Choosing a Website Builder for Your Online Store
Not all website builders are created equal when it comes to selling online. A great blog builder isn't necessarily a great store builder. Before committing to a platform, it's worth understanding what e-commerce features actually matter — and which platforms deliver on them.
What to Look for in an E-Commerce Website Builder
When evaluating builders for an online store, these are the features that will most impact your day-to-day operations and your customers' experience:
- Product management: Can you easily add, edit, and organize large numbers of products with variants (size, color, etc.)?
- Payment options: Does the platform support multiple payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, etc.)?
- Transaction fees: Some builders charge a percentage of every sale. These fees add up fast.
- Inventory management: Can the platform track stock levels and alert you when items run low?
- Shipping tools: Are there built-in shipping rate calculators, label printing, or carrier integrations?
- Mobile shopping experience: Is the checkout process smooth on mobile devices?
- Abandoned cart recovery: Can the platform automatically email customers who leave without buying?
Top Platforms for E-Commerce
Shopify
Shopify is purpose-built for e-commerce and is the most feature-complete option for online stores of any size. It handles everything from a simple single-product store to a large catalog with thousands of SKUs. The app store is vast, and it integrates with virtually every major shipping carrier and payment processor.
- Best for: Serious online retailers who want the most powerful store functionality.
- Consider: Transaction fees apply if you don't use Shopify Payments, and the platform is store-first — it's not ideal if you need a rich content/blog site alongside your store.
Wix E-Commerce
Wix has significantly improved its e-commerce capabilities. It's a solid choice if you want a balance of a great-looking website and store functionality without the steep learning curve. Ideal for smaller stores with straightforward product catalogs.
- Best for: Small businesses and creators selling a limited range of products who already use Wix for their site.
- Consider: Not as powerful as Shopify for high-volume or complex stores.
Squarespace Commerce
Squarespace's commerce plans are a strong pick for brands where aesthetic presentation is critical — think handmade goods, fashion, art, or lifestyle products. The product pages look beautiful out of the box, and the checkout experience is clean.
- Best for: Visual brands and creators selling premium or artisan products.
- Consider: Fewer third-party integrations than Shopify; better suited to simpler store setups.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a strong alternative to Shopify, particularly for stores that need enterprise-level features at a mid-market price. Notably, it charges no transaction fees on any plan.
- Best for: Growing stores that want advanced features without per-sale fees.
- Consider: Slightly steeper learning curve than Wix or Squarespace.
Key Questions to Ask Before You Choose
- How many products do I plan to sell now, and in two years?
- Do I need to sell in multiple currencies or to international customers?
- Is my business content-heavy (blog, tutorials) or primarily a store?
- What's my monthly sales volume, and do transaction fees make sense at that level?
- Do I need specific integrations (accounting software, email marketing, POS systems)?
Bottom Line
For pure e-commerce power, Shopify leads the pack. For smaller stores where visual design and simplicity matter, Wix or Squarespace are excellent. The most important thing is to match the platform to your actual needs — not just pick the most popular name.