How To Create a Website To Sell Products in 8 Easy Steps

Name: EComposer Landing Page Builder
Brand: EComposer
Rating: 5 (2154 reviews)

EComposer Team

Mar 3, 2025

0 comments

How To Create a Website To Sell Products in 8 Easy Steps

Strong platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce have made it simpler than ever to create an eCommerce website. The key is knowing what steps to take, and that’s exactly what this guide is all about.

In this article, we’ll show you how to create a website to sell your products in 8 easy steps. Here, you’ll find practical tips and insights to help make the process smooth and successful. Let’s get started and get your online store up and running!

Overview of the online market today

If you’ve ever hesitated to start an online store because “the market is too crowded,” you’re not alone. But here’s the truth: ecommerce is booming. In 2024, global ecommerce sales are projected to hit $6.07 trillion, with forecasts reaching $8.1 trillion by 2026 (Statista).

According to Mintel’s 2024 Global Consumer Trends report, shoppers today are no longer just chasing the lowest prices. Instead, they’re looking for real value—a balance between quality and cost. The changing consumer market creates a huge possibility for ecommerce companies to succeed. Your products have an excellent opportunity to capture customers when they can demonstrate their true value through exceptional quality, personalized service and sustainable production alongside original branding.

So, is the online market too saturated? Not at all. But success in ecommerce today means understanding your audience, offering genuine value, and standing out in ways that matter. Let’s dive into how you can create a website to sell products effectively in this evolving digital landscape.

What is the best platform to create a website?

Choosing the right platform for your online store is like picking the perfect location for a physical shop. You need a solid foundation, user-friendly navigation, and the ability to scale as your business grows. Among all options these three eCommerce platforms represent the most desirable choices.

Shopify

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use platform that handles everything for you, Shopify is your best bet. Since it's a fully hosted solution, Shopify handles all of the security, upgrades, and hosting concerns for you. Plus, for first-time Shopify customers, you can enjoy the Shopify $1 for 3 months plan. This means you can spend just $1 to try out any Shopify plan for 3 months. After 3 months, if you don’t want to continue, you can pause your Shopify store at no cost.

Why Choose Shopify?

Drag-and-drop store builder—no coding needed.
Secure payment processing with multiple options (credit cards, PayPal, etc.).
Built-in SEO, marketing tools, and abandoned cart recovery.
24/7 customer support.

Best for: Beginners, dropshippers, and small-to-medium businesses that want a hassle-free setup.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce delivers an excellent solution for those who either manage a WordPress site or wish to maintain complete freeform customization of their platform. Unlike Shopify, WooCommerce is a plugin, so you’ll need separate hosting and a WordPress site to get started.

Why Choose WooCommerce?

100% customizable with thousands of themes and plugins.
No transaction fees—only pay for hosting and add-ons.
Full control over SEO, design, and functionality.
Large developer community for support.

Best for: Those who want complete customisation without monthly platform fees and are at ease with WordPress.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a strong competitor to Shopify, offering advanced features and scalability for growing businesses. It’s a hosted platform like Shopify but with more built-in tools for larger eCommerce operations.

Why Choose BigCommerce?

No additional transaction fees (even with third-party payment processors).
Powerful built-in features like multi-channel selling (Amazon, eBay, social media).
More flexibility for scaling businesses without costly add-ons.
Advanced SEO features for better search engine rankings.

Best for: Medium to large businesses that need robust features without relying on third-party apps.

8 Steps To Create A Website To Sell Products

Step 1: Decide on the purpose and target audience of your website

Your eCommerce success depends on how well you connect with online shoppers looking for your products. Before launching your store, take a moment to lay the groundwork with these essential steps:

Identify Your Target Audience: Which consumer segment has the highest prospects of purchasing your products and related software and services? Create a buyer persona by examining prospective customers through research of their growth needs and challenges. Your business profile will guide all elements of your marketing activities and product selection decisions as well as your customer service delivery.
Study Your Competition: You’re not the only one selling online, so who else is vying for your customers' attention? Conduct a competitive and market analysis to identify gaps and opportunities. Use this information to carve out your unique niche.
Evaluate Your Own Business: What distinguishes your brand? What do you have to offer that nobody else does? You can evaluate your market position and identify your unique selling proposition (USP), or the reason why buyers should pick you above the competition, with the aid of a SWOT analysis.

Step 2: Choose a name and find a reliable hosting service

Many small business owners turn to eCommerce website builders to create an online store quickly and efficiently. You can display and sell things straight from your website if you use a platform that has an integrated store builder.

Pick a Custom Domain Name: Your domain name is your website’s unique online address, so it should be short, memorable, and brandable. Once you’ve found an available name, purchase and register it to secure your digital identity.
Choose the Right Website Builder: The selection of a proper eCommerce website builder represents a crucial decision. The eCommerce website platform selection involves Shopify, Squarespace and WordPress and requires assessment based on your business requirements. Shopify is an excellent all-in-one solution for those who want everything hosting, inventory management, checkout, and more in one seamless platform.
Get Web Hosting: Your website needs a web host to be accessible online. Web hosting services store your site on servers and make it available to visitors. Depending on your business size and requirements, hosting costs typically range from $5 to $50 per month.

Step 3: Design a simple and attractive online store

Website builders like Shopify, Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace come with built-in content management systems (CMS) that let you design and customize your online store.

Consider Your Target Audience When Creating: Your website should reflect a clear and consistent visual identity. For your first steps try searching eCommerce design inspiration sources or choose already existing eCommerce templates available through your CMS tool to simplify your project.
Build a Clean, Intuitive User Interface (UI): Customer interaction with your store will depend on how well your site presents its user interface. A smooth, intuitive experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices ensures a frictionless journey from browsing to checkout. Platforms like Shopify have a treasure trove of site-building apps like EComposer, EcomRise, Stokify, etc, that make building sites easier.
Create Engaging Content: Your website offers more than simple product offerings because it delivers descriptions and high-quality photos alongside educational blog content and videos to attract customers. Customers can leave reviews through your store interface to increase purchase trust for potential buyers.

Step 4: Write product descriptions that encourage purchases

A sale may be made or lost based on your product descriptions. Descriptions written with careful thought partake in informing their readers but also achieve the goal of persuasion. Your description has to solve customer questions while resolving their doubts so they picture how confidently their existence will improve with your product. You may create descriptions that convert web visitors into paying clients by following these steps:

Focus on Benefits, Not Just Features

Customers don’t just want to know what your product is—they want to know what it does for them.

Instead of saying: "This blender has a 1000-watt motor".
Try: "Crush ice and blend smoothies in seconds with a powerful 1000-watt motor - perfect for busy mornings!"

Use Engaging and Persuasive Language

Your description should be exciting and easy to read. Instead of dry, technical details, use storytelling and sensory words to make the product feel irresistible.

Instead of saying: "This candle is made of soy wax and burns for 40 hours."
Try: "Unwind with the soothing aroma of lavender. Made from eco-friendly soy wax, this candle fills your home with warmth for up to 40 hours."

Keep It Clear and Concise

Make your descriptions easy to read by using brief words, bullet points, and bold font for important details. Online customers tend to skim descriptions.

Soft, breathable cotton fabric
Machine-washable for easy care
Perfect for casual wear or layering

Include Keywords for SEO

Search engines should find your store due to well-written product descriptions. Natural inclusion of appropriate keywords helps search engine visibility without creating fake or artificial language.

Step 5: Configure your store's shipping and payment options

Your customers are ready to buy; now, you need to make it easy and convenient for them to complete their purchase. That means setting up secure payment options and offering reliable shipping methods that suit their needs.

Offer Multiple Payment Options

With cash payments declining by 42% and credit card transactions increasing by 72% in 2023, it’s clear that online shoppers expect flexible payment options. The most common methods include:

Payment Gateways: Services like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Stripe, and PayPal allow customers to pay securely by card. Many ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, support these gateways.
Digital Wallets: Options like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal make checkout faster and safer. Since digital wallets come with built-in security, adding them can increase conversions and boost customer trust.

Set Up Your Shipping Process

Once payment is sorted, you need to decide how your products will reach your customers. Follow these key steps:

Set Your Shipping Origin Address: Your product shipments originate from this specified address. The accuracy of inputted data will lead to proper shipping rates and tax computations.
Decide Your Shipping Zones: Will you sell locally, nationwide, or globally? Different locations have different shipping costs, so plan accordingly.
Choose Your Couriers: Users can select USPS or FedEx as well as DHL Express and UPS among their shipping preferences. The majority of ecommerce platforms allow their clients to pick from a selection of shipping options through integrated service partnerships.
Provide Shipping Options: Customers pick standard shipping due to its economic nature but they need to pay more for express delivery. Customer satisfaction together with sales growth can be achieved through multiple shipping options available to customers.

Pro Tip: Shopify Shipping users obtain both discounted shipping label prices and real-time delivery rates for USPS, UPS and FedEx which simplifies and lowers the cost of fulfillment.

Step 6: Implement website SEO strategies to increase organic traffic

The secret to increasing the visibility of your online store and drawing in more clients is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Customers can locate your products more quickly on a well-optimized website since it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Here’s how to boost your eCommerce site’s SEO:

Understand the Basics of SEO

Digital marketing techniques like SEO raise your website's position on Google and other search engines. Important tactics consist of:

SEO content writing to target relevant search queries
On-page SEO improvements like meta descriptions and alt text
Internal and external backlinks to boost credibility

Using an SEO checklist ensures you stay on track with best practices.

Conduct Keyword Research

Search terms which people enter on Google platforms are called keywords. You can locate appropriate keywords through research tools which will help you use them for creating content. Your store will show up in the proper search results and gain potential buyers through keyword usage.

Use Google Analytics

A free tool for monitoring the operation of your website is Google Analytics. It provides insights into:

Web traffic sources (search engines, social media, backlinks, etc.)
User behavior (time spent on pages, popular products, bounce rates)
Device usage (desktop vs. mobile visitors)

Step 7: Launch and implement marketing strategies for your website

Congratulations! The launching of your online store has reached completion now you need to attract customers who will make purchases. Having a website by itself does not generate clients or boost sales because you need practical marketing techniques to reach your goals. The following approach will help you successfully market your online retail store:

Social Media Marketing: Platforms like Facebook, TikTok, etc. are gold mines for ecommerce businesses. You need to post high-quality product photos, create engaging videos, interact with your audience through comments and stories, and run paid promotions that can also help expand your reach to potential buyers.
Email Marketing: Start an email subscriber database through which you distribute regular newsletters containing new product releases together with promotional deals. Automated tools from Mailchimp or Klaviyo enable business owners to stay in touch with their audience without manual_email_creation efforts.
Paid Advertising: Want instant traffic? Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads can help drive visitors to your store quickly. If you're running a limited-time offer or launching a new collection, paid ads are a great way to spread the word fast.
Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with influencers or content creators who align with your brand. One relevant endorsement from the correct celebrity can expose your store to a highly enthusiastic audience which generates significant sales.
Referral Programs: Turn your customers into your marketing team! Offer discounts, coupons, or rewards for every new customer they refer. These strategies facilitate customer-to-customer advertising that helps establish devoted clientele.

Step 8: Monitor and test to make improvements to your website

Your website establishment marks only the starting point of your work. Website optimization with continuous improvement starts as the first step toward maximum sales creation and customer satisfaction.

Track Website Analytics: Shopify or Google Analytics tools enable businesses to track website traffic alongside bounce rates and conversion statistics. The information you collect provides you with knowledge about specific areas for improvement and shows possible growth opportunities.
Gather Customer Feedback: Your customers are the best source of insight. Conduct surveys or ask for reviews to understand their experience. What do they love? What frustrates them? Use this feedback to make user-friendly updates to your site.
A/B Testing: Want to know what works best? Test different versions of your website, whether it’s the layout, call-to-action buttons, or product page design, to see what drives more conversions. Small tweaks can make a big impact on sales.
Update Content Regularly: Keep your store fresh with new products, blog posts, and special offers. Not only does this make your website more engaging, but it also boosts your SEO ranking, bringing in more organic traffic.

4 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Website

The initial setup of an online store creates both essential opportunities and common mistakes which threaten your potential sales numbers from day one. Avoid these four common pitfalls to set your ecommerce business up for success.

Not Optimizing For Mobile Users

Did you know that over 60% of ecommerce traffic comes from mobile devices? If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re turning away potential customers before they even browse your products. A clunky mobile experience, slow loading times, hard-to-click buttons, or distorted layouts can frustrate shoppers and send them straight to your competitors.

How To Fix It: Use a responsive design that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes. Test your site on smartphones and tablets, ensuring it’s easy to navigate and checkout is seamless.

Ignoring SEO and Marketing

“If I build it, they will come” doesn’t apply to ecommerce. Without proper SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and marketing, your store will struggle to get traffic, no matter how amazing your products are. If you don't optimize your website for relevant keywords, Google and other search engines won't rank it highly.

How To Fix It: Implement on-page SEO (like keyword-rich product descriptions and blog content), and promote your store through email marketing, social media, and paid ads. The more visibility you create, the more customers you’ll attract.

Overcomplicating The Checkout Process

A complicated or confusing checkout process is one of the biggest reasons for cart abandonment. If customers have to fill out too many fields, create an account, or jump through hoops to buy, they’re more likely to leave without completing the purchase.

How To Fix It: Keep the checkout short and simple. Offer guest checkout, multiple payment options, and a progress bar so customers know how close they are to finishing their order.

Failing To Build An Email List

Many new store owners focus only on immediate sales, forgetting that returning customers are cheaper to convert than acquiring new ones. Without an email list, you’re missing out on the chance to re-engage visitors and boost repeat sales.

How To Fix It: Set up an email capture form with an enticing incentivelike a discount, free shipping, or exclusive content, to encourage sign-ups. After that, nurture leads with email marketing to get them back to your store.

Bonus Tips for Selling Your Product Online

Building an online store for product sales requires more than simply developing a website followed by customer waiting. You will succeed as an entrepreneur by properly optimizing your store to convert more customers while enhancing their experience. Along with the previously outlined thirty tips come six additional recommendations which deliver significant value.

Provide a Smooth Experience for Mobile Shoppers

By 2025, mobile retail sales are expected to make up 44% of U.S. retail eCommerce sales. That means if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re leaving money on the table, especially with shoppers coming from Facebook and Instagram ads on their phones.

Ensure your store design is fully responsive and loads fast on mobile devices.
Offer a quick checkout option with one-click payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal One Touch.
If you have an app, use push notifications to remind customers about abandoned carts and special deals.

Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC) for Social Proof

Forget about boring, overly polished product photos—41% of U.S. consumers spend more time watching user-generated videos than watching TV or movies. People trust real customers more than professional ads.

Ways to use UGC to your advantage:

Create content that looks authentic, like unboxing videos or customer testimonials.
Collaborate with influencers to showcase your brand in their content.
By providing rewards, you can encourage customers to share their experiences. (discounts, giveaways, or social media shoutouts).

A great example is Little Bellies, whose homepage features real user photos and videos, giving their brand an authentic and trustworthy feel.

Stay Ahead of Trends Like Voice Shopping

Voice commerce is on the rise, with 27% of U.S. consumers using voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant for online shopping. If people could order protein powder by voice in 2020, imagine how big this trend is now!

To get ahead:

Use conversational keywords to make your product listings more voice search-friendly.
Consider adding a voice ordering feature to your store.
Make sure your product descriptions are clear and precise so voice assistants can easily relay information.

Offer Flexible Payment Options

Want to increase your conversions? Give shoppers more ways to pay! Flexible payment methods can increase sales and decrease cart abandonment, as seen by the growth of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services like Klarna, Afterpay, and Sezzle.

Klarna now has 8 million U.S. users, offering payment options that let customers buy now and pay later without interest.
BNPL services increase approval rates, raise order values, and reduce returns.
Providing a variety of payment methods, like digital wallets, PayPal, and credit cards, facilitates checkout for more clients.

Regularly Update Your Website

Regular updates can increase organic traffic to your store because Google prefers fresh material and a stale website is dead.

Keep your inventory up to date with fresh product listings and improved descriptions.
Showcase customer reviews and new testimonials to build credibility.
Update your homepage with seasonal promotions and trending products.
Improve SEO by adding new blog posts, FAQs, and helpful guides.

Simplify Checkout to Reduce Abandoned Carts

The startlingly high average cart abandonment rate of 70.19% is frequently brought on by subpar checkout design. According to the Baymard Institute, improving checkout usability can boost conversions by 35%.

Keep checkout simple and short, and reduce the number of steps and required fields.
Offer guest checkout so customers don’t have to create an account.
Provide multiple payment options and autofill features to speed up the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I build an ecommerce website on my own?

Yes, even if you don't know how to code, you can easily start an online business with systems like Shopify. You can rapidly set up a store that looks professional and begin selling your products with easy-to-use website builders.

2. How much does creating an online store cost?

The platform, name, hosting, and extra features all affect how much it costs to create an eCommerce website. Shopify’s basic plan starts at $19 per month, but expenses can increase with premium themes, plugins, and marketing tools.

3. Do you need coding skills to build an online store?

No, the construction of an online retail platform requires no programming expertise. Shopify provides easy tools through its website builder system which allows users to construct online stores without the necessity of coding knowledge along with WooCommerce and BigCommerce. However, having a rudimentary understanding of HTML and CSS can be useful if you desire more complex alterations.

4. How do I attract customers to my store?

Using a combination of marketing, interaction, and SEO techniques is necessary to draw clients to your online store. Here are some effective ways to drive traffic and boost sales:

Optimize for SEO: Make use of keywords, alt text, and meta descriptions to raise your search engine rating.
Leverage social media: Promote your products on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest to reach a wider audience.
Run paid ads: Use Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and influencer marketing to target potential buyers.
Start an email marketing campaign: Send exclusive deals, abandoned cart reminders, and personalized recommendations.
Offer discounts & promotions: Attract new customers with first-time buyer discounts, flash sales, and loyalty programs.
Encourage user-generated content (UGC): Get customers to share reviews, testimonials, and photos of your products to build trust.

5. Can I sell products without inventory?

Yes! You can sell products without holding inventory through dropshipping, print-on-demand, and digital products.

Dropshipping: Partner with suppliers who handle storage and shipping.
Print-on-Demand: Sell custom products without stocking items.
Digital Products: Sell ebooks, courses, or templates with no inventory costs.

6. What payment methods should I offer?

To help clients finish their purchases, you should provide a range of payment options. Here are the most popular options:

Credit & Debit Cards: Accept major cards like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
PayPal: A trusted option that many online shoppers prefer.
Digital Wallets: These include Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay for quick mobile transactions.
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL): Services like Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm let customers split payments into installments.
Bank Transfers: Some customers prefer direct payments from their bank accounts.
Cryptocurrency: Digital currencies like Bitcoin are growing in popularity.
Cash on Delivery (COD) – Useful if you’re selling locally or in regions where digital payments are less common.

Final Thoughts

Congratulations! With this tutorial you have now mastered the process to build a product-selling website through eight straightforward steps. The creation of your website marks only the initial start toward your goals. Repetitive performance of marketing and continuous optimization and enhancement of your store through data and client feedback enables the real power to reveal itself. The time has arrived to move forward. Your business goals will transform into reality when you activate your store together with sales activities.