How Can I Make an E-commerce Website?
E-commerce is all about building online spaces where products can be offered to customers, 24/7. This article is written with the small business owner or solopreneur in mind. With platforms like Online Store Builder, launching a professional online store has never been easier. No need for a big budget or a dedicated IT team to get started — just click, drag, and sell. We’ll guide you through everything step by step, from choosing the right platform and domain name to setting up product listings, payment options, and shipping. We’ll also explore design, user experience, and simple SEO tips to help attract customers and keep them coming back. Why sell online? The UK is the third-largest e-commerce market in the world today. That’s right — third: ahead of Japan, ahead of Germany, and behind only the US and China. Online business in the UK is valued at a staggering $195 billion (around £160 billion) in terms of business-to-customer (B2C) revenue. Online retail now accounts for 36% of the UK retail market in total. Impressive stuff. To make sense of the numbers, nearly 65 million of us in the UK have internet access, of which over 50 million can be counted as online shoppers. Britain leads Europe in terms of spending per e-shopper, averaging at £4,115 spent online each year. Mobile shopping plays a big part in it. According to SellersCommerce, most online shopping transactions (63%) are made on mobile devices (or tablets) these days, with nearly half of those being made via apps. Cards are used for 52% of payments, while digital wallets cover 28%. Surprisingly, the UK also ranks very highly when it comes to future potential. E-commerce is growing, but still has plenty of room to grow further. In short, there’s never been a better time to start your own online store. The future of retail: online or bust? All this stands in stark contrast to the realities of the high street. Physical shops continue to struggle as more and more customers choose the comfort of shopping from their sofas. Over 28,000 shops have closed since 2010, and this trend has only accelerated in recent years. Fact is, commerce hasn’t gone away. It’s just somewhere else. Staying relevant means embracing change. Moving online opens up a world of opportunities and gives retailers access to a larger, ever-growing market. It’s about meeting customers where they are, and increasingly, that’s online — and on mobile. 10 Reasons to Take Your Business Online ✓ Eyes on your brand Getting your store online gives you the chance to show off your brand and products to people all over the world. The wider the reach, the more chance you’ve got to grow your customer base and get noticed. The more people see your brand, the more likely it is they’ll remember it when they’re ready to buy. ✓ Lower overheads Forget the rent, utility bills, and physical stock storage. Running an online store means fewer costs, so you can put that money where it matters — growing your business. Without the need for a physical storefront, you can reinvest those savings into better customer service, improved marketing, or expanding your product range. ✓ Scalability, Flexibility Running an online shop means you can manage things from anywhere with an internet connection. Want to expand? Easy. Need to scale back? No problem. You can adjust as you go, whether it’s adding new products, expanding your marketing, or just working with what works best. ✓ Be open 24/7 (if you like!) With an online shop, you’re open 24/7. Customers can browse and buy when it suits them, making it easier to boost your sales without lifting a finger. Plus, you can cater to different time zones, so you’re not limited by traditional business hours. ✓ Smarter marketing Paid online ads are often cheaper and more effective than traditional advertising. Same goes for email campaigns. The idea is to keep it targeted, so you reach the right people at the right time. Content marketing helps you share your message with a wider audience without breaking the bank. Using SEO techniques makes it easier to get noticed on search engines and draw in more customers over time. ✓ Mobile ready More of us are shopping on mobile devices than ever before. Having an online store optimised for mobile means customers can browse, compare, and buy on the go. ✓ Improved stock control With built-in inventory management on many e-commerce platforms, tracking stock and handling orders is easier. You can keep a close eye on stock levels, reorder in time, and avoid the stress of running low on popular items. ✓ Build customer relationships Running your store online lets you connect directly with customers. You can chat with them, get feedback, and offer a personalised service, without the middleman. This makes it easier to create loyal customers who feel heard and valued. ✓ Customer insights Online stores can tap into a wealth of data on customer habits, likes, and shopping patterns. Use this info to fine-tune your marketing, improve the shopping experience, and make informed decisions for your business. Free tools like Google Analytics can help you adjust strategy. ✓ Global reach You’re not restricted by location when you run an online store. You can start selling across the UK, expand to Europe, or even take your products global if that’s where you want to go. The whole online world is your marketplace. What’s the difference between e-commerce and an online store? E-commerce and online shops or stores are essentially the same thing — websites where buying and selling take place. The difference might come down to context. For smaller, more local setups, “online store” feels a bit more down to earth; bigger international businesses are more often referred to as “e-commerce”. As we’ll explore, e-commerce giants use advanced platforms that let them manage inventory, handle thousands of customised orders, and operate at scale. Keeping this running often requires dedicated IT teams. But you