Cheap E-commerce Website: Top 9 Platforms for Small Businesses

In today’s digital world, having an online store is vital for small businesses. When starting, keeping costs low is a priority.

Whether you sell products, services, or digital goods, an online store is crucial for staying competitive. Small businesses often work with limited budgets, so finding an affordable yet dependable e-commerce platform is important.

But what is the best part? You don’t need to spend a lot to build a professional and effective online store. This guide will introduce you to the top 9 cheap e-commerce websites that can help you start your business without overspending.

You’ll compare their pricing, features, and ideal use cases, along with helpful tips for selecting the best platform for your business needs.

Reasons to Have an E-Commerce Website for Your Small Business

Before we dive into the platforms, let’s quickly recap why having a cheap e-commerce website is essential for small businesses:

• Wider reach: Reach out to clients outside of your area.
• 24/7 availability: Your store is always open, even when you’re sleeping.
• Lower overhead costs: No need for a physical storefront
• Improved customer data collection: Gain insights to refine your marketing strategies.
• Enhanced customer experience: Offer convenience and personalization

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Cheap E-commerce Website

When selecting an e-commerce platform, consider these essential factors:

A. Platform Pricing 

Select a platform that matches your budget, considering both upfront setup costs and ongoing expenses like transaction fees and add-ons. Look for platforms that offer free or low-cost plans with basic features. Be mindful of any extra costs, such as transaction fees or premium features you may need later.

B. User-Friendliness

A user-friendly platform will save you time and discomfort if you are not tech-savvy. Look for platforms with intuitive interfaces and good documentation.

C. Options for customization

Make sure the platform lets you alter the functionality, style, and layout of your store to better reflect your brand. Shopfunnels is a great option for individuals looking for e-commerce solutions beyond the conventional ones because of its user-friendly design and extensive features.

D. Payment Gateway Integration

Verify that the platform supports the payment gateways you intend to use, such as PayPal, Stripe, or local payment methods.

E. Ability to respond to mobile devices

As more customers shop online using their mobile devices, your online store must be mobile-friendly. Make sure that your platform provides a seamless experience on smartphones and tablets to cater to this growing audience.

F. Specific features of SEO

Good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tools can help your store rank higher in search results, resulting in more organic traffic to your site. Shopfunnels, which is 100% SEO optimized, is one of the most popular options for SEO.

Top 9 Cheap E-commerce Websites for Small Businesses

1. ShopFunnels

Overview: ShopFunnels is a comprehensive e-commerce store-building platform designed to help users create high-converting online stores quickly and easily. It offers a no-code store builder with hundreds of ready-made, plug-and-play templates for various niches. 

ShopFunnels comes with built-in AI capabilities, allowing users to generate content, including call-to-action text, headlines, product descriptions, and emails, automatically.

Key features:

• Build pages with drag-and-drop.
• Built-in tools for email marketing
• Recovered abandoned carts
• Upsell and cross-sell functionalities

Pros:

• A simple user interface
• Comprehensive tools for marketing
• No transaction fees

Cons:

• Limited third-party integrations
• Steeper learning curve for advanced features

ShopFunnels Pricing:

Starts at $19/month for the Elite Level and $34/month for the Pro Extra plan.

2. Shopify

Overview: Shopify is a user-friendly e-commerce builder with a drag-and-drop interface for creating attractive online stores. It includes an onboarding wizard to help you add products, customize your store, connect a domain, and set up payment options. Additionally, Shopify offers you round-the-clock customer service.

Key features:

• Extensive app store
• Multi-channel selling
• 24/7 customer support
• Robust inventory management

Pros :

• Scalable for growing businesses
• Contains many ready-to-use features
• Excellent mobile app

Cons:

• Contacting customer support can be difficult.
• Only a few options for customization
• Some advanced features require costly add-ons.

Shopify Pricing:

Starts at $24/month for the Shopify Starter and $359/year for the Advanced Shopify.

3.  PrestaShop

Overview:  PrestaShop is a free, open-source e-commerce platform that lets you choose features for your online store. It provides social media integration, Google Analytics, order tracking, and an infinite number of product listings. Users also access a marketplace with over 4,000 modules and 2,500 themes to personalize their store.

Key Features:  

• A customizable open-source website
• Supports multiple languages and currencies
• Wide range of themes and modules
• Includes built-in marketing tools

Pros:

• There are no monthly fees.
• Highly customizable and adaptable
• Strong community support

Cons:

• Needs developer assistance or technical knowledge.
• Hosting and security management are your responsibility.
• Add-ons may be expensive.

PrestaShop Pricing: 

Starts for free with paid add-ons.

4. BigCommerce

Overview:  BigCommerce is known for its extensive support network and features for both B2C and B2B commerce. It provides personalized coaching and technical help to get your store started. Standard features include unlimited products and built-in SEO tools.

Key Features: 

• Multi-channel selling
• Limitless goods, bandwidth, and file storage
• Tools for advanced SEO

Pros:

• No charges for transactions
• Strong B2B functions
• Great uptime and performance

Cons: 

• Steeper learning curve
• Plans with higher levels may be costly.

BigCommerce Pricing :

Starts at $39/ month for the Standard Plan and $399 for the Pro Plan.

5. Squarespace

Overview: Squarespace is simple to use and of high quality, making it ideal for solopreneurs who want to display their products without requiring advanced features like Shopify. Its sites always look modern and stylish, even for beginners, helping small retail businesses create great websites.

Key Features:

• Beautiful responsive templates.
• Built-in tools for marketing and SEO
• Integrated email marketing

Pros:

• Simple-to-use functionality
• Easy to operate and comprehend
• Enables users to make personalized web pages

Cons:

• Limited customization options
• Fewer e-commerce-specific features.

Squarespace Pricing: 

Starts at $23/month (billed annually) for the plan.

6. Big Cartel

Overview:  Big Cartel is an e-commerce website made for independent artists and creatives. It’s ideal for selling merchandise and offering budget-friendly plans. It is designed to deliver a simple e-commerce experience by offering the necessary features without going overboard with functionality.

Key Features: 

• Designed for artists and makers
• Free plan available (up to 5 products)
• Customizable themes
• Built-in analytics

Pros:

• No charges for transactions
• Easy process for setting up
• Suitable for small businesses with inventory

Cons :  

• Fewer features compared to larger platforms
• Unsuitable for companies that keep a lot of inventory
• The free plan has five product limitations.

Big Cartel Pricing:

Starts with free plans and Plais Plans start at $15/month.

7. Site123

Overview:  SITE123 is perfect for small online stores with fewer products and basic needs. It offers essential e-commerce features like unlimited products, order management, ratings, reviews, and built-in email marketing. With any premium plan, you can send up to 10,000 marketing emails monthly to promote products, sales, and new arrivals.

Key Features:

• AI-powered website builder
• Multi-language support
• Free hosting and domain (first year)
• Free and paid apps for online stores

Pros: 

• Responsive customer support
• Very user-friendly setup process
• Affordable plans

Cons:

• Only some design customization
• Basic capabilities of e-commerce

Site123 pricing :

Starts with free plans and basic plans start at $5.80/month.

8. Volusion

Overview: Important services that Volusion provides include limitless items, connectivity, email marketing, SEO tools, and avoiding fraud.  If you need help with your site’s design, their in-house team is available. Plus, the Style Editor lets you easily customize colors, fonts, and styles to match your brand.

Key Features:

• Convenient SEO tools
• Offers various powerful e-commerce features
• A simplified checkout page.

Pros:

• Quick setup
• Offers various powerful e-commerce features
• Client support is available around the clock.

Cons: 

• Customer support requires work.
• There are few integrations.

Volusion Pricing:

Starts with free plans and basic plans start at $29/month.

9. Ecwid

Overview: Ecwid is an affordable option for small businesses looking to sell on multiple platforms. It offers a free plan with basic store features to help you get started. Upgrading to paid plans unlocks extra features like social commerce and mobile app store management.

Key Features: 

• Automatic recovery of carts.
• Selling via multiple channels 
• A free plan is also available.

Pros:

• Easily integrates with any website.
• User-friendly interface
• It supports several languages.

Cons:

• A limited amount of customization on lower-tier plans
• Higher plans are the only ones that offer advanced features.

Ecwid Pricing:

Starts with free plans and Venture plans start at $25/month.

Comparison Table for All Platforms

Tips to Choose the Right E-commerce Website

📌  Recognize the needs of your business  

Determine your required essential features, such as inventory tracking, various payment methods, or marketing tools. So Shopfunnels is a cutting-edge tool that simplifies the creation of e-commerce businesses and understands their needs.

📌 Keep Your Technical Abilities in Mind

If you’re not very tech-savvy, focus on platforms that are easy to use and offer strong customer support. So keep in mind to choose those products that are easy to use, like ShopFunnels or Ecwid.

📌Review Your Budget 

Consider both initial costs and ongoing expenses, such as transaction fees, additional features, and future upgrades.

📌 Plan for Growth 

Pick a platform that can expand your business, enabling you to scale up features and plans when necessary. You can go for Shopfunnels responsive design and marketing tools or Site123 for quick setup.

Conclusion

By the end of the blog, you can think that selecting the right e-commerce platform is crucial for your small business’s success. By evaluating the factors mentioned in this blog and comparing different platforms, you can find one that suits your needs and budget. The platform is the one that assists you in effectively selling your products or services and supports your business growth.

ShopFunnels is a flexible option, offering tools for various business models, such as funnels, email marketing, and template designing. Its user-friendly design and comprehensive features make it a strong choice for those seeking more than just traditional e-commerce solutions.

Ultimately, the best platform for you will depend on your unique needs, goals, and financial situation. 

Now guess you are ready to create an online store with the budget you aimed for: Click here to start.

FAQs: About Cheap E-commerce Websites and Platforms