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By: Alexandra Anderson
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Cristian Lopez
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★★★★★
If you're new to the world of web design and site creation, Weebly is just the thing to ease you into establishing your personal or professional web presence. Best-known for the browser-based, drag-and-drop website editor available for free online, the Weebly software is now available as a value-add on some of the web's leading hosting plans. Whether you sign up for fully hosted Weebly.com directly or opt for a Weebly-friendly plan with a third-party host, this interface is ideal for first-time site owners. Website builders all begin with a theme, and the Weebly website carries hundreds of beautiful, creative website templates that can be customized to meet your intended aesthetic. You can select text, images, buttons, product displays, and other site elements from the interface sidebar. Simply drag the item into place and adjust as needed. Although sites hosted on the free Weebly.com plan will display Weebly ads and come with a Weebly.com subdomain, all paid plans are ad-free with a complimentary domain name. Free plan users get 500MB of storage while all other plan holders feel the freedom of unlimited bandwidth and storage. If you're an aspiring online store owner, know that ecommerce features advance with each plan upgrade. While the option to display up to 10 products with a 3% transaction fee comes standard, you can get up to unlimited products, zero transaction fees, and advanced shipping and inventory options with higher-tier packages. Weebly is wonderful for beginners. Once you outgrow the basic plans, it would behoove you to consider migrating to a host that includes Weebly in its packages. It'll be more cost-effective as your site traffic and revenue increase.
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★★★★★
Shopify is easily one of the more well-known ecommerce web builder platforms in the hosting industry. Plans are fully hosted, include a free site builder tool, and allow you to showcase an unlimited number of products with unlimited file storage as well. Compared to other web hosts, Shopify is not going to offer you the same level of robustness in terms of technological offerings, but the company's ecommerce features are on point. Online store building is Shopify's bread-and-butter service, and the company is darn good at it. First of all, the Shopify theme store features hundreds of free and premium theme options that are relatively easy for customers to manipulate. Dev-savvy folks can further customize their storefronts and themes via the Shopify API. You can actually start building your online marketplace today — for free for three days — and select your plan later. The Shopify experts are on call and ready to help 24/7. Once you've built your online store with Shopify, build your business by processing product transactions through a myriad of payment methods. Shopify users can sell via social media, by integrating a Buy Now button, or by using the Shopify POS system. Serious ecommerce folks may even opt to purchase the retail package add-on, which includes a cash register, receipt printer, and barcode scanner. All in all, Shopify offers everything you need to run an efficient and lucrative online business. The commerce-oriented features are many, and they only advance with each upgrade in service package. Also, you can buy or transfer your domain name, or park your online store at a free MyShopify.com subdomain. If you're ecommerce-focused, trust Shopify for your online store building.
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★★★★★
Weebly is a well-known name in the cheap shared hosting space — not necessarily due to competitive pricing but because several of the web's leading low-cost hosting providers have opted to include Weebly software for free, adding value to their existing offerings. It's worth noting Weebly does offer a free plan, but websites are found on a Weebly subdomain and display Weebly advertising. By simply upgrading to the basic Starter plan, website owners get access to unlimited storage, the popular WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) builder, a free domain name, and no ads. The free perks add up as you migrate up the tiers of Weebly packages. Highest-tier plan subscribers enjoy community membership benefits, the option to use a video as your site background, password-protected pages, and advanced ecommerce features. While Weebly online store plans are not economically on par with the top-recommended hosting plans for online store owners, they make everything you could possibly need to launch an online marketplace accessible and user-friendly. If you're looking for a feature-rich site-building solution for less than $15 a month, you've stumbled onto a fantastic choice. We recommend the Weebly platform to first-time site owners and anyone in a hurry to get a site online quickly.
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★★★★★
The great thing about Shopify is how the feature set centers around ecommerce, a focus of many shared hosting shoppers. Shopify plans are fully hosted, but most of the company's plans are significantly more costly than a majority of the shared hosts we've come across. The three-day free trial is key to Shopify's success, giving customers a chance to try out the platform before committing to such an expense. If you're serious about building an online store, Shopify offers a superb range of plan options and feature additions to make successful stores happen within a reasonable budget. Plus, you can host your business at a complimentary MyShopify.com subdomain, or at a new or existing domain of your own. All plans allow you to showcase an unlimited number of products, and you can sell them via Facebook, a Buy Now button, or the Shopify POS system. Accept payments via Shopify Stripe and ask for help when you need it because the Shopify experts are available around the clock to help with anything from Shopify theme development to transaction issues. As you're building your online marketplace, you have hundreds of customizable themes to choose from, and the more technically inclined user can manipulate themes via the Shopify API. Shopify is great for online store building. It's a one-stop shop for building and hosting an online marketplace and should be considered as such. If you're looking for a super cheap shared hosting option, there are other providers to consider, but if you want a leading ecommerce platform, Shopify may be your winner.
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★★★★★
Although Shopify isn't your traditional web host, WordPress fans can take advantage of Shopify's ecommerce capabilities without redoing their online store. For just $5 per month, you can integrate a Shopify link into your existing WordPress blog. The Shopify experts will generate a few lines of code for you and — voila — a stand-alone storefront is made for your site. Plus, you can customize via the Shopify API. All you have to do is add your unlimited number of products and your Shopify/WordPress online store is officially in business. You benefit from all the easy payment processing solutions, including the Shopify Stripe Payment system, which accepts debit and credit cards. If you decide to upgrade your Shopify plan, the USPS shipping discounts and ecommerce features advance with you; you can even get a free SSL certificate. Shopify is a fine option for implementing top-notch ecommerce functionality into your existing WordPress website. It's not necessarily the most cost-conscious option, but for those who are serious about online store building, Shopify is certainly worth considering.
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★★★★★
Weebly is in the elite clique of drag-and-drop website builders that includes WordPress and Wix.com. The platform is known for its feature-rich functionality that can be easily controlled by novices and seasoned site owners. Our favorite part is that many of the top-recommended site builder hosts have actually opted to offer the Weebly software as their "free website builder included" offering. Nevertheless, you can sign up for a Weebly account and have your site hosted directly through Weebly.com. If you're just getting started or simply dabbling with the idea of creating your own website from scratch, Weebly does offer a free plan; however, this is not conducive to professional site building as it includes ads and a Weebly.com subdomain. Alternatively, premium plan subscribers get a free custom domain and an ad-free website that they can customize with themes and an intuitive drag-and-drop editor. If you're looking to display and sell products, you have the option to showcase 10, 25, or an unlimited number of items, depending on your chosen plan. Weebly does charge a 3% transaction fee for those with lower-tier plans, but that requirement goes away when you upgrade to the Pro or Business plans. We highly recommend the Weebly software. It's easy to get started and the drag-and-drop editor is about as beginner-friendly as it gets. Those who are on a time crunch and budget-minded, however, might consider using a Weebly-enabled hosting provider instead. Either way, Weebly is an excellent choice for getting a beautiful web presence up and running.
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★★★★★
Shopify is a fully hosted web building platform that specifically serves the ecommerce niche. All plans include a free site builder tool and you can browse the Shopify theme store for a design that most closely matches your brand. Themes are fully customizable, with drag-and-drop elements or the Shopify API. Best of all, you can start building your store at no cost with Shopify's 3-day free trial. Host your online store at a new or existing domain name, or take advantage of the free MyShopify.com subdomain the company provides. The Shopify experts have made it simple to display and sell an unlimited number of items online, and processing them is a snap. The Shopify Stripe Payments system allows merchants to accept and process credit and debit transactions after customers make a purchase via Facebook, by clicking on a Buy Now button, or on other social media platforms. Depending on which plan you sign up for, you can get advanced reporting, shipping, and shopping cart features as well. All plans include the option to entice customers with discount codes, too! If you're shopping for a web builder to build an online store, look no further than Shopify. Build your business, build your brand, and boast an unlimited number of products with ease. Online store building is Shopify's specialty, and the team is available to help you any time of day.
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