When it comes to building your e-commerce websites, there is no dearth of free site builder software these days. However, it’s not that simple with free e-commerce management website frameworks.
Why? because the choices and features are quite limited in free e-commerce website builders. But, we should never forget the fact that these free e-commerce software are a blessing in disguise for those who are on a shoestring budget or just starting.
So, we thought of investigating the top 10 free website creation software. But, before helping you with free e-commerce builders, let’s first know why is it important to use drag and drop e-commerce website builder software?
Why Should You Use Drag And Drop E-Commerce Website Builder Software?
Well, there are multiple reasons to have an e-commerce platform in place, let’s know them one by one:
Simple and Easy for those starting: Earlier building your own online store was a headache because you had to build the full functionality yourself. Then came the shopping carts but the major problem of integrating them with websites remained unsolved. But, now we have versatile plugins and it’s a cakewalk to build an online store with flawless drag and drop e-commerce website builder software.
Super Cost-effective: Gone are the days when you had to spend a fortune to build an online shopping site. With a lot of free e-commerce software, you can simply forget about the cost of developing everything from scratch. Not, only this, you are thrown into a world of amazing features with premium versions of the respective software. Isn’t it amazing? Yes, it truly is.
One size fits all: One size fits all and e-commerce site builders are quite synonymous with each other. Why? Because you no longer need to deal with things like web hosting, technical updates, security features, and much more. You get all the things under one umbrella and this e-commerce software can be utilized by any industry across any domain.
Responsive Customer Support: Do we need to discuss the importance of customer support? You are no longer alone at any of the stages while putting together an online shopping website. The reason being all these e-commerce website-building solutions are mostly community-driven. The best example is WordPress. So, you can very easily reach out to the community to seek and extend support. E-commerce industry owners very willingly share their experiences and insights that really can help you solve your queries even in the middle of the night.
So, without wasting any time, let’s have a look at the 10 best free e-commerce management website frameworks:
10 Best Free E-commerce Management Website Frameworks:
WordPress
Talk of free site builder software and there’s no talk of WordPress. Impossible!!! Downloaded over 3 million times, WordPress is clearly a leader in the e-commerce domain. The coding is comparatively simple. If you know a bit of HTML and CSS, WordPress can do wonders for you. It’s a free option however you can spend a few bucks for additional support. The best thing about WordPress is that it has a large community so when you are stuck somewhere, you will always have people to help you. Easy to access, great performance, superb security, and user-friendliness are other features of WordPress that can’t be forgotten. Beginners and experts can equally start with WordPress and start reaping the benefits of having an online store.
Joomla
Whether you are an amateur or you hold expertise in the e-commerce industry, you can use Joomla to build an online store for your brand. A free-of-cost and comprehensively open-source CMS software, Joomla is a fitting choice for publishing regular web content. You can use this platform to build a powerful e-commerce platform that integrates well with multiple applications. Not only this, its model-view-controller web app structure enables you to build robust online apps as well. It embraces tens of hundreds of free templates and plugins that help you build a tailored e-commerce store that fulfills your diverse needs.
Magento
Think of free drag and drop website builder software, Magento is one of the first names that comes to our mind. With over 200,000 users using the Magento Community space, it is truly a celebrated choice amongst entrepreneurs. Although the free version is not as robust as the Magento premium edition, beginners can definitely benefit from its amazing features. Many popular brands like Hu2, Bonobos, Brewshop are using Magento.
Drupal
Created by the famous Commerce Guys, Drupal is another free open-source e-commerce solution available for you. Not only is it a comprehensive option, but it also extends multi-currency, multilingual, global features turning it into a go-to platform for the education industry. The best example is Open Sesame, which is an e-learning platform. Integration-friendly, Drupal is quite compatible with multiple third-party apps. And, for all those who don’t know, it’s the only e-commerce platform created on the Content Management System (which we often call a CMS system).
Wix
Want creative control over your online store?? The best is to go for Wix. This is one e-commerce website builder software that has built its functionality on top of its celebrated web-designing tools. This allows you to create an appealing, aesthetic online shopping website that is free of cost. And, the flexibility to choose from more than 500 templates is no less than icing on the cake. And, guess what, shortly when you plan to upgrade, all you need to do is spend a few bucks and you will be good to go.
Shopify
Want a world-class online store? Go for Shopify. A top-notch e-commerce platform, it comes with its revered range that includes a big app store, several sales features, and flexibility to sell across different channels. An all-rounder, it comes with a whopping 14-day free trial enough for you to fall in love with this platform with superb tools. And, a study revealed that Shopify brings the best value for money on the table. What else you can ask for if you sometimes think of scaling your website and buying the premium version.
Weblium
Want to turn e-commerce website building into a piece of cake? Then, Weblium is all you need to have. Coupled with AI design functionality, this one-of-its-kind platform adjusts your web design instantly. With more than 500 readymade templates and blocks, it truly is a boon for business owners looking to start small. The user interface can be applied in a single click without having to develop it. Moreover, the engine is robust which turns normal websites into fast-loading websites. An added advantage is 24*7 customer support.
Hugo
Another great site generator at your disposal is Hugo. It has got a wonderful speed and gives you numerous options to scale. Its amazingly flexible functions make website building a fun task. A super-strong provision of multiple themes allows for speedy implementation of not just simple websites but even complex ones. It’s a good choice for those who are not looking to spend money at the beginning.
WooCommerce
Having powered more than 37% of online stores, WooCommerce is one of the most popular e-commerce solutions until now. Fabricated to help users convert any WordPress website into an online store, this free web authoring software was concocted by famous WooThemes. Flawless content management is another added advantage that comes with it. It scales seamlessly which makes it a favorite amongst small, medium to larger entrepreneurs. While many of its features are free, the complex functionalities come at a premium price. However, for business owners who are starting, WooCommerce is a very reliable option. Go with it, you won’t regret it.
Publii
A comparatively new static Content Management System, Publii is absolutely safe, speedy, and fully aesthetic HTML platform. Publii is made keeping in mind everyone as it caters to the needs of a novice as well as expertise equally. A beautiful, user-friendly HTML content management system, Publii is a fitting choice for portfolios, blogs, and company sites. What all could you have asked for an e-commerce platform?? With free Publii software, you get to create, alter, and manage not just one but an indefinite number of websites from one single app. And, no need to remember those complex databases or credentials.
Having Said That, Let’s Know How to Pick the Top Website Creation Software for Free:
There are tons of choices available but how will you know you’re picking the right one for you. Given below are a few things you should consider while choosing the free best e-commerce website builder software.
Integrations-Before shortlisting on any of the e-commerce platforms, you must consider what combination of integrations and plugins you want in your online store. And, how can you do it? The best way to do that is by determining the business needs that will help you decide on plugins you need to have in your arsenal. Also, don’t forget to look at a variety of platforms that will guide you on what tools you’ll need and the ones you are already using.
SEO Compatibility-Some entrepreneurs think that e-commerce sites do not need SEO but this is totally wrong. As much as it has proven its importance in normal websites, e-commerce websites are also not exempted from the need of being SEO optimized. You obviously want your customers to find you on the first page of Google so always remember to consider the SEO compatibility of an e-commerce website builder. Things like the ability to add a blog, to utilize your own domain hosting, and the provision of customer reviews are all examples of SEO-optimized options.
Mobile Friendliness-If your website is not mobile-friendly, you are just wasting your valuable time. Please note that nearly 70% of the users access your online stores from mobiles and the majority of them make a purchase from mobile too. And, not to forget that most of the e-commerce stores now have their own dedicated mobile apps to boost their online sales.
Security-Come what may, you never want to compromise the security of your valuable customers. You would never want their credit card information to be leaked and misused. So, always remember the security and compliance aspect while selecting free website creation software. Always ensure to check that your platform supports HTTP/SSL certification. If not, it’s time to move to the next option.
Customer Service-As stated above, customer support is very crucial for businesses nowadays. And, for e-commerce, it’s altogether a different ballgame. Why? Because e-commerce stores witness server downtimes and software outages multiple times which often leave technical teams helpless. But, with 24*7 customer support by your side, you can always solve those problems in a blink of an eye. So, never miss this point while picking e-commerce website software.
Scalability-You never knows you have become the number one brand in your industry. So, what do you cherish the most then?? Scalability, of course!!! When your business grows in the future, you wouldn’t want to incur additional charges for things like added storage, important features. You simply don’t want to lose on more orders just because your e-commerce platform is not scalable enough. So, think about it before you pick any of the free choices at your disposal.
Pricing-Although this article embraces everything about the top free e-commerce website building frameworks, we shouldn’t forget that picking an option whose premium version has affordable pricing would make more sense. What would you do if you feel the need to upgrade to a premium version?? Then you will be stuck. So, it’s always wise to take this factor also into consideration while picking the free e-commerce website builder software.
Conclusion:
So, if you want to own an online shopping store, you have 2 choices with you. Either you can have a free plan that gives you access to free site builder software or you can go for a premium plan that opens you to the world of features and functionalities.
Whatever platform you choose, you should think of two things: first is your business budget and second is your business requirements. So, before even shortlisting various platforms best is that you know how much you want to spend if you plan to upgrade and what all features you actually need to grow.
Not only will this help you save big on operational costs but it will also help you utilize the same money in growing your business. Nevertheless, you should never forget that free versions have their own limitations and it’s wiser to upgrade when you see the growth happening in your business.
Remember, spending those few extra bucks can take your business to the next level.
So, what are you waiting for? Go and pick the best one for yourself!!!
Dilip Tiwari
Dilip Tiwari is Digital Marketing Expert at USS LLC he likes to share Tips on Digital Marketing Services, Google ads management, Amazon ads management, and other blogs ideas.