Ecwid

What is Ecwid

Ecwid is an e-commerce platform that allows individuals and businesses to create an online store and sell products anywhere. Its core purpose is to provide an easy way to add shopping cart functionality to an existing website, blog, or social media page, without needing to start from scratch. Founded in 2009 by Ruslan Fazlyev, Ecwid was designed to be a flexible widget that could be embedded on any platform. The company, now part of Lightspeed Commerce, provides tools for managing inventory, orders, payments, and shipping from a single dashboard. It is a popular choice for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a simple and affordable way to start selling online.

Ecwid Features

Ecwid offers a range of features to help you build and manage your online business.

• Multichannel Selling: Sell your products simultaneously on your website, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. All sales and inventory are synchronized in one central dashboard.
• Instant Site Builder: If you do not have a website, you can create a simple one-page online store using Ecwid's customizable themes and content blocks.
• Automated Marketing Tools: Create and manage advertising campaigns on Google and Facebook directly from your Ecwid dashboard. It also supports automated email marketing for abandoned carts and customer follow-ups.
• Centralized Inventory Management: Track your stock levels across all sales channels automatically. This prevents overselling and helps you manage your products efficiently.
• Payment and Shipping Integration: Ecwid integrates with dozens of payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal, and Square. It also offers real-time shipping rate calculations from major carriers like USPS, UPS, and FedEx.
• No Transaction Fees: Ecwid does not charge any transaction fees on any of its plans, allowing you to keep more of your revenue.
• Mobile Management: Manage your store on the go with the Ecwid mobile app for iOS and Android. You can add products, manage orders, and accept payments from your phone.
• AI-Powered Tools: Use artificial intelligence to automatically remove backgrounds from product photos, giving them a professional look with a single click.

Ecwid Pricing Plans

Ecwid provides several pricing tiers to fit different business needs.

• Free Plan: This plan is designed for individuals or small businesses just starting out. It allows you to sell a limited number of products and provides basic e-commerce features.
• Venture Plan: Aimed at growing businesses, this plan offers more product capacity, access to more sales channels like Instagram and Facebook, and advanced features like discount coupons and automated tax calculations.
• Business Plan: This tier is for established businesses that need more powerful tools. It includes features like abandoned cart recovery emails, wholesale pricing groups, and the ability to sell on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
• Unlimited Plan: The top-tier plan is for large-scale operations. It offers unlimited product listings, priority support, and a custom-branded mobile shopping app for your customers.

Ecwid Free Plan

Ecwid offers a Free Forever plan. It is not a trial and does not expire. The free plan allows you to create an online store and sell up to 5 physical products. It includes an Instant Site, the ability to add your store to any website, and mobile-responsive design. However, it has limitations. You cannot sell digital products, use discount coupons, or access advanced features like automated marketing or selling on social media platforms. It is a great option for testing the platform or for sellers with a very small product catalog.

How to use Ecwid

Getting started with Ecwid is a straightforward process.

1. Sign Up: Create a free account on the Ecwid website with your email address.
2. Add Your Products: In the Ecwid control panel, go to the 'Catalog' section and add your products. You can upload images, write descriptions, set prices, and specify weight for shipping.
3. Configure Settings: Set up your payment methods by connecting a provider like Stripe or PayPal. Configure your shipping options, including carriers and rates.
4. Add Store to Your Site: If you have an existing website (on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, etc.), copy the integration code from Ecwid and paste it onto your site. Your store will appear where you placed the code.
5. Use the Instant Site: If you don't have a website, you can use the free Instant Site provided by Ecwid. Customize its design and content to match your brand.
6. Start Selling: Once your store is live, you can start promoting it. All orders will appear in your Ecwid dashboard for you to manage and fulfill.

Pros and Cons of Ecwid

Pros

• Free Forever Plan: A genuinely free plan makes it accessible for anyone to start selling online with no initial investment.
• Easy Integration: It can be added to any existing website or social media page with a simple copy-paste code.
• No Transaction Fees: Unlike many competitors, Ecwid does not take a percentage of your sales on any plan.
• Multichannel Capabilities: Strong tools for selling across different platforms from one central hub.
• User-Friendly Interface: The dashboard is clean and intuitive, making it easy for beginners to manage their store.

Cons

• Limited Free Plan: The free plan is very basic, with a low product limit and no access to key marketing features.
• SEO Limitations: The SEO capabilities, especially on the Instant Site, are not as powerful as dedicated platforms like Shopify or WordPress with WooCommerce.
• Advanced Features are Costly: Many essential features for scaling a business, like abandoned cart emails, are only available on higher-priced plans.
• Limited Design Customization: While easy to use, the design flexibility is limited compared to platforms that offer full theme editing.

Ecwid integrations

Ecwid integrates with a wide variety of third-party applications and services to extend its functionality. You can find these in the Ecwid App Market.

• Marketing and Analytics: Integrations with tools like Mailchimp for email campaigns, Google Analytics for tracking traffic, and Klaviyo for advanced marketing automation.
• Shipping and Fulfillment: Connect with services like ShipStation, ShippingEasy, and Printful for dropshipping and order fulfillment.
• Accounting: Synchronize your sales data with accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero to simplify financial management.
• Customer Support: Integrate with helpdesk tools like Zendesk and LiveChat to provide better customer service.
• Automation: Use Zapier to connect Ecwid with thousands of other web applications to automate workflows between them.

Ecwid Alternatives

• Shopify: A leading all-in-one e-commerce platform that provides everything you need to build and run a standalone online store. It is more powerful and scalable than Ecwid but does not offer a free plan and is generally more expensive.
• WooCommerce: A free, open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. It is highly customizable and powerful but requires you to have a WordPress site and manage your own hosting, security, and maintenance.
• BigCommerce: A robust platform aimed at larger businesses and enterprises. It offers more built-in features than Ecwid and has strong SEO capabilities, but it comes with a higher price point and can be more complex to use.
• Squarespace: A website builder known for its beautiful templates that also includes strong e-commerce functionality. It is a great alternative if your primary goal is a visually stunning website with an integrated store.

Ecwid API

Yes, Ecwid provides a comprehensive RESTful API that allows developers to extend and customize the platform. The API gives access to store data such as products, orders, customers, and categories.

To get API access, you need to register your application in the Ecwid Control Panel under the 'Apps' section. Once you create a new application, Ecwid will provide you with a client_id, client_secret, and an access token for making authenticated requests. The access token is required for most API calls.

Here is a simple example using curl to fetch a list of products from a store:

curl -X GET 'https://app.ecwid.com/api/v3/YOUR_STORE_ID/products?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN'

Replace YOUR_STORE_ID with your store's ID and YOUR_API_TOKEN with the access token you generated. You can find detailed documentation on the Ecwid Developers portal.

Ecwid Affiliate program

Ecwid offers an affiliate program that allows you to earn commissions by referring new customers. Affiliates earn a recurring commission, typically 20%, for every paid subscriber they refer for as long as that subscriber remains a customer. This provides a steady income stream.

To join, you need to apply through the Ecwid Affiliate Program page on their website. The application is reviewed, and upon approval, you receive a unique referral link and access to a dashboard with marketing materials and performance tracking. Payments are usually made monthly through PayPal or bank transfer once you reach a minimum payout threshold.