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Have you ever Wondered if you’re using the ideal ecommerce platform for sale online? Can you occasionally stumble upon a new service that’s more practical and more economical than what you’re using today? Starting a small business is all about keeping your prices low, and finding an ecommerce platform that will assist you with half the battle. Unfortunately, when you run a small company site it frequently becomes tricky when you want to bring on a brand new ecommerce platform or perhaps just modify your website at all. Read our Ecwid review to discover more about this solution. WordPress Shopping Cart Free
Click Here to sign up to Ecwid now!
Many solutions Purposefully create a closed system, which is tedious to move away from once you get started. However, with a stage named Ecwid, you no longer have to worry about it. In fact, the whole aim of the business, which began in 2009, would be to quickly and quickly create an internet store system on your present websites.
You don’t have To make a whole new website. Just implement Ecwid on any platform, CMS or social network (in five minutes) and you are good to go.
That raised my Attention, since I know the struggles that come along with attempting to migrate websites, especially when it comes to ecommerce. So, I wanted to gather an in-depth review of the Ecwid system to find out whether it’s worth the time.
How Many Men and Women Use Ecwid?
It’s quite Remarkable what Ecwid has achieved since 2009, with over 1 million retailers getting signed up. What is even more cool is that the Ecwid merchants span over 175 different countries, showing that this isn’t just a platform for people in the united states or Europe. Even businesses in developing countries have a chance to find an online store heading, and you do not have to trash your previous site in case you have one.
The usership Continues to grow, particularly considering Ecwid is now PCI DSS Level 1 certified. If you are not certain what this is, it is pretty much the gold standard for safety in the ecommerce world. You can rest easy knowing that you and your clients’ data is safe and secure.
In addition to The total merchant count, over 20,000 active users are using the Ecwid Shopping Cart for WordPress. The difference between that 20,000 along with the 1 million is the simple fact you don’t need a WordPress site in order to implement Ecwid. So, the 20,000 only identifies WordPress users with the plugin.
What’s Ecwid, and how does it work?
Ecwid is a hosted Alternative for building an online store. Unlike competing products such as Shopify, Bigcommerce and Volusion, which permit you to build a new website with e-commerce functionality, Ecwid is targeted more towards people who currently have a site and simply want to add an online store for this.
Much like other E-commerce platforms, Ecwid lets you set up’catalogs’ of goods, and add photographs, pricing, weight etc. . each. You are able to define shipping prices, accept credit card payments etc — all of the crucial stuff that you’d expect to be able to perform using an e-commerce alternative.
However it differs Apart from competing products like Shopify, Volusion, Squarespace and Bigcommerce in that it isn’t really designed to let you create a fully-featured, standalone e-commerce site; instead, it is intended to allow you add an online store to an present online existence.
(That said, Ecwid have Recently added some new functionality, called’Starter Website’, that will allow you create a one-page standalone offering. We’ll chat through this in more detail later on in the review.) WordPress Shopping Cart Free
Click Here to register up to Ecwid now!
The Product operates by providing you a widget that gets placed on other sites — hence the title Ecwid: it is short for’E-commerce Widget’. You receive a couple lines of HTML code (the widget) to add to an present website or social networking profile, and your shop is displayed wherever you have added this code.
Features
Ecwid makes Strides in the market by catering to businesses that don’t need to start a brand-new website. The main attribute is that you can choose your old site and quickly integrate the Ecwid system within a couple of minutes.
You can also Mirror the machine onto various different sites if you anticipate selling elsewhere on the web. Handle all of these websites from 1 location instead of switching between multiple dashboards.
Another pleasant Feature is the syncing between multiple devices. Sell on-the-go together with your smartphone. This means you could go to a tradeshow to generate a number of sales and each one of these earnings are reflected on the backend of your site.
The system is Also made to integrate nicely with social networks, and that means that you can sell your things on Facebook if desired. One part of Ecwid that we particularly enjoy is the delivery facet. With real-time transport integrations you constantly know what is happening with your orders and where they are being sent to.
What other cool Items are comprised with Ecwid?
It runs on a super fast framework
It comes with an address book to get customers and clients
The machine has over 43 translations for sale round the planet
You get lots of promotional instruments such as coupons, discounts, and bulk pricing and more
Create your own customized email alerts
Use the automated tax alternative (automatic taxation rates at checkout, tax reporting and filing)
Point-of-sale functionality
Thanks Into Ecwid’s point-of-sale (POS) performance, you can use your Ecwid shop to market not just online but in physical locations too — in stores, market stalls, in concerts and so forth.
With Ecwid’s POS Performance, regardless of whether or not a customer buys a product in store, online, in their telephone or through Facebook, everything stays in sync – i.e., the retailer’s catalog, inventory and client / transaction information.
There’s a few ways you can take advantage of this feature: the easiest is likely to use’Paypal Here.’ This involves downloading the Ecwid iOS program from the Apple’s App store, linking it to the Paypal Here support, and then taking payments using a cell card reader (pictured above).
You’ve got two options when it comes to POS Hardware and Paypal This: you can buy a processor and swipe reader (for $24.99) or a chip and also tap reader (for $79.99). Both can be arranged straight from Ecwid.
There’s a couple of Things worth noting about the Paypal Here integration: first, it’s only available to merchants in america and UK. Second, it is not yet available on Android apparatus. (On their website, Ecwid state it will be available soon — but they have been saying that for quite some time now). WordPress Shopping Cart Free
If you’re based outside That the US / UK, or need to utilize another mobile device type, the fantastic news is that Ecwid also functions together with the Vend, Clover, NCR Silver and Square POS systems. These all ease utilizing a wider selection of hardware in a physical retail location (full-sized card readers, receipt printers, cash drawers pill stands etc.) and are usable in more countries.
Although you can avail Of the Paypal Here POS option on all paid-for plans, you will want to be to the most expensive’Unlimited’ plan if you would like to avail of a Vend, Clover, NCR Silver or Square integration.
Responsive storefronts
Ecwid Storefronts are responsive, meaning that they will display correctly across devices — desktopcomputer, tablet and cellular. In an era where smartphone internet surfing is eclipsing desktop browsing, this is important.
Free plan
Unlike many similar Goods, Ecwid offers a completely free plan.
Granted, it’s a fairly Basic plan, where features such as discount coupons and service aren’t accessible, and it only allows you to sell up to 10 products in two classes — but this could actually be adequate for some customers, and using it is a good way to try the system out.
But, A key point to notice about the free program is the fact that it is not great from an SEO point of view — you need to be on a paid program to ensure your product pages talk to hunt engines accurately (more on SEO under ).
Language detection
Ecwid is ahead of the Pack in that its storefronts can be automatically translated into nearly 50 different languages — customers can see your store in their own language, without you having to worry about producing alternate versions of it. Ecwid provides this functionality by discovering visitors’ language automatically according to their browser preferences / IP address.
Competing products such as Shopify And Bigcommerce are yet to provide this sort of functionality — they force you to rely on third party apps, the production of multiple shops or Google Translate to supply different language versions of your shop, which is less than ideal. So a definite win for Ecwid here.
Ecwid and search engine optimization
Search engine Optimization (search engine optimization ) in Ecwid is a fairly straightforward affair. You are able to edit the title of your webpage and its own meta description; the relevant fields are pre-populated for you automatically, however you can tweak them to match your SEO objectives.
So Far as I can tell But you can not manually change the URL of a product — you have to make do with the one which Ecwid generates for you. This is not perfect because key words in URLs are used by some search engines to categorise content through indexing.
However, The URLs that are automatically generated by Ecwid comprise the name you have given to your product – so if you include some keywords in your product title (maybe not a bad idea anyhow ) that your URL will comprise them too. This functions as a tool of a workaround, but I would prefer full control over URLs. WordPress Shopping Cart Free
1 area where Ecwid does not perform so Well on the SEO front entails AMP — accelerated cellular pages. As its name suggests, AMP pages load quicker on mobile devices. This motivates people to remain longer on your webpage, thus increasing’live time’ –something that’s considered by many search engine optimization experts believe to be rewarded by Google with preferential treatment in search results. Additionally, Google occasionally highlights AMP pages in carousels in search results, giving AMP content an extra little boost.
Regrettably However — and unlike competing products like Bigcommerce or even Shopify, you can’t produce AMP versions of your goods using Ecwid.
Importing and exporting data
Like many competing Goods Ecwid permits you to import and export your data in CSV format.
The Export option allows you to export product data, orders and clients (again, in CSV format) and means that if you feel the need to migrate your store to another e-commerce platform, you should not have any major problems doing so.
Using Ecwid with other programs
Ecwid and Twitter
WordPress does not Supplied any e-commerce functionality out of the box, so anyone wanting to sell on the platform will need a third-party solution like Ecwid. There is an Ecwid plugin available, so adding an Ecwid store to your WordPress site is very simple — you can get up and running with a few clicks.
You just sign up for an Ecwid accounts and then install the free plugin.
Ecwid and Squarespace
Squarespace comes with Increasingly good e-commerce attributes, but the amount of payment gateway options is quite limited — you have to utilize Stripe or Paypal. (And using Stripe only functions if you are selling goods from particular countries). The other main problem with the built-in Squarespace selling software is they don’t facilitate dropshipping, and complete export of merchandise isn’t currently possible.
Integrating Ecwid with Squarespace allows you to bypass these constraints, and adding it into a Squarespace site is quite simple: it’s a simple matter of including a code block into a page and pasting some HTML to it.
Ecwid and Wix
As With Squarespace, there is currently no dropshipping choice for Wix users, therefore again Ecwid can provide a fantastic workaround. A dedicated program is offered by Ecwid to enable you integrate the product on a Wix shop easily.
Programs and plugins
Ecwid provides a fairly Restricted number integrations with other well-known apps. Integrations do exist together with key services Mailchimp, Xero and Freshbooks; but to be fair the range of integrations may be more extensive — competing goods such as Shopify offer a much broader range of apps. Notable omissions in the Ecwid store include Quickbooks and Zendesk, such as (that said, a Quickbooks integration is coming soon).
The Image is better when it comes to CMS plugins: All these are offered for WordPress, Wix and Joomla, enabling to you set up Ecwid on these platforms quite easily. WordPress Shopping Cart Free
Interface and ease of use
Ecwid’s Interface is pretty user friendly. Like most similar online shop builders, you get a vertical menu on the left which lets you access key functionality, and the place on the right can be used to display or edit associated products, website content and reports.
Much like any e-commerce tool, you’ll need to Spend a reasonable amount of time getting your head about creating catalogues and product variants, setting up shipping prices and so on…but there is nothing here that should represent also much of a learning curve.
Matters are aided by an ‘onboarding checklist’ that is provided to you once you log in for the first time.
If You’re stuck nonetheless, you can always get in contact with Ecwid’s support staff — more on this later — or, if you are on a’Business’ or’Unlimited’, you can make the most of this included customization service (you get two hours and 12 hours personalization period from Ecwidon these programs ).
Ecwid and GDPR
I’m not a Attorney, so please note the below observations should not be interpreted as legal advice, but I am going to do my best to spell out a number of the key GDPR problems facing Ecwid consumers below.
With the introduction of The EU’s new GDPR laws, there are several legal measures that site owners now should take to ensure they are adequately protecting EU customers’ and visitors’ privacy. There are serious financial penalties for doing so (to the point where it is typically a great idea to consult an attorney on what to do); and even if your company isn’t based in the EU, then you still will need to obey the regulations where any site visits in the EU are concerned.
According to my Understanding of the key GDPR rules, the main priorities for potential Ecwid store owners are to:
· Provide sufficient privacy and cookie notices
· Process and store information securely
· Get explicit consent from those registering to mailing lists that it is fine to send them e-newsletters
· Provide a way to opt in or revoke consent to use of non-essential cookies onto a site (and also to log that consent).
There doesn’t Appear to be Anything that stops you meeting the first few requirements easily enough with Ecwid, although you will have to devote time and potentially money generating adequate notices and crafting data capture forms so that they are GDPR compliant.
Where things get Complex with Ecwid is your fourth requirement — cookie cutter consent. To Guarantee GDPR compliance, you need to display a cookie cutter banner to your visitors which
· Allows them to choose which cookies they would like to run BEFORE those cookies are conducted (i.e., to give’prior consent’)
· Logs their consent to conduct biscuits WordPress Shopping Cart Free
· Enables them to revoke approval at a later stage
So for example, if you Use a Facebook Ads cookie in conjunction with your Ecwid shop, you will be breaking up GDPR legislation unless you have a banner in place which does all the above.
Nowout of the box at There isn’t a way to take care of the cookie consent issue with Ecwid. Nor is there a decent program available from the Ecwid app store (the only option on front that I can find, the’EU cookie banner’, does not seem to provide the essential performance — even though costing $1.99 per month to use).
It Seems to me that the only alternative available to Ecwid consumers is to use a professional product such as CookiePro, which does supply all the necessary functionality to generate cookie approval fully GDPR compliant. Despite being a powerful product however, Cookiepro does need quite a lot of configuration and you will want to put quite a lot of time aside to set it up.
Setup and Layout
I Truly like The fact which you can run a web site without paying for anything. This makes the installation process that much simpler, because you simply have to punch in your email and create a password to proceed straight to the backend interface.
The system has Wizards for each platform you want to place your store on. In case you’ve got a WordPress site, just walk through three steps to get up and running. You can even click on options like Facebook and Joomla, depending on where you would like to market.
The backend Design is perfect, because it walks you through every website creation and integration measure with some nice photos and text. Once you get your shop implemented on a site or social page it appears fairly slick.
The layout Depends somewhat on the theme you’ve got on your site, however as you can see below, it shows photos well and appears clean and simple to navigate. I particularly enjoy the Shopping Bag area, which can be outstanding and easy to locate for customers when they want to checkout.
Although many Sites will be cellular friendly, it;s fine understanding that Ecwid includes a native shopping application for both iOS and Android. Merchants now get a native shopping program for iOS and Android.
This means you Can mange your store and sell on the move, while also giving your customers a chance to buy products from the cell interface.
The closing Design thing which makes sense to mention is the language instrument. Since running an online store generally requires you to reach out to individuals from throughout the world, you’re bound to stumble upon some clients who’d like to read product pages and other content in their native language. Ecwid supports 45 languages, so when a user would like to translate from English into Spanish, that is not a problem in any respect.
The Ecwid App Market
Having the Opportunity to put in software is a sure fire way to scaling your ecommerce site in a fair manner. Ecwid includes a place known as the Ecwid App Market. It provides 65 applications, helping retailers extend their store functionality readily. WordPress Shopping Cart Free
Some of the programs Will give you a hand with reviews and rating, rewards programs, automatic advertising tools, analytics, customized design themes and much more.
SEO and Marketing
Ecwid is a Third-party remedy to your current website, so you’d typically have to employ additional SEO and advertising tools to really get out the word. Nevertheless, Ecwid supplies quality SEO qualities to help retailers increase their visibility in Google searches.
Moreover, Google now indexes AJAX websites, so all Ecwid stores are indexed by Google with no extra work. It gets better with WordPress websites, since you acquire access to additional SEO plugins as well as the default search engine performance around the dashboard.
Managing Your Inventory
The Ecwid Inventory system is as straightforward as they come, since it doesn’t appear to incorporate any of the unnecessary bells and whistles you might find on other ecommerce platforms.
Each step is Concise and clear, so you can just go in there and type in a product name, price and image then save the merchandise for later. Obviously you can always open the More Powerful Options, however they separate these for when you’re ready to get started ramping up your own store.
As an example of the stock Rich direction toolset, you obtain access to things like out of stock product monitoring, mobile device stock management, barcode scanning and more.
Customer Support
Ecwid offers A Chat With Earnings attribute that is always one of my favourite ways to converse with companies. Simply send them a query and you can work on something else until they respond.
The company also Provides a powerful support department with FAQs, a knowledge base, email capabilities and a forum.
Overall, the Service outlets include telephone service, online chat support and email support, maintaining the response time short and support quality .
In my eyes, the Platform has everything you might want in terms of support.
Payments and Safety
It is not necessarily Simple to find an ecommerce platform that does not charge transaction fees, but that is exactly what you get with Ecwid. They never control any sort of trade fee with any of those programs they provide, which makes it desirable for any store that is trying to keep costs down and also to improve margins.
Remember that Ecwid isn’t a payment processor, which means you’ve got to set up something like PayPal or Stripe to process all of the trades that come through your website. It’s pretty easy to employ one of these systems, since Ecwid incorporates with over 40 global payment options. However, each one of these processors have their own transaction fees so that you need to get ready for them.
It is quite Clear that Ecwid takes security seriously, because the company is a PCI DSS Level 1 accredited supplier. The company also states that every transaction that includes sensitive data is transferred through a secure HTTPS channel. WordPress Shopping Cart Free
Imagine if you Would like to collect both online and offline payments? Maybe you’d prefer a point of sale integration?
Ecwid Integrates with with Square, Clover, Vend POS, iZettle and PayPal card readers, enabling Ecwid to turn your performance into both an online and offline system.
Benefits and disadvantages of utilizing Ecwid
Benefits
· Ecwid signifies a really easy way to add e-commerce to any present website.
· Point-of-sale functionality can be obtained, and there are a number of strategies to implement it.
· The product is cheap compared to other solutions.
· It supports multi-language versions of your store.
· The shop layouts are responsive.
· Plugins / programs are available for major platforms (like WordPress, Drupal and Wix).
· It permits users of website building products which don’t facilitate dropshipping to begin doing this (i.e., Squarespace, Jimdo, Wix etc.. )
· The’starter site’ option is a good stopgap measure for merchants who need a shop fast, but have yet to create a full website in order to bring the Ecwid widget to.
· The free Ecwid program isn’t time-limited, includes service, and is fairly generous concerning attributes.
Cons
· The Paypal This POS system is Limited to the US and UK.
· The Paypal Here POS process is limited to iOS users.
· Telephone support is only available on the more expensive programs.
· There’s a limited number of programs / integrations available from the Ecwid App store.
· You can’t change merchandise URLs, which can be slightly annoying in the SEO point of view.
· You can not create AMP versions of merchandise pages utilizing Ecwid.
· Creating Ecwid GDPR-compliant (with respect to getting cookie approval ) seems hard.
· The free version will not let you get any of the search engine optimization tools.
Pricing
Ecwid comes With four strategies, one of which is completely free. They market the free plan like crazy, and mention that many other platforms drag you into a free trial, where you will eventually have to pay.
This is where Ecwid stands outside, and you can see the other payment plans are fairly reasonably priced.
The Free program Lets you sell 10 products, whereas the Venture program ups that count to 100 goods and you get items like an iPhone management app. The company plan goes up to 2500 merchandise for a wonderful price and you get live chat service. Priority support comes along with the Unlimited program and you can also market an unlimited number of merchandise.
Ecwid is one of The most economical solutions on the market. You can see that it is actually cheaper than many of the other programs we’ve reviewed previously, so if you’re searching for value, this might be the right plugin for you.
Summary
In short, I’m Beginning to believe that Ecwid is among the greatest ways to sell online, as long as you employ the best ways to improve your sales online as well. Ecwid is a slick system, with super easy implementation measures, which makes it ideal for your small business crowd. WordPress Shopping Cart Free
Click Here to register up to Ecwid today!