and fine print before you sign up for any ecommerce website builder.
When you create ecommerce sites on Strikingly, you’re assured of minimal overhead operational costs because the platform will not charge extra for transactions completed on your website. It will not take a cut out of your profits so you can easily grow your business without the additional expense.
4. Scalability
As your business grows, you probably wouldn’t want to stay on a free account forever. The logical move is to scale up and add more products in your inventory. Go for a platform that will keep up with you as your online store grows. With Strikingly, you can start with a single-product online shop and, as you establish your brand online, upgrade into a paid service for additional bandwidth and the ability to provide a multi-category product line for your customers.
At Strikingly, we’re always working to improve how we can support your business through improving and adding new features that work to improve your user experience as you build your online store and beyond.
Start selling online in minutes with your own ecommerce website.
