Ecommerce continues to grow rapidly, but building an online store can seem daunting. In this guide, we’ll explore using Webflow to create an ecommerce site through a series of frequently asked questions. Read on to learn the key benefits of using Webflow for ecommerce and get actionable tips for building your online store.
Webflow is a visual web design tool that allows you to build responsive websites without coding using a drag-and-drop editor. While Webflow started out focused on standard websites, they’ve expanded into ecommerce website creation as well.
Key features of Webflow include:
- Intuitive visual interface to design sites visually
- Built-in content management system
- Hosting, CDN, and security features
- SEO tools like sitemaps and metadata
- Ecommerce functionality for payments, shipping, etc.
Overall, Webflow provides a powerful way to create professional sites across a range of use cases without needing to code.
Yes, Webflow is a great option for ecommerce for several reasons:
- Design Flexibility - Webflow offers far more design customization options compared to most ecommerce platforms. You can create unique, custom store designs.
- Built-in Ecommerce Features - The ecommerce tools cover everything you need - product pages, cart, checkout, taxes, shipping, and payments.
- Lower Cost than Shopify - For smaller stores, Webflow comes in cheaper than Shopify with no transaction fees.
- CMS for Managing Products - Webflow provides a built-in CMS for easily managing products.
The main downside is less built-in marketing functionality versus Shopify. But overall, Webflow excels for ecommerce.
With Webflow, you can build all types of ecommerce sites:
- Online product stores - sell physical products online. Most common ecommerce site type.
- Digital downloads - sell downloads like ebooks, music, video, software.
- Service booking - schedule appointments or bookings for services.
- Membership sites - provide access to gated, premium content.
- Courses - sell online courses and training.
Basically any type of small-medium complexity online business can be built with Webflow ecommerce. It may not be the best fit for large enterprise global sites though.
Some examples of popular ecommerce sites built with Webflow include:
- Parachute - A bedding and home essentials brand selling mattresses, sheets, and loungewear. Clean, minimalist web design.
- Beardbrand - Sells beard grooming products for men. Brand-focused online store design.
- Mizzen+Main - A men's lifestyle clothing brand with a focus on performance dress shirts and business casual attire.
These sites showcase the polished, custom ecommerce experiences you can build with Webflow.
Shopify is the top pure-play ecommerce platform, while Webflow offers broader website creation capabilities. Here are some key comparisons:
- Shopify is more focused purely on ecommerce while Webflow offers more flexibility for informational sites too.
- Shopify has much better built-in marketing features like email marketing and promotions.
- Webflow enables greater design customization and control over the front-end.
- Shopify’s rates and transaction fees tend to be higher than Webflow for low volume stores.
Overall, Shopify excels for established ecommerce brands while Webflow can work well for newer startups on a budget.
Compared to no-code ecommerce site builders like Shopify and Wix, Webflow does have more of a learning curve. Here’s what to expect:
- There is a steeper learning curve overall versus Shopify or Wix.
- You’ll need HTML/CSS knowledge for advanced design customization.
- The visual editor makes creating basic stores fairly easy.
- There are abundant tutorials and resources available for help.
With some time invested upfront to learn Webflow, you can build fairly complex ecommerce sites without coding skills. It’s a valuable skill to add to your repertoire.
If you're ready to get started with Webflow ecommerce, here are the key steps:
- Sign up for a Webflow account and create a new site.
- Enable ecommerce functionality in your site settings.
- Create product collections in the CMS and add products.
- Design product page templates and collection listings.
- Set up your checkout process and integrate payments.
- Configure shipping providers and options.
- Test test test! Process test transactions.
- Launch your live ecommerce site.
Check Webflow’s ecommerce documentation for more details on the setup process. With their guides and templates, you’ll be selling online in no time!
We’ve just scratched the surface of using Webflow for ecommerce. While there is more complexity compared to dedicated ecommerce platforms, with a bit of learning you can build beautiful, customizable online stores.
For more information, check out Webflow’s ecommerce tutorials, the Webflow community forums to connect with other users, and ecommerce design blogs like Oake Marketing for inspiration. Happy selling!
