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Build your website, your way with Wix Harmony → Here’s something every first-time creator should know: the language of web design has changed. It’s no longer about code or complex grid systems. It’s about your own words, how you use them, and your personal taste. Take Wix Harmony, for example, our new hybrid editor where creating a website is far from a technical chore. Instead, you simply chat with your personal AI agent, Aria, and use intuitive drag-and-drop tools whenever you want to go DIY. You don’t need to be a prompt engineer or a design pro to succeed. You just need to know how to communicate your vision. So, if you're wondering how to build a website from scratch using a mix of AI and manual design, let’s get down to it. Here’s my advice on creating strong prompts for Wix Harmony to help you design the powerful website you need. Related: What is vibe coding? A complete guide 5 prompting tips for anyone using AI to build a website Prompting isn't about learning a new language; it’s about bridging the gap between the business in your head and the website on your screen. These five prompt tips for creating a new website will help you get there. 01. Share your secret sauce A common mistake first-time creators make with AI web design is withholding the insider info only they know: the little details that set them apart, what’s unique about their offering, their specific services, their key benefits. Aria is powered by Wix's deep design expertise, shaped by insights from over 300 million users. But it still can't invent what makes your business special. Here's an example of two AI prompts for website building. One is too vague to be useful, and the other is packed with the kind of secret sauce we just talked about. Prompt 1: “Make me a website for my ballet studio.” Prompt 2: "I run a ballet studio in Austin called Pointe & Grace. We offer classes for adults and kids ages 4+, from beginner to advanced. What makes us different is our small class sizes—max 10 students—and our focus on classical technique in a warm, non-intimidating environment. I need visitors to see our schedule, meet the instructors and sign up for a trial class. The business has an elegant but approachable feel.” Some additional advice here: Your prompts don’t have to be sophisticated. Feel free to use bullet points, scratch notes or half-formed thoughts. Aria is built to understand you, so forget about perfect formatting and grammar. Just get your ideas out of your head and into your prompt. Read also: 9 best AI website builders for creating professional sites in minutes 02. Move beyond “pretty” and focus on purpose A great website is about more than just its look and feel. When you prompt, give a general direction across all aspects of the site. Think about the structure you want, the layout and functionality. Do you need a multi-page setup with a dedicated blog? Does your layout need to prioritize a large gallery of your portfolio? Should the main functionality revolve around a booking system or an eCommerce store? You can get the result you want by saying something like “I want a simple one-page layout that focuses on my contact form” or “I need a complex structure that highlights my different service tiers.” 03. Iterate in conversation Remember that when you’re working with an AI agent like Aria, you’re in a conversation. That means you don’t have to craft the perfect prompt in ChatGPT or any other LLM before coming to the editor. Nor do you need to stuff everything into your first prompt. It’s just the starting point. And once you're inside the editor, it's really helpful to bounce ideas off Aria and make AI or manual adjustments as you go. You can even click on any element within the canvas, and then ask Aria to edit it, rather than having to describe where the element is. The tools are built for iteration so get the conversation flowing. 04. Be specific when something’s wrong Just like a human designer, AI performs best when the feedback is clear. If a conversation is going off track because the instructions were unclear or too broad, it’s best to rein things in. My go-to “correction prompt” is simple: be specific about what’s wrong, not just that it’s wrong. Instead of “I don't like this,” try “The layout feels too cluttered. Simplify the homepage to focus on just the hero section and services. Keep the color palette but reduce the number of sections." Point at the problem and suggest the direction to avoid any unnecessary back-and-forth. Read also: The psychological barrier to building a website (and 6 AI tips to break it) 05. Let AI surprise you It can be tempting to try to dictate exact layouts and pixel-level details, and if that’s your thing, go for it. But the best results often come when you leave room for creative interpretation. If you feel stuck or that your final design is missing a bit of flair, ask Aria to check for creative blind spots or add some unexpected visual elements that match your brand’s energy. Think prompts like these: “My portfolio page is missing a ‘wow’ factor. What elements or sections would you add to make this look more premium?” “My homepage feels a bit flat. Surprise me with some unexpected visual elements that match my brand.” “I've added all my content, but the site is missing something. What would you add to make it feel more engaging?" Give it a go. You might be surprised at how a fresh perspective can take a site from good to unforgettable. While you’re here: Preserving your creativity in the age of AI website building Your taste still matters most As AI in web creation continues to evolve, the gap between what you describe and what you get will keep shrinking, and the back-and-forth to get a polished result will take less time. But the truth is, while AI can generate a solid website for you, knowing whether the result actually serves your business goals—that’s human. If there’s only one takeaway from this blog article, it’s this: You don’t need to be a designer or a prompt engineer. You just need to be clear about what your business needs and willing to iterate. So, jump in, tell Aria about your business and enjoy the collaboration. Learn more about Wix Harmony: What is Wix Harmony? Why use Wix Harmony? How much does Wix Harmony cost?

Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce→ If you run an eCommerce website, you've probably heard a lot about AI lately. I covered the topic in a previous article, exploring 16 use cases for AI in eCommerce businesses spanning everything from brand development to enhanced SEO. While that gave readers an overview, you could say this is the playbook. It’s based on what I see in my day-to-day work. The recurring pattern across all types of websites with a cart: the merchants who know where to focus their AI efforts are winning. It doesn't matter if you’re still figuring out how to build a website from scratch or already processing thousands of orders. The difference almost always comes down to knowing where AI actually moves the needle. Where AI is creating real returns for eCommerce websites Right now, I'm seeing AI pay off for eCommerce in three areas. Generative AI is compressing weeks of work into minutes. Think product descriptions, product photography, SEO and marketing content. We see merchants on our platform launch entire catalogs of 200+ products with optimized descriptions and images in a single afternoon. Work that used to take weeks with a copywriter and photographer. Machine learning personalization is driving the biggest revenue lifts. These are algorithms that learn from every visitor interaction and automatically show each shopper the right products at the right time. That translates to better add-to-cart ratios, lower cart abandonment and higher average order value. AI agents are emerging as the newest area of opportunity. Not just tools you prompt, but operators that can analyze your sales data, create promotions and manage parts of your business for you. This is the newest and most exciting area for opportunity. It’s also moving fast. The best ways to optimize your eCommerce website with AI So what does this look like in practice? Here are seven specific AI optimizations delivering the biggest results across hundreds of thousands of eCommerce sites running on Wix. 01. AI-personalized shopping experience This is the single biggest revenue lever most stores haven't pulled yet. The idea goes beyond just showing relevant products. AI personalization can shape the entire shopping journey. For example, what a visitor sees on your homepage, how categories are ordered, which banners and promotions they’re shown, how search results are ranked, what upsells appear at checkout, even the timing and content of follow-up emails. I see it repeatedly: a store with a decent catalog and steady traffic but mediocre conversion turns on AI personalization and suddenly engagement goes up, carts get fuller and conversion improves measurably, often within the first month. To offer an AI-personalized shopping experience to your customers, you don't need to set rules or segment customers manually. With Wix, it can be activated with one click through tools like Twik. Impact: Improved add-to-cart ratios, reduced cart abandonment, higher conversion. 02. Smart product recommendations You’ll have seen "You may also like" and "Frequently bought together" sections on big retail sites. Every major merchant uses them because they directly increase cart size. Now AI makes them accessible to any store, with no manual curation needed. The algorithms analyze customer behavior, purchase history and browsing patterns to surface similar or complementary products alongside whatever someone is viewing. And here’s the thing: it’s surprisingly easy to set up. On Wix, it’s a drag-and-drop task completed in under five minutes. For me, it’s the optimization with the best effort-to-impact ratio in all of eCommerce, yet most small stores still don’t use it. Impact: Higher average order value, more cross-sells, better revenue per visitor. 03. AI-generated product content AI can now generate your product descriptions, homepage copy, FAQs and policies for you. And it can do it in your brand's tone of voice, optimized for search. What used to take weeks for a large catalog now takes a few hours. But speed isn’t the only win here. AI can close SEO knowledge gaps for you, too. Ask it to write a product description and it already knows how to structure it for search, include the right keywords and make it persuasive. With Wix Harmony, this is built right into the editing experience through Aria, your AI agent inside the editor. Aria understands your site, your brand and your goals. Ask her to rewrite a product description or suggest SEO improvements, and she does it in context on the page you're working on. If you're going to start somewhere, start with your 10 most important products. Generate SEO-optimized descriptions, publish them and watch the difference over two weeks. Impact: Better organic rankings, higher conversion rates on product pages, less bounce. 04. AI product photography Trust is everything in online shopping and visuals make or break that trust. AI product photography levels the playing field here, especially for smaller merchants who can't afford big production days or professional photographers. For example, you can remove a cluttered background and swap it for a clean white backdrop or place your product in a lifestyle setting without leaving your desk. You can also upscale a low-res photo, erase unwanted objects, extend awkward framing or show apparel on a model without a photo session. Once you've got the look right, copy those edits across your catalog in minutes for a consistent, professional feel. You can do all of this inside the Wix Editor through the AI Image Creator and Photo Studio, or by chatting with Aria in Wix Harmony. Impact: Higher trust, better conversion, improved ad click-through rates. 05. AI-driven Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) You probably already know AI can handle your page titles, meta descriptions and blog content. But here's the new frontier: websites are evolving into machine-readable infrastructure. AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are becoming major discovery channels for shoppers. At Wix, we now auto-generate an LLMs.txt file for your store, which summarizes your website’s key information into a concise, easy-to-digest format that LLMs can understand. That means LLMs can provide more relevant, accurate responses to search users about your site. We’ve also built an AI Visibility Overview that lets you track how your brand is being mentioned across AI platforms. You can see which AI searches and sources are attracting people to your product pages, then make sure your site answers their questions. Impact: More organic traffic, less dependency on paid ads, visibility in AI search results. 06. AI customer support that never sleeps Here's an AI optimization that's surprisingly easy to implement in under 30 minutes, yet most stores still don't use: an AI customer assistant. On Wix, you can set this up with Wix Smart Chat, a built-in chat that combines AI-powered responses with the option to reply manually when you want to. Add it from the Wix App Market and it automatically starts learning from your site content, product catalog and policies. You can train it further by adding custom knowledge rules, like your shipping details or return process, and test it from your dashboard before going live. The whole setup takes minutes, and once it's running, it doesn't just answer questions. It guides visitors to relevant products, sends links to the right pages and helps turn conversations into sales, 24/7. On mobile, this is especially powerful. Shoppers want instant answers rather than digging through FAQ pages on a small screen. Impact: Fewer lost sales, faster response times, higher customer satisfaction without adding headcount. 07. AI advisor and operator The biggest shift in eCommerce right now is the way AI tools are evolving. We’re moving from AI that helps you create content to AI that can actually operate parts of your business for you. And it’s simpler than it sounds. Wix provides one-click connectors to AI tools like Claude. Connect your store and have a conversation about your actual business: “Analyze my sales trends and tell me what’s working.” “Build me a promotion targeting customers who haven’t bought in 60 days.” Claude accesses your real store data and executes. It’s like having a business advisor and an operator rolled into one. You can also build a “Wix Store Operator” using Base44’s Superagents, a personalized AI tool that handles daily store operations. Impact: Smarter decisions, faster execution, a store that runs more efficiently—even when you’re not working. “The biggest shift in eCommerce right now is the way AI tools are evolving. We’re moving from AI that helps you create content to AI that can actually operate parts of your business for you. Start this week: 3 steps for any team If you're wondering where to begin, here's what I'd recommend for this week: Turn on product recommendations. You can have it done in five minutes through a simple drag-and-drop. Don’t be surprised if you see immediate increases in your average order value. Rewrite your top 10 product descriptions with AI. Pick your highest traffic products, generate SEO-optimized copy, publish and watch the difference over two weeks. Connect your store to Claude. Use the Wix connector and start asking it to do real work: “What were my best-selling products last month?” “Create a weekend promotion for slow-moving inventory.” “Suggest which products I should restock.” You’ll realize you just gave yourself a business advisor and operator in one conversation. One conversation is all it takes Every AI-powered eCommerce website optimization in this article is accessible right now. You don’t need technical skills or a big budget. From personalization and product content to AI-powered search visibility and personal agents, the tools that used to be reserved for the biggest retailers are now available to any store owner willing to try them. The barrier to entry has never been lower. So why not give it a try? Read my other work: AI in eCommerce: today's tools and tomorrow's possibilities

Get your professional business email address → That @gmail.com address might work for your personal inbox, but it's quietly undermining you in every business email you send. A custom email domain that ends with your own business name is one of the fastest ways to look more credible and get more replies. Setting up a domain name for you email takes less time than you'd think. Get your business email up and running fast. Wix provides built-in security, plenty of storage and real-time tools to help you stay on top of your work. Everything's backed by 24/7 support so you can focus on growing your business. TL;DR: how to get your own email domain To get your own email domain, register a domain name, choose an email hosting provider and connect your domain using DNS settings. Once connected, you can create professional email address like hello@yourbusiness.com and start sending business emails from your own branded inbox. You’ll learn: What an email domain is How to set up a custom email domain step-by-step What DNS and MX records do The difference between domain registration and email hosting How much a custom email domain costs How to choose a professional email format What happens if you switch email providers What is an email domain? An email domain is the part of an email address that comes after the @ symbol. In hello@yourbusiness.com, “yourbusiness.com” is the email domain. It tells people where the email is coming from and connects the address to a specific business, brand or organization. Most people use shared email domains from providers like Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook. These addresses look like yourname@gmail.com and are owned by the email provider. A custom email domain uses a domain name you own instead, giving you addresses like hello@yourbusiness.com. Custom email domains help your business look more professional and trustworthy. They also give you more control over your email accounts, branding and provider choices since the domain belongs to you, not the platform hosting your inbox. Find out more: How to get a free domain name Why you need your own email domain People often decide if an email feels legitimate before they even open it. A custom email domain helps remove hesitation instantly. If a customer receives a message from orders@yourbusiness.com, it feels far more reliable than a long generic Gmail address filled with numbers or extra words. There’s a branding benefit too. Every email becomes a reminder of your business name. When people forward your emails, save your contact details or reply later, your brand stays visible in their inbox instead of promoting another platform like Gmail or Yahoo. Better organization and long-term control A custom domain makes your business easier to manage as you grow. Instead of using one personal inbox for everything, you can create separate addresses for different purposes: support@yourbusiness.com for customer help billing@yourbusiness.com for payments careers@yourbusiness.com for hiring hello@yourbusiness.com for general enquiries This keeps communication organized and looks more polished to customers. It also gives your business continuity. If an employee leaves, you can keep the email address active and redirect messages to someone else. You don’t lose important conversations or customer contacts tied to a personal inbox. Custom domains can also improve email deliverability. Businesses using properly configured custom domains are less likely to look suspicious to spam filters. This matters when sending invoices, contracts, appointment confirmations or marketing emails where reliability is important. What you need to get started Getting your own email domain comes down to two things: a domain name and an email hosting plan. People often assume these come together automatically. They're actually two separate things. Your domain name is the web address itself. You register it through a domain registrar and renew it each year to keep ownership. Your email hosting plan is the service that powers your inbox and lets you send, receive, store and manage emails using that domain. Without email hosting, the domain exists but your email addresses won’t function. Many providers bundle domain registration and email hosting together, which makes setup and management much easier. Found the perfect name for your business? Lock in your domain before someone else does. How to get your own email domain: step-by-step Choose and register your domain name Pick an email hosting plan Connect your domain with DNS records Create your email addresses 01. Choose and register your domain name Start by deciding on your domain name. Ideally it matches your business name, stays short and is easy to type without misspellings. If your preferred .com is taken, check close variations or try a different extension like .co or .net. Once you've settled on a name, run a domain name search to confirm it's available and register it. Most domains cost between $10 and $20 per year and the registration itself takes about five minutes. Use a domain name generator if you need help coming up with an idea. Already have one? Check availability with a domain name search tool. 02. Pick an email hosting plan Email hosting is the service that routes emails to and from your domain. It handles storage, security, spam filtering and all the infrastructure that keeps your inbox running reliably. When choosing a plan, look for solid storage, spam protection and two-factor authentication. Wix Business Email is a simple, affordable option that pairs directly with a Wix domain. You can set up your address and start sending in minutes, with built-in security and 24/7 support included. Learn more Domain name and website hosting Best domain registrar 03. Connect your domain with DNS records DNS records are the instructions that tell the internet where to route emails for your domain. The ones you need are called MX records (mail exchange records) and they point incoming emails to your hosting provider. This sounds more technical than it is. Most email hosting providers give you a step-by-step guide with the exact values to copy in, and the process takes about five minutes. If you registered your domain and email hosting in the same place, this step is often handled automatically. 04. Create your email addresses Once your domain is connected to your hosting, you're ready to create email accounts. Log into your hosting dashboard and add the addresses you need. You can start with just you@yourbusiness.com or set up role-based ones like info@, hello@ or support@. From there, connect your email client of choice. Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail all work. Then you're good to go. Get inspired: Business email address examples How much does a custom email domain cost? Getting your own email domain doesn't cost a lot, but it's rarely free. You can check domain pricing before you commit, but most registrations run $10–20 per year depending on the extension. Email hosting starts from around $3–6 per month per mailbox for a basic plan, going up to $10–15 per month for plans with more storage and features. Some providers advertise free email domains, but this usually means the domain is included with a paid hosting or email plan rather than being completely free. In other cases, you may get a branded subdomain instead of a fully custom domain. While free options can work for personal use or testing, a paid custom domain generally looks more professional and gives you full ownership and control. Some website and email plans also include a free domain for the first year. If you already use or plan to use Wix as your website builder, you can bundle your domain registration and business email together, simplifying setup and keeping everything in one place. Tips for picking the right email address format The format of your email address matters almost as much as the domain itself. Keep it clean, professional and easy to spell from memory. For a personal business email, firstname@yourdomain.com or firstname.lastname@yourdomain.com are both solid choices. Skip the numbers and years: yourname2024@ looks temporary and off-brand. For team or role-based addresses, go with standard formats: hello@ or info@ for general enquiries, support@ for customer service and billing@ or accounts@ for finance. These make it easy for contacts to know exactly where they're sending an email and they scale naturally as your team grows. One thing to avoid: hyphens or underscores in usernames. They trip people up when typing from memory and can look unprofessional. Learn more: Domain tips Org vs com vs net Is Wix good for business email How to get your own email domain FAQ: Do I need a website to get my own email domain? No. A custom email domain has nothing to do with having a website. All you need is a registered domain name and an email hosting plan. Many business owners get their email domain set up months before their site goes live. Can I get a custom email domain for free? Completely free custom email domains are rare. You'll almost always need to pay for a domain name, which typically costs $10-20 per year. Some email hosting providers include a free domain with a paid plan, which cuts your upfront cost. Email forwarding services can redirect mail for free, but they don't give you a true hosted inbox and replies still come from a generic address. What's the difference between email hosting and web hosting? Web hosting stores your website files and serves them to visitors. Email hosting handles your email: sending, receiving, storage and spam filtering. They're different services and you can buy them separately, though many platforms bundle both together for simplicity. How long does it take to set up a custom email domain? The actual setup usually takes around 30 minutes: registering a domain, choosing an email hosting plan and creating your addresses. The one slower part is DNS propagation. After you update your records, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours for the changes to spread across the internet. If you register your domain and set up your business email with Wix, much of this process is handled automatically, which makes setup faster and easier. What happens to my email if I switch providers? As long as you own your domain, your email address stays the same. You can move your email hosting to a different provider without losing your address, provided you do a proper migration of your existing emails. This is one of the biggest advantages of having your own domain: you're never locked in to a single platform. What email address format should I use for my business? For a personal professional email, firstname@yourdomain.com works well and feels approachable. For a shared contact point, hello@ or info@ are the most common and friendly options. Avoid numbers, years and special characters. Keep it clean and easy to recall.

Turn your ideas into a website you love with Wix → How much does a website cost to build? If your needs are relatively simple, you may find that using a website creator costs less than you'd expect. However, no matter how complex your site may be, you'll always want to be aware of your costs. While some expenses may be expected, others may be less obvious. To avoid surprises, you'll want to study all the aspects of how to create a website and their associated price tags. While website costs vary greatly, this article will help you better gauge what your project might cost before you invest in a website builder or hire a developer. Specifically, we’re answering questions like: How much does it cost to make a website? What factors influence the cost to build a website? How much does a website cost with a website builder? How much does a website cost to build with a professional? How much does a website cost per website type? How much does it cost to maintain a website? TL;DR: how much does a website cost? A simple website can cost as little as $17 per month if you’re creating it yourself, but more complex sites or sites involving the help of an expert (designers, copywriters, photographers, etc.) can cost more than $10,000 in total. That's a big range, so let's break down the factors that influence the cost of making a website. Learn more: How much does a business website cost What goes into website costs (and how much you can expect to spend) Cost factor Average cost range What’s included Website builder $0–$200/month Drag-and-drop builders (like Wix) with hosting, domains, templates, CMS and more Website design & interface $0–$10,000+ (one-time fee) Templates, custom design work, branding, imagery, typography and copywriting Web hosting $3–$250/month Server space and bandwidth (built-in with Wix or separate when self-hosting) Domains $1–$1,000s/year Custom web addresses (e.g., yourbusiness.com), with premium domains costing significantly more Templates $0–$70+ Professionally designed layouts for faster setup (free with Wix, premium templates available) CMS (content management system) $0–$160+/month Platforms that let you manage content without coding (Wix CMS is built-in at no extra cost) SSL (site security) $0–$100/year Encryption certificates to secure data and build visitor trust Ecommerce functionality $20+/month + payment processing fees Tools to sell online: product pages, checkout, payment processing and order management Apps and integrations $0–$100+/month Third-party tools to extend your site’s features (e.g., loyalty programs, analytics, bookings) Marketing $0–$1,000+/month SEO tools, ads, email campaigns and social media tools or consultants to grow your audience Professional services $500–$10,000+ (project-based) Designers, developers and other experts for complex custom builds or ongoing support Key website cost factors Here’s a detailed look at the factors that influence website costs and what determines them. We’ve provided average cost ranges based on both do-it-yourself solutions and higher-end approaches to help you estimate expenses. Website builder Website design & interface Web hosting Domains Templates CMS SSL Ecommerce functionality Apps and integrations Marketing Professional services 01. Website builder Average cost range: $0-$200 per month Website builders help you design your website with little to no coding. Website builders like Wix offer free plans with limited features, ads and branded subdomains. Others charge as little as $16 per month and as much as $150-$200 for plans that include access to a wider range of features. For example, with a Wix Premium Plan, you get a drag-and-drop builder, hosting, custom domain names, simple website templates, a CMS and more. To get a product perspective on how to evaluate the real cost of a builder versus a stitched-together stack, we asked Itay Shmool, VP of Wix Domains at Wix: "For most small businesses, reducing technical overhead is more valuable than chasing marginal cost savings across multiple platforms." In other words, three or four cheap individual services can look like a saving on paper and cost more in time, integration headaches and missed sales than a single bundled platform. Not sure what to prioritize when choosing a website builder? Rebecca Tomasis, Organic Growth Content Lead at Wix, says: "Choose a website builder that allows you to make fast pivots with your business needs. If one day to the next, you need to add events or an online store, make sure your website builder makes that possible for you." Worth knowing: the cheapest plan today is rarely the right answer for a business with growth plans. Most website builders (including Wix) let you upgrade without rebuilding the site, so you can start small and scale up. The bigger lock-in risk is choosing a platform that can't add eCommerce, bookings or events later, since that's where a migration actually costs you time and money. Sign up for Wix today. Now also with Wix Harmony you can generate a business-ready site, for free, from a single prompt and keep shaping it by chatting with AI or editing by hand. Expert tip from Rebecca Tomasis, Wix OG Content Lead: "Choose a website builder that allows you to make fast pivots with your business needs. If one day to the next, you need to add events or an online store, make sure your website builder makes that possible for you." Read also: Wix vs. GoDaddy 02. Website design and interface Average cost range: $0-$10,000+ one time fee Arguably the most essential part of any website is its design. A site’s visual content, including text, branding elements, imagery and layout, is what visitors see and interact with when they first arrive on your homepage. A successful interface lets visitors fluidly navigate your site and take action, like making a purchase or signing up for your newsletter. Generally before designing a site, you'll need to put together a website wireframe in order to plan its pages and site hierarchy out. Expert tip from Anna Suntsov, blog and social design team lead at Wix: "The most important thing before building a website is good research. Know what you want to do and collect good inspirations that will contribute to your design." These days, launching a new website is relatively affordable, with website builders only costing a dozen or so bucks a month. Some like Wix even offer an AI website builder to make AI web design accessible to people who can’t afford to hire a designer. Those who need a bespoke website with high levels of functionality may still want to shell out for a professional web designer, which tends to cost around $500 to $10,000. The lower end of that range will often afford you a simple, multi-page website, while the upper end will often get you an enterprise-level site designed to support needs like sophisticated analytics, complex database integration and custom software development. Then, there’s branding, imagery, typography and copywriting. Wix makes this easy with a logo maker, an image generator, a full image library and a text generator. For a premium experience, you can hire branding experts, photographers, copywriters or graphic designers for anywhere from a few dollars per hour to tens of thousands for a website full of content. One Wix user who built a high-end professional site this way is Gita Jacobson, founder of In the Deets, a construction consulting firm in the US. Here's how she describes the experience: "It seemed easy to work with, and the website templates were very high-end looking. I also liked that I didn't need to know how to code, I could just drag and drop elements and get creative." Her finished site merged interior design and construction website styles into one format her competitors didn't offer and the Wix SEO tools and blog drove her first consulting clients. The takeaway: a designer-quality look doesn't have to come with a designer's invoice. Learn more: How to plan a website 03. Web hosting Average cost range: $3-$250/month Websites need to be hosted on a server to show up on the internet. Servers store the information on your site so that it appears on visitors’ screens. You can either choose a website provider with built-in hosting or acquire the two services separately. Web hosting can vary in cost. With website builders like Wix hosting is included in the cost of the platform. If you decide to build a site from scratch, you'll need to pay for hosting separately, the costs of which can range from $2.95 to $250 per month, depending on whether you need your own server. Shared hosting typically costs between $3 and $10 per month, making it a budget-friendly option for small businesses or websites with moderate traffic, while dedicated hosting starts at around $80 and can go up to $300 per month or more. Small businesses with limited budgets often choose shared hosting, while larger or rapidly growing websites requiring consistent speed and customization tend to opt for dedicated hosting. Worth knowing: hosting price comparisons usually look at year-one promotional rates. Renewal rates on third-party hosts are often 2-3x the introductory price and add-ons like SSL, daily backups and security plugins are usually billed separately. When you compare a $5/month host to a bundled website builder, compare year-two costs and what's included by default. Get free website hosting when you sign up with Wix. 04. Domains Average cost range: $1-$1,000s per year Think of a domain as your website's home address on the internet. It's what makes your online space official and gives visitors a feeling of trust and credibility. Therefore, it's worth understanding domain pricing, the annual rate your domain registrar of choice charges for a custom domain. You can snag a domain like myfavoritedayistuesday.site for as little as 98 cents a year. But at the other end of the spectrum, there's a domain like carinsurance.com, which sold for a jaw-dropping $50 million back in 2019. Here's the scoop: Simple and super-popular domains often come with a hefty price tag. On the flip side, longer and unique domain names tend to be more budget-friendly. And as for those endings after the dot, like .com, .org or .net, they're usually pricier compared to newer ones like .land or .world. Get a free domain name when you sign up for a Wix premium plan. 05. Templates Average cost range: $0-70+ You don't have to use templates, but they can be a big help when building a website, especially if you're new to it. Templates make it easier to create an impressive personal or professional website without actually hiring anyone. Learn more: Should I use a template to make a website? and how to make a professional website According to Kobi Michaeli, a Wix template designer who has spent 6,000+ hours building Wix templates: "Website templates aren't dead. They've evolved. Modern templates combine smart layouts, ready-to-use content and AI enhancements, making them easy to customize and practical for any business." That matters for cost, because the practical question isn't "free template or paid template," it's "how far does a template get me before I need to pay someone." With Wix, hundreds of templates are professionally designed and free to use; premium templates from other marketplaces start at $70 or more. Worth knowing: treat any template as a starting point rather than a finished design. Businesses that spend time customising fonts, colors and section layouts to match their brand consistently end up with better-performing sites than those who go live with minimal changes. The template saves you the cost of starting from scratch. It doesn't save you the time of making the site feel like your brand. If you want a fully custom design or bespoke functionality beyond what templates provide, hiring a professional designer or developer can range from $50 to $500 per hour or cost thousands for a full project can range from $50–$500 per hour or cost thousands for a full project. Get a website template for free from Wix today. 06. CMS Average cost range: $0-$160+ per month A content management system, or CMS, is a software application or platform that allows you as a website owner or administrator to create, manage, and modify content on your site without extensive technical knowledge or coding skills. In other words, a CMS makes managing your website and publishing content easier. It's worth noting that some CMS solutions may not be free, and they typically require payment for licensing or subscription fees. These costs often cover advanced features, technical support, and regular updates to keep your website running smoothly. If you use a website builder like Wix, on the other hand, the CMS is built into the platform at no extra cost to you. 07. SSL Average cost range: $0-$100 per year SSL/TLS certificates (public key certification) provide essential online encryption and authentication, ensuring that the data transmitted between your website and its visitors remains private and can’t be intercepted or tampered with. These are your options for public key certifications and their costs: Paid certificates: There are various types of SSL/TLS certificates available, ranging from basic domain validation (DV) certificates to more advanced organization validation (OV) and extended validation (EV) certificates. DV certificates are the most affordable option and are suitable for most small websites. They can cost between $10 and $100 per year, depending on the certificate provider and features included. Free certificates: Some certificate authorities, such as Let's Encrypt, offer free SSL/TLS certificates. These certificates are suitable for most websites and provide the necessary encryption and authentication. However, they may have limitations, such as shorter validity periods (typically 90 days) and a more manual renewal process. Hosting provider and website builder options: Some web hosting providers offer SSL/TLS certificates as part of their hosting packages. It's worth checking if your hosting provider includes a free SSL/TLS certificate or offers affordable options for obtaining one. According to Prof. Dr. Dennis-Kenji Kipker, scientific director of the cyberintelligence.institute in Frankfurt: "Cybersecurity is not a product, it's a process. You cannot set it up once and walk away." The cost implication: paying once for an SSL certificate and forgetting about it is not a security strategy. Renewal, monitoring and updates are part of the ongoing cost of running a site, whether they're bundled into your platform or billed separately." Learn about how Wix protects your website security today. 08. Ecommerce functionality Average cost range: $20+ per month plus payment processing fees Want to sell products and services through your website? You’ll need to add eCommerce functionality that lets you upload inventory, manage SKUs and pricing, process sales, collect payments, save customer information and more. Some website builders like Wix’s offer an eCommerce plan that costs just a few dollars more each month than its basic plan. These plans tend to come with payment processing, which usually costs a percentage of each transaction plus a flat fee. Keep in mind that not all eCommerce providers are high-quality. You'll want to be mindful of the scalability and flexibility of your eCommerce tools. For example, some will enable you to sell internationally or on third-party marketplaces while others won't. One Wix user who has navigated eCommerce costs from the ground up is Noah Rosen, founder of Forge to Table, a Forbes 30 Under 30 founder who started his business from a culinary school dorm room: "I think Wix offers the perfect medium for everyone, even someone like myself, a really good cook, but a monkey with a keyboard. I'm able to drag-and-drop edit or build an email newsletter that looks nice." Forge to Table now ships to customers in 30+ countries with a 40+ product catalog, built on the same drag-and-drop tools available to any new seller. For someone weighing eCommerce costs against the risk of hiring a developer up front, that's the relevant data point. One thing worth knowing: Wix supports eCommerce businesses at every stage of growth, from small online stores to high-revenue brands generating $5M–$30M+ in annual revenue. Wix eCommerce combines ease of use with advanced capabilities including automated discount logic, AI-driven product recommendations, abandoned cart recovery and customizable checkout workflows. Use Wix to open a free eCommerce website today. 09. Apps and integrations Average cost range: $0-$100+ per month Most CMS software and website builders let you integrate third-party features and tools that enhance the design and functionality of your website. For example, if you manage an eCommerce site, you might want to integrate a loyalty app to incentivize and reward customers for shopping with you. Or, if you manage a blog, you may want to add a paywall to your website to monetize your content. The cost to build a website with apps and integrations varies widely and depends on the vendor. Some apps offer free versions of their products with limited features and charge you to access more advanced features. Others offer a free trial and then make you pay a subscription to use them. For example, Virtual Tours (which lets you add 360 VR experiences to your site) from the Wix app market, offers a seven-day free trial, then charges between $11.99 and $99.99 per month. 10. Marketing features Average cost range: $0-$1,000+ per month Unlocking the full potential of your website involves a strategic approach to marketing. By harnessing a range of techniques such as search engine optimization (SEO), advertising, email campaigns, and social media, you can attract visitors and convert them into loyal customers. You can opt for tools that address one facet of marketing or potentially save money by using tools that offer a bundle of marketing solutions. Alternatively, you can hire experts in various fields of marketing to help you grow. Hiring people tends to cost more than licensing online marketing tools. For example, Upwork says the average freelance social media marketer charges between $14 and $35 per hour. Comparatively, Hubspot’s Marketing Hub, a popular marketing tool, starts at $20 per month. For one concrete example of how marketing investment changes the math: a 14-year-old running a summer pop-up cafe called The Little Barista rebuilt his Wix site after analytics showed near-zero traffic. The first version was a homepage with a menu. The second version added online ordering, table reservations, basic SEO and a Google Business Profile. Same business, same season, same product, with a rebuilt site, sales went up 6x. The marketing tools cost effectively nothing extra (most were already in his plan). The cost was attention to the right details. That's the trade-off worth budgeting for: cheap tools used well usually beat expensive tools used poorly. 11. Professional services Average cost range: $500-$10,000+ Hiring a web designer or developer can be a great option if you don't have the time to create your own site or if you need advanced functionality. A professional brings expertise, creativity and technical skill to ensure your site meets your needs and provides a seamless user experience. The cost of hiring a professional depends on several factors, such as Website complexity: Simple websites with a few web pages cost less than complex ones with advanced features, custom designs or third-party integrations. Customization needs: Unique or highly tailored designs require more time and effort, which increases costs. Developer’s experience & location: Developers with more experience or living in higher-cost areas typically charge more. Additional services: If you need content creation, SEO, marketing or copywriting, you'll likely need to budget for these extra services. Discuss these requirements with the developer before they start creating your site to find out if these services are included in the initial cost or require separate arrangements. Working with a web design agency can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 or more for a fully customized site. Alternatively, Wix Studio offers a flexible option for businesses and teams that want a professional-grade website without fully outsourcing the process. How much does it cost to make a website with a website builder? Website builders like Wix make creating a website affordable and easy. These website builders cost anywhere from $0 for the most basic offerings to $159 per month for plans with multiple logins, unlimited storage and advanced website features. They offer designer-made website templates that can help you create a professional site, with little effort and no coding. You should not only consider the obvious costs but also all the additional functionality you may need. Learn more: Wix vs Squarespace Check out Wix’s pricing page to get a full breakdown of its free and premium plan options. Costs to build a website Website features Approximate cost Cost with Wix Website builder $0-$200 per month From $16 Website design $0-10,000+ 800+ free web templates Web hosting $0-250 per month Free hosting with a paid plan Domain $0-unlimited Free domain with a paid plan Templates $0-70+ 800+ free web templates CMS $0-160+ per month Included SSL $0-100+ per month Free eCommerce $20+ per month $27-$159 Apps and integrations $0-$100+per month Prices vary Marketing features $0-1,000 per month Free SEO assistant, Email marketing, Bookings Learn more: How much does a business email cost Website cost breakdown by approach Approach Description Cost on Wix / Wix Studio DIY website builder This is the most budget-friendly way to create a professional site. Wix gives you everything you need, including hosting, templates, built-in SEO tools and AI features, so you don’t have to worry about extra development costs. Free plan available; paid plans start at $17/month Freelancer A designer or developer can build the site for you. You’ll still pay for a platform subscription (like Wix), but the freelancer takes care of the design, setup and any custom touches you want. Paid plans generally start at $19/month (Wix Studio) or $17/month (Wix) Small agency A team manages the design, development and strategy for you. Agencies often use platforms like Wix Studio to create fully customized, responsive sites and streamline the whole process. Same as Wix Studio plans above Large-scale / enterprise This option is best for businesses with advanced needs, like custom integrations, high traffic or complex security. Wix Enterprise provides scalable infrastructure and dedicated support. Custom enterprise pricing via Wix Enterprise. Pricing depends on needs. How much does a website cost per industry? Its functionality will affect how much a website costs to make. We’re breaking down how much it costs to build blogs, eCommerce websites, event websites and design portfolios depending on whether you create them yourself or hire a professional. Blog website Whether you are creating a blog website or adding a blog to your existing site, you won’t need to break the bank. All in all, a blog is one of the cheapest website options out there. Cost of blog using a website builder: $0-$200 per month Cost of web hosting: Free Customized domain and advanced features per month: $23-$49 Hiring a web designer: $15-$1,000+ Use Wix’s blog maker to get started for free. Expert tip from Ophyr Hanan, blog growth and SEO outreach specialist at Wix: "You can use your blog for more than just elevating your brand. By fostering relationships and collaborating on content, it can help build the foundation for thought leadership and authority building both for you and within your industry." Ecommerce website With almost 285 million online shoppers in the U.S. alone, the world isn’t moving toward digital business models—it has arrived. That’s why starting an online store is a great option for making money online. To connect your own domain, accept online payments and grow your business, you’ll need to pay a small monthly fee of anywhere between $23 and $49 per month depending on how dynamic you want your site to be. You might have also noticed that there is a very large price range to hire a designer for an eCommerce website. That’s because many eCommerce sites have many moving parts and can get a bit complicated. A pre-made eCommerce website template can help you navigate the labyrinth that is online stores so you can create your own. Cost of eCommerce website using a website builder: $0-$200 per month Cost of web hosting: Free Customized domain and advanced features per month: $34-$64 Hiring a web designer: $25-$5,000+ Before you commit a dollar to an eCommerce build, validate the idea. As Chad Waldman, a DTC brand builder and eCommerce strategist who has scaled brands in competitive wellness categories, puts it: "The biggest mistake I see new sellers make is confusing 'I like this product' with 'there's a viable market for this product.' Passion is a starting point. Validation is the business case." The cheapest possible eCommerce site is the one you don't build for an idea that won't sell. Spend the first hours of your eCommerce budget on validation, not design. Beyond traditional retail, Wix is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that supports physical products, services, rentals, donations and digital programs such as online courses, all from a single backend. Businesses can also scale globally with multilingual storefronts, multi-currency payments and integrations with marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Google. Use Wix to start an eCommerce website today. Event website Whether you’re planning a wedding, hosting a webinar or anything in between, an event website can help you get organized. Event websites are unique because they are often short-term in nature. This means that you may not be looking to put a lot of money into your site. If that’s the case for you, you should be ok signing up for a Wix free plan. if you want to include additional features, such as a bookings app to schedule appointments or sell tickets online, you’ll need to factor these into your final cost. Cost of event website using a website builder: $0-$200 per month Cost of web hosting: Free Customized domain and advanced features per month: $23-$49 Hiring a web designer: $15-$1,000+ Portfolio website A portfolio website is essential for any creative professional to showcase their work, including graphic designers, UX designers and architects. Because portfolio websites mainly constitute images, videos and text, you’ll likely need a good amount of website storage. For example, an $16 per month plan gets you 2 GB of storage to store media on your site. Cost of portfolio website using a website builder: $0-$200 per month Cost of web hosting: Free Customized domain and advanced features per month: $23-$49 Hiring a web designer: $15-$1,000+ Build a portfolio website with Wix today. How much does it cost to maintain a website? Website maintenance costs depend on the type of site you've built and the platform you've used to build it. If you build a website with Wix, your annual maintenance costs are just your annual paid plan's renewal cost - so anywhere from $17 a year. If you've built your site elsewhere you may need to consider the cost of maintaining it: Your hosting plan (with Wix, hosting is free for the life of your website) Your domain name (with Wix this renews with your paid plan) Any security plugins or apps (with Wix enterprise-grade security are included for the life of your site) At some point, if you want to update the design of your website you may need to consider the costs involved in doing this. Precise costs will depend on if you choose to do it yourself or use a professional web designer. Again, using a website builder will mean zero costs beyond your renewal paid plan, to update your design and pages. You'll just need to factor in the time it takes you to do it. One Wix user who decided that maintenance time was worth more than platform fees is Mackenzie Precht, co-founder of Kindling Home, a vacation rental business in Western North Carolina. Her team built a Wix site instead of staying entirely on third-party booking platforms: "Having our own website allowed our properties to be a part of a brand as opposed to these independent entities, and it also gave us control over bookings. By having guests book directly through us, we're able to give them a pretty significant discount because we're avoiding a lot of fees." The result: 60% of Kindling Home bookings now come directly through their Wix site, nearly double the 34% industry average for direct vacation rental bookings reported by Lodgify in 2025. The platform fees they would have paid become the discount that wins the booking. Related: Why I regret never building a website for my business How much does a website cost FAQ How much does a website redesign cost? The cost of a website redesign can vary depending on the scope of the project. However, in general, you can expect to pay anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 or more for a website redesign. How much does it cost to keep a small website running? The cost of keeping a small website running can vary depending on the hosting provider, domain name fees and any additional plugins or services used. However, in general, you can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $100 per month for a small website. How much does a website cost per month? The monthly cost of maintaining a website typically ranges between $10 and $300, depending on your needs. Basic expenses include hosting fees, which usually cost $10 to $50 per month, and domain registration, averaging $10 to $20 annually. Additional costs may include maintenance services, updates or security features, which can add between $50 and $200 per month, especially for more complex websites. Factors like eCommerce functionality, traffic volume and professional support services can increase these expenses. Are there hidden fees in website creation? Wix is transparent about costs, minimizing hidden fees: Clear pricing plans No setup fees Free SSL certificate included Free hosting with paid plans Domain costs clearly stated App Market prices upfront No mandatory upsells Transparent renewal rates Free customer support Clear upgrade options How much does domain registration cost? Domain registration costs with Wix are: Free for first year with annual premium plans Typically $14.95-$24.95/year after first year .com domains $7.90/year .org domains $6.90/year, .net domains $11.90/year Country-specific domains vary in price Some specialty domains may cost more Domain privacy protection included Is it cheaper to build a website myself or hire a professional? In general it's cheaper to build a website by yourself with a website builder. DIY is generally cheaper initially but can require time investment. Evaluate your specific website needs and resources before deciding which is best for you. Are there additional costs for mobile website optimization? Not with Wix where mobile optimization costs are: Included in all plans, even free No additional charge for responsive design Mobile editor available at no extra cost Automatic mobile-friendly layouts Mobile-friendly templates at no added cost Free mobile analytics

AI website builders use artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify the process of creating a website. They use machine learning algorithms to automate various aspects of web design and development, making it easier for you to build a professional-looking website without extensive technical knowledge. Wix offers a powerful website builder. Initially, creating a website required in-depth coding skills and a deep understanding of programming languages. As technology advanced, traditional website builders emerged, offering drag-and-drop functionalities that made web design more accessible. Today, AI website builders represent the next step in this evolution, allowing anyone to create a stunning website in minutes. In this article, we'll delve into the differences between AI and traditional website builders. We'll explore how AI technology is transforming web development across cost, design capabilities and integrations. Learn more: How does an AI website builder work How to build your own website from scratch What is an AI website builder? AI website builders are built on advanced algorithms that enable them to analyze user inputs and preferences to generate personalized website designs. Unlike traditional builders, which rely heavily on manual input, AI builders automate many processes, reducing the need for technical expertise. Learn more: Best AI website builders What is a website builder How to build a website in a day Traditional vs AI website builders What traditional website builders offer Complete creative control and unlimited customization options Extensive template libraries and manual design tools, Wix for example has over 2,000 customizable, pre-designed website templates Zero technical or design expertise required What AI website builders offer Website generation within minutes Advanced machine learning to understand and implement users’ needs Automated design suggestions and content generation Traditional vs AI website builders When it comes to speed and efficiency, AI website builders can create a website in minutes. The same process with a traditional website builder might take several days or weeks, depending on the type of website and design. Wix offers an AI website builder for on-brand, professional design. Using an AI website builder requires a minimal learning curve and while traditional website builders are designed to be easy to use, they may require slightly more time spent on understanding how they work. Both types of website builders allow for mobile-friendly optimization, allowing you to add integrations for better site functionality, like bookings. Wix Harmony is powered by Aria, an agentic AI trained on millions of real Wix websites. Learn about Wix Harmony, Wix’s AI vibe coding website builder: What is Wix Harmony? How much does Wix Harmony cost? Why use Wix Harmony? Both traditional and AI website builders are cost effective — many of them allow you to create a site for free or have reasonably priced paid plans. Wix’s start from $17 a month, as one example. They also both include robust website infrastructure such as reliable web hosting, enterprise-grade website security and domain name registration. Wix provides an easy-to-use website builder with designer-made, fully customizable templates. When to use traditional vs AI website builders? AI website builders are best for Small businesses needing a site fast to get their business up and running Personal websites and portfolio websites Basic eCommerce web design Blogs AI website builder usage is on the rise. Its market size was valued at US$ 8.5 Billion in 2022, projected to reach US$ 25.6 Billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 14.7% from 2024 to 2030. Explore these AI prompts for website building to get started. Discover these common mistakes to avoid when using an AI website builder. Traditional website builders work for Larger sites requiring more customized design and functionality Custom web applications Unique design requirements More advanced or larger eCommerce sites (explore these eCommerce website examples) Learn more: Why use a website builder How to choose between the two? When choosing a website builder it's crucial to assess the goal of your website amongst other things. Keep in mind your: Project complexity: Determine the complexity of your website project. AI builders are ideal for straightforward sites, while traditional builders may be better suited for more complex, custom projects. Scalability needs: Evaluate how your website will grow over time. AI platforms can quickly adapt to changes but traditional methods might offer more robust scalability options for larger projects. Resources available: Consider your resources available, including budget and technical expertise. AI builders require less technical knowledge and can be more cost-effective, whereas traditional builders may demand more investment in someone who can build a site. Advantages of AI website builders Efficiency AI website builders excel in efficiency by automating many aspects of web design. They can quickly generate layouts and design elements based on user inputs, significantly reducing the time required to build a website. This automation allows you to focus on your content and strategy rather than the technical details. Wix offers an AI website builder that creates a unique, business-ready site in no time. Even today an estimated quarter of small businesses in the US still don't have a website of their own — AI website builders have the potential to change this. Learn more: What is web design? Ease of use These platforms are designed with user-friendliness in mind, making them accessible to individuals without technical expertise. The intuitive interfaces guide users through the process, enabling them to create professional websites with minimal effort. Lower maintenance overhead One advantage of AI website builders that often goes unmentioned is how much less maintenance work falls on you compared to a traditional setup. Platform updates security patches infrastructure scaling and broken-plugin troubleshooting are all handled automatically by the AI builder's provider. On a traditional self-hosted CMS by contrast you're responsible for keeping themes plugins and the core platform updated for patching security issues that arise and for fixing things when an update breaks compatibility. For most small businesses and creators that overhead is real time and stress that doesn't translate into a better website. AI website builders shift this responsibility to the platform so you spend your time on content and customers not on maintenance. The platforms doing the most ambitious design work today are the ones that hide infrastructure complexity entirely. Your job becomes shaping the site to your brand and audience while the platform handles uptime security and updates in the background. That is what lets a small team punch far above its weight on design quality. Shir Berkovitz, design team lead at Wix Studio Limitations of AI website builders While AI website builders offer convenience, they may impose creative limitations. The reliance on templates and automated designs can restrict unique customization options, potentially leading to less distinctive websites. This can be overcome however if you use the right AI website builder — one, like Wix, that allows you to take your website created with AI and customize it. Wix Harmony pairs vibe coding with Aria, an AI assistant that can build and manage sites end-to-end. The hybrid approach: use both to get the best of each The smartest way to think about traditional vs AI website builders is not as a binary choice. The most effective workflow combines them. Start with an AI website builder to generate the structure layout content and images for your site in minutes. Then switch to traditional drag-and-drop editing mode to refine the design fine-tune the copy adjust the visual hierarchy and add the personal touches that make the site feel like yours. This hybrid approach gives you the speed of AI generation and the design control of a traditional builder without forcing you to choose. Most modern platforms including Wix support this workflow natively. You can start your project with the AI website builder or Wix Harmony and then move into the standard Wix editor (or Wix Studio for advanced design) to refine without rebuilding from scratch. The biggest unlock for non-designers is realizing you don't have to pick AI or traditional editing. Start with AI to skip the blank page problem then switch to manual editing where it matters most: your hero section your specific product photos and the copy that captures your voice. You get to launch fast and still own the final result. Michelle Garcia, AI Skill Engineer at Wix Best AI website builders Several AI website builders stand out in the market for their features and ease of use: Wix: Known for its user-friendly interface and extensive website template library, Wix offers powerful AI tools that simplify website design. Jimdo: This platform provides an intuitive experience with its AI-driven design assistant, making it easy to create personalized websites. WordPress integrations: While primarily a traditional builder, WordPress offers integrations with AI tools that enhance its functionality and ease of use. Traditional vs AI website builders FAQ Are AI created websites any good? AI created websites can be great websites, both design and functionality wise. An AI created website can be both stunning and useful. How to build a website with AI? Choose a website builder, like Wix. Start chatting with the builder and within minutes you'll have your site. How do AI website builders work? AI website builders rely on machine learning algorithms to automate the whole web design process. They analyze user inputs and preferences to generate personalized layouts and design elements. These platforms often include features like drag-and-drop editors and SEO tools for functionality and customization.

Launch your website in minutes with Wix AI website builder → Nowadays, there’s no excuse for not creating a website, especially with artificial intelligence (AI) revolutionizing the web design process. What used to take countless hours to create can now be done in a matter of minutes. From envisioning your layout to writing all of your web copy, AI promises a fast, beginner-friendly solution in case you want to skip learning how to make a website from scratch. That said, when you’re learning how to design a website with AI, you’ll want to keep in mind that no two AI solutions are exactly the same. You’ll want to do your due diligence, and use the tools at your disposal wisely. To frame why this moment matters, we asked Ilanit Izhar, Head of UX at Wix, who has studied why people stall before building their website: "Some years ago, website builders like Wix removed the technical barrier between design and code. But even after the technical barrier was lowered, another barrier remained: the psychological one. The fear of getting it wrong. The hesitation before clicking 'publish.' AI doesn't judge. Instead, she translates." In other words, AI doesn't just save you time, it lowers the cost of trying, which is often what stops first-time builders from starting at all. Itching to get your hands on an AI-powered solution? Try Wix’s AI website builder. TL;DR: how to create and design a website with AI Creating a no code website now is faster, smarter and more accessible than ever. AI website builders simplify the entire process, from understanding your business needs to generating a fully designed, professional-looking site in minutes. Whether you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur or small business owner, AI gives you a head start without sacrificing customization. In this guide, we break down how AI website creation works and highlight the key steps to getting online. You’ll learn how to use AI tools to design, edit and launch a site that’s tailored to your brand, and optimized to grow with you. Best features of an AI website builder AI website builder feature Why it matters Smart onboarding AI asks strategic questions to shape your website’s structure and design Instant site generation Get a ready-to-use website with layouts, images and text—no starting from scratch Industry-specific content Automatically pulls in relevant copy and visuals based on your niche Easy design customization Edit colors, fonts and layout with drag-and-drop ease Built-in SEO tools Helps your site rank on search engines from the start Mobile responsiveness Ensures your site looks great and functions well on any device Ecommerce integration Add product pages, accept payments and manage orders seamlessly Performance tracking Access built-in analytics to measure and improve your site over time Wix AI website builder helps you build websites quickly by using smart tools to create layouts, design pages and generate content tailored to your brand. Go from idea to live site faster than ever. Start for free and see your vision come to life today. AI in web design: How it's changing the game A whopping 93% of web designers reported having used AI, according to a recent report by Hubspot, with half using it specifically to design their websites. The advantages? Design and code entire webpages: AI features can generate mockups and prototypes in minutes, as opposed to taking days or weeks to wireframe and code new designs by hand. Or, for more seasoned web developers, AI can simplify the process by generating code samples. Generate site content: Perhaps one of the most tedious steps of creating a website: filling your pages with compelling text, imagery and other media assets. More than half (58%) of designers in Hubspot’s survey attested to using AI for this reason, saving time and money. Infuse expert-level best practices: The best AI website builders are equipped with the latest technology and data on web design trends. For example, Wix’s website builder taps into decades’ worth of experience, as well as its vast ecosystem of solutions, to auto-generate sites that are tailored to your unique industry and goals. Test new design strategies: For more professional web designers, AI can come in handy when you’re looking to iterate on your own ideas or find inspiration. Moreover, you can use AI to track performance and quality, as 43% of designers in Hubspot’s study reported doing. Worth knowing: AI is fast at structure but slow at brand precision. Oded Nachshon, Head of Wix Editor at Wix, who helped build Aria, frames it this way: "If I had to put a number on it, vibe coding gets you to the 80% mark of your final website super fast. It usually nails the structure and the general aesthetic you're looking for. But the moment you try to fine-tune that last 20% to your brand, you enter what I call 'prompt purgatory.'" Plan to spend real time on that final 20%. It's where your site stops looking generic. Looking for the future of website creation with ChatGPT and Wix? Wix's core website building capabilities are now accessible from the AI tools people use every day. Wix's native ChatGPT integration allows you to type "@Wix" in a conversation to invoke its Wix Harmony vibe code website builder. You can describe a business idea (for example, "Build me a site for a high-end sushi catering business in Seattle") and the agent generates a full, live Wix website including booking systems and menus. How to design a website with AI in 7 steps So, how can you get started with building a website with AI? Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough of the process. Gather essential information about your site Choose the AI website builder you want to use Design your site with AI Refine your branding AI Populate pages with AI-generated content Optimize your site for SEO using AI Add AI-powered UX features 01. Gather essential information Often, the quality of an AI output depends on the quality of the information that you input. A full dossier of information about your brand can point your AI solution in the right direction. While you don’t need to have a full style guide in hand, you do need to know basic details like: The purpose of your site Your intended audience The products or services that you plan on selling What sets you apart in the marketplace A business idea of your brand’s personality and/or values Why does this matter? Let’s say that you want to build an eCommerce site that sells ring lights. Your site will look different if you’re primarily targeting Gen Z shoppers who seek your lights for personal projects, versus corporate clients who’d use your lights for professional projects. To limit the amount of back and forth in the web design process, you’ll want to decide which audience(s) matter to your brand the most. According to Oz Golan, Product Group Lead, AI Creation at Wix, the most common first-time mistake is leaving out exactly the details that make your business yours: "A common mistake first-time creators make with AI web design is withholding the insider info only they know: the little details that set them apart, what's unique about their offering, their specific services, their key benefits." Worth knowing: vague prompts produce generic sites. "Build me a coffee shop website" gives you the mathematical average of every coffee shop online. "Build me a coffee shop website for a specialty roaster in Brooklyn focused on single-origin beans, with a subscription page and a story-driven About section" gives the AI a real brief. The more specific you are at the start, the less time you spend correcting later. 02. Choose an AI website builder There are many AI-powered tools to consider, ranging from all-in-one platforms to single-task apps. Start by choosing from the best AI website builders. For the simplest solution, AI website builders are your best bet. Website builders like Wix offer easy-to-use interfaces and AI capabilities that not only do the creating for you, but also guide you through the process. Consider also Wix Harmony which takes you from a single prompt to a business-ready site for any industry or creative vision. Creating with Harmony centers around Aria, a multi-skilled AI agent, trained on millions of real websites and businesses. Aria can offer expert guidance while also performing element-specific actions and generating pages, sections, images and text. Every site created with Wix Harmony is backed by Wix’s fully managed, enterprise-grade infrastructure, ensuring top-tier security, SEO and performance right out of the box. According to Sapir Ziv, a graphic designer at Wix who works on template creation, the choice between AI and a template comes down to a simple framing: "When choosing between AI versus a template, you're essentially choosing between placing your trust in an AI model, which is trained on web design principles through an abundance of information and examples, or placing your trust in the curation and consideration done by an experienced web designer." Make sure to weigh your options carefully. You’ll want to assess things like: Your must-have features: What’s your game plan for your site? Do you need to enable online scheduling? Do you require an online credit card payment solution? What about gated pages or other specialized functionality? Check that your solution can accommodate your particular line of business. Your in-house capabilities: Do you have in-house designers and engineers who can work with code? Or, are you a “solo-preneur” who wants to focus on sales and needs a more off-the-shelf solution? Your budget: Is the pricing straightforward and within your budget? Some AI website builders are free, while others offer premium services for a subscription. Still others charge a one-time fee per design. Remember to think about both your current needs and future needs, and keep an eye out for any hidden costs. Customization options: Can you tweak things to make your site look just right? What flexibility do you have over the branding of your web pages? Integration options: Does your solution mesh well with other tools that you're using, like social media or email marketing platforms? Check which tools come built into your website builder, as well as what integrations are readily available. AI maturity: While AI is in its heyday, it’s not brand new to the world of tech. Some companies have been at it longer than others; Wix, for example, has been at the forefront of AI since 2016. Wix is able to draw on years of in-house design knowledge to inform its AI designs, avoiding cookie-cutter solutions or flimsy tools. Worth knowing: AI builders and templates aren't either-or. A template gives you a designer's curated structure on day one. AI gives you customization without browsing 900+ template options. Many people start with one and finish with the other. The decision matters less than starting at all. And a fast first build is realistic for non-designers, too. Mario Bañares Colastra, Head of Wix Forms at Wix, built his mother's art website end-to-end in about 45 minutes using Wix's AI tools, from briefing the AI through publishing. Build times vary with how clear your brief is and how much manual polish you want, but the "first version live" milestone is genuinely a same-evening project for most small business sites. Get started with Wix for free—sign up now. 03. Design your site with AI As noted earlier, there are two main options for creating a site with AI: either using a website builder or taking a more a-la-carte approach. Let’s walk through each scenario. Using an AI website builder Most AI-powered website builders will ask you a series of questions to get started, though the exact steps depend on the platform. If you’re using Wix, you’ll be greeted by a unique, chat-based experience that asks you a series of questions to get you set up. More specifically, you’ll need to take the following steps: From the Wix AI website builder page, click “Create with AI” and set up a new Wix account or log into an existing one. Click “Start chat” on the next screen. Answer the questions that appear in the chat box. The AI will ask for information about your business and goals to create a site with all the pages, content and widgets you need to support your brand. Take your time answering these questions, giving the AI as much relevant information as possible. Once presented with the option, click “Generate Site.” Expert tip from Ella Joel, Wix web designer: "Designing websites in 2026 is an exciting evolution powered by AI. From tools that streamline the design process to real-time personalization that adapts to user preferences, websites will feel more tailored than ever. Interactive experiences with AR, 3D visuals, and animations will enhance engagement, while a focus on sustainability will drive faster, leaner, and more energy-efficient sites—benefiting both users and the planet." Learn more: AI prompts for website building AI prompts for a website builder Wix will then spin up a website, complete with website header designs, images and text that reflect your business. If you’d like to make changes, ask the AI to regenerate the site or tweak specific elements (such as the theme or structure) of the site brief. When you’re satisfied with the design, click “Continue with this site” and move to the Editor. Make any other desired changes from the Editor. The Wix Editor includes many other built-in AI capabilities, including AI tools for product descriptions, site copy and images. Use these features to your advantage as you fine-tune your site. Publish your finished site. To see what that looks like at speed, one Wix user who has navigated this exact process is Ashley Reckdenwald, founder of Land of Lovies, a US charity she launched after the 2025 LA wildfires: "I always tend to go rogue from the template. But it gives me a good skeleton. It allows me to take a look at what I have and then customize it." Working from a Wix template skeleton, Ashley built her charity site herself and attracted media attention within days of launch. Her experience captures what AI builders do well at the moment: they remove the blank-page problem, which then lets you spend your energy on the parts that actually need your judgment. Without using an AI website builder Mix and match multiple AI applications as needed. When it comes to the site design stage, AI tools like DALL·E or Midjourney can help you visualize your ideas. Provide a few core details about your site, like its purpose and the main message you want to convey. You can achieve even better results by describing your preferred: Visual style (modern, minimalist, vintage, etc.) Color scheme (monochromatic, pastel color schemes, etc.) Layout preferences (asymmetrical, on-page, etc.) Images or icons (product images, lifestyle photos, shopping cart, etc.) Mood or tone (relaxing, corporate, etc.) User experience (mobile-friendly, focused on user engagement, etc.) Sources of inspiration (mention certain brands or designs to model after, but be careful of accidental copyright infringement). For example, below is what DALL·E fashioned together when given the prompt “Homepage for a minimalist website that specializes in hand-knitted apparel.” AI outputs tend to contain gibberish as well as stylistic quirks, so you’ll likely need to tweak the image using a photo editor before implementing it into your site. Once you’ve gotten a feel for how you want your site to look, you can build the front-end code by hand; use an AI tool like Visily or GitHub Copilot (which is powered by OpenAI Codex) to generate wireframes or code snippets from your image, respectively. Or, enter your content into a website builder. Want a professional to handle your AI-designed site for you? Hire a pro through the Wix Marketplace and get matched with verified experts who can bring your vision to life quickly. 04. Refine your branding with AI Any attention-grabbing website includes imagery and elements that not only look good but also reflect your brand well. There are multiple areas where AI can help: Business name: If your brand name is still up in the air, consider using Wix’s AI-powered business name generator to brainstorm memorable names. Simply enter words that are relevant to your business values and type, such as “wedding flower arrangements” to generate a list of ideas. You can further refine your query or specify your industry to get more specific suggestions. Logo: Your logo is a small yet mighty representation of your brand. If you don’t have a logo—or if you’re looking to refresh your existing one—try Wix’s free AI-powered logo maker and follow this guide on how to make an AI logo. You’ll be asked a few questions about your type of business, the vibe you’re seeking and the text you want to include in your logo. The logo maker will even suggest taglines if you’re looking to include one in your logo. Then, the maker will give you various logo options to try out on your site. Color scheme: If you can’t decide the right color palette for your brand, tools like Khroma can help you on this front. Khroma uses AI to learn which colors you like. You train the AI by selecting colors you prefer, and it generates palettes based on your choices. 05. Populate pages with AI-generated content Your site design and layout are like the walls of a house. Once you have them, it’s time to fully inhabit your site with the content that will showcase your brand and its offerings. Quality content entices visitors to engage more deeply with your site and accurately sets customer expectations. You can use AI to speed up the development of text, images and even video, making it easier than ever to offer a rich mix of information in a variety of formats. With AI, you can: Create or enrich website copy. AI text generators can help your produce site copy, from strong product descriptions to catchy homepage copy. For example, in Wix, you can use AI to write copy for any web page. Prompt it to create new copy, or use it to edit existing copy for length, grammar and/or tone. Create visual assets for your site: Whether you need a custom image for your homepage banner or lifestyle images for your product pages, AI image generators can help fill in the gaps. Wix’s tools for text-to-image, which can be accessed from the Photo Studio in the Editor, works similarly to DALL·E; just describe what you’re looking for and AI will whip up a new image. Alternatively, you can use Wix’s tools to remove backgrounds from your photos or enhance the quality of your images. Learn 7 things you can do in 30 seconds using Wix’s AI image tools. Build, enhance and/or repurpose video: Video is the latest frontier for AI content generation, and a handful of tools now enable you to generate sound and motion with the click of a mouse. For example, Runway provides tools for creating videos based on text prompts. Visla generates videos using graphics and stock footage, and can also repurpose your own submissions into short, interactive snippets. Wix offers auto-generated trailers, which allow you to create 30-second clips from longer videos. Worth knowing: AI-generated copy is a strong starting point but a weak finished product. It writes in averages by default. Read every paragraph aloud before publishing and rewrite any sentence that doesn't sound like you would say it. A 10-minute editing pass on AI-generated text is what turns a competent page into one that converts. Learn more: What is web design? 06. Optimize your site for SEO using AI Considering how 35% of U.S. internet users stumble on new brands via search engines, you’ll want to avoid leaving search engine optimization (SEO) as an afterthought when you’re creating a site. There are both technical and on-page SEO factors to keep in mind, such as: Implementing keywords strategically and naturally throughout your content Providing complete, detailed content on all of your pages Matching search intent with your content Making sure each site page is crawlable, and includes things like alt text, title tags and meta descriptions Ensuring your site runs smoothly (i.e., loads quickly, offers a good user experience, etc.) The best AI-powered SEO tools combine keyword data with SEO best practices to help improve the rankability of your site. For Wix creators, the SEO Assistant scores your site pages for SEO and makes dynamic recommendations. Meanwhile, AI can suggest SEO-optimized title tags and meta descriptions for each of your Wix pages. AI builds a site that's structurally clean by default, but structural cleanliness alone won't rank a site. The compounding work, your copy, your meta tags, your link strategy, still has to come from you. As Ruth Eschenheimer, head of AI visibility and organic growth content at Wix, puts it: "AI gets you to the starting line faster; you still have to run the race." 07. Add AI-powered UX features In addition to generating static website content, AI can also help to personalize your site or make it more interactive with dynamic content. End-to-end AI website creation platforms may offer these tools as enhancements within their toolsets, as Wix does. Alternatively, you can shop for standalone vendors that focus on specific AI-powered tools. Among the functionality to consider: AI-powered product recommendations: AI can factor in a shopper’s browsing behavior, past purchase history and saved style and size preferences to recommend products that they’ll love. Wix’s product recommender, for example, will suggest products based on a person’s shopping history—giving your brand more opportunities to upsell and cross-sell. Customer service chatbots: Two-thirds of consumers have used chatbots in the past year, and 81% of those who did report positive results, according to a study by Zoom and Morning Consult. Integrating AI-powered automation into your live chat workflow frees up human customer service agents to solve tricky situations, while the chatbots can field order status lookups, issue return labels and other routine tasks. Wix has partnered with leading chatbot developers to create seamless integrations. AI-driven heatmaps: AI heatmaps are a powerful way to improve your site’s user experience. They track user actions like clicks, scrolls and hovers, giving you a clear picture of how visitors interact with your pages. Want to know which parts of your site grab attention—or get ignored? Heatmaps make it easy to spot what’s working and what needs adjustment. You can use this data to refine your design, like repositioning calls-to-action or simplifying navigation. Worth knowing: AI personalization works best when it's transparent. Visitors who don't understand why they're seeing certain content can find it more unsettling than helpful. Be open about what data you collect, give people clear ways to opt out, and stay current with privacy laws in your operating regions. Best practices for designing a website with AI AI technology can significantly enhance and streamline the website creation process. When designing your website with AI tools, it's essential to adhere to best practices to achieve a successful and user-friendly outcome. By following these key tips for AI web design, you can enhance the user experience and optimize the functionality of your website. Don't forget the human touch: While AI can greatly enhance the efficiency and functionality of your website, it's important not to lose the human touch. Incorporate personal touches and elements that reflect your brand's personality and values. Yarin Singolda, who worked on the Wix Harmony product at Wix, puts the human-in-the-loop point bluntly: "If you approach AI without intention or direction, if you just say 'build me a bakery website' and walk away, then yes, you're handing over your creative license." The best results come from treating AI as a collaborator, not an outsourcer. Test and optimize regularly: Conduct A/B testing, collect user feedback and analyze data to discover elements to improve in the next iteration. Doing this regularly means your website remains relevant, user-friendly and aligned with evolving trends and user preferences. Make your site accessible to everyone: AI can improve accessibility by generating alt text for images or adjusting colors for better contrast but it’s not a fix-all. Manual testing is still crucial for things like keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility and readable fonts. An accessible site isn’t just good practice, it can boost SEO and help you avoid legal issues. Use AI to boost SEO: AI is great for crunching numbers and finding keywords, but it’s not a content expert. It might suggest piling your site with keywords in a way that feels robotic. Instead, use AI as a research tool and make thoughtful edits to create content that works for both search engines and real people. Use AI to personalize: AI-driven personalization can transform a basic site into an experience tailored to each visitor. From smart product recommendations to dynamic page layouts, AI keeps users engaged. But it’s important to stay transparent about data collection, follow privacy laws, and give users control over their preferences. Stay up-to-date with the latest AI trends: AI is continually evolving, with new tools and features emerging. Stay on top of these developments to continue leveraging the latest technology for your website design. New to websites? Learn how to design a website to get started. AI for eCommerce website design AI is changing eCommerce by making stores smarter and more personalized. Businesses can recommend products based on customer behavior, past purchases and browsing history, boosting sales and engagement. AI-powered search features understand what customers need—even with vague or misspelled searches. It also helps adjust product prices in real time based on demand and competitor pricing, keeping businesses competitive. AI chatbots provide instant support, answering questions, guiding purchases and handling returns without human help. AI works behind the scenes to make eCommerce operations run smoother. It predicts when products are running low and reorders stock automatically to avoid shortages or overstocking. AI also spots unusual transactions to detect fraud early. Personalized email campaigns use AI to send the right promotions at the right time, driving more sales. At checkout, AI-powered tools help reduce cart abandonment with one-click payments and smart form-filling. Businesses using AI can deliver faster, more personalized shopping experiences and stay ahead in the market. AI for portfolio websites Say goodbye to spending hours tweaking layouts or fine-tuning designs—AI-powered website builders help you create sleek, professional portfolio examples tailored to your industry and style in minutes. They handle everything from selecting fonts and colors to optimizing images and tagging projects automatically. Plus, AI improves site speed and mobile performance so visitors enjoy a smooth experience no matter how they access your site. AI doesn’t just help with design—it makes your online portfolio work smarter. Need an impressive bio or project descriptions? AI writing tools can create them in seconds. Want to keep visitors engaged? AI chatbots and interactive features guide them through your work and answer questions instantly. Plus, AI-powered analytics show you what grabs attention so you can fine-tune and improve. Learn how to make a portfolio and start with Wix’s AI portfolio generator. AI for small business websites AI tools for small business make it simple to build and manage websites—no tech skills or big budget needed. If you're a solopreneur, local shop owner or online seller, you know how tough it can be to create a site from scratch. Hiring a designer costs a lot, updates take forever and SEO can be confusing. AI handles the tough stuff for you. It can design your site, write content, optimize for search engines and track performance—all in minutes. This frees you up to focus on growing your business while AI takes care of the website. How to design a website with AI FAQ Will AI replace human web designers? Not necessarily, while AI can assist and streamline the website design process, it can't fully replace human creativity and expertise. Human designers can bring a personal touch and unique perspective to website design that AI may not be able to replicate. Can I customize my website designed with AI? Yes, most AI-powered website builders allow for customization and personalization. You can add your own content, choose from a variety of design templates and make changes to suit your brand's unique style. Do I need coding knowledge to design a website with AI? No, AI-powered website builders often require little to no coding knowledge. They use intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces and offer pre-designed templates to make the design process accessible for individuals without technical expertise. What are the benefits of incorporating AI into website design? Integrating AI into website design brings a range of benefits. AI streamlines tasks, freeing up designers to focus on creativity. It boosts personalization by analyzing user data for tailored experiences, increasing engagement. AI tools also reduce costs by minimizing manual work in website management. Lastly, AI-driven data analysis informs future design decisions, optimizing websites. In all, incorporating AI leads to user-friendly sites, enhancing visitor experience and simplifying the design process. How can businesses measure the effectiveness of AI in their website design efforts? To measure the effectiveness of AI in website design, businesses can track metrics such as user engagement, bounce rates, conversion rates and overall site performance. They can also gather feedback from users to gauge satisfaction with the site's design and functionality. In addition, conducting A/B testing on different versions of the site can help determine which features are most effective in achieving specific goals. How can I strike a balance between the human touch and AI? The key is to integrate AI tools and features while still utilizing human creativity and input. Incorporate elements that reflect your brand's personality, values and unique perspective, while leveraging AI for data-driven decisions and efficiency. Regular testing, feedback and analysis can also help strike a balance between the two. Can I use AI to create a website? Yes, you can absolutely use AI to create a website. AI-powered tools can help design professional layouts, generate written content and even suggest optimized user experiences based on your audience's needs. These platforms are often user-friendly, allowing non-technical users to build and customize their websites without needing coding skills. How long does it take to create a website with AI? Creating a website with AI can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours for simple sites like personal portfolios or blogs, thanks to automated tools like Wix ADI. For more complex projects, such as small business websites or eCommerce stores, the timeline can extend to a few days or even a week, depending on customization needs and features. The platform you choose and your familiarity with the tools also play a big role in determining how quickly you can launch your site.

When it comes to learning how to build your own website from scratch, two of the most popular options are: content management systems (CMS) and website builders. Each has its own set of features and benefits that cater to different website building needs. Wix offers a powerful website builder. Choosing which to use depends on several factors such as the complexity of your website, the level of customization you need, your budget and your technical expertise. The right choice will help you effectively manage your online content and make sure your website grows alongside your business. Understanding content management systems (CMS) A content management system, or CMS, is software that enables you to create, edit and publish digital content. It's designed to help manage the content of a website with ease, even if you don't have much technical knowledge. Learn more: Wix Studio CMS Advantages of using a CMS Flexibility and scalability: A CMS can grow with your business, allowing you to expand your website as needed. User permissions and multiple contributors: You can set up multiple user accounts with different permissions, making it easy for a team to collaborate on content. Extensive customization options: With access to themes and plugins, you can customize the look and functionality of your site. Disadvantages of using a CMS Complexity and learning curve: Some CMS platforms can be complex and might require some time to learn. Cost of development and maintenance: While many CMSs are free to use, costs can arise from hosting, premium themes or plugins and maintenance. Understanding website builders Website builders are designed to be intuitive and straightforward, making them an excellent choice for individuals and businesses looking to create a website quickly and with minimal fuss. Wix provides an easy-to-use website builder with designer-made, fully customizable templates. They offer pre-designed website templates and drag-and-drop interfaces to make a website without manual code editing. They simplify the web design process, making it accessible for website users with no technical background. Learn more: What is web design? Advantages of website builders Ease of use: Their intuitive design and user experience makes it easy for anyone to build a professional-looking website. Quick setup and deployment: You can have a website up and running in a matter of hours or even minutes if you use an AI website builder. Inclusive hosting and security updates: Most website builders, including Wix, include web hosting services and take care of security updates for you (including auto backup). Wix offers custom business email addresses. Disadvantages of website builders Limited customization and flexibility: While they offer ease of use, they may not provide the level of customization that some businesses require. For this you might need a more advanced solution, such as Wix Studio or Wix Enterprise. Potential for lower scalability: As your business grows, you might find that a website builder can't accommodate all the new changes or increased traffic as effectively as a CMS. However this can also often overcome by using an ecommerce website builder, for example. CMS vs website builder and the key differences When deciding how to build your website, understanding the key differences between a CMS and a website builder is essential. These differences can significantly impact how your website works and looks. Functionality, flexibility and control A CMS is known for its robust functionality via a wide range of themes and plugins. This can mean greater control over your site's design and structure but requires a steeper learning curve. A website builder on the other hand focuses on simplicity and ease of use with potentially less flexibility. Although this is not always the case depending on the website builder you use. It's ideal for those who want to quickly create a website and now with AI website builders, it can be done even faster. Wix offers an AI website builder for on-brand, professional design. Cost Sometimes a CMS has higher upfront costs due to custom development or premium plugins. Website builders can usually be used for free, or with lower initial costs involving monthly or annual subscription fees that include hosting and maintenance. Scalability Traditionally, CMS platforms have been cited as the best option for scalability and growing sites. However, most website builders now allow you to build sites that can handle sudden traffic surges or sustained growth. Wix, for example, supports up to 10 million collection items on its top-tier plans, giving creators the ability to scale content-heavy sites without needing complex infrastructure. They can also handle multiple pages and advanced functionality, such as eCommerce stores, with ease. Wix Harmony is powered by Aria, an agentic AI trained on millions of real Wix websites. Learn more about Wix's collection storage limits and quotas → Factor Website builder CMS User-friendliness High: drag and drop editors, templates, built-in marketing and analytics tools Can be more complicated to build and maintain, so less user-friendly if you're not an expert Features In-built web hosting, domain name, website security Dynamic pages, multi site and user management Scalability Possible with a website builder like Wix Suited for scalability Maintenance Automatic, regular Less than with a hard coded site SEO and optimization SEO is where modern website builders often outperform CMS platforms. A good website builder ships with the essentials baked in: automatic sitemap generation customizable meta titles and descriptions image alt text fields schema markup structured URLs image optimization page speed tuning and mobile responsiveness. With a CMS like WordPress you typically need to install and configure separate SEO plugins (Yoast, Rank Math, All in One SEO) to get equivalent functionality and you're responsible for keeping those plugins updated. The CMS approach gives you more granular control if you have SEO expertise but it also gives you more ways to misconfigure things. Wix bundles a step-by-step SEO Setup Checklist into the platform that walks you through indexing optimization tasks one at a time so most users get a properly optimized site without ever opening a plugin marketplace. The biggest SEO advantage of a modern website builder is that the technical foundation is already correct out of the box. Page speed, mobile responsiveness, schema markup and clean URLs are handled for you so you can focus on what actually moves rankings: content, keyword research and earning relevant links. With a CMS you have more flexibility but you also own more of the technical maintenance and that can become a real distraction from the work that actually grows your traffic. Yossi Fest, technical SEO at Wix CMS vs. website builder: which to choose Choosing between a CMS and a website builder often comes down to specific needs and scenarios. Here's how to determine which platform might be the best fit for your project. When to choose a CMS If you require a website with custom integrations, a CMS is likely the better choice. When you anticipate the need for scaling up your content or traffic significantly, a CMS can accommodate that growth. For businesses that want multiple team members to manage and contribute to the website with varied permissions, a CMS offers this flexibility. Create a website with Wix Studio and enjoy all the advantages of a CMS, including multi team management and complex functionality. Wix Harmony pairs vibe coding with Aria, an AI assistant that can build and manage sites end-to-end. When to choose a website builder If you need to get a website up quickly without much technical expertise, a website builder is ideal. For smaller businesses or individuals, like a coffee shop or boutique, who don't expect much change in their website's size or complexity, website builders offer an all-in-one solution which includes marketing and analytics tools. Wix offers an AI website builder that creates a unique, business-ready site in no time. When budgets are tight, and you need an inclusive package with hosting and web security, website builders can be cost-effective. Wix offers business email addresses with Google Workspace integration. Consider these options: Best website builders for freelancers Best website builders for restaurants Best website builders for artists Best website builders for writers Best website builders for designers Best website builders for photographers Best website builders for small business Why the line between CMS and website builder is blurring For years the choice was binary: a website builder for ease or a CMS for power. That binary is fading. Modern platforms now offer the speed and intuitive interface of a website builder alongside the structured content management collaboration and customization depth that used to require a traditional CMS. Wix Studio is a clear example of this hybrid approach. It pairs Wix's drag-and-drop visual editor with a full CMS for managing collections of dynamic content multi-site management role-based permissions for team workflows custom CSS and breakpoints for advanced design and Velo for custom code when you need it. For most businesses and agencies in 2026 the practical question is no longer "builder or CMS" but "which platform gives me both." The strict either-or framing is outdated. The strongest platforms today combine intuitive visual editing with deep CMS capabilities so designers and small teams aren't forced to trade off between speed and control. Wix Studio was built specifically to deliver both and we see clients use it for everything from quick marketing sites to complex multi-page client portfolios with custom workflows. Pick a platform that can grow with you in both directions. Shir Berkovitz, design team lead at Wix Studio What to keep in mind when choosing which to choose for your business website Ultimately whether you choose to use a CMS, like Wix Studio or a website builder, like Wix, depends on your business. Here's what to take into consideration when deciding between the two: Business size: Smaller businesses may find a website builder easier to use in order to create a site fast. Enterprise sites may need a more advanced customized solution. Industry: Some industries have specific needs that only a CMS can fulfill due to its extensive customization capabilities. Agencies, managing multiple client sites for example. Goals: Consider your long-term goals, if you plan to scale up or need complex features, a CMS might be more suitable. Learn more: Wix vs Wix Studio

This guide covers everything you need to learn how to sell crafts online. Turn your business ideas, hobby or existing business into an online venture that yields extra cash, flexible hours and the opportunity to be your own boss. Wix offers a powerful website builder. As a crafter, there's nothing more satisfying than witnessing someone admire an item that you've poured your heart and soul into making except maybe getting paid for it as well. No matter what eCommerce business ideas you have in mind, the online market is ripe for craft makers of every kind. This guide will take you through the process of selling crafts, from choosing what to make and sell, to how to build an ecommerce website or online store to sell. Learn more: How to sell on Wix How to sell crafts online in 6 steps Decide what to craft Determine your target audience Develop your brand Choose your eCommerce platform Build your eCommerce store Drive traffic to your business 01. Decide what to craft and sell online When deciding what to craft, you have two options: learn something new or stick with a craft you already know. If the former applies to you and you’ve already mastered a craft, you’re off to a great start. If the latter applies to you, no problem. Start by researching what types of handcrafted items are trending by checking best-selling items on marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon's handmade category (pro tip: when it comes to learning how to start a business, you always need to do your research). Select a product or craft business idea that tickles your fancy, then dig more into the process for creating it, as well as the competition and the overall business opportunity. Ask questions like: What materials and equipment are needed for your craft? How much time do you need to produce each item? How much does an item cost to produce? What other business costs should you consider? What’s the competition like online? (And, who’s already doing it well?) Why are consumers choosing to buy these items, as reflected in their feedback, questions, and/or search histories? What is your break-even price? Are there special licenses, laws or regulations for your craft? Keep in mind that when it comes to handmade items, how you feel about your work is often reflected in your craftsmanship. It's not uncommon for makers to quickly burn out if they're not passionate about what they're doing (or aren't clear about the "why" behind their work). The best-performing craft businesses tend to start from a specific personal angle, not from what's selling on Etsy. Noah Rosen, founder of the handcrafted knife company Forge to Table, started his business from a culinary school dorm room with a very personal motivation: "I ordered 200 hand-forged knives to my dorm room and built a Wix website to sell them." That obsessive specificity, a broke culinary student who couldn't afford a Japanese knife and decided to source his own, is the foundation his entire global eCommerce brand was built on. He now ships to 30+ countries and has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Keeping all this in mind, here are some popular craft categories and niches to explore: Jewelry Home decor Furniture Canvas prints Printable or digital planners Candles Wedding accessories, Subscription boxes Pre-made craft kits Pet treats or outfits Personalized gifts Party supplies Toys Learn more: Crafts to make and sell How to sell products on Wix How to sell online with Wix 02. Determine your target audience Aside from picking a craft that interests you, it's essential to define your target customer base and what solution or value your item provides. Who you choose to target will affect the following aspects of your business: The type of product or features you highlight The materials you use Pricing strategy Branding Packaging Messaging Marketing and advertising strategy Sales channels For example, "groovy fashion" designer Carmen Christine sells a variety of handmade fashion accessories and pieces, all from funky textiles from the 1960s and 1970s. Christine targets young adults that love sustainable vintage fashion. Everything from her logo and product choice (e.g., headbands and tote bags), to her copywriting and site branding (which features bright colors, playful icons and colorfully decked-out models) is tailored towards this audience. You'll want to target a specific audience that you know well in order to enjoy an easier time developing your products, your pricing and your marketing strategy. Develop an ideal customer profile or buyer personas to help you think more from your customers' perspectives. 03. Develop your online craft brand Your brand is much more than just a name or a logo. It's your company's vision, values, voice, style, image, personality, and quirks—all wrapped into one. Defining who you are as a company is the first step to creating a cohesive brand image and connecting with consumers on an emotional level. Identify the purpose and vision behind your brand. Carefully think through your unique selling proposition (USP), your core differentiators, and incorporate it into your branding. For instance, if sustainability is a top priority for your business, create a plan for using sustainable materials when crafting and/or packaging your items. You could also commit to sending a portion of your profits to support a non-profit organization and/or subscribe to other long-term sustainable practices. Build a strong, consistent brand identity with a unique logo, cohesive color palette and signature style. These elements set your products apart and make them instantly recognizable to your audience. "The food that I make, the chocolate that I make, the art that I do, it's my story." Tammy Maki, Founder & CEO, Raven Rising, Canada Wix user, Indigenous-inspired chocolate brand Tammy Maki built her chocolate brand Raven Rising during COVID in her 50s with no eCommerce background. Her brand pulls directly from her Indigenous heritage in both the products she makes and the visual identity of her Wix store. That clarity about what the brand stands for, and why it exists, is what differentiates a craft business that survives from one that gets lost in the marketplace. Raven Rising now ships across Canada and won the Bell Let's Talk Start-up Award. Once the wheels are in motion, you can start thinking about your visual identity, voice, and other brand elements that reflect your commitment to this cause. Check out these craft business name ideas for further branding inspiration. 04. Choose your eCommerce platform When you first start an eCommerce business, there are two core channels that you’ll likely consider selling on: marketplaces (like Etsy eBay) or a branded website. Both have their advantages but starting out with a branded site provides advantages such as: Complete control over your branding, messaging, pricing, and overall user experience Higher margins due to low subscription fees and zero listing fees Full access to the entire customer journey, ensuring optimal user experience and retention in your funnel Ownership over your sales and customer data Professional business features to help you drive sales and grow your business If you’re using a full-service website builder like Wix, you’ll be able to easily expand to marketplaces without duplicating your work, plus gain a central command center to manage your omnichannel operations Aria is trained on millions of real Wix websites and business configurations. It’s therefore wise to create a site that represents your brand in all its uniqueness, then use marketplaces to supplement it with additional brand exposure and sales. Note that most sellers who seek Etsy alternatives (as an example) do so because they’re frustrated by the lack of control and rising fees. Worth knowing: most makers benefit from starting with a branded site and adding marketplaces later, but the timing matters. If you're selling 10 items a month, Etsy's traffic firehose is doing more for you than your own site can. If you're selling 100+ a month, the marketplace fees start eating real money and your own site begins to pay back the time it took to set up. Plan for both, in that order. When choosing an eCommerce platform to host your site and establish your web presence, consider the following: Ease of setup: If you don't have a developer handy, look for a platform that includes professional, mobile-responsive templates and easy-to-use editing tools that don't require coding skills. Security, speed and reliability: Look for an eCommerce platform with a proactive approach to security, ensuring your content and customer data remain safe. You’ll additionally want to check that your platform is set up to scale with your business, e.g., can it handle an influx of traffic without crashing? Does your site load quickly? Does it perform well on all devices? Back-office tools: The best eCommerce platforms offer much more than a website builder. They offer the tools, automations and app integrations necessary for running your business smoothly. They should help to simplify your work across catalog management, inventory management, marketing and more. For example, Wix Smart Chat (which replaced Wix AI Site Chat) combines AI and manual chat in one place, delivering real-time support that keeps customers engaged and shopping by answering product questions automatically and routing more complex queries to a human. Aria can generate full sites, rewrite content, restructure layouts, configure business tools and manage site settings through natural conversation. Multichannel tools: Look for a platform with direct integrations into key sales and marketing channels, including social channels and marketplaces where your customers shop. This will save you from hours of manual data entry, and keep all of your inventory and product data connected across channels. Support: While support is often an afterthought, you’ll benefit tremendously from having a support team within reach. Make sure that help is easily accessible via chat, a self-help knowledge base and other convenient channels. 05. Build your eCommerce store Setting up your eCommerce store is relatively simple when you use Wix’s eCommerce website builder to build your ecommerce website. Wix offers an AI website builder for on-brand, professional design. In case you didn’t know: Wix for eCommerce is a feature-rich, secure platform with 24/7 support and built-in tools for processing payments, tracking performance, managing multichannel campaigns and more—all for one low monthly price. Plus, there are hundreds of apps available in the Wix App Market to enhance your online store further. Wix delivers an AI website builder that shortens your time to launch. Simply start by creating a Wix account and following the below steps. Note: you can create a Wix account for free and upgrade to a paid account only once you’re ready to start accepting orders. Pick a design and make it yours: Choose from 2000+ designer-made templates. Use Wix’s drag-and-drop editor to customize your site to fit your brand. Make sure to check the mobile version of your store too and make any adjustments as needed. The drag-and-drop precision is what separates a polished craft store from a generic-looking one. Gergei Erdei, a former Gucci designer who built his own luxury homeware brand on Wix, put it this way: "I loved building it myself because I could be obsessive about the details. For a creative person like me, getting the composition and the feel of each page exactly right isn't a small thing. And Wix's drag-and-drop builder made it possible to get that precision without writing a single line of code." That level of design control is especially valuable for craft sellers, where the visual presentation of your work directly shapes the perceived value of the product. Wix provides an easy-to-use website builder with designer-made, fully customizable templates. Add products to your store: Upload your product details, including high-quality product photos. Handlebend, for example, infuses lifestyle photos throughout its site to help shoppers visualize how their copper creations would look inside their homes. Handlebend also includes videos and detailed product descriptions on every product page, leaving nothing up to the imagination when it comes to the quality of its products. Optimize listing with keywords: Use the right keywords in your product titles and descriptions to boost search visibility. Think about the words your customers are searching for and weave them naturally into your content. Clear keyword-rich listings not only help search engines recognize your products but also give customers the details they need to feel confident about their purchase. For example, instead of "Handmade Mug," try "Handmade Ceramic Coffee Mug – Artisan Design." This approach connects you with the right audience while creating a better shopping experience. Tell your story: Whether through an "About Us" page or your overall website copy, share your company’s origin story, values, and/or mission. For instance, candlemaker Coal and Canary shares its beginnings on an “Our Story” page, plus weaves its personality and values throughout its store. The company even spotlights staff members on its homepage, allowing customers to see the face(s) behind the brand. By being genuine, authentic, and vulnerable, you can build stronger emotional connections with your customers. Manage shipping and fulfilment: Deliver your crafts safely and efficiently. Choose a reliable carrier and use sturdy branded packaging to make a strong impression. Add clear labels, tracking options and thoughtful extras like thank-you notes to create a memorable unboxing experience. Calculate accurate eCommerce shipping costs upfront and decide whether free or flat-rate shipping works best for your business. Make your policies clear: Clearly explain your shipping, return and exchange policies, including details about return shipping and any fees. Place these policies in a visible, easy-to-find spot so customers know what to expect upfront. This helps build trust and avoids surprises after a purchase. Set up payment processing: Make it easy for shoppers to purchase your handmade items, no matter their preferred method of payment. Wix Payments allows you to accept major debit/credit cards, Apple Pay, Afterpay, and other popular methods to collect payments online. With Wix Point of Sale, you can additionally expand your business beyond one venue or platform and accept payments wherever you go. Pro tip: you can try discounting your products when you're first starting out to appeal to more buyers. Launch your site: Connect your site to a custom domain name and publish it for the world to see. Wix offers custom business email addresses. Price your crafts to actually be profitable The most common reason craft businesses burn out is underpricing. A workable starting formula: cost of materials + (your hourly rate × hours of labor per piece) + overhead per item (platform fees, packaging, electricity, studio space) × profit margin (typically 2× for retail, higher for genuinely scarce or labor-intensive work). Run this calculation honestly for one signature item before you set prices for your whole catalog — if the number feels uncomfortably high, that's information, not a problem. Either find ways to reduce production time, source materials more cheaply, position the piece as a premium product, or accept that it isn't a viable item to sell at scale. Pricing too low to "stay competitive with Etsy" is how craft sellers end up working 60-hour weeks for hobby-tier income. Build in margin from day one and adjust upward as demand grows. 06. Drive traffic to your business Finally, it's time to start promoting your crafts. Focus on the one or two marketing channels that resonate most with your target audience. As you get more familiar with these channels, incorporate more tools and methods into your eCommerce marketing strategy. Some techniques to try: Get social: Present your brand on major social platforms, particularly those that cater to shoppers and handmade enthusiasts, like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Regularly post new, original content to build up your community and take the time to actually engage with your network. Create a blog: Adding a free blog to your site and regularly updating it with fresh content can help to build up your credibility and improve our site’s search engine visibility (aka “SEO”). Of course, a blog is a long-term commitment; we don’t advise starting one if you don’t have the time, resources, and/or passion to manage it. Launch ads: Paid advertising can supplement your organic marketing efforts by helping you reach new audiences quickly. Consider online advertising on social media, search engines, and/or marketplaces. With Wix, you can easily set up Facebook Ads and Instagram campaigns powered by Wix’s AI capabilities. Use email marketing: Email is not yet a lost art. It can be an effective medium for drawing attention to your new products, promotions, giveaways, customer feedback, and more. Moreover, you can use Wix's fully-integrated email marketing services to automate a full-cycle email funnel to keep both prospective and returning customers engaged. Wix offers business email addresses with Google Workspace integration. Attend local events: Spread the word about your business by attending local fairs and events (or hosting virtual workshops and live events). Showcase your crafts and invite your attendees to join your mailing list to receive information on any upcoming sales or product drops. One nuance here: SEO and email take weeks to months to compound, while social and ads can show results faster but cost time or money continuously. New craft sellers consistently expect SEO traffic in the first month and get discouraged when it doesn't appear. Plan for SEO and email as slow-burn channels you start now for results later, and lean on social and small paid tests in the first 3 to 6 months while you're building inventory and brand recognition. Noah Rosen ran his Forge to Table store using exactly this kind of mixed approach: drag-and-drop product pages, an email newsletter and live chat directly on the site. "I think Wix offers the perfect medium for everyone, even someone like myself, a really good cook, but a monkey with a keyboard. I'm able to drag-and-drop edit or build an email newsletter that looks nice." The point isn't that any one tool drives the business. It's that a craft seller can run all of them from one place without needing specialist help. As a crafter, building an online store is an expression of your creativity as much as it is a way to earn some hard-earned money. As you dive into the world of eCommerce, have fun with it. Remember to stay true to your initial vision for your crafts while acquiring new customers and fans. Legal and tax essentials before you start selling Selling crafts online turns your hobby into a business in the eyes of state and federal tax authorities, and a handful of basics will keep you out of trouble. First, get a business license: most cities and states require one for any ongoing commercial activity, and the application is usually a one-page form and a small fee. Check your state's Secretary of State website for specifics. Second, get a sales tax permit (sometimes called a seller's permit or reseller's certificate) in your home state — you'll need it to legally collect sales tax on orders shipped to customers in that state. If you sell across state lines, look up "economic nexus" thresholds for each state you ship to (most kick in at $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions). Marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon Handmade collect and remit sales tax on your behalf in most US states, but on your own branded site you're responsible. Third, track every expense from day one — materials, packaging, platform fees, shipping supplies, a portion of your home utilities if you have a dedicated workspace. These are deductible on Schedule C at tax time and dramatically lower your taxable income. If you expect to owe more than $1,000 in taxes, the IRS expects quarterly estimated tax payments rather than one lump sum in April. A licensed accountant for one hour at the end of your first profitable quarter typically pays for itself many times over. How to sell crafts online FAQ What is the best way to sell homemade crafts? The best way to sell homemade crafts is to create a high-quality product that is unique and in demand. You should also market your products effectively through social media, email marketing, and other channels. Is selling crafts online profitable? Selling crafts online can be profitable remote work, but it takes time and effort. You need to create high-quality products, market them effectively, and build a good reputation. If you do these things, you can be successful in selling crafts online. What crafts are in high demand? Jewelry: Jewelry is a popular craft that can be made with a variety of materials, including beads, wire, and metal. Crochet and knitting: Crochet and knitting are both popular crafts that can be used to make a variety of items, such as scarves, hats, and blankets. Sewing: Sewing is a versatile craft that can be used to make a variety of items, such as clothing, home décor, and bags. Paper crafts: Paper crafts are a fun and creative way to use paper to make a variety of items, such as cards, decorations, and jewelry. Woodworking: Woodworking is a great way to create beautiful and functional pieces of furniture, home décor, and other items. Decorative painting: Decorative painting is a fun and creative way to add personality to your home décor. Upcycling: Upcycling is the process of transforming old materials into new and useful items. What products are the hardest to sell? Mass-produced items: Mass-produced items are often difficult to sell, as there is a lot of competition from other sellers. Overpriced items: Items that are priced too high are often difficult to sell, as customers are less likely to buy them. Items with poor quality: Items that are made with poor quality materials or that are poorly made are often difficult to sell, as customers are less likely to be satisfied with them. Items that are not unique: Items that are not unique or that are not in high demand are often difficult to sell. How do I price my handmade items? To determine the right pricing for your handmade items, consider the cost of materials, the time investedxfprodyc and factor in your skill level. Calculate the total production cost, including raw materials, labor hours, and any additional expenses. Additionally, research similar handmade products to understand market prices and ensure your pricing is competitive. Don't forget to account for your expertise and the uniqueness of your creations when setting a fair and profitable price. What kinds of crafts sell best? The popularity of crafts can vary, but items that are unique, functional, or have a personalized touch often perform well. Popular categories include handmade jewelry, home decor, personalized gifts, and accessories. Stay attuned to current trends and consider your own passion and skill set when choosing what crafts to create. Conduct market research and test different products to discover what resonates best with your target audience. Additionally, offering customizable or niche items can help your crafts stand out in the market. Why are handmade and crafted items popular? Personal touch: Handmade items carry the personal touch of the creator, offering something truly unique that mass-produced items can't match. Quality and craftsmanship: Consumers appreciate the high level of quality and craftsmanship that goes into each handmade piece. Support for small Businesses: There's a growing desire to support small businesses and independent artisans, which aligns perfectly with buying handmade crafts. Customization options: Many craft buyers enjoy the option to customize their purchases, making them perfect gifts or personal treasures. How canI leverage the trend of craft-along videos to boost sales and engagement? There are a few ways to use the trend of craft-along videos to help you sell more: Create live streaming sessions showcasing your crafting process Offer kits with materials needed to follow along, to monetize your videos Host virtual workshops or classes for specific projects that can be joined virtually, streamed live and sold on later Encourage participants to share their results on social media, to spread more buzz around your videos and crafts How can I use a growing demand for personalization to stand out in a competitive crafting industry? When it comes to selling crafts, personalization is relatively easy to incorporate into your business model: Offer custom color or material choices for standard designs Implement a design your own feature for certain products Create limited edition collections based on customer votes Offer personalized packaging or gift wrapping options Develop a system for customers to commission entirely bespoke pieces

Turn your ideas into a website you love with Wix→ Want to create a personal website? A website is the fastest way to showcase your skills and share your story. Whether you’re applying for a job, advancing your career or simply expressing yourself, creating a website helps you present yourself as a professional and cement your online identity while making it easier for others to find you. Wix offers a powerful website builder. Think about the last time you looked someone up online. It could have been on Google, Facebook or another platform, and it probably wasn’t too long ago. How you appear online matters, and having your own website puts you in control of your professional image. Wix provides an AI website builder that generates beautiful, fully customizable sites. This step-by-step guide will show you how to make a personal website from scratch, covering everything from defining your message to designing a site that truly represents you and your goals. Wix provides an easy-to-use website builder with designer-made, fully customizable templates. Building a website for your business, passion project or side hustle should be easy and exciting. With Wix's website builder, you can customize and launch a professional website in minutes, no coding needed. We’re all about simplifying the process so you can focus on what matters most–bringing your ideas to life. So why wait? Let’s get started on creating the website you’ve always wanted. TL;DR: How to make a personal website This guide will walk you through the steps of creating a personal website from start to finish. Start by defining your message and deciding what you want your website to say. Find design inspiration and choose a template that fits your style. Add your own content and customize the design to make it truly yours. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly, optimized for SEO and built on a reliable foundation. Get a second opinion, then promote your site to share your story and reach your audience. Wix offers an AI website builder for on-brand, professional design. Want to build a personal website fast? Wix Harmony takes you from a single prompt to a business-ready site for any industry or creative vision. How to make a personal website Why it matters 1. Define your message Clarify what you want your site to communicate 2. Look for inspiration Gather ideas to shape your design 3. Choose a website template Start with a professional, ready-made layout 4. Add your own content Share your story, skills and experience 5. Customize your design Make the site reflect your personality 6. Make it mobile-friendly Ensure visitors have a smooth experience on any device 7. Optimize for SEO Improve your visibility in search results 8. Get a second opinion Catch issues and refine your site 9. Promote your site Reach your audience and grow your presence 10. Consider website infrastructure Choose reliable hosting to keep your site running smoothly How to make a personal website in 10 steps: Define your message Look for inspiration Choose a template Add your own content Customize your design Make sure you’re mobile-friendly Optimize for SEO Get a second opinion Promote your site Consider your website infrastructure 01. Define your message First and foremost, ask yourself why you’re creating a personal website. Determining your goals will help you figure out everything else, like which content to include and how to structure your site to best serve your purpose. To focus your inward search, here are a few questions you should consider before building your website: How do I want to be perceived by fellow colleagues, future collaborators, and potential employers? What skills or characteristics do I have that set me apart from others in my field? What am I hoping my personal website will help me achieve? Take your time mulling over these questions, as they’ll act as your guide once you get going with the actual creation of your website. In fact, your answers are the foundations of your personal branding - the thing that distinguishes you from others. A clear brand identity will ensure a cohesive and well thought-out message throughout all of your online assets. A personal site can also work as the credibility anchor that opens doors before you have a business to show. Gergei Erdei, a former Gucci designer based in the UK, used his Wix site exactly this way when starting his own homeware brand: "By the time I was ready to pitch, my website was a window into the world I was building, ready and waiting if anyone wanted to look closer." That early clarity about what his site was for, a portfolio that pre-sold the brand, helped him land Matches Fashion as his first client before he had a formal business in place. 02. Look for inspiration Before creating your personal website, browse the web for inspiration. You can look up people from your industry that you admire to see what kind of content they share on their website. We also recommend checking out these professionally designed personal website examples, resume website examples, as well as these portfolio website templates. When looking for inspiration, take note of the website design, as well as the content itself. Is there a particular layout that could also work well for your site? Have they added a powerful mission statement? Perhaps you spotted a color scheme that matches your personal brand? Expert tip from Anna Suntsov, Blog and Social Design Team Lead at Wix.com: "The most important thing before building a website is good research. Know what you want to do and collect good inspirations that will contribute to your design." Write down your findings and save relevant screenshots in a folder. This way, you’ll be able to refer back to them when creating your resume or website. 03. Choose a website template Once you’ve explored a broad selection of personal websites, you’ll have more of an idea of the type of site you want to create. To narrow it down and put yourself on the right path, you can browse through these designer-made personal website templates. Not only will they let you make a personal website for free, but you’ll also be able to adjust the design and focus on the content itself, while ensuring a positive user experience and optimal website navigation. Learn more: What is a template Ideally, you should pick a template that already matches your personal style and content needs. Consider whether you’ll be creating a one page website or a multi-page one, and choose a template that fits these requirements. Worth knowing: Wix's template library is large but treat any template as a starting point rather than a finished design. Personal sites that go live with minimal changes tend to look like everyone else's. Spend time customizing fonts, colors and section layouts to match your own brand, and the site will feel like yours rather than a template that happens to have your name on it. That's an instinct Ashley Reckdenwald, founder of the nonprofit Land of Lovies, leaned into when she built her site: "I always tend to go rogue from the template. But it gives me a good skeleton. It allows me to take a look at what I have and then customize it." Her finished site looked polished enough to attract media attention within days of launch. Tip: Take a look at these one page website templates if you decide to go for a minimalist experience, or browse the entire collection of website templates if you prefer to keep your options open. Learn more: How to make a website with AI, or use Wix's ChatGPT integration—just type "@Wix" in a ChatGPT conversation to generate a full Wix Harmony site from a single prompt. 04. Add your own content At this point, you should have a clear idea of why you’re creating a personal website. Now that you’ve chosen a template to get you started, it’s time to consider the how. Dafna Rabin, Template Design Team Lead at Wix, sees this skipped step constantly: "Once you pick the right layout or the right template for you, I think it's really important and a lot of time users don't really do it, is to first make sure you customize all the content. Don't leave unrelated images or unrelated paragraphs. Really think about the flow of the content of the story that you want to tell your users." While some things are best achieved spontaneously, building a website from scratch is not one of them. Before you find yourself knee-deep in web design, identify which content your personal website requires. Grab a pen and paper, and make a list of all the content your site should contain. This will vary depending on your area of expertise and the type of site you’re creating. However, here are a few elements that almost every personal website should include: Homepage: Your homepage is likely to be the first page on your site that visitors see. To make a positive first impression, strive to perfect your homepage design. Clearly communicate who you are and what you do with a strong mission statement and an eye-catching design. Bio: Your bio can take the form of a short personal introduction on your homepage, or you can create a dedicated ‘About’ page. Your bio should highlight your professional career, but don’t be afraid to also express your unique personality by sharing additional hobbies and interests. If you’re creating a resume website, consider adding a downloadable version of your CV. Your best work: Your personal website can serve as an online portfolio that showcases your scope of work. Alternatively, you can include samples of your work and link to external pages. Make sure to curate your portfolio so that you’re only sharing the pieces you’re proudest of. Even if you don’t operate in a visual field, like design or photography, you can find ways to showcase your work online. For example, if you’re in marketing, share the stories behind your most successful campaigns, highlighting your role and the end results. If you’re a journalist, mention publications you’ve written for and link to your articles. Images and videos: Even if you’re not looking to create an illustration or artist portfolio website, visual aid is always a good idea. Incorporating a photo of yourself will craft a more personal atmosphere and make you seem relatable. For an added sense of professionalism, consider including images or videos of yourself engaging in your line of work. This could be anything from you speaking at a conference, performing on stage if you're creating an actor website, sitting at your desk in an office environment, and more. Blog: Creating a blog is a great way to share your knowledge and provide valuable insights about your field. It will also demonstrate your level of expertise and writing abilities to potential employers. You can write about anything from industry updates to an obstacle you personally experienced in your career and more. If you're going for an even more personal route, a blog can be an amazing addition to a fan website or even a memorial website. Hanna Kimelblatt, Blogger and Growth Marketing Expert at Wix, frames it this way: "Just as important as what your audience wants to read, it's finding a topic you enjoy writing about. Blogging can be one of the most fun activities you can do, but it could also feel like a chore if you're not passionate about its content. Turning something you love and know a lot about into blog posts is a great strategy to attract readers: they'll come for the knowledge, but they'll stay for your authentic outlook and first-hand experiences." Testimonials: Adding quotes from people you’ve worked with in the past is a great way to prove your skills and improve credibility. Try encouraging people to write substantial testimonials that highlight specific qualities of yours, rather than simply stressing how wonderful you are. While this may be true, over-the-top bragging can end up sounding fake and having the opposite effect of what you’re looking to achieve. Testimonials also work well in graphic design resume websites, so remember to include those that are relevant and positive. Contact: If your site visitors can’t contact you, all your hard work will amount to nothing. Include all the relevant contact info in a highly visible spot, and add a social bar with links to platforms such as LinkedIn and YouTube. Once you have all your content prepared, add the relevant pages to your site. Tie them all together using a website menu that will enable visitors to fluidly navigate through your pages. You'll also need to consider if you're going to opt for static or dynamic web pages. On static pages the content stays the same, regardless of the user. On dynamic pages, in contract, the content can change according to the type of user, their location or their past known behavior on a site. If you're not sure at this stage, be sure to opt for a CMS that gives options for both when making a personal website. Learn more: How to vibe code a website 05. Customize your design The design of your website is just as important as the content itself. If it doesn’t look the part, visitors are likely to click away from your site without giving your valuable content a second chance. Other than picking an expertly designed template that resonates with you and your personal brand identity, make sure your website has a clearly defined visual language. This means that every part of your website, from the call-to-action buttons to the footer, should be cohesive in terms of tone and style. Here are the elements to take into account: Color scheme: Colors have a huge impact on mood and tone. Look into color psychology to pick a selection of colors that evoke the right sensation. Are you dynamic and energetic? Calm and sophisticated? To try out different combinations and ensure an aesthetic result, use an online color palette generator tool. Font choice: Similarly to colors, typography also has a part to play in conveying different moods and feelings. To choose the best fonts for your website, browse other websites for inspiration and get a feel for which type of font suits your brand. The resume website templates on Wix already come complete with sophisticated font pairings. Website layout: Ideally, you’ll have already picked a template that accommodates your content, so you won’t have to adapt the layout of each page too much. Browse the most common website layouts and adopt the ones that suit your content the best. For example, a split screen layout could give you the chance to share an image alongside text on the top fold of your website’s homepage. Alternatively, if your site is highly visual, a fullscreen image layout might suit you better, as it will put the spotlight on an image of your choice. Logo: Your logo is an essential part of your branding. If you don’t have one already, we recommend creating your own logo and adding it to your website in strategic places, such as your website menu. Don't forget to plan your favicon too - that little icon in the corner of web browsers when you type in a website url. Yaya Aaronsohn, Head of Brand Maker at Wix, frames the design decision behind a logo this way: "A truly successful logo goes beyond just imagery; it tells a story that deeply connects with its audience. Crafting such a logo involves blending elements that reflect the brand's identity, appeal to its target audience, and embrace modern design trends." This is the part where customizing the build pays off. Gergei Erdei went through this process firsthand when scrapping a developer-built site and rebuilding the whole thing on Wix himself: "I loved building it myself because I could be obsessive about the details. For a creative person like me, getting the composition and the feel of each page exactly right isn't a small thing. And Wix's drag-and-drop builder made it possible to get that precision without writing a single line of code." Waste no time and create your site from start to finish with Wix's website builder. 06. Make sure you’re mobile-friendly With more and more internet traffic coming from mobile phones, the best websites should look pixel-perfect on every device. In addition, since Google introduced mobile-first indexing, websites are ranked on search engine results predominantly according to their mobile versions. When creating a website with Wix, the mobile editor will automatically optimize your design for both desktop and mobile. If you want to make any further changes, you can tweak the design, making sure that your text is still highly legible and that visitors can easily navigate through your personal website. If you’re creating your website with Wix Studio, an advanced creation platform from Wix, you’ll have complete control over breakpoints. This means that you can see and design your responsive website at any viewport size, using intuitive drag-and-drop on a flexible new canvas. Once you've designed your site for mobile, be sure to manage it from a mobile app also, for greater convenience and control while on the go. The Wix mobile app was built for just this purpose. 07. Optimize for SEO There are many ways to promote your site, from social media to email marketing tools. However, preparing your site for search engines is something you can - and should - do in the early stages of creating your personal website. There are a number of search engine optimization (SEO) tips that can help improve your ranking on search engines. For example, you should find the right keywords for your website and focus on them throughout your written content, plus pick a domain name (and later your subdomains) that shows Google what your site is about. Expert tip from Idan Cohen, SEO Growth Specialist at Wix.com: Effective keyword research is a nuanced process of refinement and expansion. Start by eliminating irrelevant topics to focus on core themes with high relevance and demand. Then, delve deeply into these topics to uncover nuances in keyword types, user intents, and search queries. This detailed understanding allows for a more targeted and strategic content approach, maximizing the effectiveness of your SEO efforts. To make sure you’ve covered all your bases, we recommend using the Wix SEO Setup Checklist (formerly known as the SEO Wiz). From writing alt text for your images to indexing your site on Google, this tool will walk you through a personalized SEO plan. You’ll get an understanding of how each step can help drive traffic to your site, plus a clear explanation of how to do it. Choosing a domain name for your personal website Your domain name is the address people will type to find you, so it's worth spending a few minutes to pick the right one. The strongest option for a personal website is your own name: firstnamelastname.com. It's memorable, easy to spell over the phone, and works whether you're job-hunting, freelancing, or building a brand around yourself. If your name is already taken, you have a few good fallbacks. Add a middle initial (firstnameMlastname.com), spell out your middle name, or attach a relevant descriptor (yournameWrites.com, yournameStudio.com). Some people use a prefix like "the" or a professional title (drYourname.com). Avoid numbers, unusual hyphens, and clever misspellings, since you'll have to explain them every time you say the address out loud. A .com extension is still the safest default because most people type it by reflex. If .com isn't available, .me, .co, and .io are reasonable alternatives for personal sites, and country-specific extensions like .uk or .de make sense if your audience is regional. You can search for and register a domain directly through Wix when you build your site, which keeps everything connected in one account. 08. Get a second opinion Once you’ve reached this stage, preview your website to check that everything loads well and that there aren’t any typos or broken links. While you’ll probably have a comprehensive, impressive personal website by now, even the best website designers need an extra eye sometimes. Asking a trusted colleague or friend to review your site could help take it up an extra notch. Perhaps you could improve your bio, write a more powerful mission statement or incorporate a touch of animation in your website design. Receiving feedback isn’t always easy, but it’s worth leaving your ego behind and approaching the critique with an open mind. Once you’ve made any fixes and are satisfied with the final result, it’s finally time to hit the publish button. 09. Promote your site After all your hard work, your personal website is up and running. But you don’t want it to just sit there, lost and alone in the online world. On top of optimizing your site for SEO, there are many effective ways to promote your website for free. Here are a few techniques for getting more eyes on your site: Harness the power of social media marketing by sharing your site on your social channels. You can link to your website on your profile, as well as update your friends and followers by posting about your new creation. Use email marketing to craft valuable newsletters to send out to your subscribers. You can inform them about new blog posts, fill them in on a lecture you’re giving, or send them links to inspirational articles or talks you’ve heard from industry leaders. Add a link to your website and social channels on your email signature. This simple online promotion technique means that any email you send out will automatically contain these links and increase the chances of people reaching your site. If you’ve never created an email signature before or want to refresh the existing one, test out HubSpot’s free email signature template generator that lets you customize every single element of the email signature and choose from pre-made signature templates. In addition to creating a blog, contact other bloggers from your industry and suggest you write guest posts for one another. This win-win situation can help both parties gain more exposure and bring potential leads to your personal website. Sharon Greenfeld, Team Lead of Outreach at Wix, has a specific take on what makes guest posting work: "Use guest posting to bring something new to the table on a specific topic. Guest posts should be innovative and unique while staying true to what is relevant for your blog and brand." Remember to use your site analytics to really understand what's happening with your website, in terms of number visitors, where they're coming from and how they engage with your personal site. 10. Consider your website infrastructure When building a personal website you'll want to make sure you choose a website builder with robust website infrastructure for utmost reliability, performance and security. This also means considering what type of hosting you plan to use (Wix sites all come with multi-cloud hosting, for 99.99% uptime), and how secure your site is (Wix sites all come with free SSL certificates, TLS 1.2+ encryption, and 24/7 security monitoring, among other security features). One of the most common mistakes when creating a website is forgetting about your website security. Learn more: Wix vs Squarespace, Best personal website builders What a personal website actually does for solo founders and creators Beyond the design and SEO mechanics, a personal website often becomes the central trust-building tool that opens up other opportunities. Nicole Michler, founder of the coaching business Phase 20 based in London, describes her Wix site as the "beating heart" of her business. Since launching, she has coached 100+ clients across 15+ industries as a solo operator, with her first client converting into a corporate speaking engagement directly from the site. "Everything happens on my website and it gives me that instant credibility because of the way I can present myself." The same principle shows up across very different creators. Gergei Erdei, the former Gucci designer mentioned earlier, used his Wix site to land Matches Fashion as his first client before he had a business in place. In both cases, the site was the credibility anchor that made the next conversation possible. Is a personal website still relevant in 2026? While social media and online platforms have become increasingly popular as spaces for personal brand building, personal websites remain relevant in 2026, offering several significant advantages over other platforms. Unlike social media where algorithms and policies constantly change, your website is fully yours. It’s your space to share your story, skills and achievements exactly how you want, ensuring your personal brand stays consistent no matter where digital trends go. Around 97% of consumers search for local services online, making it more important than ever to have your own website. A personal website elevates your professionalism by creating a polished, lasting impression for potential clients, employers or collaborators. Unlike the fleeting nature of social media, your site is a stable, customizable platform that grows with you, adapting as your career and goals evolve. Your website is your foundation. It helps you stand out, connect with your audience and showcase your work—on your terms. In today’s fast-paced world, it keeps you visible, in control and ready to make an impact. How to create a personal website with no experience? Building a personal website with no experience is completely doable. You don’t need coding skills or a background in design to create a site that showcases who you are, what you do and what you care about. With a website builder, you can start with a template designed for personal branding, portfolios or resumes, and then add your own content, images and personal touches. Even beginners can make a site that feels polished and professional. Templates give you a clear structure so you can focus on highlighting your bio, portfolio, blog or achievements. Tools for mobile optimization, SEO and navigation are built in, so your website not only looks good but also works well on any device and is easy to find online. Creating a personal website without experience is also a chance to explore your personal brand. Experiment with layouts, colors and images until your site truly reflects you. By the time you publish, you’ll have a website that tells your story, showcases your best work and helps you connect with others—all without prior experience in web design. How much does it cost to make a personal website? Building a personal website can cost anywhere from nothing to a few hundred dollars a year, depending on how polished you want it to look. Most website builders, Wix included, offer a free plan that lets you publish a real site with a builder subdomain (like yourname.wixsite.com), which is a fine starting point if you're testing the waters or building a hobby site. For a more professional setup, expect to spend roughly $100 to $300 per year. A custom domain typically runs $10 to $20 a year, and a premium website plan that connects your domain, removes builder branding, and unlocks features like more storage, analytics, and a business email usually sits in the $15 to $30 per month range. Wix's Light plan is the entry point for connecting a custom domain to a personal site, with mid-tier plans adding more advanced features as you grow. Beyond the platform, the only extras most personal sites need are a paid theme or template (often free with the builder), professional photography if you want custom shots, and possibly a tool subscription for things like email marketing or scheduling. For the vast majority of personal websites, the total annual cost stays well under $400, and the only recurring fees are your domain and your plan. Why trust Wix’s experts? This article was written by Wix’s in-house team, with years of experience helping people turn their ideas into successful websites. Every tip, template recommendation and example comes from real Wix projects, aimed at helping you launch a site that looks polished, functions smoothly and supports your long-term goals. We’ve worked with millions of creators, entrepreneurs and business owners to bring their visions online. Our team keeps up with the latest in design, user experience and SEO, so the guidance you get is practical, actionable and proven to work in real-world projects. Consider this blog your go-to resource for every step of your website journey—from creating your first page to growing a site that reaches your audience and evolves with your goals. How to make a personal website FAQ Does it cost money to make a personal website? Not necessarily, you can build a website for free. However, the cost of building a personal website can vary depending on the the features and functionality you need. Website builders are affordable platforms that allow you to create a website without any coding knowledge. You can choose from a variety of templates and drag-and-drop elements to create your website. Learn more: Is Wix free? Is it worth having a personal website? If you want to share your work with the world, promote your business, or simply have a space to express yourself, then a personal website is a valuable asset worth having. It is a relatively easy and affordable way to create a space for yourself online and share your unique story with the world. What should I show on my personal website? The content you show on your personal website will depend on your individual goals and interests. However, some common elements that people include on their personal websites include: A bio or personal summary Portfolio of work Contact information Blog posts Photos and videos Links to social media profiles You can also use your personal website to share your thoughts and ideas, write about your hobbies, or simply create a space to express yourself. Can I create a website for free? Absolutely, you can understand how to go about creating a website for free using Wix. The free plan provides all the basic tools you need to design and publish a website, including access to templates and hosting. Can I create a website by myself? Yes, you can create a website by yourself, even without any technical skills. Wix offers intuitive tools, such as a drag-and-drop editor and pre-designed templates, to make website creation accessible to everyone. You can customize your design, add features and build a site that fits your needs. How much does it cost to build a website on my own? A basic website can cost as little as $16 per month if you build it yourself, while more intricate sites or those requiring professional assistance (such as designers, copywriters or photographers) can exceed a total cost of $10,000. How to make a personal academic website? Creating a personal academic website starts with defining its purpose such as showcasing research, publications or teaching materials. Choose a platform that’s user-friendly and allows for professional customization. Organize your site with clear sections for your CV, academic projects, contact information and other highlights of your work. Ensure the design is clean and polished to reflect your professionalism and make it easy for visitors to explore your content.

Get started by: Creating an online store → | Getting a domain → Learning how to start an eCommerce business can be a complex endeavor. To put your business on the path to success, you need more than an idea; you need a plan. This post provides a step-by-step guide to the process of starting a business, from initial inspiration to the first online sale and beyond. Worth knowing: an eCommerce business is more than an eCommerce store. The store is one piece of infrastructure but the business is the legal entity, the sourcing relationships, the tax setup, the cash flow plan and the team. Founders who confuse the two tend to launch a polished site for a business that hasn't actually been built yet (no supplier contracts in place, no return policy, no idea how to handle a chargeback). Treat the steps below as the order of operations, not a menu to pick from. Ready to start selling? Build your eCommerce website with Wix. How to start an eCommerce business effectively Step to start an eCommerce business What it means Identify your online niche What you’ll sell or offer Market check Make sure there’s demand Select the right product and source it Which products and from who Write your business plan Careful planning Secure a name + register your business Legal and yours Choose an eCommerce platform Scale, flexibility, security Create your eCommerce website/online store Sales and branding base As with any entrepreneurial venture, careful planning and preparation are essential to your success. Here are the steps to follow to get started with your own eCommerce business: Identify your online business niche Do market research Select the right product mix Secure product sources Write a strong business plan Set your business name and legal structure Choose an eCommerce platform Create your online store Manage your eCommerce business finances Market your eCommerce business 01. Identify your online business niche While it may seem counterintuitive, your chances of making it big in eCommerce are better when you start by thinking small—that is, when you start by defining a niche for your online business. While it’s helpful to study the general trends, broad categories can be crowded with competitors. As one example, health and personal care is slated for growth to over 13% of the eCommerce market through 2027 but trying to compete with major drug chains or beauty retailers can prove difficult (if not impossible) for new players. Instead of targeting a large, general market, target a niche market. For instance, you could start an eCommerce business that focuses on organic skin care for teens, with a selection of cleansers, moisturizers and sunscreen for acne-prone skin. Finding a product to sell is perhaps the most crucial part of starting an ecommerce business, so make sure to do your research. It helps to have expertise in your chosen niche. You’ll spend a lot of time researching the right products or services to provide. You’ll dive into every detail of the business. And, at least at first, you’ll likely manage day-to-day operations, so you should be passionate about what your eCommerce business idea. One Wix user who built a niche eCommerce business from a single specific frustration is Angus Willows, founder of Kangaroo Hanger, an engineering-student-turned-entrepreneur based in the UK: "I think a crazy number, over 8 billion hangers per year, end up in a landfill." Angus designed a patented 100% recycled ABS hanger to address that gap and launched it as a global Wix eCommerce store. The lesson for new sellers: the best niches start with a specific frustration you can name, not a generic "I'd like to sell something online." Looking to to start a dropshipping business? Get started now 02. Do market research Once you’ve pinpointed an eCommerce business niche or idea, it’s time to research and evaluate your potential market. Not only will you learn more about your audience but you’ll also gather the quantifiable data you need to make revenue projections and calculate costs. To understand the market, consider these strategies: Identify your audience type: Are you catering to corporate professionals or individual consumers? The audience you have in mind will help determine the type of business you intend to operate. While many eCommerce businesses serve exclusively B2B or B2C customers, some sellers serve both. For example, a gourmet food seller that typically sells to individual consumers may offer corporate gifting services for the holidays. Or, an apparel retailer may provide customization options for bulk orders, enabling companies to print custom uniforms that include their logos. Get familiar with the main eCommerce KPIs before getting started. Size your market: Build a profile of your ideal customer based on their demographics, geographic location, interests, spending habits and any other salient details. Then use that profile to guide your research into census and market data to arrive at realistic numbers. Your goal is to understand your potential customers better as you gauge the ultimate potential for growth for your eCommerce business. These benchmarks will also help you forecast revenue and demand as accurately as possible until you begin generating sales and have an earnings history to use as a guide. Immerse yourself in the trade: Follow trade media and individual thought leaders in your chosen category and read up on overall eCommerce trends via publications. Study the competition: Dive deep into competitor websites, sign up for their email updates and track news coverage on your competitors. Pay attention to how they market themselves, both online and offline. If you can dig up financial reports or earnings, that information can guide your own forecasts and projections. Ask your audience directly: Use surveys and polls to gather information from your potential customers. Hang out in relevant social media groups and forums and attend in-person events where potential customers congregate. According to Chad Waldman, a DTC brand builder and eCommerce strategist who has scaled brands in competitive wellness categories: "The biggest mistake I see new sellers make is confusing 'I like this product' with 'there's a viable market for this product.' Passion is a starting point. Validation is the business case." The implication for new sellers: the cheapest possible store is the one you don't build for an idea that won't sell. Spend the first hours of your eCommerce budget on validation, not design. 03. Select the right product mix Your niche and your target market will guide decisions about which products to sell or services to offer. Consider, for example, whether your audience would be receptive to curated kits or gift sets, and whether seasonality is a factor. Price and profit margin are essential to consider, as they determine the potential for your business to scale. A break-even analysis will help you figure out how much of each product you need to sell to recoup your initial costs and begin making a profit. When selecting products to sell, you’ll want to consider factors like: Product life: Know your expected product life cycle. This will help you create a multi-year plan for your eCommerce business. Some big-ticket items are built to last decades; buyers who ordered a sofa may not return to your site immediately, unless you offer complementary items. On the other end of the spectrum, replenishable goods like pet food or beauty supplies may inherently attract repeat purchases. For these, you may want to offer bulk discounts or start a subscription box business to further encourage repeat business. Price expectations: While offering a variety of price points can broaden your appeal with buyers, if your audience is used to purchasing luxury goods, then you may want to limit your selection to top-of-the-line offerings. If you’re a B2B seller, consider whether your corporate clients expect you to offer items in bulk at wholesale prices. Cost of goods sold (COGS): As you select products, consider overhead costs and logistics, such as whether items require fancy packaging or “white-glove” delivery and installation. Digital products, by contrast, have no shipping or physical procurement requirements. You can calculate COGS with the following formula: beginning inventory + purchased inventory − ending inventory. Once you have guidelines in place, dive into the specifics. If you need inspiration and want to see what’s trending, turn to competitor websites or search best-selling items on marketplaces like Amazon. Ecommerce tools like Google Trends and Algopix can also help identify hot products. Or, use your favorite SEO or keyword research tool, like Semrush, to find frequently searched products, validate a product concept and/or discover which brands are most frequently searched in your market. 04. Secure product sources and suppliers Once you have specific items in mind, you’ll need to determine the right product sourcing method. Perhaps you create all of your products by hand and want to keep it that way. Or, maybe you’re interested in dropshipping with a platform like Modalyst, Wix’s native dropshipping solution. Depending on your budget, resources and preferences, you have a few options to choose from when it comes to sourcing products: Make goods by hand yourself: Quality is fully within your control but it can be tricky to scale your eCommerce business or keep up with high order volumes. Hire a manufacturer: You source products from a third-party manufacturer but sell them under your brand name. Items are made to your specifications, and you retain control over production, pricing and branding. You can make goods efficiently in large quantities, but good communication with your production partner is essential to ensure quality is up to snuff. Partner with name-brand manufacturers: If you seek products from specific manufacturers or designers, you can contract as an official reseller or dealer and offer those products through your eCommerce site. While your brand will get a boost from the affiliation, you’ll need to price items low enough to compete with other sellers, and some brands may have policies around a product’s minimum advertised price (MAP). Both can cut into margins. Retailers can also create their own branded merchandise via private label lines in partnership with manufacturers, straddling the manufacturer/retailer divide. Costco’s Kirkland line or Amazon’s AmazonBasics are just two examples of this strategy. Source from wholesalers: Wholesale suppliers offer catalogs of goods, often from multiple manufacturers. You can find inexpensive products to buy wholesale, which gives you leeway in pricing. On the flip side, products sourced overseas may bring additional delivery costs and tariffs as well as the expense of inventory and warehousing. Work with dropship suppliers: Dropshipping shifts traditional retailer responsibilities to suppliers, enabling you to launch an eCommerce business with minimal upfront investment. You handle the marketing and choose your products, but incoming orders are routed directly to your suppliers, who are responsible for shipping items directly to your customers. You never have to buy and hold inventory, run a warehouse or ship items yourself. On the flip side, you have less control over product quality and delivery, putting your brand in a vulnerable position if suppliers slip up. Ghost commerce takes it a step further, where the supplier ships items, yet you maintain your brand’s image and handle customer relations. It’s important to weigh your options when choosing a product sourcing method, and truly evaluate all of them carefully. Before you make a definitive decision, ask yourself the following questions: Do you want to customize or brand your products? Because wholesale suppliers produce in bulk, it may be hard to tweak selections to match your criteria. As an intermediate option, some suppliers offer white labeling, which allows you to sell ready-made products with your logo and branding. And if you want to personalize products further, explore print on demand. This is a subset of dropshipping that allows you to offer custom designs on a selection of products created to your specifications as orders come in. Creating and selling custom products has never been easier. With Wix’s on demand printing, powered by Printful, you can design and launch personalized apparel, accessories, home goods and more, made to suit any style, niche or need. No extra tools, no complex setup. Just pick a product, upload your design and start selling all from your Wix dashboard. With seamless Printful integration, you get a streamlined way to build, brand and sell without ever leaving Wix. One thing worth knowing: the sourcing method you pick is a decision about which constraints you can live with, not a decision about which one is "best." Make-by-hand caps your scale but maxes your control and margin. Wholesale gives you stock leverage but exposes you to MAP rules and oversupply. Dropshipping eliminates inventory risk but hands customer experience to a supplier you can't audit in person. Most successful brands start with one model and graduate into a hybrid (often dropshipping → private label) as they learn what their customers will pay a premium for. Pick the model that matches your cash position and your tolerance for the failure mode most likely to bite you in year one. How much capital do you have to invest in inventory? If you’re working with limited startup funds, dropshipping can be a more economical route for launching your brand. How complex are your warehousing and fulfillment needs? If you offer recurring subscription shipments, corporate gifting services or bulk order capabilities, you may need to manage logistics yourself to ensure deliveries are accurate and on time. How do your competitors source their products? While you don’t want to outright copy your competitors, research as much as you can about their processes to identify any potential differentiating advantages they have. Do they have exclusive dealer rights to brand-name merchandise you want to stock? Do they offer products sourced exclusively from sustainable suppliers? What is your backup plan if one of your suppliers has issues? Nearly four in 10 shoppers have abandoned online purchases due to items being out of stock, so take proactive steps to avoid disappointing buyers. Find backup sources of widely available wholesale products, and cover contingencies in your contracts with suppliers. How will you scale your business? Manufacturing or making your own products gives you the greatest amount of control, but they also make it difficult to meet rising demand. You may need to contract with a new factory altogether, hire staff or find other expensive solutions. For a more flexible option, you may want to consider dropshipping or wholesaling. While Wix is known for helping beginners launch online stores quickly, the platform is also built to support growing eCommerce brands with scalable infrastructure, advanced automation and customizable sales workflows. What are your audience’s expectations? Buyers are prioritizing sustainability more and more. In fact, U.S. consumers are reportedly willing to pay an 11% premium for products with reduced environmental impact. If your customers expect ethically sourced products, include those factors in your sourcing criteria. 05. Write a strong business plan to validate your idea Document all the research and planning you’ve done up to this point with a formal eCommerce business plan. Not only does a business plan capture your work in a comprehensive and detailed format, but it also provides a touchstone for keeping your day-to-day operations focused on your mission. The strongest business plans keep teams aligned during launch and lay the foundation for attracting the right business partners and investors. While the individual components of a business plan can be tailored to your unique priorities, you should include the following elements to be sure the document is relevant and useful: Mission, description and unique selling proposition (USP): Your business plan should outline the reason your company exists, summarize at a high level what it does and identify what sets your brand apart from others. This information helps you stake your claim in the marketplace and guides future decisions about priorities. In particular, it’s critical to flesh out your unique selling proposition. Your USP guides your product positioning, helps you to stand out from the competition and identifies partners and consumers who share your values. For example, “plastic-negative” water company and Wix merchant Mananalu differentiates its products by supporting a larger cause. Mananalu water is packaged in refillable aluminum bottles, which are easier to recycle than plastic. In addition, each time a consumer buys a Mananalu water, the company pledges to remove a plastic bottle from the ocean waste stream. Shoppers can even buy further “plastic offsets” to support the company’s cause. Climate Neutral certification and “1% for the Planet” membership provide third-party credentials attesting to the company’s commitment to sustainability. Market and SWOT analysis: Summarize your market research and describe your company’s position relative to the competition. Provide an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) to pinpoint your areas of greatest potential growth. A realistic analysis will help maintain focus not only as you launch, but as you scale and add new offerings. Your offering: Use your previous research and planning to create a detailed description of your products and/or services, product sourcing and pricing strategy. Describe how this offering aligns with your audience’s needs. In addition, describe your plans for customer service and order fulfillment as crucial components of the brand experience. Marketing plans: Describe how you plan to introduce your eCommerce business to your target audience, including which digital channels you’ll prioritize and which technologies you’ll rely on to execute marketing tactics. Financial forecasts: Using your previous research, build a model forecasting expenses, revenues and growth. To ground your projections in reality, use real-life results from competitors or other businesses in your field. Consult trade publications and category experts for growth benchmarks and formulas to incorporate. Funding sources: Describe how you’ll secure the startup resources you need, whether through your own savings, private equity, crowdfunding or investors. If you’re presenting your plan to potential funding sources, customize the information to explain the rationale behind your request and describe the benefits of funding your business. One Wix user whose USP became the engine of her brand is Tammy Maki, founder of Raven Rising, an Indigenous-inspired chocolate brand based in Canada. Tammy launched her store from scratch in her 50s during COVID: "Honestly, I looked at Amazon and I went, 'If they can have an eCommerce site that can service the world, for God's sake, why can't I?'" She built the Wix store herself with no eCommerce background and now ships across Canada; she won the Bell Let's Talk Start-up Award in 2020. The lesson for new founders: your USP is what gives the business plan its center of gravity. Without a clear differentiation, every other section of the plan loses sharpness. For an eCommerce business, that framing matters from day one. The business plan you write today should treat the website not as a deliverable to launch alongside the business but as the primary expression of the brand the plan describes. 06. Set your business name and legal structure After you put your business plan together, you’ll need to set up the actual legal framework to support your business. Start by picking a business name that reflects your brand identity and USP. If you need some inspiration, try researching popular search keywords, brainstorming names related to your niche or playing with different spelling variations. Wix’s free business name generator can provide more ideas. As you narrow the list, check that the names are: Easy to read, say, spell and remember Search-friendly Available as a website domain Not being used by another business (in the U.S., individual states maintain registries of businesses you can check) Once you have your business name figured out, you’ll need a logo. You can create one yourself, work with a graphic designer or try out the Wix logo maker for free. Next, you’ll want to choose the right legal structure for your eCommerce company—a key step in starting a business of any type. Your overarching business structure will define your liabilities, tax status and more. Consult with legal professionals and accountants to determine whether a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC) or corporation is right for you. In the U.S., you’ll also need to register your business and apply for a federal employer identification number (EIN) in order to pay taxes, open a business bank account or obtain financing. You can do this through the IRS’s website for free. Behind its user-friendly interface, Wix provides a robust infrastructure that takes care of hosting, security and compliance so merchants don’t have to worry about the technical details. At the same time, businesses that need more control can leverage Velo and Service Plugins to customize shipping, taxes and product catalogs while maintaining a stable, high-performance core. Wix also connects seamlessly to enterprise systems like ERP, CRM and inventory management platforms, allowing growing businesses to extend functionality as their operations become more complex. 07. Choose an eCommerce platform At this point, you’re ready to bring your brand to life through building your own eCommerce website. The first step is to choose the best eCommerce platform for your needs. There are dozens of website builders on the market, so evaluate your options carefully. To ensure your eCommerce website development goes smoothly, look for a platform that provides: Professional aesthetics: Wix offers hundreds of specialized online store templates you can customize to reflect your brand. A domain name: You’ll need a domain name of your own to match your business name. Enterprise-grade security: Wix offers a secure infrastructure with 24/7 security monitoring to protect against data breaches. Top performance: It’s critical to have web hosting with the capacity to support a speedy, high-performance site on both mobile and desktop devices, even during peak sales periods. Built-in analytics: Wix’s analytics dashboard helps you track key eCommerce metrics, such as website traffic and generate historical performance reports. Customizable shopping cart pages: A customizable shopping cart page will ensure your branding and messaging are consistent throughout the purchase process. Wix includes built-in automation tools that help eCommerce businesses optimize sales through AI product recommendations, automated discount logic and abandoned cart recovery workflows. Variety of checkout options: Flexible eCommerce checkout options should support whichever payment method your customers prefer. Wix Payments is an integrated payment gateway system that can connect to in-store point-of-sale (POS) registers, too and allows you to accept payments on a website. A content management system: A content management system (CMS) should ideally support robust product information and brand-building features such as blogs, how-to articles and buying guides. Back-office functionality: Look for integrated tools that help automate back-office functions, like bookkeeping and order fulfillment. Wix offers eCommerce tools for tasks like inventory management, invoice creation and more. A reasonable pricing model: Your platform’s pricing model should make sense financially for your business, both now and in the future. As you research, pay close attention to recurring fees and special surcharges so you understand the total cost. With Wix, you can build a website with eCommerce functionality for as little as $27 per month. Worth knowing: platform pricing is the wrong thing to optimize at this step. The numbers are small enough that a $10/month difference disappears once you have any revenue at all. The decision that actually compounds is whether your platform can model your business as it changes shape. Most eCommerce founders end up adding something the original store didn't sell (a service tier, a subscription, a B2B catalog, a physical retail integration) within the first two years. The cost of replatforming when that happens is hundreds of operational hours, not the price difference between plans. Get ready for launch. Sign up for Wix today. 08. Create your online store Regardless of which eCommerce platform you choose, it’s important to research the best practices for designing an eCommerce store. Knowing how to make a website includes the following best practices: Be clear about what you sell: Make it easy for customers to understand your business and products by using consistent design elements and language throughout the site. Avoid jargon-heavy or overly cutesy names for product categories and individual items; use accurate language that matches the search terms your audience enters. Once shoppers are ready to buy, don’t beat around the bush; use clear calls-to-action like “Shop Now” or “Buy Now.” Invest in high-quality imagery: A picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s especially true in eCommerce. Buyers can’t physically touch and try products, so photos and videos help convince them to have faith and click “Buy.” High-quality photos that clearly show details and features are essential, while videos demonstrate products in action and can be repurposed for social platforms like TikTok. Showcase user-generated content (UGC): Buyers trust others like them to communicate authentically about products and services, so find ways to spotlight customer reviews, user-submitted photos and social media comments. The same holds true in the B2B world; 86% of businesses consider verified reviews a critical factor in purchase decisions when deciding vendors. Embrace mobile: Transactions on mobile devices already account for four in 10 online sales, and an even higher share of product research occurs on smartphones thanks to their “anywhere, anytime” availability. Your eCommerce site shouldn’t just be mobile-compatible. You should assume the majority of interactions with your brand will occur on the go. Make sure that pages load quickly even when wi-fi isn’t available, and that images render clearly on small screens. Wix enables businesses to launch branded iOS and Android apps without coding. Optimize your online store with AI tools: Shoppers today expect convenience at every step, and a quick answer can often be the difference between a sale and an abandoned cart. With Wix AI Site Chat, you can meet that need instantly. It helps customers move confidently from browsing to checkout, giving them the reassurance they need to complete their purchase. You can also check out the Wix AI Site Chat overview for a deeper look at how it works. According to Oren Inditzky, Head of Online Stores at Wix, who has spent years working with internet apps and online businesses: "Five seconds. That's how fast someone can form an impression of your website." The implication for new sellers: the first scroll on your homepage and the first scroll on every product page do almost all the work of converting a visitor. Treat those screens as the highest-leverage design decisions in your build. Explore eCommerce website design and business websites for inspiration. 09. Manage your eCommerce business finances Once you’ve launched your eCommerce business, you need the tools to track sales, profit and growth. Three things in particular are worth monitoring closely: Plan for seasonality: Holidays, annual weather patterns and other cyclical influences can cause your income to spike and dive. For example, in the U.S., the final quarter of the year can account for more than 30% of annual sales for some categories of retailers. Other cycles might be particular to your industry: if you offer bookkeeping or accounting services online, for example, your peak season might end on April 15, the filing deadline for personal income taxes. Accurate forecasting can help predict when sales will pour in so you can manage cash flow to cover leaner months. Get a handle on fulfillment costs: If your eCommerce business involves delivering physical goods, be prepared to spend 15% to 20% of net sales on fulfillment costs. Of course, if you provide a virtual service or a downloadable app or software product, you can avoid these costs altogether. If you use dropshippers to fulfill orders instead, you won’t carry those overhead costs yourself, but the suppliers will likely pass them on to you as part of your fees. Guard against costly chargebacks and returns: It’s estimated that 17.6% of all online sales are returned. Add in the cost of reverse logistics, where goods are returned to stock for resale or simply discarded, and you’ll want to prevent returns in the first place. Try to create detailed product pages that include fit and sizing guides, compatibility information and materials. In addition, bolster your customer service content to address common questions before purchase; communicate shipping timeframes so consumers don’t cancel orders in transit if they don’t arrive in time. Finally, set a return policy you can actually afford. Worth knowing: the fee structure that hurts new eCommerce businesses isn't the one on the pricing page. Standard processor fees (around 2.5-3% plus $0.30 per sale) are predictable. The fees that actually surprise founders are chargeback fees ($15-$25 per disputed transaction even if you win) and international cross-border fees (an extra 1-1.5% on overseas card transactions). For physical-goods stores with new customers, both can compound fast. Set up dispute prevention (clear product descriptions, photo confirmation of shipment, tracking on every order) before you set up paid acquisition. Successful eCommerce stores aren't just about making a first sale. They're about building lasting customer relationships. Wix includes built-in tools that help businesses encourage repeat purchases and grow customer lifetime value. Merchants can create loyalty programs with reward points, offer subscription-based products or memberships and keep shoppers engaged with back-in-stock alerts and pre-order options. Wix also supports digital gift cards, giving businesses another way to attract new customers and capture seasonal revenue. Read more: SMB online commerce for acquiring banks and merchant acquirers. 10. Market your eCommerce business Launching your online store is an achievement, but by no means can you “set it and forget it.” With so many eCommerce websites available, you need to promote your brand to attract new buyers and create incentives that keep customers coming back. As you allocate your marketing budget to sell more products online, focus on the digital channels you know your audience uses. Follow these strategies: Personalize the shopping experience: Seven in 10 consumers now expect personalized interactions with companies, and businesses meeting that expectation can boost their marketing return on investment (ROI) anywhere from 10-30%. Seek out tools that enable you to automate eCommerce personalization in email campaigns, product recommendations and post-purchase promotions. For example, with Wix, you can add a “Best Sellers” or “Related Products” gallery to your product pages. Boost word-of-mouth buzz: Encouraging customers to create and share reviews is just the start when it comes to building word-of-mouth advocacy for your brand. Create promotions that reward customers for referring friends and family, and post share-worthy takes and exclusive offers on the social media networks that your customers use most. To further boost visibility on social media, consider working with micro-influencers. These personalities may not have millions of followers, but they have devoted audiences whose interests can align closely with your brand offering. Prioritize SEO: More than half of consumers rely on search engines as their top tool for shopping research, so stay up-to-date on best practices for search engine optimization to give your brand the best possible chance at visibility. Develop rich content, optimize for mobile devices, maximize site speed and earn inbound links to improve your rankings. Build loyalty: While it’s natural to devote attention to finding new customers during launch, you also need a plan for keeping the customers you already have. It’s less expensive to build a loyal following than to continually churn through one-time purchasers, and repeat customers tend to outspend new buyers. Consider creating a loyalty program that rewards buyers with perks and exclusive offers based on how much they spend. One Wix user whose analytics-driven approach turned launch into expansion is Nick Houston, co-founder of Fork n' Film, a Los Angeles-based cinematic dining brand that grew to $11M+ in revenue in under 2 years across 9 locations: "I love the analytics on Wix, it tells a big story about who we are as a company and who our customers are. When it comes to expansion, we want to go off data. We don't want to just go off assumptions." For an early-stage eCommerce business, the lesson is to instrument the things you'll need to make decisions about later. Set up your analytics on day one even if the data isn't useful yet. The compounding insight value of having 6 months of data when you need to make your first scaling decision is significant. Wix makes it simple for growing businesses to sell anywhere: online, on social channels, marketplaces or in person. Stores can reach customers globally with automatic translations, multi-currency payments and automated tax calculations. Merchants can connect to major marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Google, sell directly on TikTok and Instagram or even launch a branded mobile app for iOS and Android to engage shoppers on the go. For businesses with a physical presence, Wix integrates fully with point-of-sale systems, making it easy to manage both online and offline sales from one platform. Drive more sales with Wix eCommerce marketing. Start an eCommerce business checklist Task Completed Define your niche and products to sell 2. Conduct full market research 3. Create a business plan 4. Choose a business structure (LLC) and register it 5. Obtain all necessary licenses and permits 6. Set up business banking and accounting 7. Source products and suppliers 8. Choose an eCommerce platform — Wix 9. Build and publish your online store 10. Set up payment solutions and shipping 11. Develop a marketing strategy 12. Plan your customer service processes Learn more: eCommerce vs retail How to grow your eCommerce business What is an eCommerce business? An eCommerce business is a company that sells products or services online. With an online store, you can serve customers around the world, and buyers can browse and make purchases at any time of the day. Ecommerce sales have increased faster than other retail businesses in recent years. In the third quarter of 2023, for example, the U.S. Department of Commerce reports that retail eCommerce sales grew 7.6% year over year to $1.8 billion, compared with 2.3% growth in the overall retail sector. Given this growth, it’s no wonder that merchants of all types now view eCommerce as an essential part of their business. It’s worth noting that while some eCommerce sellers operate exclusively online, others use their websites to enhance and complement offerings at physical store locations, manufacturing plants or offices. Business-to-consumer (B2C) eCommerce serves individual retail shoppers, while business-to-business (B2B) sellers offer products or services to other companies. Learn more: What is an eCommerce website? Types of eCommerce Ecommerce advantages and disadvantages How much does it cost to start an eCommerce business? The cost of starting an eCommerce business depends on many factors, from the type of products you sell to the features you need to power your online store. But when all is said and done, you could spend anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000. That range may seem high—in fact, you may wonder if you could drop a zero from the lower end of the scale. Dropshipping can eliminate upfront inventory and fulfillment costs, and platforms such as Wix offer inexpensive eCommerce site hosting plans and design services. But even with this minimalist approach, you still may need to factor in costs for things like marketing, technology and software, legal and administrative fees, and more. No matter how much startup capital you have at your disposal, it's important to do your research and plan carefully before starting an eCommerce business. This will help you avoid costly mistakes and increase your chances of success. The potential costs to consider include: Business formation and licensure: Setting up your business structure and governance, securing any required licenses and filing registration and tax paperwork can add up to several billable hours from legal and accounting professionals. Ecommerce platform: The technology behind your eCommerce website is all-important and should support integrated shipping, payments and marketing from one unified dashboard. Depending on the platform, each module may be priced separately, or you may be charged a single annual fee for all-in-one service. Products: The upfront cost of your products will vary depending on what you're selling online and which sourcing method you choose. If you hold inventory, add the overhead expense of storage or warehousing space. Design, eCommerce photography and copywriting: As you set up your online store, you may wish to enlist professional help with the website design, product photos and written content. If you’re launching in more than one country, you may need to find translation services to ensure product copy is localized accurately. Customer service: Responsive service is a must for building your brand’s reputation. Make a plan to personally handle incoming questions and requests or hire staff to ensure adequate coverage. Logistics: If you want to handle order and ecommerce management yourself versus outsourcing to a dropshipper, you need to invest in packaging, staff to pick and pack orders, and contracts with freight carriers or third-party logistics providers to handle deliveries. Marketing: Even if you don’t allocate budget to paid advertising, you’ll still need to invest hours into setting up social media accounts and optimizing your website for search engines. Why start an eCommerce business in 2026? The global eCommerce market is expected to reach a value of approximately $7 trillion by 2025, so there’s no time like the present to get started. Here are just a few reasons to start an eCommerce business this year: The barriers to entry are (relatively) low: While launching an eCommerce business successfully does take some initial investment, it’s far less expensive to build a brand online. In the past, shopping technology was prohibitively expensive and required a professional IT staff to manage. You can earn a profit (relatively) quickly: While you won’t generate millions overnight, the relatively low startup costs and efficiencies of scale you can access via dropshipping means that you may be operating in the black within a year to 18 months. While the size of your profits depends in large part on your category and your wholesale product costs, relevant, high-quality products and superior service can help justify the higher prices that lead to bigger margins. You can access rapidly-growing global markets: As much as the U.S. represents a huge eCommerce market, other parts of the world are seeing even more exponential growth—and you can sell to these nascent markets without needing a physical presence or local staff. While China is dominant in terms of eCommerce market size and penetration, countries that are potentially more accessible, such as Canada, Mexico and the U.K., are all top global targets to consider. You can run your business your way: As the world discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital businesses can be managed remotely. You can route orders to dropshippers and respond to customer service queries on your own time, anywhere—a stark contrast with traditional retail, which tethers you to a store location and requires staff to serve customers during set hours. Learn more: How to sell books online How profitable is an eCommerce business? The profitability of an ecommerce business is dependent on many factors, including the type of industry and niche you choose. When trying to determine how profitable this business type might be, or how long it might take to reach profitability with an ecommerce business you'll need to consider the following: Industry and niche Different industries and niches have varying profit margins. For example, businesses selling high-value products or unique items with low competition, such as luxury or handmade goods, may have higher profit margins than those selling low-priced commodity items such as stationary, for example. Business model The business model you choose, such as dropshipping, wholesale or manufacturing, directly impacts profitability. Dropshipping, for example, means lower overhead costs especially at the start but may mean lower profit margins. Manufacturing products requires more upfront investment but can also mean higher profit margins, especially long term. Operating costs Keeping your operating costs low, including website fees, marketing expenses and shipping costs, is crucial for maximizing profitability with an ecommerce business. Marketing and sales strategies Effective marketing and sales strategies that drive traffic and conversions are essential for generating revenue from your online store. This also means controlling your customer acquisition cost (CAC)—the cost of acquiring new customers should be lower than the lifetime value of a customer to ensure profitability. At the same time, increasing your average order value by offering product bundles, upselling or cross-selling can boost the profitability of your business. This also means focusing on customer retention and building strong customer relationships for repeat customers. While Wix makes it easy to launch an online store, the platform also includes advanced retail capabilities designed to support businesses at every stage, from new stores to high-revenue, large-scale eCommerce operations. Stores can automatically apply promotions using built-in discount logic, recommend products with AI-powered “viewed together” suggestions and recover lost revenue through automated abandoned cart emails. As brands grow, Wix also provides flexibility in the checkout experience, allowing businesses to customize workflows or add additional logic to match their sales strategy. How to start an eCommerce business FAQ How much does it cost to start an eCommerce business? Starting an eCommerce business can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on your goals and needs. Basic expenses include purchasing a domain name, setting up a website or eCommerce platform, inventory (if selling physical products) and marketing. Additional costs may arise if you invest in professional web design, advanced software or specialized tools. To keep expenses manageable, start with a clear budget and prioritize the essentials needed to launch and grow your business effectively. Do I need an LLC for an eCommerce business? An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is not strictly required for starting an eCommerce business, but it offers valuable benefits. It protects your personal assets by separating them from your business liabilities, which can be crucial if your business faces legal or financial challenges. Some entrepreneurs start as sole proprietors to minimize costs, but forming an LLC can provide added credibility and legal safeguards. Consider your business’s scale, risks and growth plans before choosing the right structure. What are the 4 types of eCommerce businesses? B2B (Business-to-Business): Transactions occur between businesses, such as wholesalers selling to retailers. B2C (Business-to-Consumer): Businesses sell directly to individual customers, like online stores or subscription services. C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer): Individuals sell products or services to each other, often through online marketplaces. C2B (Consumer-to-Business): Individuals offer products or services to businesses, such as freelancers providing services or influencers creating sponsored content. Is eCommerce a profitable online business? Ecommerce can be a highly profitable online business with the right strategy and execution. Profitability depends on factors like choosing the right products, effective marketing, controlling costs and creating a strong customer experience. However, competition and rising costs for advertising or shipping can present challenges. By staying adaptable and focused on adding value for your customers, you can build a sustainable and profitable eCommerce business. Is it hard to start your own eCommerce business? Starting your own eCommerce business comes with challenges, but it’s more accessible than ever thanks to modern tools and resources. Initial hurdles often include learning technical skills like setting up a website, navigating competition and managing logistics such as inventory and shipping. However, platforms, templates and guides can simplify the setup process significantly, even for beginners. With a clear plan and the right support, launching an eCommerce business becomes a manageable and rewarding endeavor.

Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce→ Learning how to start an online store is the first step toward building a business that works for you. To make your life easier, we’ve put together this guide with step-by-step instructions on how to build an online store. Whether you’re starting a business from scratch or taking your brick-and-mortar business online, we’ll help you get started on the right foot. Ready to start your eCommerce journey? Now’s the perfect time to bring your vision to life. With Wix eCommerce, you have the tools to build a professional online store and create a website that captivates your audience, drives traffic and boosts sales. Take the first step and explore Wix eCommerce today. Make your mark online and turn your ideas into success. TL;DR: how to start an online store Kicking off an online store means making some big decisions for your brand, your business and your sales. First up: pick a niche and really get to know your audience. Next, build a strong brand with a memorable name, a clear look and a consistent feel. Set up your business and register it correctly. After that, choose a platform that fits your needs, keeps your site safe and can grow with you. Plan for costs early, ecommerce platforms, hosting, domains getting, your products and extra tools all add up and affect how smoothly your store runs. Worth knowing: most new online stores don't fail because of a bad platform or a bad product. They fail because of unrealistic launch expectations. A new store typically needs 6 to 12 weeks of paid traffic testing before it becomes consistently profitable, and the first 90 days are when most stores lose money as new sellers underestimate paid ad costs. Plan a runway that lets you learn what works before you scale spend. Design your store to make shopping easy and fun, with clear buttons great images and lots of payment options. Get people to visit with smart marketing, track what's working with analytics and give amazing customer service so buyers keep coming back. Along the way, focus on strategies that help you make money online while your store grows. Wix is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that supports physical products, services, specialized business models like rentals or online ordering and digital programs such as online courses, all from a single backend. How to start an online store in 10 steps Choose a niche and determine your target audience Create a strong branding strategy Decide on your business structure and register your business Pick an eCommerce platform Name your store and get a domain Design your online store for sales Connect a payment provider Optimize your eCommerce website Start your marketing campaigns Create a customer service plan 01. Choose a niche and determine your target audience Choosing which products to sell online will require careful consideration. Beyond thinking about what your target audience likes, you’ll need to do a bit of competitive recon and ask yourself some key questions. For starters: which brands are already popular online? What unique pain points can you help to solve? How do you plan on sourcing your products? According to Chad Waldman, a DTC brand builder and eCommerce strategist who has scaled brands in competitive wellness categories: "The biggest mistake I see new sellers make is confusing 'I like this product' with 'there's a viable market for this product.' Passion is a starting point. Validation is the business case." The implication is direct: spend the first hours of your eCommerce budget on validation, not design. The cheapest possible store is the one you don't build for an idea that won't sell. Learn more: How to sell on Wix Generate and refine product ideas To get the ideas flowing, here are a few things to try. Optimize a popular product: Take what you know works and make it better. This is something big retailers do with their private label products. They’ll check to see what’s popular in stores or online, then create their own versions. Try this out for yourself by using tools like Jungle Scout or checking sites like Amazon’s Best Sellers list. Scour reviews on leading brands to discover what their products are missing. Look out for an untapped market: Have you ever searched for a product online and realized that nothing really wows you? Did your brother mention something that would be cool to own over dinner? There’s no replacement for an original idea. One Wix user who built a business this way is Angus Willows, founder of Kangaroo Hanger, an engineering-student-turned-entrepreneur based in the UK: "I think a crazy number, over 8 billion hangers per year, end up in a landfill." Angus designed a patented 100% recycled ABS hanger to address that gap and launched it as a global Wix eCommerce store. The lesson for new sellers: the best niches start with a specific frustration you can name, not a generic "I'd like to sell something online." Follow the trends: Whether born out of necessity or a viral topic, there’s always a plethora of trending products to choose from. The key here is to have a system for understanding what’s driving a product’s success. How long will the trend last? What marketing do you need to do to keep the momentum going? Be careful not to commit to a product that will lose interest as quickly as it gained it. Once you’ve brainstormed a few good ideas, take some time to make sure that it’s a realistic item to sell. Ask yourself if your item is easy to ship, where you can sell it and whether you can turn a profit. To start an online clothing store, define your niche—like sustainable streetwear or custom pieces—and know your customers’ style and sizing needs. Build a brand with a fitting name, logo, colors and visual style. Use high-quality images, detailed fabric and fit descriptions and plan inventory by size and season. Streamline shipping and returns and promote through social media, influencers and trend-driven campaigns while tracking sales and feedback. Target the right audience for your online store Beyond that, you need to identify your target audience. The closer you are to your product (or audience), the greater your chances of building a successful business. If you already have a product idea, use that to determine your ideal customer. If not, consider an audience that you’re most familiar with. What products do you use on a regular basis? What do you value the most about your favorite brands? Or, who in your life are you looking to serve with your products? As with any business, it helps to find a purpose that will keep you motivated in the long run. eCommerce, after all, isn’t just sunshine and butterflies (see our guide on what is eCommerce). There are numerous logistical and financial questions you’ll have to address. By reminding yourself why you’re running your business and for whom, you can better stay on track. To that end, take the time to establish buyer personas. Personas help you get into the mind of your buyer and, in turn, make decisions regarding messaging, your eCommerce website design, marketing strategies and more. Learn more: What's the best way to start an online store? 02. Create a strong branding strategy Branding is a big part of your online success. At a time when an increasing number of shoppers are open to buying from brands they’ve never heard of, it’s critical for you to have a strong eCommerce branding strategy that leaves a strong impression. Branding includes everything from your business’ name, logo, favicon, typography, color palette and tone of voice. Your business’ brand should strongly relate to the type of company you are and the mood you want to create. According to Liley-Beth Griffin, Senior Marketing Writer & Creative at Wix: "Your website is your brand in its truest form. It's one of the few places you dictate the narrative and vibe." For a new online store, the implication is that branding is not a finishing touch you add at the end of the build. It's the lens through which every product page, every email and every ad should be evaluated. One Wix user whose brand identity drives her entire business is Tammy Maki, founder of Raven Rising, an Indigenous-inspired chocolate brand based in Canada. Tammy launched her ecommerce store from scratch in her 50s during COVID: "Honestly, I looked at Amazon and I went, 'If they can have an eCommerce site that can service the world, for God's sake, why can't I?'" She built the Wix store herself with no eCommerce background and now ships across Canada and she won the Bell Let's Talk Start-up Award in 2020. The branding lesson: your story is your differentiation against everyone else selling a similar physical product. Build your online store visual identity Start off by creating your brand palette. You could use blues and greens to match your environmentally friendly water bottles. Or you may use brighter colors to emanate a cheery, energetic mood. Whichever direction you go, make sure you have a reason for why you chose your brand colors rather than arbitrarily selecting them. Save three to four hex color codes to reference moving forward. Next, create a logo for your business with the help of a designer or logo maker. Needless to say that it should be strong, memorable, and uniquely yours. A classic example is the Nike swoosh. (Would you be surprised to learn that Nike co-founder Phil Knight initially reacted to the logo saying “I don’t love it, but maybe it’ll grow on me”?) The success of the logo surely has something to do with the fact that it represents motion and speed, two values of the athletes that Nike sells to. Note: you’re not trying to find a logo that simply speaks to your tastes. You’re trying to find one that speaks to your audience—don’t forget that. Set tone of voice and ensure brand consistency Another important aspect to your brand is your tone of voice. This should be taken into account when writing your product descriptions, social media posts, and other communications. Should your tone be playful? Serious? How would you speak to your target buyers if you were talking with them face to face? All of these branding factors will be important when your building content for your brand, including: Your website Emails Invoices Product packaging Shipping materials Marketing campaigns To start an online supplement store, focus on a clear niche like protein powders, vitamins or nootropics. Source products from certified manufacturers with lab-tested quality and consider private-label options to stand out. Build a health-focused brand with clear labels, dosage info and benefits highlighted. Use a platform that supports subscriptions, detailed product pages and multiple payment options. Promote through fitness influencers, educational content and customer reviews to grow trust and sales. 03. Decide on your business structure and register your business By this point, you’re probably bouncing in your seat, ready to get started. However, there are a few legal things you’ll have to take care of in order to make your business official. This includes an official filing that ensures that your business is recognized by the government. It additionally includes decisions that will affect your eligibility for business funding, tax obligations, personal protections, and more. First and foremost, you need to decide how your business will be structured. Here are some of the most common types of business: Sole proprietorship: This means you and your business are legally and financially linked together. This is the simplest form of business to start. That said, you cannot operate as an employer. Rather, you operate and run the business as an individual. Limited Liability Company (LLC): This option lets you keep your personal and business assets separate, lowering the risk of starting a business. LLCs are relatively quick to set up and offer various business tax benefits. Partnership: If you’re starting your business with two or more business partners, you’ll need to sign a partner agreement, which determines how you’ll split duties and profits. This agreement will track each partner's roles, responsibilities, investments, and rights. Corporation: A corporation usually refers to an established business that includes shareholders and employees. There are various types of corporations you can create. Corporations can be initiated by an individual or group of people. If you’re setting up your business as a sole proprietorship, you can avoid any formal action in order to create your business. Nonetheless, you’ll still need to apply for any relevant license and permits that are relevant to your business and location. Check with the US Small Business Administration to determine what you’ll need. Register your business and manage taxes Moving forward, you’ll need to pay estimated taxes each quarter as well, according to IRS standards, and potentially collect and remit online sales tax. If you’re looking to set up an LLC, partnership or corporation, we suggest you consult a business lawyer. Deciding to register your business is a crucial step that legally establishes your company and protects your brand name. It not only grants you legal rights but also enhances credibility with customers and potential partners. On top of that, having official business status allows you to open a business bank account, apply for necessary permits and access funding opportunities. Learn more: How to register a business How to license a business (for your US based business) How does eCommerce work? To start an online toy store, focus on sourcing safe, age-appropriate and engaging toys. Identify popular licenses or unique items that stand out. Set up product pages with clear images and descriptions, highlight educational or fun features and plan marketing around playful storytelling, demos and seasonal trends. 04. Pick an eCommerce platform If you’ve figured out what products to sell and how to source them, then you’re halfway to the finish line. The next step is to build a site where you’ll list your products. Your site is the face of your brand. It’s where you’ll have the most control over your branding and the overall buyer journey. It’s also where you’ll be accepting payments and handling essential tasks. It can also be an all in one solution that allows you to handle your selling, marketing, payments, logistics and procurement. Learn more about what is Wix Payments. So, it’s important to find the best eCommerce platform to host your site. At this stage, don’t let the bells and whistles of a platform woo you. Make sure to look under the hood and ask all the necessary questions. Factors to consider when choosing an eCommerce platform Features: No two platforms are the same. Some platforms—like WooCommerce—are like blank canvases but require a developer’s help to set up and maintain. Others—like Wix eCommerce—don’t require former coding experience. Instead, you can pick from existing templates, blocks, and apps to build an online store without fuss. (You can additionally connect your favorite payment solution, track inventory, automate sales tax, and more. Learn how to set up your online store with Wix.) Specialty businesses: Do you plan on selling CBD or do you have another niche business idea? Check that your platform has the capabilities to support your line of business. Mobile view: Does your website builder optimize for mobile? Will shoppers be able to comfortably browse your store on their phones? Can you accept mobile payments? Considering how mobile commerce has taken the world by storm, it’s especially important for your site to be mobile responsive. Scalability: Replatforming can be a pain later on, so you’ll want to find a system that can support your business both now and later. To that end, consider if you’ll be able to upgrade your plan easily to access more professional tools, like ads, pre-orders and discount campaigns. Make sure you’re not being taxed for your success (e.g., having to pay large commission fees as you make more sales). Web security and reliability: This is too often an afterthought or something that sellers think of only after they’ve fallen victim to a disaster. In reality, security and reliability should always be top of mind. How will you avoid a site crash if sales suddenly spike? How will you defend your online store from hackers, fraudulent transactions, and potential chargebacks? Make sure your eCommerce platform provides public key certification - either SSL or TLS. This will give your site https at the start of its domain and will help build credibility between you and your potential customers. You'll also need to make sure your platform has reliable and secure web hosting, that can respond to sudden traffic influxes and provide as high uptime as possible. SEO: You want your site to rank on Google. In order to do so, you need a strong technical SEO foundation to start with, then tools to optimize your site the way you want to. Wix, for instance, offers the ability to customize your meta tags, URLs, structured data markup, and more. Check to see which SEO capabilities your platform has to offer. AI capabilities: Online stores never close, and your customer support shouldn’t either. Wix AI Site Chat delivers real-time support that keeps customers engaged and ready to buy. Easy to set up and always on, it smooths the path to checkout so your store keeps moving, even when you’re off the clock. You can also check out the Wix AI Site Chat overview for a deeper look at how it works. Wix supports high-performance eCommerce operations with AI-driven product recommendations, automated discount logic, abandoned cart recovery and customizable checkout workflows. According to Itay Shmool, VP of Wix Domains at Wix: "For most small businesses, reducing technical overhead is more valuable than chasing marginal cost savings across multiple platforms." In practice that means: three or four cheap individual services can look like a saving on paper and cost more in time, integration headaches and missed sales than a single bundled platform. The biggest replatforming costs come not from the migration itself but from the operational time lost while a business is mid-move. Choose an eCommerce platform, like Wix, that can flex into adjacent business models (subscriptions, bookings, multi-channel) without forcing a rebuild. Worth knowing: the cheapest plan today is rarely the right answer for a business with growth plans. Most eCommerce platforms (including Wix) let you upgrade without rebuilding the site, so you can start small and scale up. The bigger lock-in risk is choosing a platform that can't add eCommerce features, bookings or shipping integrations later, since that's where a migration actually costs you time and money. Pro tip: your free eCommerce hosting on Wix is automatically set up when you publish your site (no installation needed) and supports successful online stores of every size. 05. Name your store and get a domain Finally. It’s time to get working on your brand. Start by thinking of a memorable name for your business. A great name can help give you a competitive advantage in your target market Brainstorm words associated with your product, industry, values, or unique selling point. Or, use a store name generator to gain some inspiration. To guide your name choice, consider SEO. Identify terms that shoppers are using to find either physical or digital products like yours. You can use Google Trends or keyword research tools, like Semrush, for help in this area. Plus, you can check out our SEO guide for additional tips. It may not be a bad idea to mention your product category or product type directly in the name. This will let shoppers know what you offer right away. For example, if you’re selling hats, you can include the word “accessories,” “fedoras” or “caps” within your name. Check for uniqueness and simplicity But above all, make sure your business name stands out and is not already being used. You can do this in one of several ways: Research your direct competitors Search your name ideas on Google and social media Check your local business registration service Simplicity is key. Choosing a name with an easy spelling and pronunciation, secures quick recognition and recall. A great business name captures attention, evokes emotion, and sticks in the mind. It should be unique yet memorable, reflecting your brand's essence and values. Daniele Pitkowski, Product Marketing Manager - Alternative Flows at Wix.com Register and connect your domain After you’ve decided on a business name, choose the best domain name for your site from a domain name registrar. Try to match your store name exactly. This will help your customers find and remember your brand online. Note that for any domain name, you’ll likely pay around $10-$15 per year. With Wix eCommerce, you can register and connect a domain name directly from your site. In fact, once you’ve set up your store, you’ll have the option to get your domain name for free for one year. 06. Design your online store for sales This is the fun part. Here is where your creativity can shine. The trick here is to design a store that’s both well-branded and optimized for conversions. Your customers should not only be impressed by the look-and-feel of your store, but should also be able to easily find your products and confidently make a purchase. According to Oren Inditzky, Head of Online Stores at Wix, who has spent years working with internet apps and online businesses: "Five seconds. That's how fast someone can form an impression of your website." The implication for new sellers: the first scroll on your homepage and the first scroll on every product page do almost all the work of converting a visitor. Treat those screens as the highest-leverage design decisions in your build. Learn more: What is an online store?, Website vs online store Pointers for designing your site Use an eCommerce template: There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Wix offers plenty of online store templates that can be adjusted and customized to make sure your store looks entirely unique. At the same time, these templates will include all the key features your store will need so you won’t have to create it all from scratch. Carefully think through your site’s structure: Observe how other major brands and retailers use navigation menus, filters, breadcrumbs and shopping carts to create a smooth user experience. Avoid cluttering up any nav bar or page, and hone in on the search behaviors and terminology that resonate with your target audience. Follow the three-click rule: As a general rule of thumb, your products should be accessible within three or less clicks. Meaning, it should be easy for your customers to get from your homepage (or any other landing page) to their desired product page. They shouldn’t have to dig through many layers of your site to find what they’re looking for. Don’t forget about key links—like your shipping information, returns policy, and contact info—which could be included in your footer. Be clear about what you sell: Your visitors should know what you sell immediately upon arrival. While your off-site advertising and marketing efforts should help with this, you’ll want to reaffirm your area of expertise via clear page headings, clear search menus, and powerful imagery. Pro tip: Update your site’s metadata to include the type of store you are. For example, if you’re a t-shirt business called PlopTee, your site’s meta title should read “PlopTee | T-Shirt Store.” Write clear calls-to-action (CTAs): At every stage throughout the buying process, your customers should know what they should do next. Create button text and other prompts that are intuitive and compelling. The customer should know exactly where each click will lead (e.g., “Add to cart” or “Explore more products like this”). Learn from these 14 high-converting product page examples. Don’t skimp on your product descriptions: It’s easy to get lazy with your descriptions, especially if your manufacturers already provide copy for you to use. But failing to write original descriptions is a big missed opportunity. Between their impact on SEO and on brand trust, your product descriptions can influence your return rates, visibility, and more. See tips for writing strong product descriptions. Be intentional with your images: You don’t need us to tell you that product photography is an extremely important aspect to selling online. Customers often sift through images first and sometimes rely heavily on your photos to make their purchase decision. Use professional photos and videos to showcase the product’s looks, feel, size, dimensions, proper use, and more. View more eCommerce product photography tips. According to Amanda Weiner, CRO Manager at Wix, who manages all conversion rate experiments on the Wix website: "My job itself is fully dedicated to testing different elements of our site. Whether we're dealing with a landing page, product page, or this very blog that you're looking at, my role as CRO manager is to question everything." For a new online store, that habit of questioning every element is what separates a store that converts from one that just looks nice. Build a culture of small tests from day one. A/B test product page layouts, CTA wording and checkout flows once you have enough traffic to make the data meaningful. One Wix user who built her store around tight design-for-sales principles is Jenna Spencer, co-owner of The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles: "It ignited a viral chain reaction, leading to thousands of orders. We needed an online store, fast, and Wix gave us the agility to adapt." A single Instagram post promoting book bundles generated thousands of orders overnight. The Last Bookstore now ships bundles, gift cards and merchandise globally from a physical store that draws up to 1,000 customers on Saturdays. The takeaway: design-for-sales pays dividends not just on planned launches but on the unplanned viral moments that turn into your biggest revenue days. 07. Connect a payment provider In order to earn your first dollar from eCommerce, you need to decide how you’ll get paid. It’s always a good idea to offer multiple payment methods. Just think about the last time you walked into a store or restaurant. You likely expected them to accept credit cards, or even Apple Pay. However, on occasion you may walk into a store that only accepts cash—in which case, you’re either in or out of luck. The same logic applies online, where you can offer payment options like: Credit/debit cards Digital wallets (like PayPal) Bank transfers In-person payment (if you have a brick-and-mortar store) Buy now, pay later solutions NFT Choose the right payment gateway There are also various payment gateways (aka payment processors or providers) to choose from. Payment gateways are what ensure a safe, successful transfer of funds. Some gateways may be better than others, depending on your location and business type. Whichever you choose, your provider will need to verify your bank account before you can take home the money that you earn. Before deciding on a payment gateway, make sure you're aware of any associated costs. These can include: Domain registration fees Hosting plans Transaction fees Integrated payment solutions with Wix Payments For U.S.-based businesses, Wix Payments is a popular website payment solution for accepting credit, debit, Pay Now by Klarna, and other methods at checkout. It’s free and easy to set up on your Wix account. You ultimately benefit from having one, integrated dashboard to personalize your payout cycles and more. Another option is to select from third-party plugins, which include 100+ payment gateways worldwide. Wix doesn’t charge additional transaction fees and can immediately be integrated with your gateway-of-choice. Worth knowing: payment processor fees typically run 2.5% to 3% per transaction plus $0.30 per sale. On a $30 product with a 30% margin, those fees represent 8% to 10% of your profit, not your revenue. That math matters most for low-ticket products, where high transaction volume can compress margins fast. For high-ticket products (over $100), the fee impact on margin is much smaller. Factor processor fees into your pricing model from day one rather than discovering them in month three. 08. Optimize your eCommerce website Once your online store is up and running, you need to optimize it so people can find it on Google and other search engines. This helps you attract and retain customers, as well as improve your overall sales performance. Top tips to optimize your site: Improve site speed: Ensure your website loads quickly by compressing images and leveraging browser caching. A faster site enhances user experience and can improve search engine rankings. Enhance mobile responsiveness: With an increasing number of customers shopping on mobile devices, make sure your site is fully responsive. Test your site's performance on various devices, ensuring a seamless experience across all platforms. Use SEO best practices: Optimize your product pages with relevant keywords, descriptive meta tags and high-quality content. This will help increase your site's visibility in search engine results, driving more organic traffic. Streamline navigation: Make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for by organizing your site navigation logically. Use clear headings, categories and search functionalities to guide users effortlessly through the shopping process. Improve checkout process: Simplify the checkout process by reducing the number of steps required to complete a purchase. Offer guest checkout options, multiple payment methods and clear calls-to-action to enhance user satisfaction and reduce cart abandonment rates. Consider also using back in stock pre-alerts to optimize your sales and inventory management. Wix reduces purchase friction at every stage of the buyer journey with Quick Buy functionality, a sticky mobile Add-to-Cart button and performance-optimized checkout flows. Learn more about adding an online shopping cart to your store. 09. Start your marketing campaigns Your store is now ready to take on sales. It’s time to start shouting it from the rooftops. Drive customers to your online store using a variety of marketing strategies. Organic marketing tools Social media marketing: Create a business page for yourself on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, choose the social platform where your target market is most likely to be found. Update your business information and leverage your channels as both a sales and customer service vehicle. Channels like Instagram and TikTok support checkout directly from their platforms. Learn more about your social commerce options. Consider using influencer marketing to really make impact with your business and drive brand loyalty. You might also want to consider using social proof as a trust signal on your online store website. Email marketing: Emails are far from dead. In fact, emails grant you direct access to customers who have opted into your communications via your content marketing campaigns. To get started, create a business email address. Then develop an email list by adding a lightbox to your site that encourages sign up, adding signup as an option at checkout, or including a link in your footer. You can additionally offer a special discount or other incentive, like gift cards, if a customer joins your email list. Plan on sending regular newsletters, promotions, business updates, product recommendations and other types of eCommerce emails. Remember to adhere to privacy regulations and laws in your country of business before sending email marketing materials. SEO: Use this digital marketing strategy to ptimize your site to rank high on Google’s search results and generate more traffic to your store long with long term brand awareness. Optimize your meta titles and descriptions for each site page, and follow other eCommerce SEO best practices. Moreover, take advantage of other free tools like Google Shopping and Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business). Each of these help with local search, in addition to overall visibility on Google. Loyalty program: A loyalty program can help to secure repeat customers and increase your customer lifetime value rates. While they require thoughts and careful planning, Wix loyalty program plugins can help to streamline the process. Offer rewards for each order placed, or special actions like sharing your product on social media. Drive more attention while taking good care of your existing customers. Paid marketing tools Facebook and Instagram ads: Facebook and Instagram offer various ad placements, which help you to target certain demographics or interest groups on their respective platforms. Wix lets you create Facebook and Instagram Ads directly from your site dashboard and uses AI to optimize your ads around the clock. Google Shopping ads: Google Shopping ads are pay-per-click (PPC) ads that help you to skip to the top of relevant search results. When a customer clicks the ads, they’re either sent directly to your website or a Google checkout page, depending on your settings. Discover more about Google Shopping and other types of Google ads. Analytics Analyzing data from your marketing campaigns is key to understanding their impact and improving your store's performance. With tools like Wix Analytics you can track site traffic, product sales and customer behavior to uncover valuable insights. See how visitors find your store and which pages grab their attention most. Identify your best-selling products and discover which items might need more promotion or tweaks. By studying customer behavior—like their journey to making a purchase—you can better anticipate their needs and refine your strategies. Regularly reviewing your analytics keeps you connected to your audience and helps you make informed data-driven decisions. Stay ahead and ensure your store continues to grow and succeed. One Wix user who used analytics to drive expansion is Nick Houston, co-founder of Fork n' Film, a Los Angeles-based cinematic dining brand that grew to $11M+ in revenue in under 2 years across 9 locations: "I love the analytics on Wix, it tells a big story about who we are as a company and who our customers are. When it comes to expansion, we want to go off data. We don't want to just go off assumptions." For an early-stage store, the lesson is to instrument the things you'll need to make decisions about later. Set up your analytics on day one even if the data isn't useful yet. The compounding insight value of having 6 months of data when you need to make your first scaling decision is enormous. 10. Create a customer service plan Developing a comprehensive customer service plan is vital for the success and reputation of your online store. A well-thought-out plan ensures that you meet your customer's needs and foster loyalty. Begin by outlining the channels through which customers can reach you, such as email, phone, live chat or social media. Establish clear response times to inquiries and set protocols for resolving different types of issues efficiently. Training your team to handle customer interactions with empathy and professionalism is key to providing exceptional service. It's also good to have a feedback mechanism for continuous improvement, as listening to your customers helps identify areas for enhancement and development. A solid customer service plan not only satisfies your current customer base but also attracts new customers through positive reviews and word-of-mouth referrals. Wix supports long-term eCommerce growth with built-in loyalty programs, subscription commerce, back-in-stock notifications and flexible digital gift cards designed to increase customer lifetime value. How much does it cost to start an online store? When starting your online store, every choice you make is a building block for your business and a misstep can be costly. Slow hosting, clunky navigation or unreliable suppliers can hurt your sales, waste your time and cause major headaches. Imagine your site crashing during a huge sale or a customer returning an item because it wasn't what they expected—no one wants that. The secret is to plan ahead, avoid common traps and focus on what directly impacts your customers and daily workflow. Think of each decision as an investment in your store’s future not just another expense. Making smart choices now will make your business easier to run and help it grow faster. Here’s a realistic look at what to expect. eCommerce platform Your platform is the engine of your online store. It powers everything from product pages to checkout, inventory tracking, and marketing tools. A basic plan might let you list products and accept payments, but it often lacks features that save time and prevent problems as you grow. Spending a bit more upfront can prevent headaches, missed sales, and costly platform migrations down the line. For example, without abandoned cart recovery, you could lose customers who were ready to buy but got distracted. Paid plans often include features like real-time shipping rate calculations, which prevent overselling and surprise shipping costs—something that keeps both you and your customers happy. Higher-tier plans usually also include analytics to see which products sell best, mobile optimization for shoppers on their phones, and integrations with marketing apps. Here’s what you can expect to pay for different plans and what you’ll get for your money (prices may vary by provider): Free: $0/month Great for testing ideas or listing a few products. Comes with limited features, manual processes and basic checkout options. You might outgrow the platform quickly or miss out on tools that help boost sales. Basic: $10–$39/month Covers standard product listings, checkout and payments. You’ll likely get some automation and basic reporting. A good fit for small stores but might lack the advanced tools you need to grow faster. Advanced: $40/month and up Adds powerful automation and optimization tools like marketing support, inventory management and checkout enhancements. Usually includes detailed analytics, reporting and mobile optimization. Helps you avoid headaches, lost sales and pricey platform migrations as your business gets bigger. Domain and hosting Your domain is your store’s address, and hosting is the foundation it runs on. Both are important for making your brand look professional and keeping your store running well. A domain name that’s easy to remember builds trust instantly and helps customers find you again. Spending $10–$15 a year on a clean domain is a simple move that makes a big difference. Hosting is a bit more complex. Cheap hosting for around $5 a month might seem like a bargain, but it often leads to slow loading times or crashes when you get a lot of visitors. If your pages take too long to load, customers will probably just buy from a competitor. More reliable hosting, which usually runs from $10–$30 a month, will give you faster speeds, better security and the power to grow without losing sales. Branding and design Your store’s vibe really changes how many sales you make. A great logo, matching colors and a clean look build trust and make shopping simple. Putting a bit more into branding and design now means fewer problems (and costly fixes) later. It also helps customers trust you more and makes your marketing work harder. Even small tweaks, like better product photos or clearer navigation, can quickly boost your sales online. How much you spend depends on who does the work: DIY / template-based ($0–$50): Use free or cheap templates and DIY logo tools. It keeps costs super low, perfect for trying out ideas. Just know it might not look as unique or polished. Freelancer / mid-tier design ($100–$500): Get a freelancer for your logo, colors or custom layout. This brings a professional touch and can really push those sales. For instance, putting a strong color scheme and a clear call-to-action can bump up "Add to cart" clicks. Agency / premium design ($1,000+): A full-service agency gives you a unique store that's ready to win. This means custom design just for your users, pro photos and everything you need for marketing. Product sourcing and inventory How you get your products impacts your costs, control and customer perception. Dropshipping means low upfront costs (just a few dollars to list) but smaller profit margins and less control over shipping speed or quality. If a custom mug arrives late or broken, it reflects poorly on your store, even if it's out of your hands. One thing worth knowing: dropshipping has the lowest barrier to entry of any eCommerce model, which means competition is the highest. Margins are typically 10% to 30% (much thinner than private-label or handmade eCommerce) and most dropshipping stores lose money in the first 90 days because new sellers underestimate paid ad costs. Treat dropshipping as a test bed for marketing skills and supplier relationships, not as a quick passive-income path. The sellers who succeed at it usually move up the value chain (private label, branded packaging, custom products) once they prove a niche. Buying inventory on the other hand requires more cash upfront, but gives you full control over quality, packaging and shipping speed. For example, buying 50 handmade candles lets you brand the packaging and set delivery times, helping you charge more and build customer trust. Always order samples to check quality. This avoids costly returns and keeps customers happy. Payment processing Payment gateways usually charge 2–3% per transaction plus occasional monthly fees ($0–$30). Offering multiple options—credit/debit cards, digital wallets or installment plans—makes buying easier and can boost sales. For instance, a shopper might abandon their cart if your store only accepts cards but they prefer a digital wallet. Integrated systems, like those included in higher-tier eCommerce plans, prevent failed transactions, reduce manual reconciliations and ensure you don’t lose revenue due to technical issues. Marketing and promotion The best store won’t sell itself—you need people to find it. Organic marketing, like SEO, social media posts, and email newsletters, brings in traffic without costing a dime for clicks. You might spend a little ($0–$100/month) on tools like scheduling apps or email services. Or, if you're strapped for time, you could hire a pro to handle this for you, which would be an added service cost. Paid marketing is a great way to spread the word. You can start small, like $50–$200 a month for ads on search engines or social media. Then, as you see results, you can do more. A $100 Instagram ad targeting your ideal customers can quickly show you which products are a hit and help you make sales. This helps you invest smarter. Analytics tools, either free or up to $50 a month for more in-depth tracking, help you understand what’s working, where your visitors are coming from, and how to improve your campaigns. Without good tracking, you might just be throwing money at ads that don't bring in new people. Optional tools and apps Apps for inventory management, loyalty programs or advanced analytics can make running your store easier but aren’t necessary when you first start. Costs usually range from $0–$50/month per app. For example an inventory app can prevent overselling popular items while a loyalty program encourages repeat customers. Start lean and only add tools once you see a clear need. Overloading your store with apps too early can complicate things and add unnecessary costs. Open an online store with a dropshipper (optional) If you want to start selling quickly, you could always give dropshipping a whirl. A dropshipping business includes some key perks, like minimal upfront costs and easy management. When you own a dropshipping business, you work with a supplier who handles manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping—all on your behalf. Here’s a play-by-play of how it works: You choose the products you want to dropship from your supplier’s catalog You list those products on your dropshipping website and set your own prices A shopper purchases the products and pays for it on your site You forward the customer’s order (plus pay) your supplier Your supplier ships the product directly to your customer’s address Wix eCommerce offers direct integrations into popular dropshipping services like Modalyst and Spocket. By using our integrated solution, you can manage and list products from your suppliers without leaving Wix. Any customer orders will also be automatically routed to your software and suppliers, allowing you to easily manage all of your back-office and customer-facing tasks in one place. According to Chris Victory, Head of Partnerships at Printful: "The native Wix and Printful integration makes it incredibly easy for any Wix user to create and launch their own custom product line with no tech headaches, just instant access to Printful's catalog, instant mockups and seamless store setup, all within the Wix dashboard." Why eCommerce is important eCommerce is crucial in today’s business landscape for reaching a broad, global audience and breaking down geographical barriers that traditional stores face. It enables businesses of all sizes to access new markets and customer bases that were otherwise unreachable. Economically, eCommerce reshapes industries by reducing operational costs, as online stores require less overhead than physical stores. It also fosters competition, driving innovation and product improvement. One Wix user whose pivot to eCommerce kept her business alive is Orly Gottesman, co-founder of Modern Bread & Bagel, a gluten-free restaurant chain in New York that nearly closed during COVID: "We had to pivot. We could have gone out of business if we didn't." Modern Bread & Bagel rebuilt their model around pre-ordering and Wix Stores nationwide shipping. They now run 8 stores with 4 more in development and around 300 staff, with dine-in, takeout, catering and nationwide shipping all routed through their Wix infrastructure. For an early-stage seller, the lesson is that the right infrastructure pays off most when the business model has to change unexpectedly. A flexible platform turns a near-failure into a multi-channel growth story. Wix is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that supports physical products, services, specialized business models like rentals, donation-based commerce, online ordering and digital programs such as online courses, all from a single backend. Common mistakes to avoid when starting an online store One common mistake new online store owners make is not clearly communicating what makes their business unique. Decent products and discounts aren’t enough to stand out. You need to answer this key question: “Why should customers choose you?” Highlight the problems your product solves, the benefits it offers and what sets you apart from competitors. Build a compelling story around your brand and make it the heart of your marketing strategy. A strong value proposition helps establish trust and creates an emotional connection with your audience. Another challenge is underestimating the power of branding and marketing. Branding isn’t just about a catchy name or logo—it’s about tapping into what your audience values. Combine this with a smart marketing plan and allocate at least 30% of your revenue to marketing efforts. Paid ads, like Facebook or Google Ads, can generate traffic, but professional, creative campaigns are essential. Avoid relying solely on discounts or generic products. Instead, focus on a unique brand identity and high-quality items that resonate with your niche. Finally, rushing your launch or skipping key planning steps can hurt your store’s long-term growth. Take the time to research your niche, understand your products and deeply know your audience. Avoid shortcuts like copying others—what works for them might not work for you. Quick success is rare, and the challenges can be overwhelming without proper preparation. By planning carefully and staying flexible, you’ll set yourself up for lasting success and build a business that stands out. Using Wix eCommerce to open an online store Your online store could be launched within a matter of days. Wix eCommerce provides everything you need to get set up quickly, from inventory management and payments to website analytics and beyond. Once you have a solid business plan in place, you can create your online store and start selling right away. Wix combines enterprise-grade infrastructure, web security and compliance with developer-friendly tools like Velo and Service Plugins, while connecting seamlessly to ERP, CRM, WMS and PIM systems to support complex eCommerce operations. Selling online with Wix means: Built-in AI features and no-code creation tools to build your store faster Hundreds of fully customizable free eCommerce website templates Sell physical and digital products, subscriptions, dropshipping and print on demand from one platform AI image editor for better product photos AI product descriptions AI product recommendations Wix retail POS for selling in-person Reach shoppers on Google, eBay, Etsy, Amazon, Facebook Instagram, TikTok and Wish and manage it all from your Wix dashboard Sell internationally with Wix multilingual, currency converter and 80+ trusted global payment providers Customizable data reports and real-time analytics Native shipping solutions Enterprise-grade infrastructure for reliability, security and scale How to start an online store FAQ What is the best platform to sell online for beginners? The best eCommerce platform for beginners is easy to use, secure and flexible. It should handle payments smoothly, offer customizable templates, support mobile shopping and scale as your business grows. It should also include basic marketing tools, analytics and inventory management to help you run your store efficiently. Wix eCommerce lets you set up a professional online store without coding, manage payments and inventory in one place and access tools for marketing and analytics to grow your business over time. How much does it cost to open an online shop? The cost to open an online shop can vary widely based on factors such as the eCommerce platform you choose, the complexity of your website design and your marketing strategies. On average, initial costs can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on your specific needs and scale. Can I open an online store without an LLC? Yes, you can open an online store without forming an LLC. However, operating as a sole proprietor means you are personally liable for the business's debts and obligations. Forming an LLC can offer personal liability protection and potential tax benefits. It's advisable to consult with a legal professional to understand the implications and benefits of choosing the right business structure for your online store. Where can I get products for my online store? You can source products for your online store through various channels, including wholesaler suppliers, manufacturers and dropshipping partners. Consider attending trade shows or using online marketplaces to find potential suppliers. You can also explore white-label or private-label options to offer unique products under your brand. How do I start an online store with no money? Starting an online store with no money requires leveraging free resources and platforms. Consider using a free eCommerce platform or a trial version to set up your store. Try dropshipping to avoid upfront inventory costs. Use free marketing strategies such as social media and content marketing to promote your store. Look for opportunities to barter or collaborate with others for services you need. Can you sell online without a business license? Yes, in some regions you can start as a sole proprietor without a license. However, having a license adds legal protection, credibility and makes it easier to open a business bank account and manage taxes properly. How do I secure my online store and customer data? Use a secure eCommerce platform with SSL certificates to encrypt customer data during checkout. Keep software and plugins updated enable strong passwords and consider two-factor authentication for accounts. Regularly back up your store and monitor for suspicious activity to prevent breaches. Should I keep inventory or use dropshipping? Keeping inventory gives you full control over quality packaging and shipping speed. This can boost customer experience and allow higher profit margins. Dropshipping cuts upfront costs and storage needs but often means lower margins and less control over fulfillment. Pick what works best for your budget storage capacity and how much control you want. What are the most important sections that my online store should have? Essential sections for your online store include: Homepage: An engaging introduction to your store and brand. Product pages: Detailed information and images for each product. Shopping cart and checkout: A seamless and secure purchasing process. About us: Information about your brand’s story and values. Contact page: Easy ways for customers to reach you. FAQs: Answers to common customer questions. Return policy: Clear information on returns and exchanges. How do I price my products for profit? Factor in all costs including production, shipping, platform fees, marketing and taxes, then add a margin that reflects your value and market positioning. Research competitor pricing to make sure your prices are competitive while staying profitable. Adjust prices over time based on sales trends, demand and customer feedback. How do I know which products will sell best? Research market trends, customer reviews and best-seller lists in your niche. Test products with small batches, social media ads or pre-orders to gauge interest before investing heavily. Track performance using analytics to see which products drive the most engagement and sales. Do I need to collect sales tax for online sales? Sales tax rules vary depending on your location and your customers' locations. Many regions require online sellers to collect tax if you have a physical presence or meet certain sales thresholds. Use your eCommerce platform's tools or consult a tax professional to ensure compliance. How do I handle returns and refunds? You need a clear, easy-to-find return policy. It should explain the conditions, timelines and procedures for returns. Offer simple, hassle-free refunds to build trust. But protect yourself with restocking fees or specific conditions for high-value items if needed. Process returns quickly and communicate clearly with customers to maintain satisfaction. Is it profitable to open an online store? Yes, opening an online store can be profitable, but success depends on several factors. Key elements include conducting thorough market research, identifying a profitable niche and effective marketing. Profitability is influenced by product demand, competition, pricing strategy and your ability to manage operating costs. What legal considerations should I be aware of when selling online? First, make sure your business is properly registered and follows all local business laws, including getting the right licenses and permits. You also need to protect intellectual property, respect privacy laws and create clear terms of service for your site. Stay aware of advertising, tax and consumer protection regulations to avoid fines or legal issues.

Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce→ Building an eCommerce website is a significant step in launching your eCommerce business and it can feel overwhelming at first. There are many details, research and design considerations to juggle when you’re creating a site to sell that’s unique and professional. In this guide, you’ll learn how to create an eCommerce site along with essential tips to make your online store successful. Learn more: What is an eCommerce website? TL;DR: how to make an eCommerce website Creating your own eCommerce website doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by picking the right website builder, design a user-friendly experience, set up secure payment options and make sure your site works perfectly on mobile and is optimized for search engines. A great online store is fast, easy to navigate, looks professional and builds trust with clear product details and helpful customer support. Focus on the right features and you’ll make shopping easy for your customers, keep them coming back and give your site a boost in search results. Features of a great eCommerce website builder What's needed User-friendly design Simple navigation, clear layout and intuitive interface Fast loading speed Pages load quickly to prevent customer drop-off Mobile optimization Fully responsive design for smartphones and tablets Secure payment options Multiple trusted payment methods with SSL encryption Clear product information Detailed descriptions, images, pricing and stock info Explore eCommerce website design and business websites for inspiration. How to make an eCommerce website in 9 steps Research your audience Pick the right eCommerce platform Design your eCommerce website Create and optimize your product pages Set up payments Set up shipping and delivery Choose, register and connect your domain name Test and launch your eCommerce site Market and promote your eCommerce website Learn more: What is eCommerce? 01. Research your audience Start your eCommerce journey by defining your audience. Understand who they are, what they need and how they shop online. Combine this with a clear understanding of your product range and business goals to guide your website design and functionality. This crucial first step sets the foundation for building a website that truly connects with your customers. The audience question goes deeper than "who buys this." It's also "is this a market worth building for at all." According to Chad Waldman, a DTC brand builder who has scaled brands in competitive wellness categories, that's where most new sellers get stuck: "The biggest mistake I see new sellers make is confusing 'I like this product' with 'there's a viable market for this product.' Passion is a starting point. Validation is the business case." Waldman's four-filter validation framework asks: is there a community already talking about the problem, is the average order value high enough to support paid acquisition (he flags products under $18 AOV as hard to scale on Meta and Google in 2026), can you create proprietary product truth and is the category growing on its own. For example, if your audience is busy professionals looking for quick meal solutions, design your website to meet their needs. Focus on easy navigation, highlight meal prep times and ensure a smooth checkout process. 02. Pick the right eCommerce platform When you’re making a website from the ground up, you can choose to host it yourself or tap an eCommerce website builder or platform. Independently hosting a site yourself gives you total control but it’s expensive and time-consuming. Self-hosting means you must handle website development, website maintenance and your site's security all on your own. If you’re not technologically savvy, you’ll need to hire a professional who is or opt for a hosting plan. Alternatively, you can choose to use a hosted eCommerce platform or website builder. Cloud-based platforms like Wix for eCommerce make setting up your store easy. Look for a platform that offers an easy-to-use website builder, plus tools for managing multiple aspects of your business, from marketing and sales, to inventory management and fulfillment. For example, with Wix Harmony, you can generate a business-ready site from a single prompt, and keep shaping it by chatting with AI or editing by hand. One Wix user who learned the platform choice matters most when speed matters is Jenna Spencer, co-owner of The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles. The Spencers ran a 22,000 square foot physical bookstore with minimal online presence because book lovers came in person, that was the model. Then a single Instagram post promoting curated book bundles went viral, generating thousands of orders overnight. The Last Bookstore needed an online store, fast. "It ignited a viral chain reaction, leading to thousands of orders. We needed an online store, fast, and Wix gave us the agility to adapt," Jenna told us. They now sell bundles, gift cards and merchandise globally, on top of the physical store that draws up to 1,000 customers on Saturdays. When it comes to choosing how and where to make your eCommerce site you'll want to consider some of the following crucial features and capabilities: Mobile friendliness: Seek a platform that offers responsive themes and templates, ensuring that the elements of your online store will automatically adapt to fit various screen sizes. Check out all of Wix’s eCommerce website templates, which are all designer-made and mobile-responsive. You can also choose from a range of fully responsive website templates from Wix Studio. Security: Your platform-of-choice should offer fraud prevention, data backups, and other eCommerce website security measures that keep your site and data well-protected. In addition, if you plan to accept credit card payments, PCI compliance is a must. Reliability: Given that every second of downtime puts your sales in jeopardy, it’s crucial to find an e-commerce platform that has the infrastructure and resilience to handle any volume of traffic to your site. Ideally, it should support limitless scalability and take measures to prevent eCommerce site crashes, especially during peak selling periods. Learn more about Wix's robust web hosting with every site. Wix is built to support growing eCommerce brands with scalable infrastructure, advanced automation and customizable sales workflows. Learn more about Wix's advanced eCommerce infrastructure Back-office tools: Select an eCommerce website builder that supports all the major functions, apps and automation that you need to grow your business in the right ways. Think about the tools necessary for managing your inventory, product listings, shipping solutions, orders and more. Wix supports multiple business models on a single backend. Multichannel selling capabilities: As you grow your eCommerce business, chances are that you’ll want to expand your reach with the help of third-party marketplaces, social media and other channels. Get ahead with a platform that lets you manage your sales and marketing channels from a single dashboard. Wix enables omnichannel eCommerce by connecting online stores to marketplaces, social commerce platforms and in-person point-of-sale systems from a single dashboard. AI site chat capabilities: Shoppers today expect convenience at every step, and a quick answer can often be the difference between a sale and an abandoned cart. With Wix AI Site Chat, you can meet that need instantly. It helps customers move confidently from browsing to checkout, giving them the reassurance they need to complete their purchase. You can also check out the Wix AI Site Chat overview for a deeper look at how it works. Learn more: Squarespace alternatives Shopify alternatives Wix vs Shopify WordPress alternatives 03. Design your eCommerce website Your eCommerce website serves as the face of your brand. This means you'll want to get your online store design right from the start. Learning how to make a website with the right design and templates is essential for reinforcing your brand image, as well as guiding users toward the right actions through eCommerce merchandising strategies. Designing the right template isn't about chasing a trend. According to Kobi Michaeli, a Wix template designer who has spent 6,000+ hours building Wix templates, "There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all design" and templates designed for a specific industry incorporate research on that industry's user behavior. You'll want to pick a theme that fits with the category of merchandise that you're selling: fashion, furniture, food or another product type . Sift through the themes and templates offered by your eCommerce platform for inspiration. A good place to start is with Wix's eCommerce website templates. Other eCommerce template options by category include: Fashion and clothing eCommerce website templates Jewelry and accessories eCommerce website templates Arts and crafts eCommerce website templates Food and drink eCommerce website templates Beauty and wellness eCommerce website templates Sports and outdoors ecommerce website templates Pets and animals eCommerce website templates Kids and babies eCommerce website templates Learn more about some of the best AI website builders. Once you've chosen your eCommerce template, you can customize your theme as needed through your platform’s editor. Or, tap a professional designer, like one of Wix’s Marketplace professionals, to help out. At this stage of making your eCommerce website, you’ll want to think about a number of design features, plus also the option of adding more website pages beyond just your product pages: Product images: It’s best to upload your own product photography, including ones that aren’t product-specific but serve as compelling header images, background images, or lifestyle photos. If you’re in a pinch, Wix offers a gallery of free, high-quality stock photos to choose from. According to Ido Kosover, Head of Media at Wix, who has analyzed website performance across the platform, photography is the single most overlooked element of online store success. "Low-quality images create trust issues. Images that don't match what you do create confusion," he told us. If you're in a pinch, Wix offers a gallery of free, high-quality stock photos. Fonts and colors: Select a typeface and colors that align with your eCommerce branding. Check that your copy is easy to read and that buttons are easy to spot. Be intentional about your design, taking into consideration how colors and patterns have the power to communicate various moods, memories, and values. Your homepage: Consider the most crucial information to provide upfront for your customers to see (think: if your business were opening a brick-and-mortar location, what signage would you show at the front of your store?). Highlight your most important products, messaging, and/or offers on your homepage. You could even embed posts from your Instagram or Facebook feeds, or add product reviews that showcase your brand’s authenticity. Navigation: Keep your navigation clean and well-organized. As a general rule of thumb, visitors should be able to find any product they need within three clicks or less. Add site search, sorting options, and filters to your pages to further assist your customers with finding what they need faster. The mobile experience: As you finetune your eCommerce website, don’t forget to check on the mobile experience. Check that any text, images and buttons appear as they should on smaller screens. Wix supports mobile-first commerce experiences for growing brands. Learn more about eCommerce UX. Online shopping cart: Your shopping cart is an important part of your site, as this is what shoppers use to collect their online purchases. It should be easy for your customers to use and designed to help you sell. Wix helps eCommerce businesses recover lost sales with automated cart reminders. "I think Wix offers the perfect medium for everyone, even someone like myself, a really good cook, but a monkey with a keyboard. I'm able to drag-and-drop edit or build an email newsletter that looks nice." Noah Rosen, Forge to Table, USA (Wix eCommerce user, dorm-room knife brand now shipping to 30+ countries) 04. Create and optimize your product pages When it comes to building your eCommerce site, product pages can’t be rushed. Get them right and you’ll not only encourage sales but you’ll also spark cross-sells and upsells that can lead to bigger purchases. Be deliberate about how you format your product pages. Think about the questions, and assumptions, buyers may have when they’re not able to physically see or touch your products. Remember that the devil is in the details: Often the most high-converting product pages are rich with information, provide multiple images and include some sort of social proof. And the window to win them is small. According to Oren Inditzky, Head of Online Stores at Wix, who has spent years working with online businesses, "Five seconds. That's how fast someone can form an impression of your website." 61% of website users leave if they can't find what they're looking for within roughly that window, according to Forbes Advisor research Inditzky cites. Your product listings should always involve high quality images, clear and accurate product descriptions and transparent pricing information. As you build out your product pages, pay close attention to the following elements: Product names: Your product names should include at least one easy-to-recognize descriptor in the title. For example, if you’re selling headphones, include “earbuds” or “headphones” somewhere so that it’s easy to search. Product images: Add multiple high-quality images taken from several angles to give your customers a 360-degree view of your product. Where appropriate, use video and/or informational graphics to provide even more context. Free AI-powered tools like HubSpot's Clip Creator allow you to quickly generate unique, compelling videos ready to share. If your products come in multiple colors or styles, be sure to include images of each variation. Product descriptions: Your product descriptions should aim to answer frequently asked questions about your product. Include details such as how the product is made and the type of material it’s made out of. Speak to the benefits of your product, not simply its features, and emphasize what makes your product unique. Weave in keywords naturally tool to enhance your chances of ranking high in search engines. Shipping and return information: Today’s shoppers want to make as few clicks or swipes as possible, so including shipping costs and your return policy on your product page will help create a more efficient journey. More importantly, putting your policies in a clear spot helps to keep expectations aligned, reducing the chance of returns or upset customers. Product reviews: Incorporate reviews onto your product pages by adding a widget or importing existing reviews from another source. You could additionally display user-generated social content on your page to showcase real-life photos of your product in action. Cross-selling and upselling opportunities: Include dynamic “related products” banners on your pages to draw attention to other accessories, components, or items that your customers may be interested in while shopping. As another option, upsell your customers on product subscriptions or premium versions of their items. Wix integrates eCommerce stores with Amazon, eBay and Google marketplaces. One thing worth knowing: if your product catalog includes variants across more than two or three attributes, size, color and material, for example, plan for extra setup time to structure those correctly. Most stores are live in a few hours; variant-heavy catalogs are closer to a day 05. Set up payments Today’s shoppers expect multiple payment options. Some prefer credit or debit cards. Others prefer digital wallets. Still, others may prefer a payment app. When creating your eCommerce site we recommend offering as many payment options as possible to give customers exactly what they want. Your eCommerce platform should include prompts for setting up your online payment gateway. Most will ask you to enter and confirm your business’ country of origin, before determining which payment and currency options are available in your region. With Wix, you can activate Wix Payments as a credit card payment solution to instantly start accepting all the major credit/debit cards, alongside digital wallets and other popular forms of payment. Wix Payments additionally allows you to manage your entire business from one place, whether you’re looking to review orders or schedule your payouts (among other things). Wix supports global and omnichannel eCommerce with multilingual storefronts, multi-currency payments, marketplace and social selling, mobile apps and integrated point-of-sale systems for online and offline sales. Learn more about what is Wix Payments. 06. Set up shipping and delivery While an efficient payment experience will help shoppers convert, an outstanding shipping and delivery experience helps convince them to come back. When building an eCommerce website, start by determining your shipping and delivery objectives: Do you want to ship your products domestically, internationally, or both? What shipping policies do you care to offer (free shipping, flat rate, variable fee, etc.)? Which carriers or third-party logistics providers are you looking to ship with? Will you be dropshipping? Which shipping software platforms are you planning to use? Your eCommerce platform should make it easy for you to set custom rules and integrate your most important apps so that you can deliver outstanding customer service, plus track the cost of shipping with each order. "I ordered 200 hand-forged knives to my dorm room and built a Wix website to sell them."— Noah Rosen, Forge to Table, USA (Wix eCommerce user, Forbes 30 Under 30, now ships to customers in 30+ countries) If you use Wix to make your eCommerce site, you can also enable local customers to pick up their orders from a nearby warehouse or from your closest brick-and-mortar store by setting up store pickup as a ‘delivery’ option. If you're considering print-on-demand or dropshipping as your fulfillment model, the category is growing fast. According to Chris Victory, Head of Partnerships at Printful, the print-on-demand industry is projected to reach $103 billion by 2034 (Printful data) and is currently growing 25%+ annually (Precedence Research, 2025), with typical POD profit margins of 30 to 40%. The native Wix + Printful integration automates product syncing, fulfillment and shipping. 07. Choose, register and connect your domain name Once you've created your eCommerce site, you’ll need to either connect an existing domain or create a new one yourself. Your domain name is the name that users will type into their browser to get to your site. Choosing the right name is important for both your branding and marketing strategies, with the latter focused on having a trustworthy and easy-to-search domain name. It's also essential if customers are to find your store. Pro tip: Opt for popular domain extensions such as .com or .net to enhance your site's credibility. We asked Itay Shmool, VP of Wix Domains, who is responsible for Wix's domain product strategy and infrastructure, about the tradeoffs of consolidating domain registration with your website builder: "For most small businesses, reducing technical overhead is more valuable than chasing marginal cost savings across multiple platforms." Wix acts as both a website builder and a domain registrar, supports new gTLDs (.tech, .store), country-code TLDs and standard extensions from one dashboard, and includes built-in SSL, privacy protection and 24/7 support without separate purchase. To understand how to register a domain name, you can find a domain registrar, like Wix, that's accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The average domain costs between $10 and $20 per year, though with a Wix premium plan, you can get a voucher for a free domain name for a year. If you already have a domain and want to incorporate it into your eCommerce site, simply go to your site’s settings and connect your domain. You’ll be asked to log into your domain registrar and verify your domain name. The verification process often takes a few minutes, but in some cases, it could take up to 48 hours. Once your domain is verified, it will be automatically connected to your new eCommerce site. 08. Test and launch your eCommerce site Once you've made your ecommerce site it’s critical that you take the time to test it thoroughly. Most platforms will allow you to preview your site before it goes live. This allows you to see exactly what your site will look like, and to make any last-minute changes. Be sure to test your site across multiple devices including desktop, tablet, and mobile. Make sure that all links, menus, and buttons work properly. Go through the whole user journey, starting with a product search and ending with a checkout. According to Sophie Lee, a web design specialist at Wix, function must be checked before design as broken CTAs and non-working links destroy trust instantly. Her three-question test before launch: is the menu working, are CTAs doing what they should, and does every element point to one main action? This is also a good time to test it's performance and speed because these are crucial to get right on ecommerce website as a slow experience can frustrate potential and returning customers to your online store. Once you’re completely satisfied with your eCommerce site’s look and feel, hit publish and take your site live (and then check out our guide on eCommerce website optimization). Then look into getting it ranking on Google and other search engines, too. 09. Market and promote your eCommerce website While building your own eCommerce site will give your store a “home,” selling on other sales channels, such as third-party marketplace (e.g., Amazon, eBay, etc.) and social media (TikTok, Instagram, etc.) should be a central part of your marketing plan, strategy and of promoting your site. By establishing a strong omnichannel retail strategy, you can expand your reach, while engaging users with a clear intent to shop. Of course, you’ll want to make sure to sync these third-party channels with your eCommerce site. Doing so will make it easier to track inventory across channels and deliver a consistent brand experience no matter where a customer shops for your products. If you use Wix for eCommerce, you can easily manage today’s most popular marketplaces from one central dashboard. Simply choose the channels you want to activate from your Wix account and go through the step-by-step instructions that are provided for you. By signing up through Wix, you may even receive special benefits, such as higher listing limits or reduced commission fees. "I love the analytics on Wix, it tells a big story about who we are as a company and who our customers are. When it comes to expansion, we want to go off data. We don't want to just go off assumptions."— Nick Houston, Co-founder, Fork n' Film, Los Angeles, USA (Wix eCommerce + ticketing user — $11M+ revenue in under 2 years across 9 locations) Fork n' Film, a cinematic dining brand founded in LA, grew to $11M in sales across 9 locations in under 2 years and used Wix Analytics to decide which cities to expand into next which was a decision made from data, not assumptions. Learn more: How to sell on Facebook How to sell on Instagram How to sell on YouTube How to sell on Amazon Cost to sell on eBay Why create an eCommerce website? Building an eCommerce website offers numerous advantages for individuals and businesses looking to sell products or services online. Here are several compelling reasons to make an eCommerce website for your online business: Global reach An eCommerce website allows you to reach a global audience, so you can sell to customers anywhere in the world. This type of website typically increases visibility, especially if you also market it effectively. This can attract new customers, boost brand awareness and lead to higher sales. Wix automates tax calculations for global eCommerce. Tammy Maki launched her Indigenous-inspired chocolate brand Raven Rising in her 50s during COVID, building the Wix store herself with no eCommerce background, and now ships across Canada with media attention and a Bell Let's Talk Start-up Award to show for it. "Honestly, I looked at Amazon and I went, 'If they can have an eCommerce site that can service the world, for God's sake, why can't I?'" she told us. Wix automates tax calculations for global eCommerce, which means founders like Tammy can ship internationally without standing up a finance team. Streamlined customer experience Unlike physical stores with operating hours, eCommerce websites are accessible 24/7. This constant availability accommodates varied consumer schedules and time zones. Consumers also appreciate the convenience of online shopping as it allows them to browse products and make purchases from the comfort of their homes or on the go. With features like online payments, automated order processing and efficient customer support systems, eCommerce websites provide a streamlined and efficient shopping experience for customers. Data insights Some of the best eCommerce platforms provide valuable data and analytics about customer behavior, preferences and buying patterns. This information can be used to refine your marketing and selling efforts by improving the overall customer experience. An eCommerce website allows you to adapt to changing trends and preferences, meaning your business stays relevant and competitive. Check out Wix Analytics as an example. Cost-effectiveness Compared to brick-and-mortar stores, eCommerce businesses often have lower overhead costs. You can save on expenses like rent, utilities and staffing. You also have flexibility in terms of product variety and business scale. You can easily add new products, update inventory and expand your business without significant infrastructure changes. Personalization Ecommerce platforms enable personalized shopping experiences through features like product recommendations, targeted promotions and personalized content based on customer preferences and behavior. Learn more: How does eCommerce work? How to make an eCommerce site FAQ How much does it cost to build an eCommerce site? Ecommerce website cost varies depending on factors like the chosen platform, features, design complexity and whether you hire professionals for certain tasks. Wix offers a low monthly fee, while custom-built solutions may involve higher upfront costs. Additionally, consider expenses for domain registration, hosting and potentially hiring designers or developers for specific tasks when assessing how much it costs to build a website. Can I create an eCommerce site for free? Yes, with Wix and other eCommerce site builders, although some e-commerce and online store features may be limited based on the functionality you need. Check out our comparison of Wix vs Squarespace to learn more about each website builder's capabilities. Can I build an eCommerce site on my own or as a beginner? Absolutely. Using an ecommerce website builder is the most efficient and effective way to build an ecommerce site alone, or if you've never build one before. Most builders will walk you through the setup and you won't need any technical knowledge or understanding to get your online store live. Building an ecommerce site doesn't have to be hard. What do you need to start an eCommerce site? To start an eCommerce site, you'll need a clear business plan, a domain name and a reliable hosting service. If you choose an ecommerce website builder like Wix you'll get all of this included. You'll also need a payment gateway to process transactions, inventory management tools and a secure SSL certificate for customer data protection. Design your site with user-friendly navigation, product listings and an easy to navigate checkout process. Implement SEO strategies for visibility, and set up customer service channels. Lastly, consider logistics for shipping and returns and check compliance with legal and tax regulations. Is it hard to build an eCommerce website? Building an eCommerce website is manageable, especially with user-friendly platforms that guide you through the process. While technical skills aren't necessary, tasks like creating content or marketing your store might need extra effort. With step-by-step tools and support, the process is approachable for beginners. What is the best way to build an eCommerce website? The best way to build an eCommerce website starts with choosing a user-friendly platform like Wix that suits your business needs and budget. Using a website builder is better for beginners because it eliminates the need for coding or technical skills, making the process much more accessible. These platforms provide pre-designed templates and built-in features like hosting, customization tools and eCommerce functionality, which save time and streamline setup. How many hours does it take to build an eCommerce website? Building an eCommerce website can take anywhere from 3 to 12 months, depending on the complexity and customization required. For a basic site with standard templates, it might take around 3 to 6 months. How long it takes to build a website can vary significantly based on the specific features, design requirements and resources available.