#onlinestorecreation

Online sales are growing rapidly, with nearly 25% of retail transactions expected to happen online by 2026. For small businesses, having an ecommerce website is no longer optional—it’s essential. With modern tools, setting up an ecommerce website is easier and faster than ever. A reliable website builder enables you to showcase products, process payments, and handle shipping effortlessly, whether you're at your office or on the go.

After evaluating over 50 platforms, I’ve selected six top options tailored for small and medium-sized businesses. Whether you’re new to online sales or scaling up, these platforms offer the features and flexibility you need for ecommerce website development.

Why an Online Store is Vital for Small Businesses

Online shopping is not just the future—it’s the present. By 2026, nearly a quarter of retail purchases will occur online. An ecommerce website helps small businesses:

Highlight products with appealing designs

Accept secure payments

Streamline order and shipping processes All of this can be managed from anywhere, giving you greater control and convenience.

Choosing the Right Platform

Selecting the right platform is a critical step in ecommerce website development. The ideal platform should be:

User-Friendly: No technical skills required.

Budget-Friendly: Clear pricing with no hidden costs.

Scalable: Grows alongside your business.

Top 6 eCommerce Platforms for Small Businesses

Here are my top recommendations based on ease of use, affordability, and features:

Shopify: Best for a quick start.

Pros: Easy setup, extensive app ecosystem.

Cons: Costs can increase with added features.

Square: Great for hybrid online and in-store sales.

Pros: Seamless integration for physical and online stores.

Cons: Limited customization options.

Ecwid by Lightspeed: Perfect for small-scale sellers.

Pros: Free plan for up to five products.

Cons: Fewer features than Shopify.

BigCommerce: Ideal for high-volume operations.

Pros: Robust tools and scalability.

Cons: May feel complex for smaller businesses.

WooCommerce: Best for WordPress users.

Pros: Fully customizable and integrates seamlessly with WordPress.

Cons: A learning curve for beginners.

Wix: Excellent for creating a full-featured website and store.

Pros: Powerful site-building tools with ecommerce capabilities.

Cons: Less specialized for ecommerce compared to others.

Factors to Consider When Choosing

The perfect platform for your ecommerce website development depends on:

Budget: Start small and expand as your needs grow.

Features: Align the platform’s offerings with your business goals.

Ease of Use: Choose a solution you can manage independently.

Support: Ensure customer support is readily available.

Analytics: Robust tracking tools to monitor sales performance.

Affordable Solutions for Creators

If a full-service platform feels overwhelming, consider alternatives:

Online Marketplaces: Etsy or Envato Market let you sell products with minimal upfront costs.

Simplified Stores: Platforms like Gumroad and E-junkie provide affordable ways to build a simple store.

Boosting Your Store with Marketing

Leverage digital marketing strategies such as performance marketing and advanced targeting to enhance visibility and attract the right audience for your ecommerce website.

Conclusion

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Governments around the world are trying their best to take their economies back on track once again. The lockdowns are ending with the few restrictions on board. And still, in a country like India, the number of positive patients is rising. The economy is steadily coming back on track, but the people are still afraid of going out.

The fear of getting infected is stopping people from going out. People are still are preferring to shop online. Until the vaccination gets invented, there will uncertainty and fear around the people. The Covid-19 has surely affected the lives of common people and will take a while to go away. Here we will discuss how the essentials delivery business will get affected by Covid-19, and How this business will evolve after Covid-19. So Without further a due, let's start the discussion.

Going online will be the best bet

The local grocery or any other essentials shops are failing to manage proper social distancing standards. Even if the social distancing is followed, still there will be the problem of so many unwanted physical contacts. Starting from the lift doors at the building to the exchanging packages with the shop keeper, there will be several physical contacts. 

There won't be any surety about which surface is clear or not. Hence more and more consumers will prefer to shop online. The majority of the population will switch to eCommerce. If you are an owner of the offline essentials store, it's high time to turn towards online. 

BigBasket & Grofers, two of the largest online grocery delivery startups in India have seen the considerable surge in their orders during lockdowns. Due to the vanished supply chain, they have to cancel their thousands of orders. This shows us how the demand for online essentials is increasing.

Fill the gaps in small towns

BigBasket & Groffers are operating in several parts of India. Still, several medium & small towns are yet to cover. They are not that popular in small cities. Local essentials store owners in the small scale towns can convert this gap into an opportunity for themselves. 

By creating an online essentials store, they can attract the local user base to their business. The local businesses have their loyal user base already built up for them. They can divert them to their online platform too. And by delivering the great end-user experience and with effective marketing tactics great results can be achieved too.

It's now or the never situation

Several local smart entrepreneurs are already eyeing on this business segment. Many of them may have already started working on this idea. A few months down the line, many essentials delivery local startups will come into existence. The competition in the local market will also rise. If any business is planning to go online, it is the right time to do it.

Establish your user base in the local market. It will give you the first-mover advantage in your locality. Start delivering a great experience of shopping. Establish a good trustworthy relationship with your local user base. And get the best business benefits out of it.

So, how do I start my essential delivery website?

Well, if you are an owner of a local grocery shop or any other essential goods, you already have inventory to serve your shoppers. All you need is a good website, marketing strategy, and a delivery network to increase your reach. 

Companies such as Softpulse Infotech will deliver essential delivery eCommerce website on the quicker bases to serve your shoppers. They will deliver a perfect cost-friendly essentials website in just 2 to 5 business days to the merchants. The website will be created on the Shopify platform, resulting in greater customization and ease of use for the merchants.

And as far as marketing of the website is concerned, you can do it by transferring your loyal existing customers to your online shop. And by having a look at the current situation of the market, your loyal shoppers will also appreciate the move. And with the satisfying experience of shopping delivered to them, the word of mouth will play a huge role. Also, other ways of marketing such as social media, flyers, ads in local newspapers, collaboration with famous pages, etc, play a huge role.

And to manage your supply chain, you can do a partnership with the local courier and delivery service providers. Or, you can also hire a few individuals to deliver your goods. Hire individuals who are aware of your local geography. Manage these few things and quickly start your essentials delivery business in just a few days.

The final words