How to open a free e-commerce
If you are not planning to invest money in opening an ecommerce and you are satisfied with basic solutions, take a look at the platforms mentioned below: they allow you to open a free e-commerce and quite simply.
Shopify
If you want to set up a professional e-commerce but you do not have advanced knowledge in programming and Web design, you can rely on Shopify: this is a service used by over 1.000.000 stores around the world that allows you to create e-commerce sites with unlimited products in a few clicks, both from computers and smartphones and tablets (via the appropriate app for Android and iOS / iPadOS).
It offers unlimited secure hosting, free unlimited bandwidth, a free shopify.com domain name (which can be replaced by purchasing a custom one or using an existing one) and everything you need to manage products, customers, orders, payments, shipping, inventory, marketing campaigns (with the ability to create them via Google, Facebook, email or SMS) and more. It offers many ready-to-use themes but also allows you to customize the page design with ease.
You can use Shopify for free for a limited trial period (without entering any payment details or renewal obligation), after which, to continue, you can choose between various plans, starting at $ 29 / month.
If you also want to open an e-commerce on Shopify, connected to the official website of the service, type yours email address in the appropriate text field, click on the button Start your free trial and fill out the new form that is proposed to you by entering Password e name to use for the shop.
Fatto ciò, first prize Create your shop, indicates if you have already started selling, what your current income is e if you are creating a store for a customer, enter the rest of the requested information, go NEXT and fill out the additional form that is proposed to you with theaddress to receive payments.
After this step too, you will access the Shopify management panel with, on the left, the menu to access all the functions of the service: Home to display the main menu; Order Process to manage orders; Products to manage products and add new ones; Clients to manage the customer list; Analysis to view sales data, Marketing, to set up marketing campaigns, discounts to set up discount codes, App to expand the functions of e-commerce via the app e Online shop to customize the appearance of the pages.
It's all very intuitive, in any case you can learn more about how the service works by reading my tutorial on how to create an e-commerce with Shopify.
One Minute Site
A free platform that I recommend you try to build your ecommerce site is One Minute Site, thanks to which it is possible to sell products on a site with a third level domain .oneminutesite.com. Please note that, when you register for the service, the Business trial of the service is automatically activated (this happens within 72 hours of opening the account), which offers the possibility to try advanced functions, such as that relating to sales. unlimited of its products. Clearly, at the end of the trial you can decide whether to continue using the Business account or not.
To create your ecommerce with One Minute Site, connected to the main page of the service, click on the orange button E-commerce, then on the button Choose One Minute Site, scroll the page that is proposed to you, click on the button Create it for free and select one of the available templates by clicking on the button choose this that appears when you move the mouse over the model of your interest.
On the page that opens, choose the name of your shop, provide theemail address with which to register and the Password. Then put the check mark on the box I'm not a robot, accept the conditions of the service and click on the button Create your online store located at the bottom right. Alternatively, I remind you that, if you want, you can click on the buttons Registrati with Facebook o Sign up with Google to register with your Facebook account or your Google account.
Once registered, click on the box DIY creation o Guided creation, based on your skills in creating websites (I recommend that you opt for the option Guided creation, especially if this is your first time using this platform), click on the button Select and continue located at the bottom right and then follow the instructions displayed on the screen to create the site and publish it (just provide the various information you are asked for and click on the button Save and move on).
On the page that opens, then, click on the button Edit your website right away, accept the service contract by clicking on the button I accept the contract e OK! I got it and recati nella sezione Our products / services which should be placed at the bottom of your ecommerce home page.
At this point, select the voice Modification from the menu that appears and, in the box that opens, provide the description of the product you want to sell, its cost, images (using the function Upload image present nella sezione Image) and, to conclude, first click on the button Save the changes and then on the button Public at the top right.
FreeWebStore
FreeWebStore is another platform that I recommend you to try if you want to create an online store, as it is designed specifically for building ecommerce, it is very easy to use and it is 100% free. Its only flaw concerns its interface which is not translated into cittàn.
To use it, connected on the main page of FreeWebStore, click on the button Get Started, find the template you prefer and click on the button Select Design that appears on hover. Then register on the platform by filling out the form by writing your name in the text field Your Name, your email address in the text field Your Email Address and the password in the text field Create Password. Then put the check mark on the item I'm not a robot and click on the button Create Account.
Once you have registered, remember to confirm your account by clicking on the link that was sent to you by email to the address you provided earlier. Once you have logged into your account, answer the questions asked by the FreeWebStore assistant by providing your name, indicating your geographical area and whether the products you sell should receive age limits and then click on the button Get started.
Once in the FreeWebStore editor, you can customize your ecommerce using the integrated functions. To add new products, for example, you have to click on the button Manage located on the left, select items Product > Add a product and click on the button Add product. In the window that opens, then complete the description of the product by providing all the data concerning the same and click on the button Add to add it to your shop.
How to open an ecommerce site
Do you want to open an ecommerce site and are you willing to invest time and money to start your online sales business? In this case, you can do it by creating a site based on CSM or by using ad hoc services.
Aruba Managed WooCommerce Hosting
If you want to build a professional e-commerce with simplicity, one of the first solutions I recommend you rely on is theAruba Managed WooCommerce Hosting.
Thanks to Aruba's Managed WooCommerce Hosting, you can create an online store based on WordPress (the most famous CMS for websites and blogs in the world) by exploiting WooCommerce, an open source plugin that transforms the famous CMS into a flexible and advanced e-commerce platform, but at the same time very simple to use, suitable for all types of business.
The service also includes the registration and annual maintenance of a domain name, unlimited space on SSD, an 2GB database on SSD with support for 200 connections, the certificate SSL DV for secure connections in HTTPS, support for traffic up to 500.000 monthly visitors, monitoring and automatic backup,staging environment, unlimited 1GB mailboxes, 10 PEC boxes on domain and much more.
Prices start at 124,50 euros + VAT for the 1st year and then 249,00 euros + VAT / year. For more information, see my tutorial on Aruba Managed WooCommerce Hosting and the official website of the service.
Site based on CSM
If you are planning to open a large online store, you must necessarily buy a web domain (if you don't know how to do this, check out my tutorial about it) and one web space suitable to host a CMS, that is a software that allows you to manage your site in all respects.
I recommend, before buying an online space, make sure that it has all the necessary requirements to host the type of store you have in mind to create: make sure it has support for all the php extensions necessary to make the CMS you choose to use work. , which has sufficient storage to host the contents of your store (even in the immediate future) and which allows for a monthly traffic that is congruent with the catchment area you expect to have.
And now we come to the most important point: which ecommerce CMS to choose? Fortunately, the choice is very wide and, even in this case, there is no single answer to the question. It all depends on your needs, your budget and your degree of technical knowledge.
If you are not able to manage a Content Management System yourself, or in any case you do not have the technical knowledge advanced enough to perform all the operations necessary to open an ecommerce, remember that you can rely on companies and professionals in the sector who can help you start up your business. But now let's go back to the main theme of this chapter and let's see together some of the best CMS for the creation of online stores.
- WordPress - is a well-known free and open source CMS born mainly for the creation of blogs which, however, thanks to the availability of numerous plugins and themes, can be transformed quite easily into an ecommerce platform. Among the most complete plugins for creating online stores via WordPress are WooCommerce, WP eCommerce and JigoShop which are basic free and also offer additional paid functions. Their installation is very simple, as is the management of objects. However, it should be emphasized a poor configurability compared to other CMS that we will see shortly. In summary, we can say that WordPress is a good platform for ecommerce, it is very simple to use compared to other systems, but it is not suitable for the construction of very large or elaborate stores as it does not offer advanced configuration parameters like other CMS born specifically for use in online sales. To get a first idea on how to make a site with WordPress, check out my tutorial on the subject.
- Magento - is one of the most complete and powerful solutions for creating ecommerce. It is open source and extremely customizable thanks to the numerous plugins and themes available (both free and paid). It can also be used to manage multiple online stores from the same administration panel. This enormous completeness compared to other systems, such as the aforementioned WordPress, can however leave novice users a bit confused. It should also be emphasized that in order to function correctly it requires servers with quite high minimum requirements. It is available in two versions: the one called Community Edition which is free and the one called Enterprise Edition which, on the other hand, is paid and also includes technical support. In summary, we can say that Magento is a perfect solution for larger stores. More info here.
- Prestashop - it is a French ecommerce platform released under an open source license. It is leaner than Magento, requires less power (and therefore less costs) in terms of servers but also allows you to manage a smaller number of articles. It is quite simple to manage, in fact its administration panel divides the content management very clearly from the other settings. While not as popular as other solutions mentioned above, it has a very active community that can help solve any problems related to its use. More info here.
- Drupal - a very valid alternative to Magento, suitable for large stores. It is a free and open source platform that offers a lot of freedom of action and can be customized in a very deep way. It requires advanced technical knowledge to be used. More info here.
- Joomla - another CMS that allows you to create websites and online shops. It is generally easier to use than Magento or Drupal and also has lower running costs. It is perfect for sites where there is a need to manage a large number of users and includes simplified file sharing functions. Virtuemart is one of the most popular ecommerce plugins for this platform. More info here.
As regards the taxation of the earnings generated by the sale of products online and other bureaucratic issues, I invite you to read the exhaustive article on the subject published by the PMI website.
Services to open an ecommerce site
If, on the other hand, you wish to rely on gods services that allow you to open an ecommerce site and are you willing to invest some economic resources to do this, I suggest you evaluate and solutions mentioned below.
- Flowering - is a service that allows you to open an online store and sell products in a professional way, with the ability to customize the graphics of your store. In the past it allowed you to sell directly on Facebook, but at the time of writing it no longer offers this feature. The cost of the service starts from 9,00 euro / month, but you can take advantage of the free trial of 15 days before subscribing. More info here.
- Etsy - it is a platform that allows you to open an online store where you can sell handmade items or vintage items that are at least twenty years old. The opening of the shop on this platform is free, but you have to pay an insertion fee of $ 0,20 and, in the case of a sale, a commission equal to 5% of the value of the product (shipping costs excluded). More info here.
How to open an ecommerce on Facebook
If you want sell on Facebook and you are of legal age, you can use the function Marketplace of the social network, which allows you to publish sales announcements for various types of items and products: it is a sort of virtual space in which anyone can buy and sell cars, motorcycles, books, technological devices and any other object.
I Facebook groups are another valid solution to consider to publish sales announcements on the social network. There are hundreds and hundreds of groups dedicated to the purchase and sale of products between users who live in the same geographical area and not.
The possibility of opening one should not be underestimated Facebook page . to which to connect a showcase of products, thus offering the possibility of concluding the sale privately. To create a showcase of products on your Facebook page, access the home page of the social network, click on the button Settings located at the top, in correspondence of your page, and click on the item Models and tab which is located on the left.
In the new screen that opens, click the button Add a tab at the bottom, then click on the button Add tab at the item Showcase. Then click on the tab Showcase pop-up in the left sidebar, on your Facebook page, click the button Add a product and, after completing the form dedicated to the product to be included in the showcase in its entirety, click on the button Save.
If you want to learn more about the solutions I just mentioned, I suggest you take a look at the guide on how to sell on Facebook, because it will surely be useful for you.
How to open an ecommerce on Amazon
want open an ecommerce on Amazon? To do this, you must already have an account on the service (if you don't have one, read the guide where I explain how to create it). Once you have obtained the account, you must decide the type of account to use to sell your products online, among those available.
THEaccount Base, allows you to sell less than 40 products per month and has a commission for each item sold equal to 0,99 euros. Alternatively there is theaccount Pro which is suitable for sellers who make more than 40 monthly sales. The latter requires the subscription of a monthly subscription of 39 euros / month. In both cases, additional management fees are also provided, depending on the type of product sold. More info here.
After registering on Amazon (in case you have not already done so), linked to this page, click on the button Register now and, after indicating the information regarding the paese where your company operates and the typology of the same, click on the button I accept and continue. Then fill in all the data requested in the sections Business information, Seller information, Payment information, More information e Store name and clicks on the button Save and Continue whenever you need to do it.
After creating a seller account on Amazon, select the plan that best suits your needs (Base o For), if you haven't already, and start selling your products. If you want to learn more about how Amazon works with regards to selling, I suggest you consult the guide in which I explain in detail how to sell on Amazon.
Create a successful ecommerce
Let's conclude this guide with a few tips on how to create a successful ecommerce. I am sure that, by trying to follow the "tips" that you find below, you will be able to improve in your online sales business.
- Invite users to purchase products - try to use some techniques to invite the user to buy your products, perhaps by inserting buttons such as Buy now! or banner like Expires in xx hours o [N] remaining products or again, FREE shipping for orders over [N] euros. I also recommend that you make sure that these call-to-action buttons are always clearly visible.
- Leverage email marketing - using services such as MailChimp e CleverReach, you can launch advertising campaigns via email, monitor subscribers to your newsletter, check how many of them click on the links sent and so on. A great way to test the level of satisfaction of your products and, at the same time, advertise your shop.
- Advertise your shop on social networks - since platforms such as Facebook e Instagram are used by billions of people every day, why not try to use them to advertise your products and give your business more visibility? If you're not successful on these platforms right now, check out my guide on how to become famous on social media to try and change things for the better.
Article created in collaboration with Aruba.
How to open an ecommerce
