- Rachel Bistricer
- Aug 12
- 21 min read
Turn your ideas into sales and start selling with Wix eCommerce→
As online shopping keeps growing, having an online store is almost a must if you want to reach more customers and sell your products or services. An eCommerce website lets you sell around the clock without the costs of a physical shop.
Setting up an online store doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. It’s easier than ever to create a website that helps you sell anything and keeps you ahead of eCommerce trends. This article shows you how to make a website to sell and start bringing more customers your way.
Learn more: How to sell on Wix, Can I sell products with Wix?
Ready to start your eCommerce journey? Now’s the perfect time to bring your vision to life. With Wix eCommerce, you have the tools to build a professional online store and create a website that captivates your audience, drives traffic and boosts sales. Take the first step and explore Wix eCommerce today. Make your mark online and turn your ideas into success.
TL;DR: how to make a website to sell products
Wix eCommerce makes it easy to build and grow an online store. Start by defining your product and audience, then create a user-friendly site with clear branding, smart categories and strong product pages. Add secure payment options, helpful pages like FAQ and About, and optimize for SEO and mobile. Use social media, email and content marketing to drive traffic. Keep your store updated and track performance to boost sales and stay competitive.
Easy ways to improve your Wix online store
Online store basics | Easy eCommerce wins |
|---|---|
Show your products | Use bright, clear photos from different angles. Add short videos or GIFs showing your product in use. Write honest descriptions focusing on benefits, not just features. |
Make buying easy | Use big, visible “Add to cart” buttons. Simplify checkout by allowing guest checkout and multiple payment options. Show progress steps so buyers know how close they are to finishing. |
Keep it mobile-friendly | Choose a Wix template optimized for mobile. Test navigation and loading speed on phones. Avoid tiny buttons and cluttered pages. |
Build trust | Share your story on an About page with photos and genuine language. Include contact info and easy ways to reach you. Add customer reviews and social proof. |
Get customers back | Add an email signup form with a clear benefit (discount, early access). Send occasional emails with helpful info or offers. Personalize emails with customers’ names if possible. |
Answer common questions | Create an FAQ page answering questions about shipping, returns, sizing, payment and product care. Keep answers clear and easy to scan. |
Show happy buyers | Request reviews and feature them on product pages. Share customer photos or testimonials on social media and your site. Respond politely to feedback, even negative. |
Promote your store | Share your website link on social media regularly. Join local or niche groups and share helpful content, not just ads. Collaborate with small influencers or friends. |
Keep it updated | Regularly update product photos and info. Remove or clearly mark out-of-stock items. Add new products or seasonal items to keep your store fresh and inviting. |
How to make a website to sell
01. Define what you're selling and who it's for
Learning how to build a website to sell products begins with comprehending your product's purpose and target audience. By identifying the problem your product solves, understanding who your customers are and designing a website that resonates with them, you can build a website that converts visitors into customers.
Conduct a product analysis
Whether it's a physical product, a service or a digital download, your product should exist to solve a specific problem for your customers. This problem might be something practical, like a tool that makes a task easier, or something emotional, like a piece of art that brings joy. Once you've identified the issue, you can start thinking about how your product solves it.
Define your target audience
Start by thinking about the demographics of your ideal customer: age, gender, income, location, etc. Really get inside your customer's head to understand their psychographics: values, interests and motivations. The more you understand your customer, the better you can tailor your website to meet their needs.
Learn more: What is dropshipping?
Size up the competition
In order to stay competitive in your industry, look at what other businesses in your niche are doing—both online and offline. Explore their websites and see how they present their products, who they target and what makes them stand out. This will give you an idea of the standards in your industry and how you can carve out your own path to differentiate your business.
Analyze your business
Make sure to analyze what you bring to the table too. Use a SWOT analysis to understand your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This lays the groundwork for defining your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)—the key value that sets your product or service apart. Whether it’s quality, innovation, pricing or service, your USP should meet your audience's needs and help your brand stand out in a competitive market.
Looking for other ideas to sell online?
02. Pick a domain name and hosting provider
A carefully chosen domain name, well-designed site architecture and reliable hosting service are foundational elements when planning a website to sell. These factors influence the success of your website by affecting both user experience and search engine performance. When it comes to creating a website to sell any type of product, there are several key steps to follow:
Choose a custom domain name
If you had a physical storefront, you’d likely have a sign on the outside with your store’s name. Your domain name is the digital address of your online store that users should be able to easily find online. Select a domain name that reflects your brand and is easy to remember. Avoid using hyphens and numbers and try to keep your domain name as short as possible. Try using a domain name generator to find a suitable name that isn’t already taken.
Decide on a web hosting provider
Web hosting is the service that stores your website files and makes them available to your customers when they visit your website. Consider the pricing, speed, reliability and customer support of each web hosting service before making a decision. Imagine your customers are all around the world and could be shopping at any given time, so when building your eCommerce business, your website must always be available and issues need to be resolved quickly and efficiently. Ecommerce website security is essential for both your business and your customer's safety, in order to protect sensitive information and build trust for your brand. Wix’s free web hosting allows you to scale your hosting as your online business grows.
03. Design your website
Designing a successful website to sell products is not just about making it visually appealing, but also creating a cohesive brand identity that resonates with your intended audience and reflects your company's values. What’s arguably most important is creating a user-friendly site for customers to see products and navigate easily to make purchases, both on desktop and mobile versions.
You can go in-depth and learn how to make an eCommerce website that will set yours apart from the competition and/or study eCommerce merchandising strategies.
Logo and branding
Your logo and branding are the visual representation of your business and should communicate the right message to your potential customers. To start, make a logo that embodies your brand’s personality and message. Then, choose a color scheme and typography that complement your logo and reflect your brand’s characteristics. Use these elements consistently across your website, social media profiles and marketing materials to establish a cohesive brand identity.
Templates
Picking a website template can help outline the overall look and feel of your eCommerce site. Explore these customizable eCommerce website templates to see which one suits your needs. It’s important to select a design that aligns with your brand’s personality and guides your customer through the buying experience. A template can offer a simple navigation menu and clear calls to action, so your customers find what they're looking for quickly.
Website features
The way that users interact with your eCommerce website can impact their buying decisions. For example, if it’s difficult to navigate or even to search for specific items, you may deter prospective sales. Focusing on user interface (UI) will provide visitors with the best possible experience that is natural and effortless. Consider these key features that can drive conversions.
Intuitive navigation: Your website navigation should be simple and user-friendly, with a homepage that quickly directs customers to products, categories and relevant information. Build a logical site structure, with drop-down menus or breadcrumbs that highlight where customers are on the site and help reduce bounce rates.
Mobile friendliness: Up to 70% of web traffic comes from mobile devices and more online purchases are being made from mobile devices than ever before. With this in mind, ensuring that your website is optimized for mobile use is key. Consider a mobile-first website design that takes into account the limitations of smaller screens right from the start, enhancing the mobile user experience. In addition, look to responsive design that adapts to different screens, guaranteeing the best possible experience whether customers are on a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. Check out Wix Studio for more responsive design options.
Clear call-to-action: Include a clear call-to-action (CTA), which prompts customers to make a purchase. Your CTA should be highly visible and easily accessible. For example, you may choose to use "Buy Now" buttons, which appear after selecting a product or "Add to Cart" buttons, which are accessible on every product page.
AI tools: Supercharge your selling online with the Wix AI Site Chat, a 24/7 virtual assistant that converts browsers into buyers by instantly answering questions about your products and policies. This smart tool learns your business specifics, provides personalized shopping guidance, and captures leads even when you're offline.
Get started with an AI-generated website today.
04. Create clear product pages
As part of your website creation process, focus attention on your product pages. A good product page is visually appealing, informative and well-organized. Product pages should contain the following information:
Product name
Price
Category
Description
Images
Include high-quality product photographs
Customers are more likely to buy something when they see a detailed image of the product they are interested in buying. Use images that are clear and bright and show the product from multiple angles. Additionally, you may choose to include zoom features and 360-degree views, which allows customers to get a more in-depth look at the product. You can use an image resizer tool to crop and scale image shots to showcase your products.
Write accurate product descriptions
When writing product descriptions, think about how to help customers reach an informed decision about their purchases. Include all relevant details such as size, materials and any features that help your product stand out. Use descriptive and informative language to entice customers to complete a transaction. You can also think about specific keywords when writing product descriptions to optimize them for SEO. With strategic keywords, it will help prospective customers find your products much more easily.
Additional elements to include on product pages
A clear layout and good product images are just the start. To make your product pages work harder for you, add elements that build trust, remove doubts and make it easier for people to buy. These small details can make a big difference in helping customers feel confident about clicking “add to cart.”
Availability and stock info: Let buyers know if an item is in stock or running low to create urgency and manage expectations
Customer reviews and ratings: Social proof helps new customers trust your product. Add a rating system and let buyers leave feedback
Estimated delivery details: Show when customers can expect to receive their order, based on their location or shipping option
Clear call-to-action buttons: Use buttons like “Add to cart” or “Buy now” that stand out and are easy to find
Related or suggested products: Recommend similar or complementary items to encourage extra browsing or higher cart value
Link to terms and policies: Add a short link or dropdown for your terms and conditions, privacy policy or return policy so customers know exactly what they’re agreeing to before they buy
05. Organize your products into categories
Strong product categories make your website easier to shop. They help people find what they want quickly, improve search rankings and guide buyers toward more products they didn’t know they needed.
The right structure makes your store feel organized, not overwhelming.
Start with a few main categories that match the types of products you sell—like clothing, electronics, beauty or home decor. From there, build out subcategories and smaller sections that reflect how people actually browse. For example:
Main category: Shoes
Subcategory: Women’s shoes
Smaller categories: Sneakers, sandals, boots, heels
Use straightforward labels. Shoppers should know exactly what to expect from each category without having to think twice.
Tips for designing strong category pages
Grid layout with clean visuals: Use evenly sized product images in a grid to make your page feel balanced and easy to browse
Filters that matter: Let customers sort by size, color, price or style so they don’t waste time digging through things they don’t want
Badges that grab attention: Highlight sale items, new arrivals or bestsellers with simple, well-placed labels that help drive clicks
Quick-access links: Add microcategory links like “sneakers” or “boots” above the product grid so people can skip straight to what they need
Visible pricing and CTAs: Make sure prices and add-to-cart buttons are easy to see without needing to hover or click through
Link categories throughout your site
Make it easy for people to move between categories so they keep exploring instead of bouncing. When navigation feels smooth, visitors stay longer and are more likely to buy. Add your main categories to the top navigation, with dropdowns for subcategories so everything’s one click away. Keep it clean and scannable so shoppers don’t feel overwhelmed.
On your homepage, feature links to popular or seasonal categories so visitors know where to start. You can also link from product pages to related categories to keep people exploring. For example, a page for running shoes might link to other athletic footwear or accessories.
Breadcrumbs help people see where they are on your site and easily backtrack if needed. And if you have a footer, repeat your main categories there too—it gives people another way to keep moving without hitting a dead end.
06. Set up payment methods
Since the goal is to sell your goods, finding a variety of payment methods for prospective customers to complete their purchases will help to seal the deal. Customers are more likely to fill out their credit card information when they know that their transactions are both easy and secure. Some of the most common payment methods you can include are:
Credit and debit cards
Digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Wallet)
PayPal
Wire transfer
Cash on delivery
Check payment
Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum)
Buy now, pay later services (Afterpay, Klarna)
Direct debit
Payment options and cost considerations
When choosing payment possibilities, consider how much they cost. Each online payment system involves processing fees, which can significantly impact your revenue. Research payment providers and take into account their processing fees before you set up a payment solution for your online store.
Addressing security concerns
Payment systems are regularly targeted by cybercriminals. Select a payment gateway that offers its own security features, such as fraud detection and chargeback protection. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a compliance standard that you should consider when selecting payment methods. Ensuring that your payment systems are secure adds credibility to your store, increasing customer trust and improving your store's reputation, while simultaneously protecting your assets.
Set up thank you pages
After a successful purchase, it's important to show your customers that you appreciate their business. Setting up a thank you web page is a great way to express gratitude and also provide valuable information to customers such as payment confirmation, order numbers, shipping details and estimated delivery dates. This not only creates a positive customer experience but also provides them with the necessary information for future reference.
Tackle cart abandonment
Reducing cart abandonment is key to boosting sales and delivering a smooth shopping experience. Simplify your checkout process by cutting unnecessary steps to make it fast and easy to use. Let customers check out as guests, so they don’t have to create an account. Send automated cart reminder emails to gently prompt shoppers about their forgotten items, and consider adding perks like free shipping or exclusive discounts to encourage them to complete their purchase.
07. Sort out your shipping
After adding products and payment options, make sure you can deliver those goods. Determine the best shipping and delivery options for your customers and set up shipping rates, choices and policies.
Understand your shipping needs
Shipping preferences can vary depending on the nature of your products. For example, if you're selling perishable items like food or flowers, you'll want to invest in refrigerated shipping alternatives. Similarly, certain products require more robust packaging to ensure they arrive at their destination safely. Therefore, before setting up your shipping arrangements, factor in your product's unique needs and incorporate them into your pricing strategy.
Choose a shipping carrier
Go one step further and provide options for customers such as expedited shipping, tracking or insurance. Once you have these factors in mind, you can determine which shipping carriers you'll use. Popular carriers include:
DHL
USPS
UPS
FedEx
Determine shipping rates
These rates should be based on your shipping strategy and cover the cost of packaging, handling and delivery. It's important to have competitive rates, as customers are more likely to abandon their purchase if they see high shipping costs. Find a balance here between keeping costs reasonable for your customers and making revenue for yourself. There are several types of shipping available:
Flat rates: Eliminate surprise fees for your customers and simplify your shipping process. Flat rates are great if your products are consistent in size and weight.
Weight-based rates: This shipping fee automatically adjusts based on the weight, making it fair for both you and the customer. A good option if your products have varying weights.
Location-based rates: This involves charging different rates for shipping determined by the destination of the product. This type of shipping rate works when you have customers in multiple locations.
Local pick up: This option removes the shipping fee entirely, making the product price more attractive to customers. Perfect if your business caters to customers within a specific area.
Free shipping: Use free shipping as a marketing tool if you can afford to offer it without sacrificing profitability. Offering free shipping to customers who spend a certain amount is also a good way to increase sales without losing revenue.
08. Add relevant pages
Your website isn’t just a place to sell—it’s where people decide if they trust you enough to buy. Along with your product and category pages, you’ll need a few others that make shopping easier and help your brand feel real. These pages answer common questions, show you’re a legit business and keep people moving through your site.
Homepage
Your homepage is often the first thing visitors see, so keep it clear and focused. Highlight what you sell, what makes it worth buying and where to go next.
What to include:
A clear brand message and logo
Featured products or bestsellers
A strong CTA like “Shop now” or “Start browsing”
Navigation links to main categories
Testimonials or reviews
Banners for sales or promotions
Contact or support info
Learn more: How to build a homepage
About page
People like to buy from people. Your About page tells your story and gives visitors a reason to connect with your brand.
What to include:
How and why you started the business
What your brand stands for
What makes your products different
A quick intro to your team, if relevant
Keep it short, honest and personal. Even a few lines can make a big difference.
Learn more:
Contact page
Let customers know how to reach you if they have a question or issue. Include:
A contact form or email
Business hours or response time
Social links, if you’re active on them
Learn more:
FAQ page
Answer the questions customers ask most—like shipping times, return policies or how sizing works. It saves them time and reduces support requests.
Learn more: How to create an FAQ page
Legal pages
These help protect your business and build trust. Add links in the footer to:
Terms and conditions
Privacy policy
Shipping and return policy
09. Optimize your website for search engines
As you make your own website to sell, develop an SEO strategy for how to drive traffic to your online store. Everything from keyword research to fixing and maintaining technical issues is vital for maintaining your eCommerce SEO efforts.
Perform keyword research
Keyword research is the basic foundation of any good SEO strategy. It's essential to target keywords (the words or phrases people use to search for products or services like yours) and include them on your site. There are many tools available, such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs and Semrush, to help you find the right keywords. When conducting keyword research, aim to identify high-volume, low-competition keywords relevant to your site and products. This ensures that your content is more likely to rank in search results, exposing your business to more potential customers.
On and off-page SEO
On-page SEO refers to the optimization of content on your website. This can include adding the relevant keywords, optimizing site speed, creating appropriate metadata and creating engaging, informative content. Off-page SEO, on the other hand, includes everything beyond the website's technical aspects, such as earning backlinks to the website, social media optimization and online reviews. Both On-page and Off-page SEO practices help get your site noticed and eventually lead to better sales.
Optimize for local SEO
If you're running a local store or providing services in a specific area, it's essential to optimize your website for local SEO. This involves adding city or state keywords to your site, building local links and getting listed in local directories like Yelp and Google My Business. By doing this, your business is more likely to appear in search results when someone searches for local services or products like yours.
Monitor your website
Keep a close eye on your website’s performance to ensure your SEO efforts pay off. Regularly track key metrics like site traffic, keyword rankings and bounce rates to understand how users interact with your content. Use tools like Google Analytics or search engine reporting dashboards to identify trends and spot areas for improvement. By monitoring and making data-driven adjustments, you’ll stay competitive and keep your site effective in driving sales.
10. Launch and market your website
Once you finish creating a website to sell products, it's important to market your store to potential customers. Here are some marketing strategies to enhance your online presence and expand your customer reach.
Promote on social media
Set up social media accounts to promote your website, engage with your customers and keep them up-to-date with your latest products and promotions. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok allow you to reach your audience according to their interests, location and behavior. It’s also a great way to connect with your customers, learning more about their spending behaviors and interests.
You can also invite your customers to share their experiences with your products. Create a branded hashtag to make it easy for them to post photos or videos and showcase their content on your website or social media. User-generated content (UGC) builds trust, adds authenticity and provides powerful social proof to inspire new customers.
Solicit customer reviews
Positive reviews from satisfied customers can build your reputation and attract new ones. Encourage your customers to leave a review after purchasing a product by ensuring that your website has a review section. Respond to all reviews, whether positive or negative and show your customers that their feedback is taken seriously.
Email marketing
Create an email list of both your current and prospective customers and send them newsletters, promotional emails and updates on your products and services. Emails should be visually appealing, concise and relevant to your audience. Insert call-to-action buttons and links to your website to encourage your customers to complete a purchase. Try Wix’s email marketing tool to create relevant and effective campaigns.
Get creative
If you want to make money online, it’s not enough to rely on the usual marketing channels. You need to show up where your audience actually spends time. The more ways you find to get seen, the more chances you have to grow your traffic and turn that into income. Here are some additional methods you can use to promote your website and attract more customers.
Video marketing: Engage your audience on YouTube, Vimeo and TikTok to promote your products. Highlight the unique features of your products through product demonstrations, tutorials or customer testimonials.
Influencer marketing: Collaborate with industry influencers to promote your products to their audience. These individuals have a large following on social media and can influence purchasing decisions.
Affiliate marketing: Tap into the expertise and networks of affiliates to sell your products in exchange for a commission. Affiliates bring their unique marketing methods to the table, which is particularly effective for high-value or specialized items.
Content marketing: Create and share a variety of content to attract and convert prospects into customers. This can include blog posts, ebooks, infographics, podcasts or webinars. Align your content closely with the products or services you offer to educate your audience, establish trust and build credibility. To level up your credibility and user experience, you could test out HubSpot's free Guide Creator tool to quickly create step-by-step how-to guides with screenshots. These guides are perfect for explaining how to use your products/services or walking customers through common processes. The visual format makes them easy to follow and helps illustrate your expertise.
11. Maintain your site
Running a successful online store goes beyond just setting it up. Customers are more likely to return to a store that meets—or even exceeds—their standards. By maintaining your site, you can provide a positive user experience and keep customers coming back. Here are some key aspects to consider:
Update product descriptions: Ensure that your customers have the correct information which can aid in their purchasing decisions.
Inventory stock availability: Remove out-of-stock items from your product pages or clearly mark them as sold out.
Stay current with trends: Adapting to market trends can give your store a competitive edge, whether it's a trending product, a new eCommerce app or a popular design aesthetic.
Add eCommerce apps or plugins: Consider tools that can help with everything from SEO optimization and email marketing to inventory management and customer service.
Monitor site traffic: Gain valuable insights about your customer's behaviors and preferences to tweak your marketing strategies, SEO efforts and even product offerings.
Assess site functionality: Test the entire purchase process, from adding items to your cart to making a payment, to ensure a seamless buying experience.
5 tips to sell products successfully online
Keep it mobile-friendly: Most online shoppers use smartphones so make sure your site looks great and works smoothly on any device.
Streamline your checkout: Simplify the process and offer a guest checkout option to reduce cart abandonment. Quick and easy wins customers.
Use high-quality images: Clear, professional photos of your products can boost customer trust and drive more conversions.
Engage with email marketing: Start building your email list early. It's one of the best ways to share updates on new products and exclusive offers.
Show off your social proof: Add customer reviews, ratings and testimonials. Shoppers trust other shoppers' opinions so make sure they're easy to see.
5 common mistakes to avoid when selling stuff online
Forgetting to optimize speed: A slow website kills sales. Compress images and make sure your hosting can handle the traffic to keep everything running smoothly.
Overcomplicating navigation: Too many options can confuse people. Keep menus simple, clear and easy to follow.
Ignoring SEO: Not optimizing for search engines means missing opportunities. Make sure your content, product pages and images are SEO-friendly.
Skipping the "About Us" page: Don’t leave customers guessing. A great "About Us" page adds personality and builds trust.
Neglecting customer support: When things go wrong, people need help fast. Make contact info easy to find and think about adding live chat for instant support.
How to make a website to sell FAQ
How can I track and analyze website performance?
To track and analyze website performance, digital analytics tools are essential. Google Analytics offers in-depth statistics on visitors, helping understand customer behavior, source of traffic and popular pages. This data can help you make informed decisions to improve your website's performance. When you build a website with Wix, you’ll automatically have access to Wix analytics, which includes information on website traffic, visitor behavior, conversions and more.
Should I offer discounts or promotions on my online store?
Offering discounts and promotions on your online store can be a great strategy to attract customers and boost sales. Promotions can be used to clear out old inventory, encourage bulk purchases, or incentivize repeat buying. They can also be a tool for acquiring and retaining customers. You can also try out loyalty programs where customers register to your site and get exclusive discounts and deals, or better prices for spending more.
Is it important to have a mobile app for my online store?
While a mobile app can enhance user experience, it's not mandatory. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as many customers prefer browsing and shopping on their smartphones. If you decide to create an app, one of the most straight-forward options is using an app builder to convert your existing website content into an app.
Can I sell internationally on my online store?
Yes, selling internationally can be a great way to expand your business and reach a broader audience. Before diving into international sales, carefully consider the implications this can have on your business. First, you need to ensure your eCommerce platform supports international transactions and currencies. Additionally, you must understand the shipping and customs procedures for each country you plan to sell in, including costs and laws, to avoid unexpected issues. It's also vital to ensure your website is translated appropriately and consider cultural nuances in the regions you aim to serve. Lastly, you must accommodate for region-specific marketing strategies and customer service needs.
How much does it cost to make a website to sell online?
The cost of making a website to sell online can vary greatly, depending on a number of factors. Everything from the website's complexity to the eCommerce platform used can impact these costs. Plus, if you design and create the site on your own or hire a professional website designer, this can also impact both cost and time. Considerations like website hosting, purchasing a domain name and investing in SEO are important for overall costs to create a website to sell. To learn more, see our guide on how much does an eCommerce website cost to estimate your expected costs.
Can I build an online store for free?
Yes, it's possible to create an online store for free. With Wix, you can start your online store for free with no limited trial. Once you’re ready to sell online and accept payments for your site, upgrade to one of our business and eCommerce premium plans.
What are the most profitable items to sell online?
When deciding what to sell, consider factors like competition, profit margins and sourcing and production costs for your chosen products. Keep in mind that the online market is dynamic, so staying adaptable to changing consumer preferences is key for long-term success. Here are some highly profitable items to sell online:
Luxury goods: Jewelry, apparel, high-end gadgets
Digital products: Online courses, software subscriptions
Health and wellness offerings: Niche products with proven benefits
Software-as-a-service (SaaS): Tools solving specific B2B problems
Subscription boxes: Curated high-quality products or niche items
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