Do I need to know programming to build an online store?
You don’t necessarily need programming to build an online store, there are powerful online E-commerce software that allows you to build an online store without any programming skills.
In today’s insight, we are going to look at building an online store using either Online E-commerce platforms or programming from scratch.
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BUILDING AN ONLINE STORE USING E-COMMERCE BUILDERS
There are a lot of E-commerce builders used to build an online store. Most of them do not require any advanced tech skills or programming knowledge.
You can set up an online store in less than an hour. These builders are easy to use and do most of the heavy lifting for you. We are going to look at a few of them to give you more options.
Shopify is one of the popular and easiest platforms to start an online store, it has all the e-commerce and point-of-sale features you need to start, run, and grow your business.
It is easy to set up and maintain, there are also apps on the Shopify app store that you can use to add more features to your online store, an example of the app you can use to change the theme of your store is DEBUTIFY.
The Basic Shopify Plan starts at $29 per month. This comes with an online store, Unlimited products, 2 staff accounts, 24/7 support, sales channels, discount codes, gift cards, and more.
You can start your 14-DAY FREE TRIAL to test Shopify, no credit card required.
WOOCOMMERCE
WooCommerce is a customizable, open-source eCommerce platform built on WordPress. It is designed for small to large-sized online merchants using WordPress.
To get started with WooCommerce, all you need is a WordPress website and install the WooCommerce plugin. You can get a WordPress website with BLUEHOST with a one-click WordPress install option.
You can get secure payments, configurable shipping options, and more, out of the box.
BIGCOMMERCE
BigCommerce is an E-commerce platform that provides software as a service (SaaS) services to retailers.
BigCommerce platform includes online store creation, search engine optimization, hosting, marketing, and security.
BigCommerce does not have a set price, they provide pricing tailored to each merchant’s needs at any stage of growth and there are no additional transactional fees.
SQUARESPACE
Squarespace provides software as a service for website building and hosting (including an E-commerce store).
It allows its users to use pre-built website templates and drag-and-drop elements to create and modify web pages.
Squarespace Commerce starts at $33 per month, this includes a free domain, point of sale, unlimited products, accept donations, gift cards, 24/7 support, professional email, and more.
Other E-commerce builders include WixStore, Magento, Amazon, Weebly E-commerce, PrestaShop, etc.
From many of the E-commerce builders we have looked at, it can be seen that a full-fledged online store can be made without any programming skills.
There are a lot of advantages to using online E-commerce builders for making an online store.
Some of them include security, analytics, support, easy social media integration, saving time, sales channels, easy maintenance, and inexpensive.
You can get a lot out of the box by using online E-commerce builders.
There are some disadvantages to consider as well such as: being limited by the software provider, limited by the plugins and apps, customization limitations, etc.
All in all, there are great E-commerce builders that will do wonders for your online store.
PROGRAMMING AN E-COMMERCE STORE
You can also build an online store from scratch, you will need good programming skills to build a reliable and stable online store.
Knowledge of front-end development, server-side programming, databases, and APIs is a must if you are to build your own online store from scratch.
This approach will take you a lot of development time and resources. You will have to design the frontend and server-side logic on your own, integrate a payment gateway using APIs, and many other things needed for a fully operational online store.
This approach allows you to do a lot of customization, it is suitable for big companies that do not want to be limited by the E-commerce builder platform.
In conclusion, you can build an online store using online E-commerce builders such as Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, etc. without any programming skills.