According to Statista, the UK has the largest e-commerce market in Europe, with £693 billion in revenue in 2019, up from £677.8 in 2018. UK consumers spend more than £200m on B197C online sales, of which clothing and homewares are part. Most popular item.
Impressive numbers, right?
The gist of the story : An attractive, fully functional e-commerce site is essential for online business owners who want to stand out from their competitors and sell their products outside of Amazon or eBay. The same is true for entrepreneurs who are not necessarily interested in a physical presence.
Fortunately, there are tons of e-commerce platforms to sift through. So much so that it seems overwhelming! With that in mind, we will provide information on the following e-commerce website builders in the UK. So hopefully by the end of this roundup, you will be able to make a well-informed decision for your business:
EKM
Shopify
BigCommerce
Squarespace
Square Online
GoDaddy
Webflow
Wix
Ecwid
WooCommerce
But first, let's briefly explain:
What is an eCommerce website builder?
Simply put; an ecommerce website builder is a platform that allows you to create an ecommerce website where you can promote your brand and sell your products.
Ideally, the platform in question will also offer customer support and cater for all ability levels from absolute beginners to experts. However, these intricacies and the exact web-building and marketing features offered vary from platform to platform.
Crowned UK's Best Ecommerce Website Builder: What to Consider
Before divi choose the best UK ecommerce email list website builder for your business, first consider the following:
1. Your budget
Since your website is going to be the face of your business now and for years to come, your online store builder needs to be cost-effective both at the start and as it expands over time. So, take a close look at all the premium plans on offer and consider the impact on your business growth.
It's also worth keeping in mind : If your website builder requires you to hire a professional web developer, you'll need to factor these costs into your budget as well.
2. High-quality templates
If you already know how you want your website to look, your website builder must provide a template that reflects that.
Ideally, if you're just starting out, you'll probably want to make sure your website builder offers tons of free, easily customizable templates, eliminating the need for a website developer.
3. Your schedule
While building a website won't take long, it's still worth taking into account when making your choice.
For example, if you need developers working on the backend while you're working on the frontend, you'll need to add that time to your schedule.
Again, some website builders are easier to use than others if you handle everything yourself. As a result, the time it takes to launch a fully functional e-commerce website will fluctuate again; this is something to consider.
4. Your existing tools
Let's say you're already selling online and are happy to use tools to help you manage your business. For example, marketing, order fulfillment, analytics/customer data, etc. In this case, your website builder needs to integrate with the platform you are already using.
Or, if you're starting from scratch, our best advice is to look for website builders that offer a variety of reputable integrations. These should complement your business needs now and as you expand.
5. Developers vs. Solo
If it's the latter due to budget constraints, look for a website builder who can provide excellent customer support 24/7.
Or if you don't want to rely solely on templates and a website builder's editor; instead, you're looking for something more personal that goes beyond your skill set. In this case, a web developer must be hired. In this case, make sure your website builder is open source or provides some kind of access to your website code. Other wise, you will be somewhat limited in this regard.
Enough of the preamble; now let's take a look at our take on the best ecommerce website builders in the UK:
EKM
EKM was established in 2002, mainly targeting the UK market. However, international sellers are not necessarily deterred by this.
On all EKM pricing plans, you get access to your own domain name, 70+ customizable themes, and SSL certificates. In addition, EKM users benefit from continued support from the UK.
EKM is a so-called "all-in-one" platform, which means that once you sign up, you have access to everything you need to start an online store. Most notably, the website building has a built-in payment processor and web hosting. Even email marketing tools are included, and entrepreneurs are not charged sales transaction fees.
EKM's website building functions include:
Professional Logo Designer
Fully responsive design for all devices
Drag-and-drop builder
payment card sign
…to name a few!
Finally, EKM topics are easily positioned in different categories, including food and beverages, clothing, jewelry, electronics, and more.
Pricing
EKM offers a generous 28-day free trial. After that, prices start at £34.99 + VAT for the Basic plan, going up to £599.99 + VAT for the Professional plan. Alternatively, if you want EKM to custom design your website, they can do it for £1,999.99 + VAT.
None of these plans require you to enter into any type of contract.
advantage:
You can get ongoing UK support.
EKM's templates are beautiful
Each pricing plan includes a domain name.
EKM does not charge transaction fees
Basic plans offer an initial welcome support call, and more expensive plans unlock access to a dedicated account manager.
shortcoming:
The price looks expensive.
You must take into account the additional costs that may be added, as the price does not include VAT.
Compared to some of the other options on this list, EKM doesn't offer much when it comes to native third-party apps.
👉 Read our full EKM review .
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Shopify
Shopify is a household name in the e-commerce world, so it's impossible not to include the platform when reviewing e-commerce website builders, including the UK market. Like EKM, it provides an "all-in-one" solution for e-commerce store owners who are serious about selling online.
Shopify comes with a full content management system (CMS) that allows you to easily manage all your digital content from one place.
In addition, users get:
web hosting
Access an intuitive web page builder
Numerous integrations to help you successfully run your online store and manage your online presence
Ability to add various pages including About, FAQ, Contact Us, Blog, etc.
…this is just the tip of the iceberg, Shopify’s suite of ecommerce features is so extensive that we can’t cover everything here.
Shopify offers a range of free, customizable template designs to choose from. Or, if you want to stay away from Shopify's free themes, there are hundreds of website design templates to choose from. Conveniently, all Shopify themes are divided into different industry categories, making it a breeze to find the right design.
Or, let's say you want to dig into your website's code to make more subtle modifications. In this case, you can use Shopify's text editor to edit your template files and assets. But first, you need a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and Liquid to start using it.
Or, if you'd rather leave your web design to the professionals, Shopify also offers website design services. Just make sure you're logged into your Shopify account, head to Shopify's website, and navigate to their list of designers that work with the platform. Prices for web development vary widely, although you can narrow the price range by country and entering a minimum and maximum price range.
Pricing
Shopify offers a 14-day free trial. After that, you can choose from the Basic plan at $29 per month to the Advanced Shopify plan at $299 per month. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, all fees are only in USD - but don't let that put you off; Shopify is great for UK merchants.
All plans enable you to design and launch an e-commerce website and list and sell an unlimited number of products.
advantage:
Shopify's theme is gorgeous and mobile responsive
Has a free trial
Choose from over 3,200 add-ons and plugins