Thanks to modern eCommerce platforms, building an eCommerce site is easier than ever — in fact, it’s become a one-click process. Most platforms also offer extremely user-friendly features like secure payments and marketing: all on a plug-and-play basis. So, if you’re interested in learning how to build an eCommerce website of your own, don’t hesitate to read our free guide.

Planning to launch your own eCommerce website? The process isn’t as complicated as it may seem. Our guide to building an eCommerce website will walk you through the ins and outs of creating a successful eCommerce website, from deciding on your niche and business model to creating an attractive website design and setting up a custom shopping cart.

If you’re new to building an eCommerce website, your domain — also called a URL, or Uniform Resource Locator — is your web address. This is your eCommerce website’s “home” on the internet, and what shoppers enter into the browser bar to visit your website. There are several aspects to consider when choosing a good domain name.

You have plenty of options when it comes to building your eCommerce store, but you can save time and resources by picking the right platform in the beginning. While it’s easier to start with a no-frills platform and add features later, you might be better off investing a little more upfront to get a site builder that suits your needs today and lets you grow as needed in the future.

Settling on the eCommerce platform to use for your online store can be tough. There are several options out there, but it’s important to choose one that fits your needs and resources so you can successfully launch, build and grow your eCommerce website. Once settled on an eCommerce platform, it’s time to start creating your eCommerce website with the following elements and information

Creating an online store takes more than setting up a shop on your website. You need to set up warehouse and shipping tools, tax calculations, payment processing, email marketing tools, loyalty programs, and all sorts of other features to help you run your business effectively. All-in-one eCommerce platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce come with these tools built-in, while others require adding separate plug-ins.

In the final step in creating your online store, you will test out some transactions through your eCommerce site. Each platform has a different way to do this, but all of them will let you process a few orders without actually charging you. These orders are just like real orders in that they go through your payment processor, and then get routed to your order management system. If you notice any problems during this process, don’t worry — you’ll have time to address them before visitors start coming to your website and placing orders.