Which is best for you?

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More people are shopping online, and that continues to grow in our heavily online world. According to a Bankrate Social Media Survey, 48 percent of users have made impulse purchases based on something they’ve seen on social media. More business owners are spotting the opportunity in e-commerce, but it can seem complicated when getting started.

A key decision to make early on is whether you will create your own e-commerce site from scratch or use a popular, dedicated e-commerce platform instead. Proper execution of your store can have a dramatic effect on how much support your small business gets. We take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

What is the DIY e-commerce model

Building, hosting and deploying your own e-commerce site from scratch has the advantage of giving you full control over the look and feel of your store. This approach can also help you gain a bigger profit share, since you are not using the services of a full-service e-commerce platform. The biggest disadvantage of the DIY approach is the amount of time and skill it involves when compared to using an e-commerce tool. You can still use affiliate links in the DIY e-commerce model, but you’ll have to consider the following:

• Website building: If you aren’t using a website building platform, you will programming and design expertise to build out your site. You could also hire someone to build and deploy your store for you.
• Web hosting: You will need a host for your website for customers to use your store. Pricing for web hosting varies depending on your performance and storage needs.
• Credit card processing: Since you are building out your store by yourself, it is up to you to set up payment processing and build relationships with processors like Visa and Mastercard.

All told, it’s hard to recommend the DIY approach to most business owners unless they already have extensive knowledge of the e-commerce space. The process requires a great deal of technical expertise and labor if you do it yourself, and hiring out a developer can easily cost more than an e-commerce platform. Additionally, those who go with a DIY shop are responsible for the security of their site and customer transactions. This is a crucial liability for your company and you don’t want to cut corners on security.

What are e-commerce platforms

E-commerce platforms give you an intuitive user experience and make it much easier to open an e-commerce store. These platforms – Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, and others – have built-in templates that are designed for higher conversion rates. You don’t have to worry about setting up a domain name or finding a web host since e-commerce platforms take care of that for you. These platforms also use all the best in modern security tech to keep you and your customers safe when shopping online. The ease of use, cost and security of today’s leading e-commerce platforms makes them a fantastic choice for small businesses looking to sell online.

E-commerce platforms vs. DIY e-commerce: pros and cons

E-commerce is a growing industry. Data from Grand View Research suggest that the e-commerce industry will maintain an 18.9% compounded annual growth rate from now until 2030. If you want to jump in, it’s good to consider how e-commerce platforms and the DIY approach compare.

Pros and cons of e-commerce platforms

Pros:

• Easier setup: E-commerce platforms have wide selections templates available. You can set up a website and list products with a few clicks, saving a lot of time in the process.
• Enhanced security: Any reputable e-commerce platform on the market will have the latest in encryption and other cybersecurity technology.
• Favorable processing fees: E-commerce platform vendors have longstanding relationships with the world’s largest credit card processing companies. Not only do they make it easy to accept card payments on your checkout page, but they also can provide favorable processing fees for each transaction. This can save you quite a bit of money over setting up payment processing yourself.
• Proven experience: The templates offered by most platforms have been tested to help shops reach customers, give them an intuitive shopping experience and help your store appear in search engine results. If you’re new to online selling, these templates are exceptionally helpful.
• Technical support: If there is a glitch or your site isn’t working properly, you can contact the platform’s technical support. A representative will help you troubleshoot issues and answer questions.

Cons:

• You become reliant on the platform: If you commit to a platform and find that it’s not a perfect fit for you, it can be difficult to switch platforms since it involves changing hosts and building a new site from a different provider. You will also need to transfer your store’s domain over.
• Less control: While modern platforms provide a wealth of features, you are ultimately limited to what the vendor provides through existing functionality and updates. These platforms also have their own terms and conditions that you will have to comply with to sell your products.
• Monthly subscriptions and processing costs: Many e-commerce software solutions have monthly subscriptions that get more expensive based on your company’s volume and what features you need. You will also have to pay a transaction fee every time you sell something.

Pros and cons of DIY e-commerce

Pros:

• Full ownership of your e-commerce site: The DIY approach allows you to have total control over how your website looks and feels. If you want to make a website that reflects your company’s brand down to the smallest detail, building a site yourself or hiring a web developer may make sense.
• More flexibility: You can make changes to your DIY website that may not be possible with a platform. For instance, you may have more flexibility with how you incorporate pop-ups, in-text calls-to-action, and other elements.

Cons:

• It takes more time: You will have to assess which layout and plugins are right for you. If you build the site yourself, you will have to take time to code the site and do all of the testing and deployment.
• A DIY website has an unproven template: Some small business owners create their own websites only to have them convert poorly. You will have to research search engine optimization (SEO) strategies and execute on them with no outside help.
• You’re largely on your own: If your site goes down or something isn’t working properly, you have to figure it out on your own. You can still contact your domain hosting provider’s customer support team, but you will have fewer options.You will also be without the marketing tools that are added to dedicated e-commerce providers.

E-commerce marketing tips

E-commerce offers a compelling opportunity for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and freelancers. But a good store is nothing if people don’t know about it. Regardless of how you go about building your online store, it’s best to have a concrete strategy before you open it to your customers. A smart marketing strategy outside the daily maintenance of your store can also pay off dividends for your bottom line. To get the most eyes possible on your store, consider the following:

Invest in email list growth, but consider text marketing too

It’s good to gain visibility on social media, but you should lead your followers and blog visitors to your email list. A free opt-in, special discount or exclusive newsletter can encourage people to provide their email addresses.

With that said, the average consumer is so bombarded with marketing emails in the year 2025 that they might immediately forward your messages to their spam folder. Many small businesses are finding success with SMS marketing platforms that send content directly to customer texting apps. Platforms like SimpleTexting and SlickText offer a wide range of features and pricing for every business size and budget.

Use email segments

Email segments can create more personalized experiences where subscribers get more of what they want. You can also segment subscribers based on which individuals purchased or didn’t purchase your recent product.

Tap into influencer marketing

Partnering with influencers can result in plenty of traffic for your e-commerce store. You can either pay influencers or do a cross promotion where you promote someone else’s e-commerce store in exchange for them promoting your store.

Create a content strategy

A content strategy establishes the upcoming pieces you have to create or update to achieve objectives, such as increasing sales. Product reviews, how-to tutorials, and FAQs are some of the most common types of content to incorporate.

Review your data

You will learn more about what works best for your e-commerce store as more data arrives. Making data-driven decisions can help you decide which products and services to promote and improve.

Bottom line

Whether you take the DIY route or opt for an e-commerce platform, the industry is booming. Even though e-commerce has been around for decades at this point, it’s still taking market share away from physical retail. A high long-term growth rate and the scalability of e-commerce stores create a compelling opportunity for small business owners.

FAQs

Can I build an e-commerce website on my own?

Yes. You can build your own website from scratch. But E-commerce platforms like Shopify and Wix make it even easier to get started.

How does e-commerce make money?

E-commerce stores make money by selling products and services. Some e-commerce stores offer their own products, while others use affiliate links to generate revenue.

Can e-commerce make you wealthy?

Yes. Some e-commerce sales net more than $1 million each year, but it requires a lot of time to build wealth with e-commerce.