How to Make an Online Store With a Website Builder in 8 Simple Steps

 




If you have been thinking about how to start an online business, you have probably already mapped out your niche and the products you want to sell online. Now, it’s time to make your vision a reality.

Using the best website builders for online retail is an ideal choice for small online stores because they make the website development process:

  • User-friendly. Website builders are designed with simplicity in mind, enabling you to create and manage a profitable online store without any technical expertise. Setting up your store, adding products, and customizing designs becomes an intuitive process, thanks to intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces.
  • Cost-effective. Small businesses and startups often operate on tight budgets. Website builders are a cost-effective solution, providing a range of affordable plans that include web hosting, security measures, and essential eCommerce features without the need for significant upfront investment in web development.
  • Customizable. Flexibility in web design is crucial for building a brand. Website builders offer a variety of customizable templates and design tools to tailor your online store to match your brand’s aesthetics, ensuring your store stands out and resonates with your target audience.

Hostinger eCommerce Website Builder Business plan has easy-to-use eCommerce tools and an intuitive interface, making it suitable for beginners.

The builder doesn’t require technical or design skills, empowering anyone to create a professional-looking website quickly​​. The tool comes with a flexible drag-and-drop editor, designer-made templates, and free AI tools to streamline tasks like generating a unique logo and generating custom content for your site.

For eCommerce specifically, Hostinger Website Builder supports up to 500 products or services. You can choose from over 20 payment options supported worldwide and keep the profit to yourself – we don’t charge any transaction feeds. Built-in search engine optimization (SEO) tools help enhance your store’s visibility in search results​​.

You also get a free domain name with all Hostinger Website Builder plans. Choosing the right domain name is a vital step in establishing your online store.

The best domain names are memorable, relevant to your brand, and available across both domain registrars and social media platforms to maintain consistency in your branding​​.

Hostinger offers a domain name checker to help you find the perfect domain for your store, with various top-level domains (TLDs) available to make your site address stand out​​.

Domain Name Checker

Instantly check domain name availability.

2. Pick a Template for Your Online Store

Selecting the right template for your online store lays the foundation for your site’s aesthetic appeal and functionality.

It’s important to choose a template that not only looks good but also aligns with the type of products or services you offer. The right template can enhance the user experience, making your site easy to navigate and enticing customers to explore and purchase.

For example, stores selling luxury products may want to opt for a more minimalist design, whereas a children’s clothing store may look for a template with bright colors and fun fonts.

Hostinger Website Builder offers a wide range of designer-made templates tailored for various business niches. When choosing a template, consider the following:

  • Relevance to your niche. Select a template designed for your specific industry or one that can be easily adapted to fit. For instance, if you’re selling handmade crafts, a template with large image galleries might help showcase your products more effectively.
  • User experience (UX). A good template should offer a seamless browsing experience with intuitive navigation and built-in mobile responsiveness. All of our online store templates are optimized for a smooth user experience across different devices​​.
  • eCommerce features. Ensure the template supports eCommerce functionality, including product pages, shopping carts, and payment gateways. Hostinger’s eCommerce templates are equipped with built-in features to help manage your products, bookings, and discounts efficiently​​.

After you have purchased a website builder plan, access all of the online store templates:

Choose the eCommerce category if you want to browse ready-made templates for online stores. Hover over a template to preview it, or select it to start building your own website using it.

You can preview each template in both desktop and mobile views, making it easy to see how the design looks on smaller screens. The toggle is located in the top right corner. When you find a template you like, click on Start building – this redirects you to the website editor.

You can also use a blank template to create a unique design. For inspiration, read our guide on how to make a website from scratch.

3. Customize Your Store’s Design

Customizing an online store with a website builder is intuitive and fast, as you simply need to drag and drop page elements into their desired positions on the page.

A cohesive design that reflects your brand can significantly enhance the customer experience. To customize your store’s design with Hostinger Website Builder, follow these steps:

Layout

  1. In the website editor, open the Add elements menu.
  1. Select an element you want to add and simply drag it to the desired spot on the page.
  2. Click on any element on the page to open the element settings.
  3. Add or remove sections according to your needs by hovering between two existing sections and clicking on the Add section button.

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