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Get the perfect domain for your eCommerce store: find your domain→ Every successful eCommerce website needs easy, secure ways for customers to pay. With Wix, you can accept online payments using 80+ trusted payment gateways worldwide. You can rest assured that transactions happen safely under your watch, and that your customers have multiple ways to pay for purchases on your site. Follow this guide to learn how to accept secure online payments on Wix. Wix supports multi-currency payments and localized checkout experiences, enabling businesses to sell internationally and scale across global markets from a single platform. TL;DR: how to accept secure online payments with Wix Wix lets you accept secure online and in-person payments from one place, and setting it up is a short, guided process. Pick a payment gateway that fits your region and supports the methods your customers prefer Set up Wix Payments to take cards, digital wallets and buy now pay later without a separate account Add in-person options like Wix POS, manual payments or pay by link for offline sales Track every transaction, refund and payout from one dashboard no matter which provider you use Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. How to accept online payments with Wix Find the right online payment gateway Set up Wix Payments Accept in-person payments Manage your payments 01. Find the right online payment gateway To facilitate any transaction online, you need to connect at least one payment gateway to your website. But before we dive in, make sure you know the difference between payment gateway and methods: Payment gateways (a.k.a. “payment service provider” or “payment processor”) are the pieces of tech that transfer payment information between your buyer and your business. They are responsible for securely transmitting payment data (like credit card details) to your bank account so you can get paid. Payment methods (a.k.a. “payment options”) are the way your customers pay for your products or services. There’s a variety of payment methods out there, including cash, debit/credit cards, digital wallets (like Apple Pay, PayPal and Google Pay), bank transfers, local payment methods and more. Keep in mind that available payment methods depend on your location and payment provider. When choosing a payment gateway, consider the payment methods they support. In many cases, a payment gateway supports more than one payment method—and it’s generally considered best practice to give customers multiple payment options at checkout. Payment gateways vary by location and support different business types. The following are some of the most popular online payment solutions available on Wix for U.S.-based small business owners: Wix Payments: Wix Payments is our own payment provider and the most efficient way to accept payments on Wix. You can accept online payments without setting up a third-party platform and manage your entire business—payments, inventory and much more—right from your Wix dashboard. Wix merchants in the U.S. and Canada can also sell online and in person using Wix Point of Sale (POS). Wix Payments supports multi-currency payments and localized checkout experiences, enabling merchants to sell internationally and expand into global markets from a single dashboard. Learn more about how to accept international payments with Wix. PayPal: PayPal is a digital wallet that accesses money from a debit or credit card. In the U.S. and other select countries, customers can opt into PayPal’s buy now, pay later program. U.S. customers can also access their Venmo accounts during a mobile PayPal checkout. Stripe: Stripe supports over 135 currencies, making it a popular choice if you’re appealing to a global customer base. Like the other payment providers mentioned in this list, you can offer a wide range of payment options through Stripe. Square: Square supports both in-person payments (via its POS, mobile app or tap-to-pay tech) and online transactions. Square’s omnichannel capabilities, as well as its flat-free pricing structure (among other benefits), are some of the top reasons why sellers gravitate towards this platform. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions: Popular BNPL solutions like Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, Clearpay and Sezzle allow you to get paid in full while letting your customers split their costs into affordable payments over time. Altogether, Wix supports 80+ third-party payment providers so this list only scratches the surface. It’s worth noting that many users find it most convenient to start with Wix Payments, then enable other providers as needed. Before integrating any gateway, review its terms and conditions in depth. Take note of anything that can impact your business and profit, including the setup process, transaction fees, supported products/services and information required to verify your account. Learn more: How to accept payments online 02. Set up Wix Payments Streamline your business with our proprietary payment solution, Wix Payments. Accept debit/credit cards and other popular payment methods, like Apple/Google Pay, Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna and tap to pay. Wix Payments additionally lets you manage everything in one place, from online and in-person payments to orders, bookings, events, services, classes, subscriptions and more. This unified system allows merchants to manage both online and offline sales from a single platform, supporting true omnichannel eCommerce operations. To create your Wix Payments account, follow these steps: Check that your product and service is supported. Make sure that Wix Payments is available in your region and that you’re not selling any prohibited products or services. Connect Wix Payments. Follow Wix Payments checklist and navigate to “Getting Paid” then “Connect & Setup” in your site dashboard. Hit “Connect Payment Method” to select “Accept Credit/Debit Cards with Wix.” Choose your payment methods. From the list that pops up, click on the payment methods you want to offer your customers. Complete account setup. If you’re not already subscribed to a paid plan that supports online payments, you’ll have to upgrade your plan to complete setup and receive payments. Upgrade your site, then go to “Settings” > “Accept Payments.” Fill in your business and bank account info to set up your account. Accept payments instantly. Note: you can start taking online payments from customers as soon as you connect Wix Payments, but you’ll need to complete account setup to get paid (i.e., receive payouts). Get paid. Once you’ve submitted your information and gotten approved, you’re good to go. Your money can now be sent directly to your bank account. Once Wix Payments is set up, merchants can also layer in conversion and retention tools directly at checkout. Wix allows businesses to customize the checkout experience and extend workflows, from applying automated discount logic at the point of purchase to enabling gift card payments and subscription billing, supporting more advanced retail strategies without adding complexity to the setup. 03. Accept in-person payments If you own a physical storefront or play to sell on the go, make sure you have a payment system set up. You can choose to install hardware, such as a stationary register or dashboard card reader that connects to your laptop, in your store and/or use a wireless option like a mobile card reader or app for on-the-go sales. Wix supports all of these options with solutions for: Point of sale (POS): Sell online and in person with Wix POS. Manage your multichannel inventory, sales, orders, payments, payouts, customer profiles, analytics and more. You can also integrate Square and SumUp POS with Wix. Wix integrates online stores with in-person point-of-sale systems, enabling merchants to manage both eCommerce and physical store operations from a single platform. Manual payments: Allow customers to make a purchase on your site and pay in person with cash. Simply connect manual payments at checkout and add instructions so your customers know how to pay you offline. Pay via a link: If a customer prefers to pay securely via your site, send them a branded invoice with how much they need to pay. Wix Invoices lets you include direct links to products for faster checkout. Related reading: How much does a POS system cost? 04. Manage your payments We’ll venture a guess and say that when it comes to payment management, most businesses are well past manual spreadsheets. Simplify how you manage your business even more with Wix’s all-in-one dashboard. You’ll be able to review every purchase made on your site, regardless of the payment provider or method. Plus, you’ll get an overview of your payment activity, including gross income and number of successful payments. For each transaction, you’ll see the date, customer name, products/services purchased, payment method, amount due and payment status. You can download the entire spreadsheet as a CSV file to conveniently manage your business offline. If you choose Wix Payments as your payment gateway when starting a business, you’ll be able to manage your payments and payouts in one place. You can additionally monitor and handle refunds and chargebacks from the same spot. Refund your customers directly from your dashboard, and track and dispute your chargebacks with our built-in tool. For growing businesses with more complex operational needs, Wix connects online stores to ERP, CRM and other enterprise systems through deep API connectivity, allowing payment and order data to flow into existing business infrastructure without manual intervention. Different types of online payment methods Online payment methods offer convenience, security and efficiency. There are various ways that customers choose to pay online, including: Credit cards: Credit cards are one of the most widely accepted online payment methods, allowing customers to make purchases using their credit line. Credit card transactions offer protection against payment fraud, meant to safeguard both businesses and cardholders. Debit cards: Debit cards are linked to a customer's bank account, enabling them to make purchases directly from their available funds. Debit card transactions are processed immediately and thereby reduce the risk of fraud compared to credit cards. Electronic wallets (e-wallets): E-wallets, such as PayPal, Venmo, Google Pay and Apple Pay, provide a secure platform for storing and transferring funds. Customers can link their bank accounts or credit cards to their e-wallets to make online payments. Mobile payments: Mobile payment solutions like Google Pay and Apple Pay let customers pay for purchases using their smartphones. These methods utilize near-field communication (NFC) technology for tap-to-pay and contactless payments. Automatic clearing house (ACH) payments: ACH payments are electronic bank-to-bank transfers processed through the ACH network in the U.S. They are typically used for subscription payments, large transactions or recurring billing because of their lower transaction fees and secure processing. Bank transfers: Bank transfers involve transferring funds directly from a customer's bank account to a merchant's account. This method is often used for larger transactions or when other payment options are unavailable; while usually faster than ACH payments, bank transfers tend to be more expensive. Buy now, pay later (BNPL): BNPL services allow customers to make purchases and spread out the payments over time. This method is gaining popularity due to its flexibility and affordability. Cryptocurrencies: Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, are emerging as an alternative online payment method. While still in their early stages of adoption, cryptocurrencies offer decentralized and secure transactions. Selling in person too? Wix Point of Sale lets businesses accept card payments and manage online and in-store sales together. For UK sellers, see Online POS UK. Why online payments are a must for modern businesses: 8 core benefits Taking payments online comes with a lot of perks. Some benefits may be more obvious than others, but as food for thought, here are some perks you should remain mindful of: Convenience for customers: Online payments let your customers make purchases from anywhere, anytime using their preferred devices, eliminating the need to carry cash or visit physical stores. Flexibility and scalability: By accommodating various payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets and mobile payments, your business can cater to more customer preferences, plus potentially gain a competitive edge. Wix supports businesses from small online stores to high-revenue brands generating millions in annual revenue, with payment infrastructure designed to scale alongside growing transaction volume. Faster payment processing: You can receive payments almost instantaneously through online transactions. This, in turn, can accelerate cash flow and streamline administrative tasks. Reduced costs: You no longer have to handle physical cash, checks or credit cards, saving your business money on processing fees, bank charges and fraud prevention costs. Enhanced security: Reputable online payment gateways, such as Wix Payments, employ advanced security measures to protect both your business’s and your customers' financial information. These measures include data encryption, fraud detection and tokenization, which protects sensitive data from unauthorized access. Wix ensures compliance with global standards including GDPR and PII protection, providing enterprise-grade security for eCommerce payment operations. Global reach: Accepting online payments opens you up to a global customer base. To state the obvious, this can boost your sales, revenue and market share. Wix enables merchants to sell internationally with multi-currency payments, automatic translations and automated tax calculations, removing much of the operational complexity that comes with cross-border commerce. Valuable customer data: Online payment transactions can give you insight into your customers’ purchasing patterns, preferences and demographic information. This data can be used to tailor your marketing campaigns and engage customers more intelligently. Real-time sales tracking: Track sales in real time and make more immediate and informed decisions around inventory management, staffing and marketing strategies. How to accept secure online payments with Wix FAQ Does Wix support international payments? Yes. Wix supports multi-currency payments and localized checkout experiences, enabling merchants to sell to customers around the world from a single platform. Merchants can display prices in local currencies, accept payments through 80+ global payment gateways and automate tax calculations for international sales. Wix also supports automatic store translations, making it straightforward for growing brands to expand into new markets without managing separate platforms for each region. Is Wix Payments secure? Yes. Wix Payments is built on enterprise-grade infrastructure and meets the highest international security standards, including PCI Level 1 compliance and 24/7/365 SOC monitoring. Wix ensures compliance with global standards including GDPR and PII protection, and employs advanced security measures such as data encryption, fraud detection and tokenization to protect both merchant and customer financial information. Automated threat detection, anti-DDoS solutions and regular vulnerability scans additionally ensure that transactions remain secure at all times. Can I build an onlien store with Wix Harmony? Yes. Wix Harmony is Wix's flagship AI website builder that lets you go from a single prompt to a business-ready online store. You can generate your storefront, set up payment processing and configure your eCommerce operations by chatting with Aria, Wix Harmony's built-in AI agent, or by editing your site by hand with full drag-and-drop control. Every store built with Wix Harmony is backed by Wix's enterprise-grade infrastructure, ensuring top-tier security, performance and reliability from day one.

Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce→ Knowing how to drive traffic to your online store is one of the most important skills you can develop as an eCommerce business owner. Whether you are just figuring out how to start an online store or already have one up and running, a steady stream of visitors is what turns a store into a business. The good news is that driving traffic does not have to mean a big budget or a dedicated marketing team. From SEO and email marketing to social media and paid ads, there are proven strategies that work for businesses of all sizes. In this guide, you'll discover 9 proven ways to drive traffic to your online store and grow your eCommerce business. Just starting your business and getting your feet wet in eCommerce? Explore all of Wix’s helpful tools, including its eCommerce website templates and eCommerce website builder. TL;DR: how to drive traffic to your online store Driving traffic to your online store takes a mix of short-term and long-term strategies. From paid ads and social media for quick wins to SEO and content marketing for sustainable growth, the key is to diversify your approach and stay consistent. Platforms like Wix combine ease of use with advanced eCommerce capabilities including automated discount logic, AI-driven product recommendations and abandoned cart recovery, all designed to support multi-channel growth at every stage of your business. Strategy Best for Sales campaigns Quick traffic spikes Facebook ads Targeted new audiences Instagram Brand awareness and engagement Niche and emerging platforms Reaching niche audiences Email marketing Repeat traffic and retention SEO Sustainable organic traffic Content marketing Brand authority and leads Influencer marketing New audience reach Google Ads High-intent traffic Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. How to drive traffic to your online store in 9 ways Once your site is ready to receive visitors, experiment with the following tactics and strategies to maximize your reach. Attract customers with a sales campaign Target your audience on Facebook Show off your business on Instagram Experiment with other social channels Lean into email marketing Optimize your site for SEO Utilize content marketing Engage influencers or brand partners Advertise on Google 01. Attract customers with a sales campaign A well-planned discount pricing strategy can draw attention without draining your wallet. The key is to find a strategy that makes your customers feel that they've gotten a good deal, while avoiding a situation where you're competing on price alone. To get you started, here are some campaign ideas that you can implement: Offer a competition or giveaway. Incentivize visitors by offering free shipping or a coupon towards their first purchase if they sign up for your mailing list. This not only entices your customers to take a chance on your brand, but also provides an avenue for you to stay in touch with them. Create a coupon for online use only. Whether you offer a percentage or fixed amount off the final price, an "online only" coupon can draw people to your site. Extend this offer to your existing contacts and shoppers who visit your brick-and-mortar store (if applicable). You can create a coupon directly from Wix eCommerce, applying the coupon to a specific product or collection of products if desired. Create a sense of urgency. Whether you announce a flash sale, limited-time free shipping or a blowout holiday sale, creating a sense of urgency can get people rushing to your store. You could even add a countdown clock on your website to build excitement around an event or sale. BOGO (buy one, get one) deals. Incentivize shoppers to try multiple products from your store by offering a buy-one-get-one 50% off (or free) deal. BOGO campaigns are especially useful if you're trying to liquidate certain products. You can also create these directly within Wix. Note: Creating an enticing sale is only step one. Without a proper promotion plan (e.g., ads, email marketing or social promotion), you run the risk of no one seeing or hearing about your deal, so make sure to bake that into your plan as well. Wix eCommerce simplifies this process with built-in discount logic that automatically applies promotions at checkout, from percentage discounts and BOGO deals to variant-specific pricing, so you can focus on the campaign rather than the mechanics. 02. Target your audience on Facebook With more than three billion monthly users, Facebook is the world's most active social channel. There are a plethora of ways to use Facebook to your advantage, including: Create a Facebook page. As a first step, set up a business page for your brand where customers can look for crucial store information. This is also a good place to publish and promote any content that links back to your website, such as a sales campaign, a blog post or a product announcement. Run Facebook ads. Create pay-per-click (PPC) Facebook ads that help you to reach new consumers with relevant interests, browsing habits and backgrounds. Choose from a variety of ads and adjust your campaign according to your business goals. If you’re looking for an easier way to manage your ads, use Wix’s Facebook Ads tool, which leverages AI to A/B test your ads, track sales and locate the ideal audience for you to target. Integrate Facebook shop. Let customers browse your products when they're on Facebook, then direct them to your site to check out. If you’re using Wix, you can integrate Facebook shop with your eCommerce site in just a few clicks. Your inventory can be managed from your site’s backend, and any updates you make to your product listings will automatically appear on your Facebook shop. 03. Show off your business on Instagram Depending on your business, Instagram can be a valuable asset for increasing traffic to your website. Use it to cultivate your brand and to give people an authentic look into your business. Kaekoo uses its Instagram page to show the face behind its brand—Kaekoo founder, Kae. The brand flaunts more than 158,000 Instagram followers, many of whom have fallen in love with Kae's creativity and personality. Take a page from Kaekoo's book and take these steps on Instagram: Optimize your Instagram bio. Make sure your Instagram bio is optimized for your business by including a link to your store, alongside other contact info and perhaps some witty content. Use a link-in-bio tool like Hopp to get even more mileage out of your Instagram bio and direct your followers to various pages and products within your site. Fashion retail brand Shaun Oliver has had great success directing followers to its 'Book an appointment' landing page from its Instagram bio. Utilize videos. Your Instagram page shouldn't be a replica of your product catalog—rather, it should feature engaging content that expresses your brand's personality. As an idea, show behind-the-scenes footage that highlights your products or team members via Instagram Stories and/or Reels. If you're creating a story, use "link" stickers to direct visitors to a webpage, where they can browse your products or make a purchase. Integrate Instagram with your site. Sync your Instagram feed with your online store so that customers can shop your products directly from Instagram. Similar to Facebook shop, this feature lets customers find the product they love on your social media channel, then click on the image in order to see more details and check out. Run Instagram ads. Target potential customers based on their preferences and online habits. Pick from a range of formats like photos, videos, carousels or Stories to create ads that align with your goals. Wix’s Facebook/Instagram Ads tool can help streamline this by using AI to create different ad variations and identify your ideal audience. Read also: How to make an eCommerce website eCommerce website examples Are websites still relevant in the age of AI? 04. Experiment with other social channels Branch out to other social media channels that may be appropriate for your brand. For example, if you run a fashion or beauty business, you might be eyeing TikTok—where you can hop on popular video trends, open a TikTok Shop and/or run TikTok ads (which can, in turn, be connected to your Wix product catalog). Or in the case of Kangaroo—a brand that specializes in 100% recyclable, heavy-duty hangers—TikTok affords an opportunity to connect with environmentally conscious shoppers. One of the brand’s earliest TikToks amassed more than 2 million views within just a few hours, leading to a surge of preorders on its website. If TikTok doesn’t match your vibe, you’ve got other channels like YouTube, Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Threads, Reddit and X (formerly Twitter). As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want to diversify your social media strategy so you’re not overly dependent on one channel, but avoid spreading yourself too thin. “By some grace of luck, I had my website already set up “and I had preorders available.” - Angus Willows, founder and CEO of Kangaroo Use tools like Wix’s AI-powered social media tools to quickly design custom videos, images and captions for various channels—and schedule things ahead of time so you’re not feeling overwhelmed. As you build up your social following, you can drive that traffic back to your website and turn their interest in your content into sales. 05. Lean into email marketing Although eCommerce email marketing may sound outdated in a world full of TikToks and heated Threads, email still boasts the highest return on investment (ROI) of all, with an average of $42 for every dollar spent. As one of the most successful ways to direct your customers to your online store, it’s worth taking seriously. The first step, of course, is to grow your email list. One way to get people to sign up for your emails is by adding a lightbox to your site that offers a discount or gift card as a reward for subscribing. You can additionally include a signup form in your site’s footer so that shoppers can opt in at any time. As you start building out your email list, think about the types of emails you want to experiment with. Do you need to automate essential emails, like order confirmations, shipping updates and abandoned cart emails? Are you looking to start a weekly or monthly newsletter? Do you want to highlight an upcoming sale or product launch? What kind of content will convince visitors to shop your products, both in the short term and long term? Wix helps eCommerce businesses recover lost sales with automated abandoned cart workflows and supports long-term retention through built-in loyalty programs and back-in-stock notifications, giving merchants more ways to bring customers back without additional marketing spend. Learn how to set up abandoned cart emails in Wix. As you seek the answers to these questions, keep the following tips in mind. Choose your eCommerce email platform wisely. Pick a platform that’s simple to use and lets you customize templates, easily sync contacts and track your performance. If you’re already on Wix, you can tap Wix’s AI email tools to craft and automate clever email campaigns. Alternatively, you can explore other options in the Wix App Market, such as Klaviyo, that can help you get even more out of your email marketing. Test various subject lines. Your subject line is arguably one of the most important elements of an email, with the power to attract or repel your customers before they've even seen the full message. Make sure you keep your subject lines short, punchy and provocative—while still keeping them relevant to the content inside. Keep written content short and sweet. Don’t overdo it with the text. Make sure every word you write is useful and geared towards getting visitors to click on your main call-to-action (CTA). Mix it up. Avoid inundating your email subscribers with content that's 100% promotional. Instead, send emails that offer value in the form of helpful content, inspiration or other material that'll help subscribers feel more connected to your brand. Don’t neglect your branding. Make sure to align your email images, copy, etc. with your store branding. By keeping these elements consistent across your various properties, you can create a brand that's easy to recognize, no matter where shoppers encounter it. 06. Optimize your site for SEO Your potential audience is most likely googling products like yours already. It's your job to make sure that your website appears in the first few results of these searches by implementing a smart eCommerce SEO strategy. To ensure that your SEO plan is effective, get familiar with critical SEO terms, like "keywords" and "metadata." Each of these elements (among others) influence your site's rankings on search engine result pages (SERPs) and help search engines discern when and how to showcase your products. Each page of your site needs to be optimized individually. That said, you can simplify your work by using Wix's built-in SEO tools, which can recommend ways to optimize each page and even generate the metadata for you. Pair this with Wix’s AI tools for product descriptions to create fully optimized copy. Bear in mind that even when SEO is done correctly, landing on page one of a SERP can take time, so you’ll need to be patient. You can supplement your organic efforts with paid placements, such as Google Ads. These types of ads can immediately put you at the top of SERPs while driving more traffic to strategic pages; this, in turn, can send positive signals to Google if it observes that a lot of people are finding what they’re look for on your site. 07. Utilize content marketing If you’re a newer company trying to compete with bigger brands, or if you’re trying to increase your brand recognition, content marketing might be the key to growing your website traffic. Clearly map out a content marketing strategy that identifies a specific target audience. Remember that when it comes to content, the immediate goal isn’t necessarily to get people to buy a product. Rather, you want to stimulate interest in your brand by presenting it as a trustworthy, knowledgeable player within your industry. Some of the most common forms of content marketing include: Blogs: When you're learning how to start a blog, it becomes pretty evident that a blog is a long-term investment. If done well, a blog can attract quality leads to your store and help you rank for keywords throughout the eCommerce customer journey. You can use your blog as a way to provide insights within your field, inspire customers to use your products or even receive backlinks from larger publications. If you need help with writing or editing content, Wix’s AI tools for blogging can lend a hand. Videos: Create short, engaging video content that’s related to your field of expertise. You can use videos to answer frequently asked questions about your business, explain how to use your product or just provide interesting information. Infographics: What knowledge does your team hold that you can pass on to your customers? Publish key insights and stats in a visually compelling way by creating infographics. Aside from attracting potential buyers, infographics can help you earn backlinks from journalists or other publications in your field. Make sure that your infographic is well-branded, complete with your business’ logo and a URL to your site. Note: Creating high-quality content is just half the battle. The other half involves distributing your content so that it’s seen by the right people. This is where a strong email or social media marketing strategy comes into play. Use these channels to promote and repurpose your content for multiple audiences. Get inspired by eCommerce website design ideas. 08. Engage influencers or brand partners Stepping out of your network into someone else’s is a great way to gain traffic for your site and reach new, relevant audiences. By working with credible influencers or brand partners in your space, you can more easily gain the trust of potential buyers. Start by researching your social platforms and looking for popular accounts related to your industry. If you’re on Instagram, Webstagram can help you analyze profiles related to your line of business. After you’ve identified a few potential influencers or brand partners, reach out to them. Get to known them at a more human level. Confirm that they’re a good match, both personality and content-wise, before negotiating business terms. Familiarize your partners with your brand by sending them product samples, alongside enough information about your business to help them speak confidently about your products and mission. Consider passing along special discounts or gift cards that they can distribute exclusively to their followers. Or, offer a commission for every customer or order they help to attract. You could create an affiliate marketing program to automate this process and work with a larger number of influencers. Affiliates can help you create social media content, videos and/or blog posts that link back to your site and can thereby drive traffic to your online store. 09. Advertise on Google Whereas with SEO, you garner traffic organically, Google Ads enable you to gain traffic through paid placements. Google Ads let you target your customers by location, device, demographics and/or keywords. Aside from providing a space to promote and link to your site, you can use ads to highlight special discounts or sales. You can additionally use Google Ads to quickly understand who’s clicking onto your ads (and therefore landing on your site) from a particular search query. You may discover that certain keywords are better than others for attracting people with an intent to shop, or that certain messaging is better at getting people to engage. These learnings can then be applied to your organic marketing strategies. You can also use Google Ads to re-engage people who’ve visited your site before through remarketing campaigns. There are various ad types that you can choose from, including: Search ads: Text-based ads that are displayed at the top of Google search result pages Shopping ads: Ads that showcase your product at the top of Google search result pages, the Shopping tab, partner websites and Google's Display Network (note: shopping ads use product data, not keywords, to target the right people) Display ads: Ads that feature text, images, videos and/or rich media and are shared across Google's Display Network Video ads: Video ads that are displayed across YouTube Discover how Google Ads with Wix can simplify your work by automatically connecting your Wix catalog to your ads, setting up your campaigns and more. Is your eCommerce site optimized for sales? Driving traffic is only half the battle. Once visitors land on your site, you need to make sure it's ready to convert them into buyers. No matter how ingenious your marketing campaigns may be, a site that’s clunky or outdated can scare off customers faster than you’d think. To this end, here are several things to look out for: Organize your site with a clear structure and CTAs: Make sure shoppers can easily navigate your site and find what they’re looking for. If your product catalog isn't displayed directly on your site’s homepage, add a prominent “Shop Now” or “Start Shopping” button that leads customers to the right pages. Speak to a specific target audience: Think from your customers' shoes when you're writing your product descriptions, designing your homepage and/or setting your prices. If customers don't feel that your brand is tailored to them—chances are, they'll exit your site as quickly as they entered. Remember that photography is king: We’re living in a visual age. High-quality product photography is a must-have, allowing customers to envision themselves using your product. Aside from static product photos, include product videos and/or user-generated content that can serve as powerful social proof. Don't skimp on product details: Make sure that your product descriptions are detailed and accurate. The last thing you'll want is for customers to shy away from making a purchase because they have more questions than answers after looking at your product listings—or, if they do make a purchase, you'll want to avoid an influx of returns due to "item not as described." Offer a seamless checkout process: An overly complex checkout process is one common cause of abandoned shopping carts online. Simplify the checkout process as much as possible while also accepting various forms of payment. By using Wix Payments, as an example, you can accept everything from major credit cards to Apple Pay to BNPL solutions, for accepting payments online. Make sure your return policy is easy to find: More than two-thirds (67%) of shoppers want to see a return policy before they complete a purchase, according to Invesp. Hence why you'll want to make your return policy easy to find so that shoppers can enjoy some peace of mind while they shop. 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, all designed to turn the traffic you drive into completed sales. Learn more: eCommerce website optimization What is an online store? How to make a website Drive traffic to your online store FAQ How can I drive traffic to my website for free? There are several free ways to drive traffic to any type of website, including but not limited to: SEO: Make sure your website is search engine-friendly by using relevant keywords, improving site speed and creating quality content. This helps your store rank higher in organic search results. Social media: Post your products and special offers on platforms like Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Use engaging content, like behind-the-scenes videos or customer testimonials, to grab attention and drive followers directly to your site. Blogging: Writing articles related to your products or industry can bring in traffic over time. You can share tips, stories, and how-to guides that link back to your store, drawing in visitors through useful content. Referral programs: Encourage your existing customers to refer others by offering incentives like discounts or free products. Online communities: Participate in forums or groups (like Reddit, Facebook Groups or niche forums) where your customers hang out. Share your expertise and link back to your store when it’s relevant. Email marketing: If you already have a list of subscribers, sending regular newsletters with updates, new products or special offers can help drive repeat traffic to your online store. Email signatures: Include your website link in your email signature for additional visibility. How do you reach customers digitally? To reach customers digitally, you’ll want to adopt a multichannel approach and focus on thing like: Social media: Establish and maintain a strong presence on relevant social media platforms, where your customers tend to discover new content. You might even want to sell directly on social platforms via TikTok Shop, Facebook Shop, etc.—or use ads to drive more people back to your site. Email marketing: Build an email list that lets you directly communicate with your audience on an ongoing basis. Tailor your emails to engage different segments of your audience and to appeal to their varying interests. Content marketing: Create blog posts, videos or other types of content that address your customers’ needs and interests. By offering valuable information, you build trust and stay top-of-mind, encouraging customers to return to your brand when they're ready to buy. Online advertising: Online advertising lets you pay for targeted ads on platforms like Google, Facebook or Instagram to reach specific audiences based on their interests, location, behaviors and other factors. This ensures your ads are shown to people most likely to be interested in your products, helping you quickly increase visibility. SEO: Tweak various elements of your website—like keywords, meta tags and content structure—to improve its visibility online. By making these adjustments, you increase the odds of potential customers finding your site via Google and other search engines.

Turning your idea into a business? Start with a domain name→ One of the best eCommerce business ideas you can execute is starting a makeup line to capture a share of this large and dedicated market. In this post, we'll provide some detailed steps you can take to launch your own makeup line with topics that include choosing your niche, researching your competitors, finding a manufacturer, and branding your products. The cosmetics industry is globally valued at about $380.2 billion, with over $49.2 billion generated by sales in the U.S. alone. In fact, American women spent an average of $182 per month on cosmetics, perfume, and bath products in 2021. Whether lipstick is your passion or glittery eyeshadow is your dream, we'll help you get started on your journey to becoming a successful makeup entrepreneur. Create a makeup artist website that highlights your skills and creativity. Thinking about starting a business? Lock down your brand’s domain before someone else does. Wix makes it easy to get your domain, email, hosting and SSL all in one place. Plus you'll get 24/7 support every step of the way. Why are you launching a makeup line? When it comes to starting a business, your reasoning matters. Your reasons for starting a makeup line will inform everything from your business entity to brand imagery and language to packaging and ingredients. Frankly, if you just want to find a product that makes money but have no interest in why people buy makeup and beauty care items, it’ll be hard to stand out. However, if you’re looking to solve a problem, fill a need or introduce something totally unique, you’ll find it’s much easier to create a trusted line of products that truly stand out. This was the case with cosmetic brand Tiazartzy. Its founder, Tia, is a micro-influencer and resin artist who sells her art on Instagram. She started her makeup line in 2020 after creating a viral foundation brush that received rave reviews. Tia now offers products like melanated setting powder and her famous viral makeup brush via her online store. Did you know? Wix supports merchants in managing complex product catalogs, optimizing conversion and scaling across multiple sales channels while maintaining a streamlined setup experience. How to start a makeup business in 10 steps Conduct market research Create your concept Develop product ideas Write an eCommerce business plan Design your branding and packaging Formulate and produce your makeup Test your formulas for safety and efficacy Finalize manufacturing and sourcing Choose a retail strategy Think of a marketing plan 01. Conduct market research There are three components to market research that you should focus on when developing a new cosmetics line, including: Your target audience: The foundation of any successful makeup business starts with having a deep understanding of your customers. The best way to achieve this is by focusing on who your products are for. What needs do your products fill? What will make them stand out above similar products? We recommend creating one or more buyer personas to clarify your target audience, outline their needs, and identify how your product can help. Your competition: You’ll need a good understanding of what’s already on the market before you can decide what your makeup line will include. Research what other makeup businesses are doing and selling. Analyze their pricing strategies, branding approach, and differentiators. This provides valuable insight about the competitive landscape and can help you ideate how to differentiate your products and establish a unique selling proposition (USP). Your opportunities: Having a better understanding of your audience and your competition can help to identify gaps in the market. On top of all this, you’ll want to engage in conversations and follow beauty influencers online to stay in the know and improve your networking. Forums like the Natural Beauty subreddit offer a wealth of information about trending ingredients, complaints, and needs. 02. Create your brand concept The most successful beauty companies have strong branding behind them. Start by defining your brand values, vision and corporate identity. Maybe you want a product that does two things—smells great and is good for sensitive skin. Maybe you want to create a “pro-age” cosmetic line that’s gentle and flattering for women over 50. After you’ve clearly defined the purpose of what you do, the elements that form your brand concept should come naturally. At this stage, you’ll also want to think of a business name that’s meaningful to you, plus resonates with your target buyer. You can use Wix’s business name generator for inspiration. Your brand logo should similarly reflect your values and vision; using a Beauty Logo Maker can help you achieve this. 03. Develop product ideas Start brainstorming product ideas that fit with your brand concept. Refer to your research during this process, but also talk to people and try to get into the mind of your target customer. Remember, a makeup or beauty product is only as good as its ingredients and formulas. You may have to speak with a chemist to develop unique formulations and textures that are both high-quality and affordable (we’ll get to that soon). After you’ve identified a few ideas, narrow it down with the help of focus groups and surveys. 04. Write an eCommerce business plan Draft an eCommerce business plan to show potential investors and lenders (such as angel investors or a business incubator), plus document how you’ll grow your business. Securing funding will give you a head start—be that a loan from family, or a line of credit from your bank. Your plan makes for a more convincing pitch and helps you clarify where your dollars will be spent. It should clearly outline the result you’re expecting from an investment. Explore some funding options for small businesses, which include options like bootstrapping to crowdfunding to business loans. Whatever your goal, there's likely a funding option that can help you get started. Your business plan should outline how you intend to establish your legal structure. Options include Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Limited Liability Company (LLC), Nonprofit or Corporation. You’ll need to research the legal requirements and paperwork for getting set up. Consider hiring a lawyer or an accountant to sort out these details. Finally, you’ll need business insurance to protect your assets and reduce the potential for harm. Do your research on eCommerce business insurance to learn about the different types of insurance available, what they cover, and what works best for your business. 05. Design your branding and packaging Your packaging and design elements represent the face of your brand. When coming up with a unique design, consider the preferences and needs of your target customer. If you’re not up for designing your own packaging, you can always hire a professional designer from the Wix Marketplace. If you’re bootstrapping, try out tools like Adobe Express that are cost-effective and easy to use. You’ll eventually need professional product photographs, which you can take yourself or with the help of a photographer. You should also plan for how you’ll package and protect your products. Think about what type of containers, bottles, tubes and applicators best suit your product range. 06. Formulate and produce your makeup There are a few different approaches you can take when formulating your products: Produce the products yourself: You don’t need to be a chemist to formulate a makeup line, but it's helpful to have some knowledge of chemistry, biology, or cosmetology to understand how different ingredients work together and affect the skin. Knowledge of aromatherapy and essential oils is also extremely helpful for scented products. If you’re uncertain, you can hire experts in each of these areas to provide guidance and assist in product development and formulation. Private labeling: If formulating products from scratch isn’t your jam, you can work with a cosmetic lab or a contract manufacturer to develop your products based on your specifications. Private labeling specifically involves working with a manufacturer to create your products, but branding and selling products as your own.* Wholesaling: Wholesaling is when you purchase items in bulk from a supplier. Items are ready-to-sell and are often sold at a discounted price when you make a bulk purchase. In a similar vein, if you prefer to source products locally, you could reach out to local retailers or manufacturers to see if they offer wholesale pricing. Dropshipping: With dropshipping, you don’t have to hold onto any inventory or worry about having to create the products yourself. Instead, your dropshipper handles everything from manufacturing to shipping for you. Dropshipping offers a lower barrier to entry and is relatively cheap to start, since you don’t have to invest in inventory upfront. * Note: The exact steps of your cosmetic development or sourcing process, from conceptualization to manufacture, will vary depending on what you're making, how complex it is, ingredient availability, and more. One cosmetic developer notes that it usually takes his team at least 12 weeks to formulate a new product. Make sure that you understand all the steps of the development process—even if you outsource—so that you can set realistic expectations for launch. 07. Test your formulas for safety and efficacy All makeup and skincare products need to be tested so that you know that they're safe for consumers. Some common tests for makeup products include: Stability testing: Expose the product to different temperatures, humidity levels, light conditions and other external factors to see how they affect things like appearance, texture, color, and odor over time. Microbial testing: Check if the product is free of harmful organisms like bacteria, fungi, yeast, and mold, all of which can cause infections or spoilage. Performance testing: Evaluate how well the product delivers its stated benefits. You’ll test factors like coverage, pigmentation, wear time, hydration and sun protection factor (SPF). Safety testing: Assess if the product causes adverse reactions to skin or eyes. This includes reactions like irritation, allergy or inflammation and toxicity. For certain tests, you can apply products on yourself or willing friends, family and customers. This is known as consumer testing. Other tests may require professional services from a cosmetics lab or a third-party testing company that has specialized equipment and expertise. Most private label and contract manufacturers offer testing services. Once testing is complete, you'll need to make any necessary changes to your formula before moving on to manufacturing your products. 08. Finalize manufacturing and sourcing As touched on earlier, you can choose a contract or private label manufacturer like New Look Cosmetics and BPI Labs to produce your products. Companies like these will work with you to source the raw ingredients for your products but they typically require you to commit to a minimum order amount (e.g., 1,000 lb. of dry product). Alternatively, you can source raw materials and packaging yourself which gives you more control of where you get your materials, plus allows for smaller batches. In general, here are some basic steps that you’ll want to take when sourcing your products: Identify the type and quantity of raw materials and packaging components you need. Look for suppliers of raw materials (substances or mixtures) and packaging components (bottles, jars, labels, etc.) that meet your criteria. Contact potential suppliers and request samples and pricing so you can evaluate quality, cost, and availability. Negotiate contracts with selected suppliers and establish delivery terms, payment methods, and quality control procedures. Create a plan for storing and handling raw materials and packaging components to prevent mix-up, contamination, or damage. We recommend creating a production schedule that outlines how much of each product you need to order and when, as well as the amount of time needed for production. This keeps production on track and helps avert unexpected issues, like running out of stock or holding onto inventory too long that it puts your cosmetics in danger of expiring. 09. Choose a retail strategy Where will you sell your first makeup product line? Big-name retailers like Sephora and Morphe are stocked with popular makeup brands, so it's not always possible to pitch your products to their buying managers and secure an order. It's smart to build an eCommerce website and use that to generate direct-to-consumer (D2C) orders. You could fulfill them yourself, or find a distributor to fulfill and ship orders made through your online business. They’ll take a cut of your sales as their fee but having a distributor takes the stress out of fulfilling orders alongside other plates you’re spinning (including sourcing products, marketing and customer service). You don’t have to have all of your stock taking up a spare bedroom. You could also use marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon to sell your cosmetic products, though you’ll want to do your due diligence and understand the quirks of each platform. This includes getting familiar with marketplace requirements, studying the competition, and analyzing the core audience. Note: Wix offers multichannel campaign tools that help you to get launched on new sales channels with minimal hassle. For example, you can edit your multichannel product listings and track inventory all from one place. 10. Think of a marketing plan In terms of getting your brand out there, you’ll want to brush up on eCommerce SEO basics. By learning how to optimize your product listings and other pages for search engines, you can boost your chances of reaching millions across the internet with your eCommerce website. Explore eCommerce templates to help you get started. In addition to this, create an eCommerce marketing strategy that incorporates multiple channels like social media platforms, search ads, video selling and a business email. Aim to develop relationships with local retailers and influencers, too, to pave the way for partnerships and co-branding. Ready to launch your makeup line? Create an online store today. Looking to start a makeup line in a specific state? How to start a business in Connecticut How to start a business in Indiana How to start a business in Wisconsin How to start a business in Washington How to start a business in Michigan How to start a business in Utah How to start a business in Virginia How to start a business in Arizona How to start a business in Texas How to start a business in Ohio How to start a makeup line FAQ How much does it cost to start a makeup line? The cost of starting a makeup line can vary greatly, depending on the size and scope of your business. However, you can expect to spend anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000 or more on startup costs. Some of the most common expenses include: Product development and testing Manufacturing Packaging Marketing and advertising Shipping and fulfillment Legal and regulatory fees Business overhead How profitable is a makeup business? The profitability of a makeup business can vary greatly, depending on a number of factors, including the size and scope of your business, the quality of your products, your marketing and sales strategies, and the overall state of the beauty industry. However, in general, makeup businesses can be very profitable. Is starting a cosmetic brand profitable? Yes, starting a cosmetic brand can be profitable. However, it is important to do your research and create a solid business plan before you launch your brand. You will need to have a clear understanding of the beauty industry, your target market, and your competition. You will also need to be prepared to invest a significant amount of time, money, and effort into your business. Do you need a degree to start a makeup line? No, you do not need a degree to start a makeup line. However, it is helpful to have some experience in the beauty industry. You may also want to consider taking some courses or workshops on business, marketing, and product development. Here are some additional tips for starting a successful makeup line: Do your research. Learn as much as you can about the beauty industry, your target market, and your competition. Create a solid business plan. This will help you define your goals, develop your marketing strategies, and track your progress. Invest in quality products. Your products are your brand, so it is important to invest in quality ingredients and packaging. Market your brand effectively. Get the word out about your products through social media, advertising, a business website, and public relations. Be patient. It takes time to build a successful business. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results overnight.

Get the perfect domain for your eCommerce store: find your domain→ eCommerce means selling online, while brick-and-mortar means selling from a physical store and each comes with its own trade-offs in reach, cost and customer experience. eCommerce offers global reach and lower overhead, while physical stores offer hands-on products and instant purchases. Wix supports both online and in-person selling with an all-in-one eCommerce platform and built-in point-of-sale. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting a new business or just following where retail is headed, below we compare the two models on pros and cons, key differences and how hybrid and omnichannel selling brings them together. TL;DR: eCommerce vs. brick-and-mortar stores Choose eCommerce if you want global reach, lower overhead and round the clock selling, and choose brick-and-mortar if hands-on products, instant purchases and personal service matter most to your customers. In practice the two are not either or, and many businesses combine an online store with a physical presence through hybrid and omnichannel retail. The table below compares the two at a glance. Factor eCommerce Brick-and-mortar Reach Global, no location limit Local, tied to store location Overhead cost Lower, no rent or utilities Higher, rent, staff and utilities Availability Open 24/7 Limited to store hours Customer experience Convenient, guided by reviews and descriptions Hands-on and sensory with personal service Getting the product Wait for delivery Take it home right away Best for Wide reach and lower overhead Local presence and hands-on products Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. eCommerce vs. brick and mortar: pros and cons Each retail model has their own unique characteristics that shape the way they operate. Ecommerce allows businesses to sell goods and services online—reaching a global audience without geographical limitations. It's also defined by the following: Accessibility: Customers can shop anytime, anywhere as long as they have internet access. Convenience: With just a few clicks, shoppers can complete a purchase and have items delivered to their doorstep within days, if an option. Wide selection: Online stores often offer a broader range of products than physical stores due to fewer space constraints in terms of storage and warehousing. Personalization: eCommerce platforms can provide personalized recommendations based on customer data and shopping habits. This makes for a more engaging customer experience and often higher sales. 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. Brick-and-mortar stores are traditional retail outlets that have been around for centuries, where customers can visit to see, touch and purchase products in person. Their key characteristics include: Tangible experiences: Shoppers can physically interact with products before making a purchase. Immediate gratification: Customers can take home their purchases immediately, without waiting for delivery. Customer service: Face-to-face interactions with staff can improve customer service and build relationships. Local presence: Physical stores contribute to the local economy and community. Learn more: What is extended commerce? Origins and growth of eCommerce The story of eCommerce began in the late 20th century, and it has quickly become a dominant force in the retail world. Here's a brief timeline highlighting its emergence and growth: 1970s: The concept of eCommerce was born with the advent of the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and teleshopping. 1980s: The introduction of online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon in the mid-1990s revolutionized the way people shop. 1990s: Secure online transactions became possible, leading to an increase in consumer trust and online sales. 2000s: Broadband internet became more accessible and smartphones began to change shopping habits. 2010s: Social media platforms started integrating shopping features, further expanding eCommerce reach. 2020s: Advancements in technology continue to push the boundaries of eCommerce with innovations like AI, AR and personalized shopping experiences. Related: Discover why Shaun Oliver intentionally left eCommerce off its website Ecommerce and brick-and-mortar: the main differences When comparing eCommerce and brick-and-mortar, several key factors highlight their differences. Understanding these can help you decide which retail model aligns with your business goals or shopping preferences. Convenience: Ecommerce wins on convenience, offering shopping from the comfort of your home. Brick-and-mortar requires a physical trip to the store. Reach: Online stores have a global reach, while physical stores are limited to their very specific, set geographical location. Customer experience: Brick-and-mortar stores provide a sensory experience and personal interaction, which eCommerce tries to replicate with detailed product descriptions and customer reviews. Overhead costs: eCommerce generally has lower overhead costs than brick-and-mortar, which must contend with expenses like rent and utilities. Read more: Best eCommerce platforms Squarespace alternatives Wix vs Squarespace Is eCommerce killing brick and mortar? The question of whether eCommerce is killing brick-and-mortar stores is a hot topic. To address this, let's look at a few current trends and eCommerce statistics. Adaptation: Many brick-and-mortar stores are integrating eCommerce elements to stay competitive. Many businesses are choosing to have both an eCommerce website and physical store—it's common amongst large brands, for example, Zara and H&M. Coexistence: Statistics show that while eCommerce is growing, there's still a significant demand for in-store experiences. A CX trends survey, for example, found that 70% of US shoppers still visit a physical retail store once a week. Digital transformation: Traditional stores are undergoing digital transformation, using technology to enhance the in-store experience. As part of this shift, many retailers are exploring what is headless commerce to create faster, more flexible shopping experiences across online and offline channels. So maybe it's not so much a case of eCommerce killing brick-and-mortar but rather an evolution of retail where both can coexist and complement each other. The key for traditional stores is to adapt and find ways to leverage the strengths of both models. Hybrid retail models: successes and how they work Here are some examples of businesses that have thrived by integrating both eCommerce and brick-and-mortar elements into their business models: Click-and-collect services: Retailers like Target and Walmart have successfully implemented click-and-collect services, allowing customers to order online and pick up in-store. This means consumers don't have to make it into a store and line up to pay — they can order only what they want and pick it up quickly. Show-rooming: Companies like Warby Parker offer physical showrooms for customers to try products before ordering them online. Local pop-up shops: Online-first brands occasionally open pop-up shops in high-traffic areas to increase brand visibility and offer a tangible shopping experience. This helps drum up demand for their online stores. The rise of omnichannel retail Omnichannel retail is the seamless integration of online and offline shopping experiences. It's a strategy that acknowledges the value of both eCommerce and brick and mortar, aiming to give you the best of both worlds. Here's how it benefits businesses and customers: Enhanced customer experience: Provide a consistent shopping experience across all platforms, whether in-store, online or through mobile apps. Increased sales opportunities: Reach customers through multiple channels, increasing the likelihood of purchases. Better data collection: Gather insights from various sales touchpoints to understand customer behavior and preferences. 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. How businesses can adapt to an evolving retail environment The retail landscape is constantly shifting and businesses must adapt to stay ahead. Here are strategies for brick-and-mortar stores to incorporate eCommerce elements and vice versa: Brick-and-mortar stores Learn how to go about making a website: Create a user-friendly website with a website builder or join online marketplaces to reach more customers. "I built our website in less than a week. Prior to Strathcona Spirits, I worked in eCommerce and online communications, so I knew what I wanted. I didn’t want an eCommerce site that was clunky and difficult to update, where the smallest change required a developer. This was a lean startup so we wanted to have a website that we could easily update ourselves, or delegate to an employee to update, in a really simple and time-efficient way. So that's how I decided on Wix." - Andrea Shubert, co-founder of Strathcona Spirits Use social media: Engage with customers on social media platforms to drive traffic to both your physical and online stores. Offer online ordering with in-store pickup: Combine the convenience of online shopping with the immediacy of in-store pickup. eCommerce businesses Optimize for mobile shopping: Ensure your online store is mobile-friendly, as many consumers shop on their smartphones. Wix supports high-performance eCommerce operations for growing online stores. Consider physical touchpoints: Explore pop-up shops or partnerships with physical stores to create a tangible brand presence. Leverage local delivery services: Provide fast, local delivery options to compete with the instant gratification of in-store shopping. Read more: Shopify alternatives Wix vs Shopify WordPress alternatives eCommerce vs. brick-and-mortar stores FAQ Is eCommerce cheaper than running a physical store? eCommerce usually has lower upfront and ongoing costs because there is no rent, in-store staff or utilities, though you still pay for a platform, payment processing, shipping and marketing. A physical store carries higher fixed costs but avoids shipping fees and can drive more impulse purchases. Do I need a physical store to sell online? No. You can run a fully online business with just an eCommerce website and no physical location. A store is optional and mainly worth it if your customers value seeing or trying products in person or you want a local presence. Which is more profitable, eCommerce or a physical store? Neither is automatically more profitable because it depends on your margins, product type and costs. eCommerce can scale to a wider audience with lower overhead, while a physical store can earn strong local margins through higher-priced or impulse purchases. Many businesses maximize profit by running both. What are the main drawbacks of selling online instead of in a store? Shoppers cannot touch or try products before buying, you take on shipping and returns, and you need marketing to drive traffic since there is no passing foot traffic. Clear photos, detailed descriptions and easy returns help close that gap.

Get the perfect domain for your eCommerce store: find your domain→ High-converting product pages share a few traits, clear high-quality images, detailed descriptions, transparent pricing, social proof and a call to action that is easy to find. Get these right and your product page becomes one of the hardest-working pages in your online store. Wix eCommerce lets you build customizable product pages with high-quality media, reviews and a streamlined checkout built in. Below are 18 real product page examples worth studying for your own eCommerce web design, plus the practical takeaway behind each one. Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. TL;DR: high-converting product page examples The quickest way to sharpen your own product pages is to borrow what already works for other stores. The 18 examples below span fashion, furniture, food, art and more, and together they point to the same handful of essentials every high-converting product page needs. The table sums up those essentials before we get into the examples. Feature Why it matters High-quality images Show the product from multiple angles and in use so shoppers know what they are getting Clear product description Answers key questions on materials, sizing and use to set the right expectations Visible pricing and offers Makes the price, any discount and the savings obvious at a glance Prominent add to cart button Keeps the main action easy to find and act on Customer reviews Builds trust with social proof from real buyers Shipping and returns info Removes last-minute doubts that lead to abandoned carts 18 product page examples for your eCommerce website Something Good Studio Sena Runa Bonsie Furry Necks Home + Patio Gallery Noir Lux Candle Co Healthy Eating on the Go Romaria Beck and Cap Hydrascape Infinity Stickers Tach Copper and Brass Paper Goods Handlebend Koketit Oak and Willow Lamarsa Fieldstone Outdoor Provisions Co. Starling Home 01. Something Good Studio What they sell: Stand-out textile pieces What they’re doing right: Something Good Studio uses beautiful—and surprising—lifestyle photographs to show off its products. By showcasing a puppy rather than a person wrapped in their mini blanket, the brand evokes an emotional response from shoppers. Consumers are likely to stick around for longer, thanks to thoughtful and playful imagery. Pro tip: When planning out your photoshoots, add lifestyle photos to your shot lists, ensuring that you capture images of your product in action. 02. Sena Runa What they sell: Colorful paper quilling art What they’re doing right: Sena Runa creates unique, made-to-order art pieces. The store is upfront about the creation process and the timeframe for delivery, writing “please allow 3-4 weeks for me to create [this piece]” on their product page. This extra dash of detail keeps customers in the loop so that they know what to expect. This is good to keep in mind when you're learning how to build an eCommerce website. Pro tip: If you’re selling art, create an Instagram account and keep it updated with your latest creations. Add links to your account from your eCommerce site—that way, customers can follow you and discover your newest pieces from their social feeds. Check out this guide for more information about how much an eCommerce website costs and the process of creating a website for selling online. 03. Bonsie What they sell: Baby clothes designed for skin-to-skin contact What they’re doing right: Bonsie’s baby clothes are unique in their design, which means some extra education may be necessary for customers to understand the full benefits of outfitting their babies in a Bonsie onesie. The product page includes a video that shows a mom dressing her baby—demonstrating exactly how their product works. Pro tip: Showcase all the things that make your product stand out. Use images, videos and/or instructional illustrations to help your shoppers understand the full utility and benefit of the items you sell. 04. Furry Necks What they sell: Handmade harris tweed dog collars What they’re doing right: Furry Necks’ handmade collars are a delight to dog lovers. But for these customers to feel comfortable enough to make a purchase, they need a way to verify that the collars will fit their dogs and are durable. To that end, Furry Necks uses collapsible mini-sections titled “Product Info,” “Sizing,” “Care Instructions,” and “Delivery & Returns” to provide shoppers with the necessary information—without overloading the page with text. Pro tip: Offer detailed product descriptions that include all relevant details, such as sizing info, materials, and care instructions. This not only helps to capture a sale, but also helps to set the right expectations and reduce the amount of returned orders in the future. For more tips, check out our guide on how to write product descriptions. 05. Home + Patio Gallery What they sell: Affordable home goods What they’re doing right: Many furniture buyers struggle with visualizing how an item will look and feel inside a space. HPG seeks to bridge this gap by including images that showcase its furniture in a realistic setting, as well as providing close-up shots of important product details. Pro tip: If you are selling discounted items, make the discount obvious on your product page with a banner or strikethrough pricing. By highlighting the amount of money customers will save, you can incentivize more purchases. 06. Noir Lux Candle Co. What they sell: Handcrafted scented candles What they’re doing right: Offering shoppers a subscription to their favorite products is a genius way to nurture customer loyalty. Subscriptions are win-win: your customers can ensure they are never without their favorite products, while you benefit from predictable recurring revenue. Noir incentivizes shoppers to subscribe to its products by offering 15% in savings. Pro tip: In addition to subscriptions, loyalty programs are a powerful way to build a community of customers that regularly engage with your brand. With Wix Loyalty Program, you can create a unique program for your business where you choose the tiers, points, and rewards system for your shoppers. 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. 07. Healthy Eating on the Go What they sell: All-natural food bars What they’re doing right: Healthy Eating’s customer base is very intentional about the foods they put in their body. That’s why the company takes care to list all the ingredients and nutritional information about each product from both the product description and product photos. For health-driven shoppers, this approach offers the transparency that they’re looking for. Pro tip: If you’re selling something ingredient-driven, like food products or scented candles, include photos of the main ingredients of your product so that it’s easy for shoppers to find. 08. Romaria What they sell: Statement knitwear pieces What they’re doing right: Romaria collaborates with a diverse group of artists and designers to create a colorful collection of one-of-a-kind knits. Its product pages naturally include information about the designer of each piece, as well as the inspiration behind each design. This glimpse into the product creation process helps add to Romaria’s story and reputation of selling truly couture pieces. Pro tip: A whopping 82% of shoppers want to buy from brands whose values align with their own. By highlighting your brand values on your product pages, you can reaffirm your mission as a brand and potentially strike a chord with your site visitors. 09. Beck and Cap What they sell: Modern wabi-sabi furniture What they’re doing right: Beck and Cap’s wooden pieces aren’t like any run-of-the-mill furniture. Rather, they’re hand-carved, ethically sourced, and built to showcase the natural imperfections of the wood itself. Beck and Cap therefore makes sure to include detailed care instructions on how to care for these pieces as they age. This information helps the company build trust and set clear expectations. Pro tip: For products like furniture, you’ll want to clearly display your shipping information and product dimensions. This way, customers will have all the information they need to confidently make a purchase. 10. Hydrascape Infinity Stickers What they sell: Graphic vinyl stickers What they’re doing right: Hydrascape’s online store is a haven for travel junkies. The brand’s mural-like stickers celebrate various national parks and mountain tops. Knowing that their customers have most likely visited multiple of these sites, Hydrascape cleverly showcases “other scapes we love” at the bottom of each product page. This cross-selling technique aids product discovery and serves to increase AOV. Pro tip: For some stores, a simple page layout with a prominent call-to-action may be all you need to prompt a sale. This approach removes distractions, helping your customers stay focused on completing their purchase. Explore eCommerce website templates for inspiration. 11. Tach What they sell: Couture knitted clothing What they’re doing right: Magazine-quality product photography makes Tach’s product pages worthy of a social share. Tach includes social share buttons on its product pages, making it easy for shoppers or affiliates to post about its products in just a few clicks. With over 70 million followers on social media, Tach proves how a strong, well-integrated social media strategy can work wonders for brand visibility. Pro tip: Keep your hand on the pulse of eCommerce design trends to gain inspiration and keep your site looking sharp. As an example, many online clothing brands are moving towards showing the same outfit on different body types, as well as using video to show how clothes look on a moving body. 12. Copper and Brass Paper Goods What they sell: Stationary promoting Black culture What they’re doing right: With thoughtful word choices (like “all the essentials to start the day off right”), Copper and Brass Paper Goods lets its brand personality and core message shine in its product page copy. When writing your own copy, don’t just tell your customers what your product is—speak their language and tell them how it’ll impact their lives. Pro tip: Create buyer personas to inform your messaging and establish your brand voice. Personas put you in the mindset of your customers, while ensuring consistency across your various marketing assets. 13. Handlebend What they sell: Rustic, handmade copper mugs What they’re doing right: Handlebend’s products are presented in a classy manner. By keeping the product page simple and giving lots of real estate to elegant product photos, Handlebend does a great job of demonstrating that their copper mugs are top-quality. Handlebend’s branding can also be felt in its use of rich, warm tones. The company takes care to use strong, consistent branding throughout all of its designs. Pro tip: If appropriate for your store, reduce choice paralysis among your shoppers by featuring fewer, highly curated items online. 14. Koketit What they sell: Art prints and NFTs What they’re doing right: When it comes to wall art—size matters. That’s why Koketit goes the extra mile and provides an infographic of various print sizes directly in the product photo slider. The store also provides a conversion chart from CM to IN on every product page to help all of its shoppers understand the sizing of its prints. Pro tip: If you sell internationally, keep your international customers in mind when drafting your product pages. For example, include information about international shipping, offer multiple units of measure, and include currency converters on your site to help international customers feel more comfortable making a purchase. 15. Oak and Willow What they sell: Eco-friendly cleaning products What they’re doing right: Oak and Willow does a great job of letting its happy customers prove the value of its products for them. Within its product pages, Oak and Willow showcases product reviews from happy customers to build trust and pave the way for sales. Pro tip: Showcase and collect product ratings from your product page using today’s top review apps. 16. Lamarsa What they sell: Espresso machines, coffee grinders, and anything else you need to make the perfect brew What they’re doing right: Lamarsa knows that the first thing a shopper looking at espresso machines wants to know is what features the machine includes. By listing the mechanics and special features of its machines as bullet points, Lamarsa makes it easy for shoppers to compare its products to similar ones on the market. Pro tip: Include a wishlist function on your product pages that allows your customers to bookmark their favorite items so that they can easily find them later. This wishlist feature can also give you valuable data about what your shoppers love. 17. Fieldstone Outdoor Provisions Co. What they sell: Sporting lifestyle clothing and accessories What they’re doing right: Sometimes, it’s hard to justify a purchase that's technically non-essential and related to a hobby. Fieldstone helps its customers get over that hump by accepting Afterpay as a buy now, pay later (BNPL) option. This allows customers to pay for an item in installments, rather than with one lump payment. Pro tip: Enable live chat on your product pages to further guide the buying process. Wix Chat comes pre-installed on every Wix Store, making it easy for you to start answering questions in real time and help shoppers get the information they need to feel confident about their purchases. 18. Starling Home What they sell: Smart home hardware What they’re doing right: Starling Home focuses on marketing one product: the Starling Home Hub. For this reason, its homepage doubles up as a product page—simplifying the path to purchase. All of the product details are provided on one page that’s easy to digest, thanks to thoughtfully placed visual aids. Pro tip: Simplify your path to purchase when designing your product page. Eliminate extra clicks between the moment a shopper enters your site and the moment they decide to make a purchase. Best practices for creating your own product page examples Creating an effective product page is crucial in driving conversions for your e-commerce business. In order to create the best ones, you'll want to consider the following: Use clear, high-quality images: Use high-resolution product photos from different angles and if possible, the images should feature the product in use. ASOS for example, use video and multiple still photos to show their clothing on models. Detailed product descriptions: Accurate and detailed descriptions help the shopper fully understand the features and benefits of your products. Apple's product pages, for instance, are excellent examples - detailing every product feature with simple, persuasive copy. User reviews & ratings: Customer reviews build trust and significantly influence purchasing decisions. Amazon is a good example of user reviews being well used within product pages. Clear pricing and shipping information: This includes the product price, any discounts, taxes and shipping costs. All of this information should be transparent and clear. Actionable call to action: Make sure your ‘Add to Cart’ or ‘Buy Now’ button stands out. Airbnb does this effectively with their 'Reserve' button—it's bright pink and impossible to miss. Product availability: If a product is out of stock, make this obvious and where possible, inform the customer when it will be available again. Care instructions and product specifications: If relevant, include information on product care or specs. Use videos: Videos can give a better understanding of your product and can showcase product features in action, or the real-world. Upselling and cross-selling: Suggest related products or accessories to increase the basket size. Amazon's 'Customers who bought this also bought' is a classic example of this strategy. Easy navigation and quick loading: Check that your product pages load quickly, and it's easy for visitors to navigate around your website. Wix supports high-performance eCommerce operations with AI-driven product recommendations, automated discount logic, abandoned cart recovery and customizable checkout workflows. For more inspiration consider using a product name generator to help name your pages effectively. Product page examples FAQ What is a product page? A product page is the page on your online store dedicated to a single product, where shoppers find its images, description, price, options and the add to cart button. It is where browsing turns into buying, so it carries much of the work of converting a visitor into a customer. How many photos should a product page have? Most high-converting product pages use at least three to five images that show the product from multiple angles, in use and up close on key details. If you sell variations like colors or sizes, add a photo for each one so shoppers know exactly what they are getting. How long should a product description be? A product description should be long enough to answer a shopper's main questions and no longer. Cover what the product is, what it is made of, how it is used and who it is for, then cut the filler. Unique descriptions written for your own store also help you rank in search instead of reusing the manufacturer's copy. Should a product page include video? Video is worth adding when it helps shoppers understand a product that is hard to judge from photos alone, like apparel in motion or a gadget in use. It can build confidence and reduce returns, though clear high-quality images and a strong description still do most of the work. How do I create a product page on Wix? With Wix you add a product to your store catalog, then Wix generates a product page you can customize with images, descriptions, pricing and variants. You can use AI tools to draft product descriptions and arrange elements like reviews, related products and the add to cart button to guide shoppers toward checkout.

Get the perfect domain for your eCommerce store: find your domain→ Yes, with Wix you can easily sell products. Whether you're selling handmade crafts, downloadable content, or subscription services, Wix Stores provides the tools and features you need to sell online. Wix's eCommerce platform is designed to be user-friendly while offering advanced capabilities that grow with your business. With Wix, you're not just limited to a basic online store. You can customize your product listings, offer different payment options, manage shipping and taxes and even integrate with third-party services to expand your reach. Wix also supports high-performance eCommerce operations with AI-driven product recommendations, automated discount logic, abandoned cart recovery and customizable checkout workflows. Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. TL;DR: can I sell products with Wix? Yes. Wix lets you sell almost anything online and run the whole store from one dashboard. Sell physical products, digital downloads, subscriptions, services and event tickets from one platform Accept payments through Wix Payments, PayPal, Stripe and manual methods in multiple currencies Manage inventory, orders, shipping and taxes in one place, with digital items delivered automatically by download link Grow sales with built-in SEO, email marketing, discounts, social and marketplace selling and AI product recommendations What are the types of products I can sell on Wix? Physical products Wix Stores makes it simple to sell tangible goods that then need shipping. You can: Upload multiple high-quality images or videos for each product Create product variations (color, size, material) Set inventory tracking to manage stock levels Add shipping weights and dimensions Allow pre-orders for upcoming products Create custom text fields for personalization Create and offer online gift cards Learn more about how to use gift cards on Wix. 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. Wix also helps merchants capture demand beyond what's currently in stock. Back-in-stock notifications automatically re-engage shoppers when inventory is replenished, while pre-orders let merchants capture revenue for upcoming products before they're available, keeping customers engaged at every stage of the buying cycle. Learn more: How to find products to sell online With Wix you can manage the entire process from product creation to checkout, with options to customize the shopping experience based on your brand and customer needs. Looking for trending products to sell? Explore our list of the best. Digital products Wix supports a wide range of eCommerce models, allowing businesses to sell physical products, digital goods, subscriptions, services and event tickets from one unified platform. Its an all-in-one eCommerce platform that supports physical products, services, specialized business models and ecommerce niches like rentals or online ordering and digital programs such as online courses, all from a single backend. Selling downloadable content is straightforward with Wix. The platform supports: Images (JPG, PNG, GIF) up to 50MB Audio files (WAV, FLAC, M4A) up to 100MB Documents (PDF, DOC, EPUB) up to 1GB ZIP files up to 1GB When a customer purchases a digital product, they automatically receive a download link valid for 30 days. This seamless process makes it easy to sell ebooks, music, art prints, templates and other digital creations without manual fulfillment. Beyond standard file downloads, Wix enables educators and creators to sell digital programs and online courses alongside traditional eCommerce, allowing businesses to expand their revenue streams without managing multiple platforms. Explore our list of the top digital products to sell to make money online. Subscription products Wix allows you to set up recurring product deliveries and payments. You can: Create flexible subscription intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) Set expiration periods or allow indefinite subscriptions Offer subscription-only products or both one-time and subscription options Provide subscription discounts to incentivize recurring purchases 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. Wix helps eCommerce businesses build long-term customer relationships by supporting strategies that increase customer lifetime value. Alongside subscriptions, merchants can implement loyalty and rewards programs to encourage repeat purchases and offer digital gift cards to attract new customers and capture seasonal revenue, all from the same platform backend. This feature works well for subscription boxes, membership content or any product that customers might want to receive regularly. Learn more about how to make a subscription website. How to setup your Wix Store to sell products Getting started with selling on products is easy: 1. Sign up for a Wix account 2. Select an online store template or build your online store from scratch 3. Add the Wix Stores app to your site 4. Customize your store's look and feel 5. Set up payment methods 6. Add your products Prefer to launch faster? Wix Harmony, Wix's flagship AI website builder, lets you go from a single prompt to a business-ready online store. You can then keep shaping your site by chatting with Aria, Wix Harmony's built-in AI agent, or editing by hand with full drag-and-drop control. How to add products to your store Adding products to your Wix store follows a simple process: 1. Go to the Dashboard and select "Products" 2. Choose "New Product" and select the product type 3. Upload product images or videos 4. Enter product details (name, description, price) 5. Add any variations or options 6. Set inventory and shipping information 7. Save and publish For physical products, you'll need to add details like weight for shipping calculations. For digital products, you'll upload the file customers will receive after purchase. How to setup your payment methods to sell Wix offers multiple payment options (dependent on where you're based in the world) to ensure you can serve customers worldwide: Wix Payments (built-in solution with competitive rates) PayPal Stripe Manual payment methods (bank transfers, cash on delivery) You can enable multiple payment methods to give customers choices at checkout and potentially increasing your conversion rate. Wix empowers businesses to scale globally and sell across multiple channels from a single platform. Merchants can localize their stores with automatic translations, accept payments in multiple currencies and calculate taxes automatically for international sales. The platform also connects to major marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Google, enables social commerce on TikTok and Instagram and allows businesses to launch branded mobile apps for iOS and Android. For omnichannel operations, Wix supports fully integrated point-of-sale systems, unifying online and offline sales management. Learn more about how scalable ecommerce works with Wix. How to sell products with Wix: managing your online store Inventory management Selling products with Wix means access to robust inventory tracking features: Real-time stock updates Low stock alerts Option to show or hide out-of-stock products SKU management Inventory history Wix helps merchants capture demand with back-in-stock notifications and enables eCommerce stores to offer pre-orders for upcoming products. Wix also keeps customers engaged with automated inventory alerts. These tools can help prevent overselling and keep your store running smoothly, even as you scale your business and sell more. Order processing When orders for your products come in, Wix provides a centralized system to manage them. This means you can: Receive order notifications via email and dashboard Review order details Process payments (or mark manual payments as received) Generate packing slips Update order status Communicate with customers Shipping and delivery options Wix offers flexible shipping options for all types of products that include: Flat rate shipping Weight-based rates Store pickup options Free shipping rules Integration with shipping carriers Real-time shipping rate calculations (on Business and eCommerce paid plans) For digital products, delivery is automatic through email download links, eliminating shipping management entirely. Wix supports custom shipping rates, taxes and product catalogs while maintaining a stable core. For merchants with more complex logistics needs, Wix supports custom shipping rates and fulfillment workflows through Velo and Service Plugins, allowing technical teams to extend shipping logic without compromising platform stability. SEO optimization Wix provides SEO tools to help your products appear in search results: Customizable product URLs SEO fields for titles and descriptions Automatic sitemap generation Mobile optimization Schema markup for rich results Social media integration Connect your store to social platforms to expand your customer reach: Share products directly to social media Add social share buttons to product pages Create shoppable Instagram galleries Integrate Facebook Pixel for ad targeting Wix integrates eCommerce stores with Amazon, eBay and Google marketplaces and allows merchants to sell directly on TikTok and Instagram. Wix natively supports omnichannel sales across online marketplaces and social platforms. For a real-life example, Izzy Wheels uses an Instagram Shop to guide potential clients to their eCommerce site, where visitors can learn more about the products or make a purchase. The sister-owned, Dublin-based brand creates fun, vibrant and innovative wheel covers for wheelchairs. Learn more: How to sell on ebay How to sell on Amazon How to sell on Youtube How to sell on Facebook How to sell on Etsy How to sell on Instagram Email marketing Wix's built-in email marketing tool allow you to: Send product announcements Create abandoned cart recovery emails Design promotional campaigns Segment customers for targeted messaging Automate email sequences Email remains one of the most effective channels for selling products and Wix makes it accessible without requiring third-party tools or plugins. Product customization Multiple variations like size, color, or material Different pricing for each variation Separate inventory tracking Custom option sets that can be applied to multiple products This flexibility lets you offer exactly what your customers want while simplifying your product management. Wix supports high-performance eCommerce operations with AI-driven product recommendations, automated discount logic, abandoned cart recovery and customizable checkout workflows. Discount codes and promotions Drive products sales with promotional tools: Create percentage or fixed amount discounts Set minimum purchase requirements Create time-limited offers Establish free shipping thresholds Offer buy-one-get-one deals Wix supports high-performance eCommerce operations with tools designed to improve conversion and increase average order value. Merchants can automate complex promotions with built-in discount logic, surface relevant products using AI-driven recommendations and recover lost sales through automated abandoned cart workflows. Wix also offers flexibility at checkout, allowing businesses to extend or customize the purchase flow to support more advanced retail strategies. Well-designed promotions can increase average order value and convert hesitant shoppers. Learn more: How to setup and optimize a customer loyalty program with Wix Tax and currency settings Sell products on Wix even with complex tax calculations and currency displays: Automatic tax calculation based on location VAT/GST support Multiple currency display options Tax exemption capabilities Integration with tax automation services Wix empowers businesses to scale globally and sell across multiple channels from a single platform. Merchants can localize their stores with automatic translations, accept payments in multiple currencies and calculate taxes automatically for international sales. These features ensure compliance while creating a smooth experience for international customers. AI features and tools Maximize your eCommerce selling with the Wix AI Site Chat, your 24/7 chat assistant that helps transform browsers into buyers. Great businesses are built on great conversations, but you can’t always be online to start them. The AI site chat bridges that gap by answering questions, handling bookings and keeping visitors engaged. It provides a smooth, reliable first touchpoint for potential clients while giving you more time to focus on running your business. You can also check out the Wix AI Site Chat overview for a deeper look at how it works. Beyond AI chat, Wix uses AI across the entire eCommerce experience. AI-driven product recommendations surface relevant items based on shopper behavior to increase average order value, while Wix Harmony allows merchants to generate and refine their entire storefront using Aria, Wix Harmony's built-in AI agent, alongside full manual control. Wix combines AI-driven merchandising tools with the flexibility for merchants to stay in control of their store's direction at every step. Selling products with Wix FAQ Is Wix good for selling products? Yes, Wix provides a comprehensive eCommerce solution suitable businesses of all sizes to sell online. It offers essential features for selling like secure payments, inventory management and marketing tools in a user-friendly package. Do I need a business license to sell products on Wix? Business licensing requirements vary by location and by what you're selling. Wix doesn't require a business license to create a store but you should check local regulations to ensure compliance in your area. Generally you will need a license to be able to accept payments, for example. How much does it cost to sell products on Wix? To sell products, you'll need a Business or eCommerce plan, which start at approximately $29/month (prices may vary). Wix doesn't charge per-product fees but payment processors typically charge transaction fees (around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). Can I sell on Wix without a website? No, you need a Wix website to use Wix Stores. However, the platform makes it easy to build a simple website focusing primarily on your store if that's your main priority. Can I connect my Wix store to other sales channels? Yes, Wix offers integrations with marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and social platforms like Instagram and Facebook. These connections help you manage multiple sales channels from one dashboard. How do customers receive digital products purchased from my Wix store? After purchase and payment confirmation, customers automatically receive an email with a download link valid for 30 days. You can also manually resend this link from your dashboard if needed. Can I offer international shipping with my Wix store? Yes, Wix allows you to set up shipping rules for different countries and regions, with options for flat rates or calculated shipping based on weight and destination. How does Wix handle taxes for online sales? Wix provides automatic tax calculation based on location and can integrate with tax services like Avalara for more complex needs. You can set tax rates manually or use automatic calculations. Can I track my store's performance on Wix? Yes, Wix provides Wix analytics showing sales, traffic, and customer behavior. You can also connect Google Analytics for more detailed insights about your store's performance.

Get the perfect domain for your eCommerce store: find your domain→ The main difference between an eCommerce platform and an online marketplace is ownership. An eCommerce platform powers your own branded store, while a marketplace lets you list products next to other sellers on a shared site. If you are getting started with online selling, understanding these two eCommerce models helps you pick the one that fits your goals. The right choice shapes how much control you have over your brand, your customers and your growth, which is central to building a lasting eCommerce business. Wix is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that gives you a branded online store you fully control. Below we cover how the two models compare and how to choose the one that fits your business. Get inspired by eCommerce web design ideas. TL;DR: eCommerce vs marketplace Choose an eCommerce platform when you want to own your brand and customer relationships long term, and choose a marketplace when you want fast reach with little setup. Marketplaces trade that convenience for fees, competition and less control, so many sellers run both at once. The table below compares the two across the factors that matter most. Factor eCommerce platform Marketplace Ownership and control Full control over your store, brand and customer experience The marketplace sets the rules and owns the experience Audience You build traffic through your own marketing Instant access to a large built-in customer base Branding Strong, your brand stands on its own Limited, the marketplace brand comes first Customer data You own it and can market directly Restricted by marketplace policies Competition No rival products on your own pages Listed next to direct competitors Costs Upfront setup and marketing spend Lower upfront cost but transaction and listing fees Best for Building a lasting, ownable brand Fast reach and quick, low-effort selling Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. What is eCommerce? Ecommerce, short for electronic commerce, is a business model that lets you buy and sell goods or services using the internet. When you use an eCommerce platform, you're essentially running your own online store. This means you have an eCommerce website where customers can visit directly to browse and purchase your products. 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. Learn more: How to start an online business What is a marketplace? Conversely, an online marketplace is like a large virtual mall. It's a platform where multiple sellers come together to offer their products. Think of giants like Amazon, eBay or Facebook Marketplace—these are places where you can find a vast array of items from different brands and businesses all in one spot. Learn more: Ecommerce vs. retail eCommerce vs marketplace: why choosing the right platform matters The choice between an eCommerce platform and a marketplace can significantly impact how you sell online. Each option comes with its own set of features, benefits and challenges that can align differently with your business goals. Learn more: eCommerce advantages and disadvantages Whether it's about having control over your brand, reaching more customers without significant marketing investments or scaling up your operations efficiently – picking the right path is important for your eCommerce business success. Keep in mind the two are not mutually exclusive. Many sellers run their own store and list on marketplaces at the same time, and selling across every channel where customers shop is what extended commerce is about. Understanding eCommerce platforms eCommerce platforms are the backbone for many businesses that sell online. They provide the infrastructure needed to carry out sales transactions over the internet. But what exactly is an ecommerce platform and what are the pros and cons of using one? What is an eCommerce platform? An eCommerce website builder, like Wix, is a software solution that helps you start an online store. It's a comprehensive solution that manages everything from your website's design and product listings to payment processing and order fulfillment. With an eCommerce platform, you have a dedicated space on the web that represents your brand and allows customers to shop with you directly. Learn more: eCommerce vs brick and mortar Pros and cons of an eCommerce platform Choosing to create your own eCommerce site comes with several advantages and disadvantages. Here's what you need to consider: Pros Brand control: You have full control over how your brand is presented—from the website design to customer service. Customer data: Access to customer data, via in-built web analytics, allows for personalized marketing and better customer relationships. Customization: The ability to customize every aspect of your store, including features and integrations, to fit your business needs. No competition on the page: Unlike marketplaces, there are no competitors listed next to your products on your own site. Cons Initial setup: Setting up an eCommerce platform can be time-consuming and may require technical expertise. However, if you opt for a platform like Wix, this isn't necessarily the case. You can set up an online store quickly and easily. Upfront costs: There are upfront costs involved in the process of how to build a website from scratch, purchasing a domain name and other associated fees. These can also be mitigated depending on which platform you choose. With Wix, eCommerce paid plans start from $24 a month. Marketing efforts: You're responsible for driving traffic to your site through marketing efforts which can be costly and time-intensive. Maintenance: Ongoing maintenance of the website is necessary to ensure it runs smoothly and stays secure. This also varies between eCommerce platforms, with Wix for example, most of this maintenance is taken out of your hands by its robust web infrastructure, automatic backups and updates and advanced security features. Learn more about ecommerce management. Understanding online marketplaces While eCommerce platforms are similar to owning a standalone shop, online marketplaces offer a different approach to selling online. They're online sales environments where multiple sellers converge to offer their goods. Let's break down what an online marketplace is and the pros and cons of selling on one. What is an online marketplace? An online marketplace is a platform where third-party sellers can list their products or services for sale. It's a shared space that attracts a large number of customers looking for a variety of items. Marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Facebook Marketplace are popular examples where you can find everything from books and electronics to handmade crafts. Learn more: How to sell on Amazon How to sell on eBay How to sell on Etsy How to build a marketplace website Pros and cons of an online marketplace Selling on an online marketplace comes with its own set of benefits and challenges that you should weigh before deciding if it's the right choice for your business. Pros Built-in customer base: Marketplaces have a ready-made audience, which means immediate exposure for your products. It's estimated that over 1 billion people use Facebook marketplace daily, that's a huge potential audience. Ease of use: They often provide simple tools for listing and managing products, making it easy to start selling quickly. Lower upfront costs: Typically, there's no need to pay for website development or hosting fees. Shared marketing efforts: Marketplaces invest in marketing and bring traffic to the platform for you. Cons Competition: Your products are listed alongside those of your competitors, which can drive down prices and margins. Limited branding: There's less opportunity to build your brand since the marketplace's branding is more prominent. Fees: Marketplaces charge fees for transactions, listings or subscriptions which can add up over time. Less control: You have less control over customer service, shipping, and returns as these may be governed by the marketplace's policies. eCommerce vs. marketplace: differences and similarities When it comes to selling online, the choice between an eCommerce platform and a marketplace can be important to your selling success. Each has distinct features that can either enhance or limit your business's potential. Ownership and control With and eCommerce platform you own your website and have complete control over the customer experience, from browsing to checkout. But with a marketplace, they own the customer journey, which means you must adhere to their rules and processes. Traffic and audience engagement With an ecommerce platform, attracting traffic requires your own marketing efforts but you can engage with customers on a deeper level through personalized experiences. While marketplaces draw in a large audience without much effort on your part, engaging with those customers directly can be challenging due to platform restrictions. Marketing and brand recognition If you choose to build your store on an eCommerce platform, you have the freedom to implement any marketing strategy that aligns with your brand, helping you stand out in the market. On a marketplace, your marketing capabilities are limited by the marketplace's framework, which can make it harder for your brand to be recognized independently. eCommerce vs marketplace and which is right for your business Here are some factors to consider when selecting the right platform for your products and services, as well as tips on transitioning from a marketplace to your own eCommerce site. Product type: Certain products may perform better on marketplaces while others benefit from the branding of an ecommerce site. Business size: Smaller businesses might start on marketplaces due to lower upfront costs, whereas larger businesses might prefer the control of an eCommerce platform. Business goals: Consider long-term goals such as brand building, customer loyalty and scalability when choosing your platform. How to move from a marketplace to an eCommerce website For whatever reason, if you're looking to transition from selling via a marketplace to an online store of your own it's important to: Plan your move: Outline the steps needed for transition, including setting up your website and migrating product listings. Maintain customer relationships: Use customer data (where permissible) to inform your customers about the move and offer incentives for them to shop at your new site. Optimize your website: Ensure that your website is user-friendly, mobile-friendly and optimized for search engines. Leverage effective marketing strategies: Implement marketing campaigns to drive traffic to your new site and build brand awareness. Explore these eCommerce website examples for inspiration. The future of online selling Selling online is constantly evolving, with new technologies and consumer behaviors shaping the way businesses operate. Staying ahead of the curve is essential for success. Here are some predictions and trends that are likely to influence the future of eCommerce and marketplaces moving forward. Personalization: Tailoring the shopping experience to individual customer preferences will become increasingly important. Mobile commerce: With more consumers shopping on mobile devices, optimizing for mobile will be crucial. Social commerce: Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are making it easier to shop directly through social media. Sustainability: Eco-friendly practices and products are becoming a significant factor in consumer decision-making. Global growth: Ecommerce platforms will continue to break down geographical barriers, allowing for global sales opportunities. Subscription models: Subscription services are expected to increase, offering consumers convenience and businesses predictable revenue. Wix supports long-term eCommerce growth with built-in loyalty programs, subscription commerce, back-in-stock notifications, digital gift cards and native wishlist functionality, all designed to increase customer lifetime value and keep shoppers engaged beyond the first purchase. For businesses looking to scale across multiple channels, learn more about what is headless commerce and how it supports more flexible storefront experiences. eCommerce vs marketplaces FAQ Is Amazon an eCommerce platform or marketplace? Primarily known as an online marketplace, Amazon allows multiple sellers to offer their products. However, it also acts as an eCommerce business by selling products directly to consumers. Is eBay an eCommerce platform or marketplace? eBay is a true marketplace that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its auction-style and direct purchase options. Is Facebook Marketplace an eCommerce platform or marketplace? It's a community-driven marketplace that enables users to buy and sell items locally. While it doesn't function as a traditional eCommerce site, it's part of the broader eCommerce ecosystem.

Get the perfect domain for your eCommerce store: find your domain→ Retail refers to the traditional method of selling goods and services to consumers through physical stores. Known as brick-and-mortar establishments, these stores offer a tangible shopping experience where customers can interact with products firsthand. On the other hand, eCommerce encompasses the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. This model allows for a broader reach as businesses can connect with customers globally without the need for a physical presence. 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. The relevance of each model in today's business environment cannot be overstated. While traditional retailing relies on physical interaction and personal touch, eCommerce offers convenience and accessibility. Both models have their unique advantages and cater to different customer preferences. As you consider both when starting your business, it's essential to understand their roles in shaping customer experiences and driving sales in a digital age where online shopping continues to gain ground in terms of reach and sales. TL;DR: eCommerce vs. retail eCommerce is buying and selling online, while retail is selling through physical brick and mortar stores. eCommerce wins on reach, cost and round the clock availability, while retail wins on personal service, immediate ownership and hands-on product experience. Many businesses run both to meet customers wherever they shop. Factor eCommerce Retail Reach Global, no location limit Local, tied to store location Startup and overhead cost Lower, no rent or utilities Higher, rent, staff and utilities Availability Open 24/7 Limited to store hours Customer experience Convenient, easy price comparison Hands-on, personal service, immediate ownership Product selection Vast, few space limits Limited by shelf and floor space Best for Wide reach and lower overhead Products people want to see, touch or take home now Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. eCommerce vs. retail: the brick and mortar advantage Despite the rise of online shopping, there's a significant advantage to maintaining a brick-and-mortar presence. Physical stores offer unique benefits that can enhance both business performance and customer satisfaction, leading to both sales and repeat customers. These include: Personal touch: In-store interactions allow for personalized service, which can lead to stronger customer relationships and loyalty. Immediate gratification: Customers can leave with their purchases immediately, satisfying the desire for instant ownership. Sensory experience: The ability to see, touch and try products can increase consumer confidence in their purchase decisions. While eCommerce is often highlighted for its convenience, physical stores also provide conveniences that are hard to replicate online: Location: Strategically placed stores can attract foot traffic and impulse buys. In-person support: Immediate assistance from staff can resolve issues quickly and improve the overall shopping experience. Community presence: Stores contribute to local economies and can become integral parts of communities. Related: Our website has 0 products for sale, but it's our most profitable channel eCommerce vs. retail: the eCommerce advantage The rise of the internet has ushered in a new wave of commerce—eCommerce—that allows businesses to extend their reach far beyond local boundaries. Starting an eCommerce business opens up a world of opportunities, with advantages that traditional retail simply cannot match. 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. Wider reach: With an online store, your business can attract customers from around the globe, not just those within a certain radius. Cost saving: Operating online can significantly reduce the overhead costs associated with physical stores, such as rent and utilities. 24/7 availability: Ecommerce platforms are always open, giving customers the freedom to shop at their convenience, any time of day or night. Learn more: eCommerce advantages and disadvantages Shopping online is not just beneficial for businesses—it's also incredibly convenient for customers: Easy access: Consumers can shop from the comfort of their own homes without traveling to a store. Create an eCommerce website to give potential customers 24/7 access to your products. Vast selection: Online stores can offer a wider array of products than physical stores due to fewer space constraints. Comparative shopping: Customers can easily compare prices and products from different vendors to find the best deals. Learn more: How to start an online store Retail vs. eCommerce and which to choose for your business Choosing the right sales model for your business—whether to invest in a brick-and-mortar store, an eCommerce platform or both—is a decision that requires careful consideration of various factors. Here's a guide to some of them to help you weigh your options and determine which works best for achieving your business goals. Target market: Consider where your customers are most likely to shop. Are they seeking the in-person experience or the convenience of online shopping? Product type: Some products, particularly those that customers prefer to see or try on, may be better suited for retail. Others can be easily sold online. Costs: Evaluate the start-up and ongoing costs associated with each model. Retail may require more significant upfront investment, while eCommerce can be more cost-effective. Market analysis: Research consumer behavior and market trends to understand where your products fit best. Competition: Look at what your competitors are doing and where you might have an advantage. Brand experience: Decide how you want customers to interact with your brand and which model best delivers that experience. Many businesses do not pick one and instead sell across both at once. Running every channel where your customers already shop is the idea behind extended commerce, which pairs a physical presence with an online store and other sales channels. As businesses expand across websites, mobile apps and other digital experiences, many also explore what is headless commerce to gain more flexibility over the customer experience. Learn more: eCommerce vs brick and mortar The future of retail and eCommerce As we look ahead, the landscape of retail and eCommerce is set for continued evolution and growth. Innovations in technology and shifts in consumer behavior are likely to shape the way businesses sell and customers buy. Understanding potential trends can help you stay ahead of the curve when it comes to selling. Technological advancements: Emerging technologies like augmented reality and AI could transform the shopping experience both online and in-store. Consumer expectations: As consumers become more tech-savvy, their expectations for convenience, personalization and service will increase. Sustainability: Eco-consciousness is on the rise, potentially impacting purchasing decisions and driving demand for sustainable business practices. eCommerce vs. retail FAQ Is Amazon considered retail or eCommerce? Amazon is primarily known as an eCommerce giant due to its vast online presence. However, with its acquisition of Whole Foods and the launch of Amazon Go stores, it also has a growing brick-and-mortar footprint. Can businesses benefit from retail and eCommerce? Yes, adopting an omnichannel approach that includes both retail and ecommerce can provide a rounded sales and customer experience, leveraging the strengths of each model.

Get the perfect domain for your eCommerce store: find your domain→ eCommerce UX is the overall experience a shopper has on your eCommerce site, from landing on your homepage to completing a purchase, and it shapes whether they buy or leave. Good UX goes beyond how your store looks and guides shoppers to what they need as easily as they would in a physical store. Wix offers an all-in-one online store builder with fully customizable storefronts to help you shape that experience. Below we explain what eCommerce UX is and walk through practical steps to improve it across your site. Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. TL;DR: eCommerce UX Great eCommerce UX comes down to making your store easy to browse, quick to load and simple to buy from on any device. The most effective way to get there is to understand your shoppers, remove friction from the path to purchase and keep testing and refining as you go. The table below sums up the core focus areas and what each one covers. Focus area What it covers Know your shoppers Research your audience, build personas and map the buying journey Design and navigation Clear layout, logical categories, easy search and visible CTAs Checkout Fewer steps, guest checkout and multiple payment methods Mobile experience Fast, light pages designed for small screens and thumb taps Test and iterate Usability tests, analytics and heatmaps to fix friction points The importance of UI and UX in eCommerce Two main elements define a shopper’s experience on your eCommerce site: the user interface (UI) and the user experience (UX). While these terms are often used interchangeably, they refer to different aspects of web design. UI is about the actual elements that you interact with on the site. Think: buttons, images, text and other visual items. It's akin to the layout and decor of a physical store; it needs to be visually appealing and functional. UX is more holistic. It encompasses all aspects of a person’s end-to-end interaction with an eCommerce site. It's not just about how things look but how they work. Good UX results in an intuitive, efficient and satisfying shopping experience. UI and UX work together to create a seamless shopping experience. A beautiful UI can attract customers. However, without a solid UX to back it up, customers may leave your site out of frustration or confusion. Conversely, great eCommerce UX can keep customers engaged even if the UI isn't cutting-edge. Ready to start selling? Use an eCommerce platform like Wix. 10 essential steps for improving eCommerce UX When it comes to improving the UX of an existing site, it can be hard to know where to start. However, a structured approach can help. Consider these 10 steps for getting started. Related reading: 6 lessons from my 6 years in UX that can be applied to your site 01. Research your audience Knowing your audience inside and out is key to standing out. It's like throwing a party—you want to make sure you've got the right music, food and vibe for the people you're inviting onto your property. By digging into who your customers are, what they like and what frustrates them, you can design a site that feels just right for them. This means chatting with them through surveys, diving into your site's analytics and maybe even doing a few user interviews. The insights you get from this research can help you identify areas of your site that need adjusting or map out new ways to engage shoppers. 02. Analyze your current eCommerce UX Take a close look at your existing eCommerce site. Use analytics, like Wix Analytics, to see where users drop off or spend the most time. Tools like heatmaps can show you exactly where people are clicking and scrolling, revealing hot spots and dead zones. Don't forget to ask for feedback directly from your users; sometimes, their insights can be the most revealing. Conduct usability tests where real users complete tasks on your site and watch where they struggle or succeed. 03. Set clear objectives for your eCommerce UX plan Define what you want to achieve with your UX redesign. Are you aiming to reduce cart abandonment, speed up the checkout process or simply make the site more visually appealing? Be specific with your goals. For example, "Increase the checkout completion rate by 20% in the next six months" is much clearer than saying "Improve the checkout process." Having these clear objectives can keep your team focused and aligned. It will also make it easier for you to measure your progress and see if your changes are making a difference. Regularly check in on your goals and be ready to tweak them if needed. 04. Create user personas User personas can help you visualize your customers as real people with specific needs, behaviors and goals—then help you tailor your site accordingly. Start by gathering data from your audience research, such as demographics, purchasing habits and feedback. Then, build personas that represent different segments of your user base. For instance, you might create "Budget-Conscious Brenda," a thrifty shopper always on the lookout for deals, or "Tech-Savvy Tom," who loves the latest gadgets and smooth, fast online experiences. These personas help to keep your users at the forefront when designing and refining your site. Every decision, from layout tweaks to new feature rollouts, can be guided by asking, "How would this improve Brenda's or Tom's experience?" This personalized approach will ensure that your UX enhancements are relevant and impactful, making your site more user-friendly and enjoyable for everyone. 05. Map the user journey on your eCommerce site Outline the path customers take from landing on your site to completing a purchase. Doing so will help you chart out every stop your customers make, including key touchpoints and potential friction points. Pay attention to different paths that users might take. Use tools like journey maps to visualize these steps, highlighting the emotional highs and lows your shoppers experience along the way. Are people prone to get distracted while navigating through your site? Do they get overwhelmed by too many choices? Are you using eCommerce merchandising strategies that can keep shoppers on your site longer and guide them toward a purchase? Conversely, do you notice higher purchase rates on pages where product reviews are prominent and positive? Keep an eye out for key motivators at each stage. 06. Design with empathy Put yourself in your customers' shoes and design for their convenience and comfort. Make navigation intuitive and information easily accessible. Think about accessibility, too. In other words, design for users of all abilities. When you approach UX with empathy, you're not just making changes for the sake of it; you're considering your customers’ emotional journey and creating an experience that feels personal and caring. This thoughtful approach leads to a more intuitive site, happier customers—and ultimately, better business results. Learn more: What is web design? 07. Implement a mobile-friendly design Design your site with a mobile-first mindset, i.e., declutter your pages and make sure your layout is easy to navigate on smaller screens. If you use a website builder like Wix, you should be able to easily customize the mobile version of your site. Hide non-essential elements from view and make sure buttons, plus navigational menus, are easy to click with a thumb. Test your site on various devices and screen sizes to catch any issues as you build out your design. 08. Conduct user testing Before finalizing any changes, test them with real users to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments. Recruit a diverse group of real users who match your customer personas. Then, ask them to complete key tasks, like finding a product, adding it to the cart and checking out. Observe where users struggle, what confuses them and where they sail through with ease. Encourage them to think out loud so you can get insights into their thought process. Use a mix of methods, like in-person sessions, remote testing and A/B testing, to gather a broad range of feedback. Afterward, you should be able to analyze results and identify common pain points. 09. Iterate based on feedback Use the insights from user testing to refine your UX design continuously. Start with the most critical issues that are causing frustration and/or hurting sales, and make those adjustments first. Then, roll out these changes and keep a close eye on how users respond. Continue using your analytics, heatmaps and follow-up user tests to see if the tweaks are hitting the mark. Don’t be afraid to go through multiple iterations; each round of feedback brings you closer to a smoother, more intuitive site. Remember, this is an ongoing process. As user needs and behaviors evolve, continue to gather feedback and make adjustments 10. Stay updated with training The world of UX is always evolving, with new trends, tools and best practices emerging all the time. To stay ahead, regularly invest in training and professional development. Take online courses and attend webinars. Follow industry blogs or join UX communities to learn from experts and peers. Experiment with new techniques to see how they can enhance your site. Top eCommerce UX best practices If you want your eCommerce site to truly shine, it's important to follow some proven design tips. Here are some key suggestions to help you out: Create intuitive product pages: Make sure your product pages are beefed up with all the essential information—such as high-quality product photos, commonly requested product information and shipping information (among others). Avoid using fluffy language on these pages and instead, seek to inform. Did you know? When designing a product page on Wix, you can enlist the help of AI-powered writing tools that take UX best practices into consideration. Simplify the checkout process: Reduce cart abandonment by streamlining the checkout process. Minimize the number of steps and ask only for essential information, plus accept multiple payment methods via solutions like Wix Payments. Wix supports customizable checkout workflows for online stores. Use clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons: Place your CTAs where users are most likely to see them and take action. This often means placing them above the fold, near product descriptions or at key points in the user journey. Keep them simple, using direct language that tells users exactly what you want them to do. Offer easy navigation: Ensure that your site's navigation is straightforward and logical. Use clear categories and filters to help users find products quickly. Additionally, incorporate breadcrumbs that show users their current location within the site hierarchy and allow them to easily backtrack. This is especially useful for sites with a lot of categories. Provide accessible customer support: Make it easy for customers to get help when they need it by offering accessible customer support options like live chat or a comprehensive FAQ section. Examples of websites with strong UX Sometimes the best way to learn is by mimicking the experts. Below are three iconic examples of websites with strong eCommerce UX. Amazon Amazon sets a high standard for intuitive design with its simple navigation, personalized recommendations and one-click purchasing option—all of which contribute to a seamless shopping experience. Zappos Zappos excels in customer service with its easy returns policy and helpful product reviews, making the online shoe-buying process as user-friendly as possible. ASOS ASOS provides an excellent case study in eCommerce UX with its use of high-quality imagery, detailed product information and a mobile app that mirrors the functionality of its website. Challenges in eCommerce UX to be aware of Creating a top-notch eCommerce user experience comes with its own set of challenges. From navigation issues to mobile optimization, here are some common obstacles you may face and tips on how to overcome them, when building an eCommerce site: Dealing with a diverse user base: Your customers will have varying levels of tech-savviness and preferences. To cater to this diversity, use clear navigation, simple language and helpful tooltips to guide users of all experience levels through your site. Balancing aesthetics with functionality: While a visually stunning website can attract users, functionality should never be compromised. When learning how to build a website of your own, make sure that its design helps with usability rather than detracting from it. Optimizing for speed: Slow loading times can frustrate users and lead to higher bounce rates. Some ways to combat this: optimize images (Wix automatically compresses images to Webp), work with a reliable website builder and minimize the use of heavy scripts. Ensuring consistency across platforms: Users expect a consistent experience, whether they're shopping on a desktop, tablet or smartphone. Maintain uniformity in design and functionality across all platforms. Securing user data: With increasing concerns about data privacy, it’s wise to study the website security behind your site. Check that any user data is protected against breaches, especially when you’re collecting online payments. Gathering actionable user feedback: Collecting feedback is one thing; translating it into meaningful improvements is another. Use surveys, user testing sessions and analytics to gather actionable insights. The future of eCommerce UX The UX landscape is always changing. In eCommerce specifically, there are several trends that you should keep your eye on. Artificial intelligence and machine learning AI and machine learning are becoming integral to personalizing the shopping experience. They can predict user preferences, provide tailored recommendations and automate customer service through chatbots. “The AI breakthroughs we’ve witnessed over the last year are just beginning,” says Oren Inditzky, Wix’s VP & GM of Online Stores. “Right now we’re seeing generative AI dominate headlines and become mainstream.” “Pretty soon, though, we’ll see the democratization of advanced machine learning (ML) algorithms. Capabilities that were once limited to eCommerce giants will be accessible to any and every online seller.”- Oren Inditzky, Wix VP & GM of Online Stores Augmented reality (AR) AR technology allows users to visualize products in their own environment before buying. Brands like IKEA and Warby Parker have already paved the way in this realm. But as technology advances and becomes more accessible, AR is expected to become a standard feature on eCommerce sites. Voice commerce As voice-activated devices gain popularity, voice commerce is set to become a significant channel for online shopping. “We still have a ways to go, but soon, voice search will be far more prevalent than it is today,” says Giorgia Foscarini, team lead of international blogs at Wix. “We already see people using virtual assistants every day, whether through their phones, smart TVs or smart watches.” “Optimize your content for voice search by addressing conversational queries,” she advises. “Think about how people would actually speak into their devices, and tailor your writing accordingly.” Sustainability and ethical practices Nearly 90% of global consumers have changed their shopping habits to be more eco-friendly, according to Capital One Shopping, and 80% of these consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products. Think of ways to incorporate sustainable practices into your operations. However, avoid “greenwashing” (that is, making misleading claims about the environmental benefits of your product, service or company practices to appear more eco-friendly than they actually are). Wix’s eCommerce UX design capabilities Looking for a website platform that points you down the right path? Wix offers several advantages to help with eCommerce UX: Drag-and-drop, AI-powered builder: Wix's intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows you to design your online store without needing to code. Wix even offers an AI website creator, making the process accessible to everyone. Customizable templates: With a wide selection of eCommerce-specific templates, Wix allows you to choose a design that aligns with your brand and customize it to fit your unique needs. Mobile optimization: All Wix websites are automatically optimized for mobile devices but you can tweak the mobile site however you want through the Editor. App market: Extend the functionality of your online store with apps from the Wix App Market, including tools for marketing, analytics, shipping and more. SEO tools: Wix provides built-in SEO tools to help improve your online store's visibility and attract more traffic. Secure payment solutions: Offer customers secure payment options with Wix Payments, which supports a variety of popular payment methods. Wix supports high-performance eCommerce operations for growing online stores. If you're ready to take your eCommerce UX to the next level, explore Wix's eCommerce solutions and discover how you can enhance your online presence.

Get the perfect domain for your eCommerce store: find your domain→ Most eCommerce sites fail for reasons that are preventable, such as slow load times, weak product pages, a complicated checkout, poor marketing, bad site design, a neglected mobile experience and loose security. Behind every store there are multiple systems working together to move a shopper from landing on your eCommerce site to completing a purchase and when one of them breaks down, sales quietly slip away. So whether you are starting an online store from scratch or already have one set up, knowing these failure points helps you avoid the same mistakes and build a site and business that lasts. Wix eCommerce comes with enterprise-grade security, resilient hosting and built-in performance tools that address many of these failure points from the start. Get inspired by eCommerce web design ideas. TL;DR: 7 reasons why most eCommerce sites fail Most eCommerce failures are self-inflicted and fixable. Sites lose customers when speed, product pages, checkout, marketing, design, mobile experience or security fall short, and each weak point quietly drains conversions before a shopper buys. The good news is that the right platform and a few focused improvements can turn most of these problems around. The table below breaks down each failure point and how to fix it. Reason sites fail How to fix it Slow load times Monitor site speed, limit heavy apps and code, compress images Weak product pages Add unique descriptions, multiple photos per variant and a clear return policy Complex checkout Offer multiple payment methods, guest checkout and a single-page flow Poorly planned marketing Invest in SEO, run ads, build an email list and stay active on social Bad site design Start from a conversion-focused template, simplify navigation and make CTAs clear Poor mobile experience Keep mobile light and fast, prioritize key content and test on real devices Loose security Use SSL/TLS, pick an enterprise-grade platform and store only the data you need Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. 7 main reasons why eCommerce websites fail Without further ado, let’s review the seven reasons why eCommerce sites fail and how to best address them. Slow load times Product pages that leave a lot to be desired Complex checkout processes Poorly planned marketing Bad site design Awful mobile experience Sloppy security 01. Slow load times It’s a given that your eCommerce website should grow with your business. But sometimes the rush to add new product pages, install helpful apps and publish fresh blog content (as examples) creates an unfortunate byproduct: slower-to-load pages. And when it comes to an online store, speed clearly matters. The highest eCommerce conversion rates happen on websites with load times between zero to two seconds, according to Crazyegg. And conversion rates continue to drop by 4.42% with every extra second of load time between zero to five seconds. In other words, the more time you lose to slow-loading pages, the more money you leave on the table. High-traffic periods also tend to exacerbate this issue by putting more strain on your site. Wix provides resilient web hosting with 99.99% uptime so your site will stay up no matter what, even during traffic spikes. It’s therefore evermore important to keep a constant pulse on eCommerce site speed (as well as your eCommerce website optimization) and proactively address any potential issues before they snowball into bigger, costly problems. How to solve slow load times Use Wix’s Site Speed Dashboard - This dashboard uses actual user data to provide detailed performance reports. It includes key performance metrics, like Google’s Core Web Vitals (CWV), to help you stay ahead of performance issues. Choose third-party apps wisely: Too many apps may hamper your site’s performance. Only keep the ones that bring your online store—and your customers—the greatest value. Keep it simple: Limit the amount of custom code, special effects, and unnecessary content on your site. Check that elements like videos and animations aren’t bringing load times to a crawl. Avoid GIFs: GIFs that constantly loop and auto-play can be burdensome to your site. Videos are a better replacement, thanks to modern video encoding formats that keep file sizes small. Crunch your images: Large image files are common culprits of slow-loading pages. Compress images prior to uploading them to your store, and use smaller JPG files instead of PNG for your product photos. If you use Wix for eCommerce, you benefit ​from having a platform that automatically resizes your media and converts it into modern image formats, like WebP, for enhanced delivery. 02. Product pages that leave a lot to be desired Products are the star of your online store and as you expand your product and introduce new collections, it can be hard to keep pace. You may choose to cut corners by keeping product descriptions brief, or by copying and pasting descriptions provided by your manufacturers. You may even choose to upload just a single product photo because you never got around to taking more shots of your product. These hasty decisions can come with costly consequences. That’s because nearly half (45%) of all customers say that high-quality images and detailed product descriptions are crucial for building their trust in a product that’s sold online. Not only are they essential for bridging the gap between online and in-store experiences, but they’re essential for setting the right expectations. On the contrary, a high-performing product page has the power to prevent returns—currently a $761 billion problem in retail—due to “item not as described.” If your website’s products pages lack detail, don’t have descriptions, or include blurry images, it’s time to improve them. How to solve poor product pages Offer unique product descriptions: Create custom product descriptions for your site. Use them to answer frequently asked questions about your product (What is it made of? Is it machine-washable? How long will shipping take?) and to help customers visualize your product in the flesh. Take a variety of product photos: Follow product photography best practices, such as taking photos of your products at multiple angles, using consistent lighting, and playing with the composition. If you offer variations, make sure to provide photos for each variant. Then, be sure to showcase your product photos attractively throughout your online store by following eCommerce merchandising best practices. Make sure your return policy is easy to find: Don’t leave important details, like your returns and exchange policy, up for interpretation. Include a link in an easy-to-find spot so that customers can shop with confidence. (If applicable) Include a sizing chart: For apparel or footwear, consider adding a sizing chart somewhere on your product page to help prevent returns due to incorrect sizing. 03. Complex checkout processes Mastering the checkout process is a common challenge among merchants. Stripe even found that 95% of leading eCommerce sites make five or more basic errors on their checkout pages, like lacking enough payment options or requiring too many clicks to complete. In fact, if checkout takes more than two minutes to complete, 60% of shoppers will abandon their carts, says Stripe. And if a retailer doesn’t offer a shopper’s preferred payment method, buyers will bail 85% of the time. Take the time to audit your own checkout process. Assess it from your customer’s lens, and correct any inefficiencies that make checkout more complicated than it needs to be. How to solve checkout problems Offer multiple payment options: Accept payment in the form of debit/credit cards, shopping apps (PayPal, Stripe, Square), and digital wallets (Google Pay, Apple Pay). Using Wix Payments, you can offer all these and more from your website in order to accept payments online. Simplify checkout: Consider offering single-page checkout that allows customers to complete their payment without clicking through multiple pages (especially on mobile). Offer one-click checkout for any logged-in clients, while still providing a guest checkout option so that customers aren’t forced to spend time creating an account if they’re in a hurry. Prioritize security: Reduce the risk of payment fraud by finding a solution that invests in security. For instance, Wix maintains the highest level of payment card industry (PCI) compliance to give you peace of mind. Limit data collection: Only collect the data that you need to ship out an order. Don’t ask for too much personal information, like social security numbers or dates of birth, as part of the checkout process. 04. Poorly planned marketing When investigating why most eCommerce businesses fail within 120 days of launch, one study found that poor online marketing (37%) and a lack of online search visibility (35%) ranked as two of the top reasons. Common causes include: Treating marketing as an afterthought Investing haphazardly (or not at all) in online advertising Neglecting search engine optimization (SEO) (even though nearly half of today’s shopping journeys start on search engines) Having poor (or no) social media presence Failing to use their email lists to send relevant offers and promotions The harsh reality is that just because you learn how to build an eCommerce website, doesn’t mean customers will come. Rather, it’s crucial for your business to proactively get itself in front of your target audience and establish an eCommerce marketing strategy that’s thorough, executable and trackable. How to improve your marketing strategy Invest in SEO: Drive organic traffic to your site by investing in a long-term SEO strategy. Weave keywords naturally into your content, and heed other eCommerce SEO best practices. Did you know: Store owners that take advantage of Wix’s built-in SEO tools see an average of 21% more traffic than those that don’t. Experiment with ads: Develop a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising strategy that entertains a variety of advertising channels: Google, social media, YouTube and others that your target buyers frequent. Get social: Establish a presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other channels (though avoid spreading yourself thin over too many channels at once). Test various types of content, while taking the time to naturally engage with followers. Build an email list: Use email to re-engage existing customers or leads. Run cart abandonment campaigns to win back shoppers and to keep your brand top of mind. Leverage content marketing: Publish blog posts, videos, and other content that’s focused on education, not simply sales. Showcase your expertise and demonstrate how your products fit into your customers’ lifestyles. 05. Bad site design In some cases, a site’s design is simply an eyesore. This can be a big problem, given that three in every four consumers judge the credibility of a business by the design of its website, according to research from Stanford University. In other cases, a site may look nice but the ecommerce user experience (UX) needs improvement. So, how can you tell which areas of your site need tweaking? Aside from getting a second opinion, consider using heat mapping and session recording tools to investigate how your users interact with your website, where they bounce, and why they’re not completing a sale. Use the analytics at your disposal, such as Wix Analytics, to further track on-page behaviors and understand how different customer segments engage with your content. How to solve a bad site design Start with a proven template: With Wix for eCommerce, you can choose from more than 500 designer-made templates built with conversion in mind (see best eCommerce website builders to get started). Simplify your design: Sometimes it's tempting to add every feature available since it's included in your eCommerce website cost. However, this ultimately isn't effective. Make menus simple and create product collections (aka categories) that help shoppers find the right items fast. Keep “add to cart” buttons and product descriptions higher up on a page so users don’t have to scroll to find them. Encourage the next step: Avoid dead-ends by prompting users to advance their shopping journeys. Make sure that calls-to-action (like “buy now”) stand out visually, and sprinkle product recommendations throughout your pages to encourage cross-sells and upsells. Embed a search function: Allow users to easily search your site by typing your product name into a search bar. Emphasize customer service: Prominently display customer service info on your site. Consider whether chatbots or live agents could help improve the customer experience. 06. Awful mobile experience Your mobile site isn’t just a “small version of desktop.” It’s a conversion vehicle of its own. This is especially true at a time when smartphones account for about 73% of all retail site traffic globally—and mobile devices generate 63% of online shopping orders. Unfortunately, the mobile shopping experience too often gets neglected. Distorted images, messy navigation menus, and hard-to read text are common symptoms of neglect, which tends to happen when a site is hastily created or modified. When looking at your mobile site, make sure it’s clean, easy to navigate, and efficient. Today’s mobile shoppers won’t tolerate friction; the average cart abandonment rate on mobile is around 86%, well above the desktop average of 70%. How to correct a poor mobile experience Streamline the checkout process: Your mobile site should be fast and designed to convert. Emphasize an efficient checkout process. Hide less-important content, such as extra galleries, feeders, and repeaters. Prioritize specific content: Decide on a proper hierarchy for your content, keeping in mind that with such little room on the screen, you need to carefully decide which buttons and messages to show first. Avoid publishing pages that are too dense with content, and be clear about the main call-to-action on each page. Keep your mobile site light: Between compressing your images and limiting special effects (such as animation), take steps to ensure that the mobile experience isn’t laggy for any visitors. Test everything: Just because a website template is mobile responsive doesn’t mean that everything will work perfectly as expected. Take the time to check out the mobile experience from your mobile device(s) and/or the preview mode of Wix’s Editor. Audit your mobile site for any cluttered areas, unclear images, or obscured buttons. Ensure that any major action is achievable with a swipe or tap of a finger. Using your Wix editor, you can customize the mobile experience just as you would the desktop experience. 07. Sloppy website security Unfortunately, shoppers aren’t the only people looking for your online store. Hackers may be lurking close by, looking for vulnerabilities in your site. In fact, the number of ransomware attacks on eCommerce businesses increased by 264% over the past year, amounting to more than 625 million digital assaults. Downtime is the byproduct of ransomware or other data breaches—and it’s costly. Gartner estimates that one minute of downtime causes $5,600 in revenue loss. And, the larger the eCommerce business, the bigger the costs. For Amazon, one minute of downtime is estimated to cost $220,000 in revenue. Needless to say that for more reasons than one, eCommerce website security should be a top priority—not an afterthought—for your business. Cyberattacks can tarnish multiple aspects of business: your sales, brand trust, organic rankings (i.e., SEO), customer safety and more. How to shore up sloppy security Maintain up-to-date SSL/TLS certificates: This type of encryption is the gold standard to prove that your website is safe to do business with. If you choose a hosted eCommerce solution, like Wix, updated SSL/TLS encryption is built-in. If you build your store yourself, you’ll most likely need to purchase updated certificates. (Hint: If your site has an SSL certificate, it will use the prefix HTTPS instead of HTTP.) Look for enterprise-grade security: When it comes to picking your eCommerce platform or any third-party apps for your site, check that they maintain high security standards. For example, Wix assesses every one of its app partners for security and privacy compliance. And with Wix itself, you benefit from built-in data encryption, anti-fraud protections, around-the-clock monitoring, and rapid response solutions. Only store the data you need: Never store credit card data on your servers except for recurring payments. This reduces the amount of sensitive data that you have in your possession in case of a security breach. Keep an eye on website governance: Limit the number of people who can access your site and your customer data. Award admin rights sparingly. Create backups: Back up your site so that you don’t lose pertinent data or site settings in the event of a breach. Wix site's automatically backup, for example. Explore these eCommerce website examples for inspiration. Why most eCommerce sites fail FAQ What is the most common reason eCommerce sites fail? There is no single cause, but the most common reasons are conversion killers that build up over time, such as slow load times, a complicated checkout and weak product pages. These issues quietly lose sales before a shopper ever buys, so they are usually the first things worth fixing. Can a failing online store be turned around? Yes. Most eCommerce failures come from fixable problems like site speed, checkout friction, thin product pages, weak marketing, poor mobile design and security gaps. Auditing the store against these areas and improving them one by one can recover lost conversions without rebuilding from scratch. How can I prevent my eCommerce site from failing? Prevent failure by building on a fast, secure platform and staying on top of the fundamentals. Keep pages quick to load, make product pages detailed, simplify checkout, invest in SEO and marketing, design for mobile first and protect customer data. Reviewing these areas regularly stops small issues from turning into lost sales.

Get the perfect domain for your eCommerce store: find your domain→ If you’re like most merchants who start an online store, you’re probably not questioning the security of your eCommerce website until it actually becomes a problem. But the truth is, every business big and small is vulnerable to security threats. Small online businesses are especially attractive targets to cybercriminals because they often lack the eCommerce infrastructure to combat attacks. To help you avoid becoming another statistic, we’ll discuss top ways to protect your eCommerce website from attackers who lurk in the darkest corners of the internet. Explore eCommerce website design and business websites for inspiration. TL;DR: eCommerce website security eCommerce website security means protecting your online store and your customers' data from cyber threats like SQL injection, DDoS attacks, ransomware and payment fraud. The most effective approach is to build on a secure platform that manages hosting, encryption and PCI compliance for you, then follow core practices like using HTTPS, enforcing strong passwords, limiting admin access, backing up your site and keeping third-party apps in check. Threat What it is How to protect against it SQL injection Malicious code entered into a form field to reach your database Use a platform that validates inputs and manages database security DDoS attack Fake traffic floods your server to take the store offline Choose hosting with DDoS monitoring and high uptime Ransomware Malware encrypts your files until a ransom is paid Keep automatic backups so you can restore your site Cross-site scripting (XSS) Malicious scripts injected into your pages to steal customer data Rely on a maintained secure platform and vet third-party apps Credential reuse Stolen passwords from other sites used to log into accounts Enforce strong passwords and turn on 2-step verification Payment fraud Stolen cards or hijacked accounts used to make purchases Use PCI DSS compliant payments and fraud detection Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. What is eCommerce website security? Ecommerce website security involves shielding your site from cybercriminals who may try to steal your website content, data, or your customers’ personal data for their own use. Cyber attacks can take on various forms and are becoming increasingly sophisticated. It's common for people to build an eCommerce website without taking that into account. That’s why it’s paramount to use the right website builder and follow the right security measures from the get-go. Wix offers secure, scalable web hosting built in when you create your website. Learn more about Wix's advanced eCommerce infrastructure. The disastrous effects of poor eCommerce site security The average cost of a data breach is $4.2 million, according to IBM, with the global cost of cybercrime peaking at $6 trillion last year alone. This takes into account lost sales, customer turnover, and website downtime caused by data breaches. It’s worth noting that a cyberattack can also have a detrimental effect on your SEO performance by changing the content that search engines see. For example, hackers can stuff your website with irrelevant keywords and load your site with links. Hacked pages that have been injected with HTML, PHP and Javascript redirects can potentially get you blacklisted on Google—severely stunting your organic growth. Customers who are exposed to any security issues may additionally air their grievances on review sites, damaging your brand’s reputation. Needless to say that it’s essential to have a clear grasp on your site’s vulnerabilities. Hackers may hone in on your eCommerce site for a variety of reasons: To redirect your website visitors to another commercial site To hurt and take over your organic rankings (i.e., SEO spam) To steal your customers' information such as credit card details To install malware on your visitors' devices To hurt your brand’s reputation by vandalizing your website with offensive, political, or other content that serves the hacker's agenda To hijack cookies and Session IDs to gain access to restricted areas To insert malicious code that allows the attacker to control your website remotely (e.g., backdoors) To use your website to send spam emails To launch a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack Is my Wix website secure? Yes and we explain how. Top security threats to your eCommerce website Let’s take a deeper look at the cybersecurity risk that eCommerce sites face. Search query language (SQL) injections One of the most common attacks is known as SQL injection. This is where a hacker inserts malicious code into an input field on a webpage to gain access to the underlying database. Once inside, they can extract sensitive data including customer credit card details, passwords and other sensitive information. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks A DDoS attack occurs when a hacker attempts to overload a server with traffic. The goal is to take your website offline or otherwise interrupt your website’s functionality. To do this, a bot sends large volumes of fake traffic to a website to try to overload the server and cause a site crash. This is obviously very damaging for an online store since it prevents customers from browsing, viewing or purchasing from your website. Ransomware Ransomware is a type of malware (e.g., malicious software designed to cause damage) which encrypts a website's files. Once encrypted, the initiator of the attack demands a ransom from the website owner to decrypt them. Until the ransom is paid, the website or system is unusable. Ransomware attacks can be costly and time-consuming to fix because they involve paying the hacker the “ransom” to restore your data. Cross-site scripting (XSS) Cross-site scripting involves injecting malicious javascript code into a trusted site, like your online store. When an unsuspecting customer visits your page, the attacker uses XSS to send a malicious script. This script will allow the attacker to view your customer’s cookies, credentials (with which they could steal bank information or credit card data), or rewrite an HTML page. Credential reuse When a hacker uses stolen credentials (usually from another website) to gain access to your website, it is known as credential reuse. This type of attack exploits the tendency for people to reuse the same password on multiple websites and online services. An attacker may obtain a user’s credentials in a few different ways (e.g., phishing, data breaches, credential stuffing bots, password spraying, etc.). Once hackers have the user’s login information, they can use it to log into other popular websites and thus do more damage. Ecommerce payment fraud There are several ways attackers initiate eCommerce payment fraud. In one instance, the fraudster may use illegally obtained credit card numbers to make a purchase on your site. In another instance, the fraudster may take over a customer’s account by purchasing stolen passwords, implementing phishing schemes, or using other unscrupulous means. Once in the account, the hacker may change account details and purchase products from the user's online shopping cart. To mitigate these threats, it’s important to take steps to keep your website and your customers’ data as safe as possible. Did you know? 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. eCommerce website security checklist: 7 steps to protect your business Maintaining good website security for your eCommerce business is an ongoing process, one that involves working closely with your website builder. Here are seven steps you can take to secure your online store. 01. Choose your eCommerce platform wisely Your website builder is your number one ally when it comes to website security. Not only do the best eCommerce solutions offer a solid infrastructure but they’re also backed by dedicated security experts. For example, Wix eCommerce offers enterprise-grade security—fully managed for you 24/7. During the development process, our team incorporates procedures like threat modelling, code review, and penetration tests all aimed at preventing cyber attacks. Any Wix app partners undergo ongoing security assessments. And Wix itself achieves the highest level of privacy and security compliance, allowing you to accept secure online payments and maintain a highly-vetted network of vendors. Wix is equipped to squash any threats that arise ASAP. This is made possible through Wix’s Security Operations Center, machine learning, and other programs that are designed to detect vulnerabilities early on. In addition to this, Wix has a dedicated Incident Response team that’s specially trained to respond to cyber threats and ensure that your business remains up and running through any situation. Through careful selection of your eCommerce platform, you can inherit a solution that’s built with security in mind. Wix provides resilient web hosting with 99.99% uptime so your site will stay up no matter what, even during traffic spikes. All this and the eCommerce website cost is affordable, too. 02. Use HTTPS Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a type of encryption that helps to protect data as it's transmitted over the internet. In other words, when a user enters his or her payment information into your checkout page (as an example), an SSL-certified site will encrypt the data as it’s being passed between browsers, making it more difficult for hackers to intercept information. Websites that are SSL-certified are displayed as “https” in the URL. This signals to your buyers that the information they enter onto your website is being processed securely. All Wix sites are served over HTTPS by default, giving you and your customers peace of mind. 03. Promote strong passwords It’s not uncommon for site visitors to reuse usernames and passwords, or to simply get lazy with their passwords. If you offer loyalty programs or subscriptions that require members to create an account on your site, make sure to stress the importance of a strong password. Require customers to create complex passwords. Provide examples and specific criteria for a strong password (e.g., require a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols—and discourage easy-to-guess words like "password"). Within your own team, make sure to create unique, complex passwords for any accounts connected to your online store. This includes your hosting account, domain registrar, and payment processors. Turn on 2-step verification from your Wix account for optimal security. 04. Do not hoard user data While it may be tempting to collect information on your users just in case you might need it, you should only collect data that’s needed to complete a transaction. This reduces the amount of sensitive data that you have on hand in the event of a security breach. Moreover, you should never store a customer’s credit card data on your servers, with the exception of recurring payments. Storing credit card numbers is a big liability and there is a lot of red tape to be aware of, as detailed by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Note: all Wix sites are compliant with the highest PCI standards (PCI DSS Level 1) by default. 05. Closely control admin rights As your business grows, your team will inevitably grow as well. As more and more people get involved on your site, award admin rights to your account sparingly. Avoid giving admin access to team members who may not really need it lest you leave your site more vulnerable to attacks. Consider writing a security policy for site admins to follow. This should outline things like how to create a strong username, how to choose a strong password, and how to detect phishing attempts. Cybercriminals are getting more sophisticated every day, exploiting any vulnerability they can find, including human anxiety. In 2020, Microsoft reported that cybercriminals were using COVID-19-themed phishing to trick people into giving up their personal information and credentials. Guard your team against these types of attacks via thorough, regular training. 06. Create website backups If a security breach occurs, you’ll want to make sure that your site is backed up so that you can restore all of your data and site settings in their pure, untainted forms. Many website builders like Wix eCommerce will automatically create backups of your site. If you’re not sure whether your site is backed up, check with your website builder or site developer. 07. Practice good plugin hygiene As a best practice, we recommend regularly auditing your third-party apps and plugins. Check that you’re still using them and trust them with your store’s data. Do not let plugins stack up unnecessarily, and limit the number of parties that can access your site’s and customers’ data. Learn more: eCommerce website examples Create a secure website with Wix eCommerce With eCommerce sales growing rapidly, it's no surprise that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting online stores. Be proactive and take these simple steps to secure your site. And don’t forget—once you lose your customers' trust, it can be difficult to get it back. A recent study by Economist magazine estimates that a company loses 30% of its value when it loses customer trust. Conversely, an increase in trust leads to an increase in value. If you're looking for a platform where you can create a secure eCommerce website, look no further than Wix eCommerce. Get all the tools and security you need to start selling today. Build your site safely with a secure website template or a website designer you can trust. Ecommerce website security FAQ What are the major security threats in eCommerce? Common threats include hacking, malware and phishing attacks. Cybercriminals often target payment information, customer data and weak login systems. Staying vigilant and updating security measures regularly is key. How to know if an eCommerce site is secure? Check for HTTPS in the web address, a padlock icon in the browser and trust seals. Secure sites also have clear privacy policies and reliable payment gateways. How can I protect my eCommerce website from cyber attacks? Use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, keep software updated and implement SSL encryption. Regular backups and monitoring for suspicious activity also help safeguard your site. What is a firewall in eCommerce? A firewall is a security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic. It helps block unauthorized access, malware and other online threats to your eCommerce site. What is the symbol for a secure website? A padlock icon in the browser’s address bar shows the website uses SSL encryption and data is transmitted securely. Does HTTPS mean a website is safe? HTTPS shows that data sent between the browser and site is encrypted. It improves security but doesn’t guarantee the site is free from scams or malware. What if a website doesn't have a padlock? A missing padlock means the site isn’t using SSL encryption. Avoid entering sensitive information as data could be intercepted by hackers.

Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce→ What's the difference between a website and an online store? A website is a collection of interconnected web pages under a single domain name, typically used to provide information. Think of it as an online resource that showcases your business, services or personal portfolio. On the other hand, an online store is a specific type of website designed primarily for sales transactions. It includes features like product listings, shopping carts and website payment processing. It's your virtual storefront where customers can browse and purchase products or services. Whether you choose to go about learning how to build your own website from scratch or start an online store depends on your business goals and the needs of your customers. Learn more: What's the best way to start an online store? TL;DR: what's the difference between a website and an online store? A website is designed to share information while an online store is built to sell. If your goal is to showcase your business or build credibility, a website is the right choice. If you want to sell products directly to customers, you need an online store with eCommerce features like product pages, a shopping cart and a payment gateway. Most businesses start with one and eventually need both. Wix helps you create a business-ready online store in minutes, so you can focus on your products instead of the technical setup. Comparison Website Online store Focus Information Sales Features Homepage, contact page, blog Product pages, shopping cart, payment gateway Goal Display information about a company, its products, services and mission Sell products directly to consumers Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools. What's the difference between a website and an online store? Definition and purpose The core purpose of a website is to provide information. It's a place where you can tell your story, share details about your services or offer insights through a blog. Websites are versatile and can serve various functions from showcasing an online portfolio, starting a blog, to hosting a forum. In contrast, an online store is designed with one primary goal in mind: selling products or services directly to consumers. It's an e-commerce platform that allows visitors to become customers by selecting items, adding them to a cart and completing purchases. Design and user experience When it comes to website design the focus is on user engagement. They aim to be visually appealing and easy to navigate so that visitors stay longer and explore more content. The user interface of a website is crucial as it impacts how visitors perceive your brand. For online stores, the design revolves around conversion. Every element from product displays to checkout processes is optimized for efficiency and simplicity. The goal is to minimize obstacles between the customer and the sale, ensuring a smooth shopping experience. Functionalities and features Online stores boast unique functionalities that cater to online shopping needs. Some of the core ones include: Shopping cart: Allows customers to accumulate various items before proceeding to checkout. Payment gateways: Secure payment systems that process transactions with various payment methods. Customer accounts: Enable users to create profiles for faster checkouts and order tracking. Order management: Systems that handle orders from confirmation through delivery. Conversely, informational websites might include: Contact forms for inquiries or service requests. Blogs or news sections for updates and articles. Photo galleries showcasing work or products without direct sales capabilities. Isn't an online store also a website? Yes, an online shop is a type of website. It falls under the broader category of websites but with a specialized purpose – to sell products or services online. An online shop features all the elements of a website, such as a domain name and web hosting but it also includes additional e-commerce functionalities that transform it into a marketplace. Think of it as a subset of websites, tailored specifically for commercial transactions. The specialized nature of online shops means they are designed from the ground up to facilitate the buying and selling process. This includes not just product listings and shopping carts but also customer service features like live chat support, user reviews and return policies that enhance the shopping experience and build trust with customers. All online shops are websites, not all websites are online shops. An online shop is simply a more focused version of a website with the specific aim of e-commerce. Website vs eCommerce website features When it comes to starting an online store, you'll need to build an ecommerce website to bring it to life. Understanding the difference between a general website and an ecommerce one can help you make the decision about what's right for your business. eCommerce website features Because eCommerce website design is meant to handle the buying and selling of goods or services online, it comes with a set of features tailored to facilitate eCommerce activities: Product management: Tools to add, organize and manage product listings including descriptions, images, and prices. Inventory tracking: Systems that monitor stock levels in real-time, helping to manage supply and demand effectively. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Features that help store owners track customer interactions and purchasing history to enhance marketing efforts and customer service. Analytics and reporting: Integrated analytics tools that analyze sales patterns, customer behavior and website traffic to inform business decisions. Did you know? Wix combines ease of use with advanced eCommerce capabilities including automated discount logic, AI-driven product recommendations and abandoned cart recovery, providing high-performance retail infrastructure designed for multi-channel growth at every stage of your business. Typical website features Regular websites may not have the complex selling functionalities of e-commerce platforms but they still offer valuable features for different purposes: Content Management Systems (CMS): These allow for easy updating and management of website content without needing technical expertise. Mobile-friendly design: Ensures that the website is accessible and visually appealing across various devices, including desktops, tablets and smartphones. Multimedia integration: Ability to incorporate videos, images, and audio into the web pages to enhance user engagement. SEO optimization: Features that help improve the visibility of the website on search engines like Google. All of these site features can also be included in an ecommerce website or online store and many are. Online shop vs online store - is there any difference? The terms online shop and online store are often used interchangeably but they can imply subtle differences that might influence your business strategy. An online shop typically refers to a smaller-scale e-commerce operation, perhaps focusing on a specific niche or offering a curated selection of products. It's akin to a boutique that provides a unique shopping experience and personalized customer service. It's most commonly used to refer to small businesses, like a crafter selling handmade goods from their home. An online store, on the other hand, might suggest a larger, possibly more comprehensive e-commerce site. Think of it as akin to a department store with a wide array of products and categories. It may cater to a broader audience and often requires more complex logistics and inventory management. Ecommerce website examples might include Gap or Target online stores. In terms of the type of business model, an online shop might be operated by an individual or small business focusing on handcrafted items or specialized goods. An online store could be part of a larger business with multiple product lines and an extensive supply chain. While the difference in terminology is subtle, the practical use can hint at the scale and scope of the business. As you plan your eCommerce business, consider how you want your customers to perceive you and choose the term that aligns with your vision and operational scale. What to consider before building a website or online store Before making a website Before you dive into creating a website, there are several preliminary considerations to keep in mind: Purpose: Define what you want to achieve with your website. Is it to provide information, showcase your portfolio or establish credibility in your industry? Audience: Understand who your visitors will be and then tailor the content and design to meet their expectations and needs. Content: Plan the type of content you will offer, this could range from blog posts and company news to detailed service descriptions. Design: Consider how you want your brand represented visually. The design should be consistent with your branding and appealing to your target audience. Maintenance: Think about how you will keep the website updated as regular updates are important for engaging visitors and improving SEO. Before launching an online store Launching an online store comes with its own set of steps and considerations: Business model: Decide on the type of products you'll sell and how you'll source or produce them. eCommerce platform: Choose the right platform that can handle your product range, traffic expectations, and scalability needs. Wix supports merchants in managing complex product catalogs, optimizing conversion and scaling across multiple sales channels while maintaining a streamlined setup experience. Payment processing: Set up secure payment options that are convenient for customers and reliable for your business. Shipping and fulfillment: Establish how you will manage inventory, packaging, shipping and returns. Legalities: Ensure that you comply with online business regulations, including data protection laws and consumer rights. Security for websites and online stores When establishing a business online, security should be at the forefront of your planning. Both websites and online stores require protection against cyber threats but online stores often face higher risks due to the fact that they use and sometimes store sensitive information, such as their buyers credit card details and other personal information. For websites, basic security measures include: SSL certificates: Encrypts data between the server and the user's browser, ensuring that personal information is transmitted securely. All Wix sites, for example, come with SSL. Regular updates: Keeping software and plugins up to date to protect against known vulnerabilities. Wix sites are automatically updated. Secure hosting: Choosing a reputable web hosting provider, like Wix, with robust security measures in place. Online stores need to implement additional layers of security: PCI DSS compliance: Adherence to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is essential for online stores that handle credit card transactions. Two-factor authentication (2FA): Adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification when logging into customer accounts. Fraud detection systems: Monitors for suspicious activities that could indicate fraudulent transactions or attempts to breach customer accounts. Wix ecommerce sites and online stores, as well as all Wix websites, are monitored by a 24/7 web security team. Websites vs online stores and their SEO Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is vital for ensuring that your website or online store is easily discoverable by your target audience. However, the strategies differ between informational websites and online stores due to their distinct content and objectives. For informational websites, SEO strategies often focus on: Content quality: Producing high-quality, relevant content that provides value to your audience can improve search rankings. Keyword and intent optimization: Including relevant keywords in your content helps search engines understand and index your pages appropriately. Backlinks: Earning links from reputable sites can boost your site's authority and search ranking. For online stores, SEO requires additional considerations: Product descriptions: Detailed, unique descriptions with relevant keywords can help products rank higher in search results. Image optimization: High-quality images with descriptive file names and alt tags improve visibility in image searches and enhance user experience. User reviews: Encouraging customer reviews can generate fresh, keyword-rich content and improve product credibility. Website vs online store - what's best for your business Deciding whether to build a website with a website builder or an online store is a strategic choice that should align with your business goals and the needs of your customers. Here are some factors to consider: Product or service: If you're selling goods, an online store with e-commerce capabilities is essential. For services or non-transactional business models, a regular website may suffice. (Of course, there are some exceptions. Discover why fashion brand Shaun Oliver intentionally left a checkout cart off their website). Customer interaction: Consider how you want to interact with your customers. An online store often requires more direct interaction through sales support, whereas a website might focus on providing information and generating leads. Budget and resources: eCommerce platforms can be more complex and costly to develop and maintain - unless you use an ecommerce website builder like Wix, where the paid plans include most of your functionality. Ensure you have the budget and resources to manage an online store effectively. Scalability: Think about future growth. An online store should be able to scale with your business, handling increased products and traffic without compromising performance. Wix supports scalable eCommerce operations as a high-performance commerce platform, serving businesses from small online stores to high-revenue brands, with enterprise-grade infrastructure and advanced capabilities designed for multi-channel growth. Websites vs online stores FAQ Can I turn my existing website into an online store? Yes. You can turn an existing website into an online store by adding eCommerce features like product pages, a shopping cart and a payment gateway. With a platform like Wix you can add online store functionality to a site you already built without starting over, so your existing pages, branding and content stay in place. Do I need a separate website if I have an online store? No. An online store is already a type of website, so you do not need a separate one. It has everything a standard website has, such as a domain name and hosting, plus eCommerce features like product listings and checkout. You can add informational pages like an About page or a blog to the same online store. Can a website make money without being an online store? Yes. A website can earn money without selling products through a shopping cart. Common options include displaying ads, affiliate links, sponsored content, lead generation for a service business and booking or subscription pages. An online store is the right choice only when you want customers to buy products directly on your site. Should a small business choose a website or an online store? A small business should choose an online store if it sells physical or digital products, and a standard website if it mainly offers services, shares information or generates leads. Service businesses that also take bookings can use an online store to handle both. Many small businesses begin with one and add the other as they grow.