An online store is a great way to make money. If you’re just getting started, you can start selling digital and physical products in a matter of minutes. Or, if you already have an existing brick and mortar store, you can create an online storefront and expand your customer base.
The best thing about it is that you don’t need to hire a developer to create the store for you. With platforms like WordPress and Ecwid, you can easily launch your store and start selling online.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what Ecwid is, the features it offers, why you should use it, and how to build a WordPress e-commerce website with Ecwid.
What Is Ecwid?
Ecwid is a popular e-commerce platform that allows you to sell your products anywhere where you already have an online presence. It was created in 2009 as an add-on store builder for small businesses that already had a website and didn’t want to deal with moving everything over to a dedicated e-commerce platform.
Ecwid is available in 50 languages and used by more than 200,000 merchants worldwide.
How to Build a WordPress E-commerce Website With Ecwid
Now you know what Ecwid is and why you should use it to build your e-commerce website. Let’s take a look at how you can use it to turn your WordPress website into a WordPress e-commerce site:
1. Sign Up For Ecwid
The first step is to set up your Ecwid account. Visit their website and click on the Get Started button.
You’ll need to provide your email, name, and a password that you’ll use to log in to your Ecwid store. You can also sign up with Apple, Facebook or Google account.
Once you’ve entered your login details, click on the button to proceed with the next step.
2. Set Up Your Store
On the next page, you’ll need to provide a few details about your store. This includes entering your store’s name, location, and currency.
You’ll also need to enter your business address and share a little about your previous selling experience so Ecwid can tailor the store setup to you. This is also where you can choose what type of products you’ll be selling through your store.
The last part in this process is to choose where you’ll be running your store. If you already have a WordPress website, be sure to choose that option and then select WordPress as your platform.
Ecwid will then take you to the dashboard with a setup checklist that'll prompt you to add the store to your website. Ignore that for now and let’s move on to the next step.
3. Add Your Products
To add your products, simply click on the corresponding step in your store setup checklist provided by Ecwid.
You’ll be taken to a page where you can add products. Keep in mind that Ecwid provides you with sample products so you can edit those or simply delete them.
To add a product, click on the big blue button at the top of the page.
You’ll then have the option to enter a product name, add a description, upload product images, and set the price for the product.
To configure the shipping options for the product, click on the shipping tab. Enter tax settings, weight of the product, and configure the available shipping methods.
The SEO tab makes it easy to optimize your product title and description for the search engines. Although keep in mind that you’ll need to upgrade to a paid Ecwid plan for this.
You can also add related products, upload files for digital products, and create a Buy now button that can be embedded anywhere on your website.
When you’re done, click the Save button at the top or press CMD+S to save your changes. To add more products, simply repeat the steps above.
4. Integrate Ecwid With WordPress
The last step is to integrate Ecwid with your WordPress website. To start the integration process, go back to the main dashboard of your store. Click on the second step in your store setup checklist: Add your store to a website or social network.
The next page will prompt you to add your store to your WordPress website. You’ll see a blue button that'll take you to the official Ecwid WordPress plugin page.
Download the plugin files from there or download the plugin directly from your WordPress dashboard. Log in to your WordPress website and go to Plugins > Add New.
Search for Ecwid and then click on Install Now. Once the plugin is installed, go ahead and activate it.
5. Connect Your WordPress Website to Your Ecwid Store
You’ll see an Ecwid welcome screen in your WordPress dashboard along with a button prompting you to create or connect your store. Click Connect your store and then authorize the connection request on the next screen.
Ecwid will then connect to your WordPress website and you’ll be able to manage your store. Preview your store, edit the design of your store and configure other options such as language and other settings.
How to Import WooCommerce Data to Ecwid
The above method is a great choice if you’re starting from scratch with your online store. But what if you already have an online store built with WooCommerce?
Luckily, Ecwid makes it easy to import your WooCommerce data and switch your e-commerce platform.
To do this, you’ll need a CSV file of your products from WooCommerce. You can get them by logging into your WordPress dashboard and going to Products > All Products. Click the Export tab at the top. You’ll then have the option to generate and download the CSV file.
Once you've got the CSV export file, follow the steps above to sign up for Ecwid and integrate it with your WordPress website. Then, go to Catalog > Products > Import Products. Choose your downloaded CSV file and select which columns should be imported. To start the import process, click the Import button.
When the process is done, you’ll see all your products in Ecwid dashboard. Then check how your products look in your store and make sure that all the information was imported correctly.
What Benefits Does Ecwid Offer?
Ecwid makes it easy to start selling online without any coding required. It offers several benefits, designed to facilitate opening up an online store:
1. Selling on Multiple Platforms
As mentioned earlier, Ecwid allows you to sell your goods on multiple platforms at once. Once you create your store with Ecwid, set up that store to sync with other online platforms.
This means you can easily start selling on your existing WordPress website, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and even world’s largest marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
2. Payment Gateways
Ecwid integrates with the most popular payment gateways. More specifically, they support over 40 different payment gateways. You can accept PayPal, credit card and debit card payments, Apple Pay, and even manual, offline payments.
3. Selling on the Go and in Person
Thanks to its integration with Square, you can use Ecwid to sell your products both on the go and in person. You can also use other point of sale systems and what’s even better, your inventory will automatically sync between Ecwid and your POS. This means everything stays up to date and you don’t have to worry about customers ordering a product that’s out of stock.
4. Marketing Features
Ecwid also comes with several marketing features to help you promote your store. For starters, you can easily create Google Ads, Facebook, and Pinterest marketing campaigns and manage them right from your store’s dashboard.
Plus, Ecwid integrates with Mailchimp. So, you can start growing your email list and send email campaigns that nurture your subscribers.
5. Mobile App
Lastly, Ecwid has a mobile app that makes managing your store a breeze. The app is available on App Store and Google Play. You can easily add new products and manage your inventory, get notified about new orders, create discount coupons, create marketing campaigns, and more.
Also, Ecwid makes it easy to turn your store into a mobile app. Simply use their ShopApp service and turn your shop into a native mobile app that’s compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
6. Ecwid Pricing Plans
Ecwid offers four different pricing plans.
- Free — the Free plan allows you to add up to 10 products and sell products on your website. It also comes with 70 predesigned themes, Apple Pay integration, GDPR compliance, and more.
- Venture — this plan includes all the features from the Free plan as well as the ability to sell on social media platforms. This plan also includes most marketing features. You can sell up to 100 products.
- Business — this plan includes all the features from the previous plan. It allows you to sell up to 2500 products. This plan also offers Mailchimp integration and the ability to sell on online marketplaces.
- Unlimited — this plan includes all the features from the previous plans as well as the ability to turn your store into a native mobile app. You can sell an unlimited number of products and the plan.
Visit Ecwid's pricing page to see all the tiered options. Or, to get started with a free account today.
Why Sell With Ecwid?
As you can Ecwid has plenty of features to create a full-fledged online store. But why should you sell with Ecwid, especially if you already use a different e-commerce WordPress plugin? Here are top five reasons for creating your online store with Ecwid:
- Ease of Use. Ecwid is easy to use. Their interface is intuitive, and the store setup process is quick. All it takes is a couple of clicks and you’re ready to start selling your products online. You can sell both digital and physical products, add detailed product descriptions, and upload as many product images as you want.
- Maintenance Free. Another reason why you should use Ecwid is that there's no maintenance involved. Ecwid takes care of all the updates, backups, and all the other technical aspects associated with maintaining an online store.
- No Set Up or Transaction Fees. Ecwid doesn’t charge any setup or transaction fees. What’s more, get started for free. This means you can keep the majority of your profits and start selling even if your budget is low.
- Easy Checkout. Long and complicated checkout process is one of the main reasons why shoppers abandon their carts. Thankfully, Ecwid makes it easy for your customers to go through the checking process without creating an account. They can also choose to create an account and save it for future purchases.
- Smart Shipping Calculator. Ecwid offers real-time shipping updates. This makes it easy for your customers to see their shipping costs in their local currency. They can adjust their shipping options and avoid unexpected costs.
Start Selling Quickly With WordPress and Ecwid
Ecwid makes it easy to create a WordPress e-commerce website and start selling online. Whether you sell digital or physical products, Ecwid makes it easy to sell your products in multiple places at once and grow your customer base.
If you want to give Ecwid a try, follow the steps in this article to create your Ecwid store and integrate it with your WordPress website. Happy selling!
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