Are you looking to launch an online store but don’t have the budget for an expensive ecommerce platform?
Google Sites provides a simple and free way to create an ecommerce website where you can start selling products online.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the steps of how to create a free ecommerce website with Google Sites.
What is Google Sites?
Google Sites is a free website builder provided by Google. It allows anyone to quickly create and publish a basic website without needing to know how to code. Google Sites provides pre-designed templates, drag-and-drop editing, and the ability to embed content from other Google services like Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, and more.
While Google Sites can’t compete with more advanced paid website builders like WordPress, Squarespace or Wix in terms of customization and features, it’s a great option for creating a simple, free website.
This makes it an appealing choice for those looking to create a free ecommerce website.
Adding Ecommerce Functionality to Google Sites with Ecwid
Out of the box, Google Sites does not have built-in ecommerce features to allow you to sell products from your website.
However, you can easily add ecommerce functionality by integrating the Ecwid online store platform.
Ecwid is a popular ecommerce solution that lets you create an online store and embed it into any website, including those made with Google Sites.
Ecwid offers a forever free plan that allows you to sell up to 10 products. For more advanced features and additional products, paid plans start at $15/month.
Here are the steps to add an Ecwid online store to your Google Sites website:
- Sign up for a free Ecwid account at https://www.ecwid.com/google-sites
- In your Ecwid admin, go to Sales Channels > Websites and click “Instant Site”
- Copy the generated HTML code
- In Google Sites, edit the page where you want to add your store
- Click “Embed” and paste the Ecwid HTML code
- Publish your Google Sites page
Your Ecwid online store will now appear embedded on your Google Sites page.
You can manage your store’s products, categories, inventory, orders, and more from your Ecwid admin dashboard.
Some key benefits of using Ecwid to power your Google Sites ecommerce store include:
- Responsive design that looks great on mobile
- Secure checkout with support for credit cards and PayPal
- Inventory and order management features
- Integrations with shipping carriers, payment gateways, and more
- SEO tools to help your products get found in search engines
- Ability to sell on multiple channels like Facebook, Amazon, eBay, etc
Optimizing Your Google Sites Ecommerce Store
Once you have your basic Google Sites ecommerce store set up with Ecwid, there are some best practices you can follow to optimize it for success:
Use Descriptive Page Titles and Headings
When creating your product and category pages in Google Sites, be sure to use descriptive, keyword-rich titles and headings.
This helps both users and search engines understand what each page is about.
For example, instead of a generic page title like “Blue T-Shirt”, use something more specific like “Men’s Blue Cotton Crewneck T-Shirt”.
And use header tags like H1s and H2s to structure your content with clear headings and subheadings.
Write Unique Product Descriptions
Avoid using the generic manufacturer-provided product descriptions that many other sites may also use. This can cause duplicate content issues that may hurt your search engine rankings.
Instead, write your own unique, compelling product descriptions. Highlight the key features and benefits of each product.
Use natural language that includes relevant keywords your customers may search for. Aim for at least 150-300 words per product description.
Add Customer Reviews and Ratings
Customer reviews and star ratings provide valuable social proof that can boost your conversion rates. They also provide fresh user-generated content that search engines value.
Ecwid has a built-in product review feature you can enable. Encourage your customers to leave reviews by following up after their purchase with a request. You can also incentivize reviews by offering a discount code or entry into a prize drawing.
Optimize Your Site Navigation
Make it easy for shoppers to find what they’re looking for by optimizing your site navigation. Use clear, descriptive category names. Include a search bar. Provide filtering options to help narrow down choices.
With Ecwid, you can manage your store’s categories and navigation right from the Ecwid admin. Make sure the category structure you set up there is reflected in the navigation menu on your Google Sites pages as well.
Improve Your Page Load Speed
Page load speed is an important factor for both user experience and search engine rankings.
Google Sites pages tend to load quickly since they have a simple, lightweight code base. But there are still steps you can take to further optimize speed:
- Compress your images before uploading them
- Embed videos from YouTube or Vimeo instead of uploading video files
- Minimize use of custom fonts and other external scripts
- Enable Ecwid’s “Defer JavaScript Loading” option
You can test your page load speed using tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights. Aim for a load time of under 3 seconds on both desktop and mobile.
Driving Traffic to Your Google Sites Ecommerce Store
Creating your ecommerce website is just the first step.
To make sales, you need to drive traffic to your online store. Here are some ways to get more visitors to your Google Sites ecommerce store:
Improve Your On-Page SEO
To rank well in Google searches, make sure each page on your site is optimized around a target keyword. Include that keyword naturally in the page title, headings, body content, image alt text, and meta description.
Ecwid automatically generates SEO-friendly URLs for your product and category pages. It also provides fields where you can enter optimized meta titles and descriptions for each page in your store.
Set Up Google Shopping
Google Shopping is a great way to get your products to show up in relevant Google search results. It’s free to list your products, and you only pay when someone clicks through to your website.
To get started with Google Shopping, you’ll need to create a Google Merchant Center account and upload your product feed.
Ecwid can automatically sync your products to the Merchant Center to make this process easier.
Run Google Ads
Google Ads lets you bid to have your product ads show up in Google search results and on other websites. When someone clicks your ad, you pay a fee. Google Ads can be a fast way to drive targeted traffic to your store.
With Ecwid, you can install a tracking code that will allow you to measure conversions from your Google Ads campaigns. This closed-loop tracking helps you optimize your ad spend for maximum ROI.
Promote on Social Media
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are great places to promote your products. You can post organic content, run paid ads, or both.
Ecwid makes it easy to sell directly on Facebook and Instagram by syncing your products to your business page. You can tag products in your posts to allow people to purchase without leaving the social app.
Build an Email List
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to drive repeat sales.
Encourage visitors to sign up for your email list by offering a discount code or free shipping on their first order.
Ecwid integrates with popular email marketing services like Mailchimp, AWeber, and Constant Contact.
You can automatically sync customer data to your email platform to use for segmented campaigns.
Final Thoughts
Creating an ecommerce website doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.
With Google Sites and Ecwid, you can create a free online store and start selling products in just a few simple steps.
By optimizing your store pages, driving traffic through multiple channels, and engaging shoppers with email marketing, you’ll be well on your way to ecommerce success.
The combination of Google Sites and Ecwid is an accessible, low-risk way for entrepreneurs and small businesses to launch their online store.
Follow the tips outlined above to build an ecommerce website with Google Sites that attracts customers and generates sales for your business.
With some experimentation and continuous improvement, you can create a profitable online store without spending a fortune.
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