eCommerce platforms

The right eCommerce solution for you

Start selling online through social networks or your own online store.

See your options
smiling woman portraitecommerce platforms icon
Icon: Instagram Shopping

Social Buy Button

Easily sell on Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms.

shopping bag

Store plugin

Add an online store to your existing website. Works with WordPress, WIX, or any CMS.

Icon: Online store

Online Store

Build a scalable eCommerce website fast without any coding or design skills.

Icon: Online marketing

Online Store Expert

A fully-fledged online store solution with advanced features.

Sell online how you want

Social Buy Button

Sell on social media

Users can check out your products directly on social networks without leaving their platform

Designed for mobile phones, you can also manage everything from your smartphone.

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Sell anything on Instagram with the Social Buy Button
Store plugin

Add a button and sell on your website

Got a website or a blog? Add your own store with ConnectaStore. It's easy. Just copy and paste an HTML snippet or add a plugin to your site

You'll keep your current content, domain name, and Google ranking.

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shop integration
MyWebsite Now Online Store

Build an eCommerce website, fast

Create and start selling on your own website with our fastest online store builder. With helpful presets, shipping and tax calculators, and more..

Integrate selling on Facebook, Instagram, and accept contactless payments locally — it's all possible.

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website + shop
MyWebsite Online Store Expert

Take eCommerce to the next level

Sell around the globe, B2B, on Amazon, and Google Shopping. Add up to a million products and offer real-time shipment tracking.

Online Store Expert is perfect for businesses with more complex demands and customization needs.

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shop expert

Compare IONOS eCommerce solutions

Social Buy Button
Online Store
Store plugin
Online Store Expert

Sell on your own website

Number of products

10

500 (expandable)

5,000 (expandable)

1 million

Sell digital products

1 GB per file

10 GB per file

Import product data

Website builder included

Flexible payment methods

around 20 options

around 20 options

around 70 options

around 70 options

Flexible shipping and pickup options

standard shipping only

standard shipping, expandable

Sell on Facebook

Sell on Instagram

Sell on Google Shopping

expandable

expandable

Marketing tools

expandable

Professional store management

Mobile app

Sell on your own website

Social Buy Button

Online Store

Store plugin

Online Store Expert

Number of products

Social Buy Button

10

Online Store

500 (expandable)

Store plugin

5,000 (expandable)

Online Store Expert

1 million

Sell digital products

Social Buy Button

Online Store

Store plugin

1 GB per file

Online Store Expert

10 GB per file

Import product data

Social Buy Button

Online Store

Store plugin

Online Store Expert

Website builder included

Social Buy Button

Online Store

Store plugin

Online Store Expert

Flexible payment methods

Social Buy Button

around 20 options

Online Store

around 20 options

Store plugin

around 70 options

Online Store Expert

around 70 options

Flexible shipping and pickup options

Social Buy Button

standard shipping only

Online Store

standard shipping, expandable

Store plugin

Online Store Expert

Sell on Facebook

Social Buy Button

Online Store

Store plugin

Online Store Expert

Sell on Instagram

Social Buy Button

Online Store

Store plugin

Online Store Expert

Sell on Google Shopping

Social Buy Button

Online Store

expandable

Store plugin

expandable

Online Store Expert

Marketing tools

Social Buy Button

Online Store

expandable

Store plugin

Online Store Expert

Professional store management

Social Buy Button

Online Store

Store plugin

Online Store Expert

Mobile app

Social Buy Button

Online Store

Store plugin

Online Store Expert

Social Buy Button

Online Store

Store plugin

Online Store Expert

eCommerce checklist: Make your store successful

1

Get organized: Think of a story!

  • What do you want to achieve with your online store?
  • Will you sell online only or will you also go the brick-and-mortar route? Do you have a website already and want to add a store?
  • How are you planning to get visitors to your website?
  • Is there a smart way to create synergies between online and offline prospects of your business?
  • Do you have someone to help you set up your eCommerce platform? Do you have programming skills?
  • What is your value proposition? What problem are you solving for your customers?
  • Do you have sales staff that use the online store to present your products?
  • Do you explain the details of your products correctly?

2

Design and structure your store

  • Will you have a few key products or a wide range of items?
  • How are you going to display these product pages to users of your website?
  • How is your navigation structured?
  • How can you make sure you have stunning images of your products?
  • Think about easing the checkout process for your visitors.
  • Think mobile first, meaning: responsiveness of your store interface.
  • Do you want to sell your products in one country or more? Do you offer multiple currencies?
  • How do you want to interact with your customers? Via chat, phone or email?

3

Administration

  • Keep in mind that you'll need process emails for order confirmations, payment, shipping, etc.
  • Set up payment methods: Offer your customers their preferred payment method, depending on your industry - credit cards, cash on delivery, PayPal, etc.
  • Think about how you want to deliver the items. You can choose your own carrier or use one that's integrated in the ready-made shop solution. Offer your customers different shipping rates. A flat rate, for example $5 for any purchase, or free shipping starting with a certain amount spent. You can even adjust your shipments depending on volume or weight. Use this feature only if selling high volumes of goods. Otherwise just decide which flat rate is best for your business.
  • Track your sales with Google analytics, improve your conversion.
  • Do you need a store system that includes inventory management?

4

Secure a domain and go live

  • Choose a domain name that fits your business.
  • If your country specific domain is not available, think about having a domain that fits your industry such as .restaurant. This can increase your chances of finding an available domain and demonstrates which industry you belong to.

5

Marketing and multi-channels

  • Look for ways to involve customers: email marketing, coupons, discounts, start customer loyalty programs.
  • Do you want to sell on Amazon or eBay? How can you differentiate your products? Pricing, naming, product descriptions?
  • Bring more traffic to your shop by placing your products on multiple comparison portals or deal websites.

6

Stay up to date and relevant

  • Your shop is alive. Add fresh content. Give people good reasons to frequently visit your site.
  • Always give your customers more: embed YouTube videos, social media sharing opportunities.
  • Get feedback from your customers and use it to improve your products and your online store.

Free support and how-tos

Questions about building your online store? Ask your personal consultant.

One contact for all your questions

Individual support

Your personal consultant is there for you from the start. They'll help you get the most out of your online store.

Product guides and videos

In the IONOS Help Center you'll find information on lots of website topics. Start with website basics like design and SEO, or deepen your knowledge of analytics, eCommerce and marketing.

Woman getting help from personal consultant
Preview Guide: How to sell more on Facebook

How to sell more on Facebook

Facebook is the perfect platform for boosting sales and learning about your target market. Get started or skill up with this free guide.

Preview Guide: How to sell on social media

How to sell on social media

Social media has huge potential for driving sales. Find out how to boost customer engagement, build relationships and win new customers in this free guide.

Tablet with eCommerce checklist on the screen

How to start selling online

Thinking about launching your own online store? Set yourself up for success with our handy checklist. It covers designing, launching and maintaining your store.

Creating an online store — FAQs

The length of time it takes to create an online store depends on a number of factors and can vary based on the size of the shop, the tech used, the budget available, and the creator's IT skill level.

You can find a number of resources in the Digital Guide that will help speed up the process of starting an online store, offering advice on dealing with the different stages of creating your shop.

The advantages of an online store are that you can reach a whole new customer base, increase your sales, and be able to sell 24/7 without the limitations of a physical store.

Generally speaking, creating an online store can significantly increase your business turnover and can even save you money by allowing you to identify and meet the specific needs of your customers. In this way, you'll have more relevance to your audience and can adapt more easily to their buying habits.

It can be hard to distinguish the difference between free open-source online store platforms and paid eCommerce solutions. So, what's the difference?

An open-source online store is generally intended for professional developers and those familiar with programming languages, because they enable the highest level of customization for very specific needs.

Paid online store platforms are best for anyone starting out in eCommerce, whether it's to accompany a physical storefront or to launch entirely as an online retailer. They're user friendly and often times you don't need IT knowledge.

An eCommerce platform is a software technology solution that enables you to build an online store and run a business online. eCommerce software provides you with tools that facilitate inventory management, help to calculate taxes, and make it easier to add or remove products in your store. eCommerce platforms can be very beneficial for those without technical backgrounds since the software takes care of a lot of the operation.

  • Wide range of design possibilities
  • Top-notch site security
  • Easy to create pages and content
  • Ability to grow as your store expands
  • Expand capabilities with third party plugins
  • Online support
  • Multi-channel functionality

eCommerce software enables you to have everything you need to run your store in one place. If there are tasks that the platform can't do, it's possible to link other plugins or apps (e.g., X, Facebook) to the platform so you don't have to switch between different services all the time. Choosing the right eCommerce platform is crucial for your business. The general rule of thumb is that the more flexible the software is, the less simplistic it will be.

There are many eCommerce platforms out there, but the six major platforms are Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, osCommerce, b2evolution, and the IONOS eCommerce Website Builder.

This comparison of the different e-commerce platforms can put things into perspective and help you decide on the best eCommerce platform for you and your store.

E-commerce platforms are usually based on a common programming language such as Java or PHP. To get the platform online, you either host it yourself or have it hosted for you in the cloud. A third possibility is mixed-hosting where you get the best of both worlds. IONOS hosts six of the best e-commerce platforms, which makes it a lot easier for you to get started.

IONOS offers several hosting packages so there's something for you, whether you're a freelancer or a large company setting up their online store. Installation requires a few simple clicks in the IONOS App Center and then you can begin designing your store. Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, osCommerce, b2evolution and the IONOS eCommerce Website Builder provide you with numerous ways to individualize your storefront to help you stand out from your competition.

Visit the Help Center if you have any more questions on how eCommerce platforms work.

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