Looking for the right tools that cater to your small business needs? Web.com’s affordable online store solution is designed for start-ups and small businesses, plus advanced eCommerce features for established businesses to expand.
Quickly create an online store using a powerful DIY eCommerce website builder. With our intuitive drag and drop feature and ready-made templates, you can easily change your fonts, colors, and layout and add your logo. Whether you’ve just started an online business or plan to adopt a multichannel approach, you can start selling anytime, anywhere.
This article will list the benefits of having an online store for your small business and explain how Web.com’s eCommerce website builder can help you towards success.
10 solid reasons to create an eCommerce website for your small business
As of 2024, there are 2.71 billion people shopping online. So, it goes without saying that a brick-and-mortar store is no longer enough. Businesses need their own eCommerce shop or risk falling behind competitors who have already gone online. Here are some ways your business can benefit from an online store:
1. Wider audience reach
Creating an eCommerce website allows your small business to transcend geographical limitations. Unlike a physical store, an online store can attract customers from across the country and even around the world. This expanded reach opens up new market opportunities and potential customer bases that you wouldn’t be able to access through a traditional storefront.
2. 24/7 availability
While physical stores have set operating hours, an eCommerce store is accessible at any time of day or night. Your online shop continues to generate new sales and engagement even while you sleep. Customers don’t need to drive to a store to pick up their orders; by adding fulfillment features, you can offer delivery options straight to their door.
This constant accessibility caters to customers in various time zones and schedules, potentially increasing sales and enhancing their overall shopping experience.
3. Increased sales opportunities
Online shopping allows businesses to present personalized recommendations, making it easy to cross-sell and up-sell related products that customers may genuinely need or find helpful. These strategies improve the shopping experience while boosting revenue. Additionally, targeted promotions and discounts can attract customers looking for deals. In fact, recent statistics show that sales and discounts cause 88% of impulse purchases.
4. Cost-effectiveness
Running an eCommerce site can be more economical than maintaining a physical store. With lower overhead costs, such as rent, utilities, and staffing, you can allocate more resources to other areas of your business. The reduced financial burden of operating online allows you to invest in marketing, product development, and customer service, further enhancing your business’s growth and success.
5. Customer convenience
Online shopping gives customers the freedom to shop whenever and wherever they want, whether it’s from their couch or on the go. No need to deal with traffic, long lines, or store hours—it’s all on their terms. This convenience makes their shopping experience smoother while also encouraging them coming back for more. By offering flexibility and eliminating the hassle of physical shopping, businesses can build stronger relationships with customers who appreciate the ease and comfort of online purchasing.
6. Data-driven insights
ECommerce platforms provide valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. By analyzing data such as:
- Browsing habits
- Purchase history
- Demographics
You can make informed decisions about your marketing strategies and product offerings. This data-driven approach allows you to tailor your business operations to better meet customer needs and preferences, ultimately enhancing your effectiveness and competitiveness.
7. Competitive advantage
Having an eCommerce presence gives your business a real edge over competitors still relying on traditional retail methods. With an online store, you can reach a much larger audience and highlight what makes your brand unique. It’s an opportunity to stand out in a crowded market and appeal to customers looking for convenience and modern shopping experiences. In a world where consumers increasingly prioritize flexibility, offering an online option can be the difference between blending in and standing out.
8. Scalability
eCommerce websites offer remarkable scalability, making it easier to grow your business. As your customer base and sales volume increase, you can expand your online store’s capabilities without the constraints of physical space. This scalability allows you to introduce new products, enhance your website’s features, and accommodate a growing number of customers without the need for significant infrastructure changes.
9. Marketing opportunities
Digital marketing tools are a major advantage of having an eCommerce site. To attract new customers and drive repeat business, you can utilize:
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Social media advertising
Customers often turn to search engines like Google before making a purchase, and a well-optimized eCommerce site can boost your chances of being found by these prospective clients. It’s important to follow best SEO practices to enhance your visibility online.
10. Brand credibility
Running your own eCommerce site instantly boosts your brand’s credibility. Showcasing customer reviews and testimonials builds trust with new buyers, reassuring them about your products and service.
Adding an SSL certificate and displaying payment processor logos also signals that your site is secure, offering peace of mind to customers as they make transactions. These visual cues and trust signals help create a positive, reliable perception of your brand, making customers feel safe and confident when shopping with you.
Web.com: The best eCommerce platform for your growing business
We’re excited to announce our eCommerce Essentials was named a 2023 winner for the BIG Innovation Award. The BIG Innovation Awards recognize those organizations and people who bring new ideas to life. Whether that idea is big or small, these ideas change the way we experience the world.
Web.com’s eCommerce platform is perfect for novices and growing businesses—and for everyone who needs a way to sell their products online. If you’re just starting out, an eCommerce website builder makes setting up your store easy, even if you’re not tech-savvy. It handles the tricky parts, so you can focus on what matters most—your products and customers.
All our website builders integrate the following components:
- Free domain
- Free hosting services
- Free SSL
- Free domain privacy
- Free professional email
- Free 1-hour pro design support
These features are the basics of a website. Web.com’s website builders offer a one-stop shop for all your website creation needs.
Key features to look out for in Web.com’s latest eCommerce platform
The best ecommerce platforms have specific features that cater to your business’s needs. With Web.com’s eCommerce solution, you get everything you need to set up, manage, and grow your store, from customizable templates to advanced features like automated marketing and secure transactions, all in one place. Let’s explore what Web.com’s eCommerce website solution can offer and how it helps your online business.
AI tools
Web.com’s AI tool simplifies the website-building process by offering a range of features that automate key aspects of site creation. Its tools include:
- AI builder. Answer a few simple questions, and Web.com’s AI Builder will instantly generate a website with tailored design, fonts, and images based on your input.
- AI writer. Watch as Web.com’s AI Writer creates unique copy for your site, including product descriptions and blog posts, saving you time on content creation.
- AI domain generator. Describe your brand, and the AI will generate tailored domain name ideas, helping you find the perfect fit instantly.
- AI logo builder. Design a professional-looking logo in seconds, with AI generating multiple styles to suit your brand identity.
Industry-specific eCommerce templates
Web.com makes it easy for you to build a professional online store with its free themes and industry-specific eCommerce templates. These templates are designed to match the needs of various industries, from fashion boutiques to restaurants, to tech stores. Each one is fully customizable, so you can change colors, fonts, and layouts to reflect your brand perfectly. Plus, they’re mobile-friendly, meaning your store looks great on any device.
With these templates, you can quickly create a polished, functional online store that fits your business, no coding required.
Integrated marketing tools
Web.com’s integrated marketing tools are designed to help you promote your eCommerce site and reach more customers without needing additional software. These tools allow you to optimize your marketing efforts directly from your website dashboard, making it easy to manage and grow your business.
Key features.
- SEO optimization. Built-in SEO tools to improve search engine visibility.
- Social media integration. Promote products across multiple platforms.
- Email marketing. Create and send personalized campaigns to engage with customers.
- Analytics. Track marketing performance and customer engagement in real-time.
Sell subscriptions
Sell your goods or bundles easily with our product subscriptions feature. You can offer products that customers can subscribe to for automatic refills. This makes it easy for shoppers to keep receiving their favorite items without having to reorder, while you benefit from consistent, ongoing revenue.
It’s a great way to create long-term customer relationships and generate recurring income—all without having to do any extra work after the initial setup. It’s a win-win: more convenience for your customers and steady sales for your business!
Appointment scheduling
Get a simple, easy way to manage appointments and services for your eCommerce store with our appointment scheduling tool, MySchedulr. Customers can book appointments, group events, classes, workshops, and more. You can do this with anything, from one-time services to recurring events.
Finally, you can set up automated appointment reminders with Web.com and we’ll handle the rest. No more manually reminding customers—our SMS text reminders will help reduce no-shows for you.
Secure payment processing
Web.com ensures your online store is equipped with secure payment processing to protect your customers and their transactions. With multiple payment gateways available, including credit cards, digital wallets, and other popular payment methods, your store can cater to a wide variety of customers. The platform also integrates with trusted payment processors to ensure that all transactions are encrypted and safe, giving your customers peace of mind while making their purchases. This level of security helps build trust and encourages repeat business.
Easy shipping
Print pick lists, packing slips, and shipping labels for new orders without leaving the Web.com platform. Connect to shipping carriers to get the real-time rates and to print labels: USPS via Stamps.com, Endicia, and Pitney Bowes, DHL Express, DHL Ecommerce, UPS, FedEx, Canada Post, Seller Fulfilled Prime.
As a bonus, you can assign savvy flat rate options or per-product settings.
Multi-channel selling
Take your eCommerce business to the next level and sell on Etsy, Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Bonanza, and Google. According to Statista, Amazon tops the most visited online retail website in 2024, with eBay coming in behind. Included in the top 10 are Walmart and Etsy—so you’re sure to get the most exposure with these available marketplaces on Web.com’s eCommerce platform.
You can also leverage social selling as well. Connect your business to Facebook and Instagram to maximize your brand exposure.
Multiple inventory locations, complex fulfillment, and dropshipping features
Web.com’s eCommerce platform simplifies inventory management for businesses with products in multiple locations. It allows you to easily connect to warehouses, dropship suppliers, and fulfillment centers for seamless order processing. With integrated warehouse feeds, you can automate inventory updates and order fulfillment. You can also link your FBA account to route orders from other platforms, like eBay or your online store, to Amazon’s warehouse for picking, packing, and shipping directly to your customers.
Convenient product listings update
You can sell anything you want with Web.com. Offer various types of services like yoga sessions or cleaning services; add variants to support product options like sizing or colors; digital products like eBooks, or other downloadable media; and bundled items.
Quickly list your product everywhere you’d like to sell with global product information, customizable listing details for each marketplace, and more. You can set global listing details that pre-load when listing to new marketplaces. You may also customize product details for each integrated channel.
With our premium features, you can create new products and update existing product information in bulk with our ready-made templates or create your own advanced inventory template by importing (and exporting) CSV files.
Creating a template allows you to upload and/or export files containing data for thousands of products at once. While you can use a pre-built template, you can also create a custom template that matches your file, or even a supplier’s file. Simply select an attribute and map it to the corresponding column on your file to tell us where to put the data when the file is uploaded.
You can even automate the upload/export process while setting up the template. Simply click the Automation Settings (via FTP/SFTP/HTTPS) button and fill out the required fields to set. This is great for sellers who either need to export their inventory details for various reasons or want to automate an inventory feed to update their product listings, let’s say from a supplier or warehouse automatically.
24/7 professional help
Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed managing your online store, or you simply want a professional to take a look at your eCommerce website, you can call, chat, or email our support team with any questions or concerns. Here’s what’s always available for you:
- 1-hour Professional design support
- 24/7 chat support
- Phone and email support
Hire professional website developers with Web.com’s Pro Services
No time to build your own eCommerce website? Web.com’s Pro Services offer expert website development to create or upgrade your business’s online presence. Whether you need a custom design or a full revamp of your existing website, our team provides personalized, hands-on support to deliver a polished, professional site.
Web builders can be cost-effective and user-friendly, but your growing business may need specific customization and functionality that site builders lack. With Pro Services, you get:
- Custom solutions. Website builders often limit customization options, while Pro Services offer unique designs tailored to your business needs.
- Time-saving. If you don’t have time to build and maintain a site yourself, Pro Services handle everything for you.
- Complex features. Pro Services can implement advanced functionalities that standard website builders might not support, such as specialized eCommerce integrations, custom forms, or multi-language support.
- SEO and marketing. Professionals can ensure your site is optimized for search engines and geared for conversions, something that can be difficult to achieve with standard DIY tools.
Launch a successful eCommerce website today
Web.com’s eCommerce solution is perfect for beginners and growing businesses—and for anyone who needs a seamless solution to start selling online. Our affordable eCommerce platform allows business owners to build a branded eCommerce store without any coding skills and to sell on popular marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and more.
Unlike other site builders, Web.com offers one place to manage all day-to-day tasks of running an online business with our advanced eCommerce software.
Create a successful online store with us and start selling today!
