5 Freebies to help you build an affordable ecommerce website

It seems as though everyone is looking to Ecommerce to subsidise the income they should be making at their full-time jobs, but sometimes it just isn’t cost effective. Everywhere they turn there is a cost involved, from developing the site, to graphics, to Web hosting fees. If you are in the process of investigating ways to make money online, you should familiarise yourself with various freebies which can help you build and manage the most profitable website ever. Here are just 5 freebies you should be looking at when you begin to develop your own site.

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1. Templates

One of the reasons why so many newbies love WordPress is the availability of free templates. Instead of paying for a Web developer to build a website for you, it’s easy to find a template that works for your niche and then you can have a website up and running within a single afternoon. Yes, you can purchase templates but in the beginning with a small start-upbudget, why not use the free WordPress templates available, usually through your hosting company!

 

2. Graphics

One thing to be very careful about is copyright infringement, especially when it comes to content and graphics. You can find some ‘public domain’ graphics by searching online, but sites like Shutterstock are by subscription even though they may have a smattering of freebies available. Just use the phrase ‘public domain’ when searching for a picture or graphic you need, and Google will do the rest!

 

3. Web Fonts

There are a million and one (that might be a slight exaggeration!) web fonts freely available for use on your website. While you may have several on your computer, web fonts are a lovely addition to any website. They may not translate well to Word docs, but they are written in code expressly for the weband will add a bit of character to your site.

 

4. Plugins

And then there were plugins. These are handy little apps that enhance the usability of your site. Most of those which are currently trending are a sort of ‘redirect’ app that sends users to other pages. For example, the social media plugins that typically ride on the left or right of your screen will redirect your visitors to your social media pages. Facebook and Twitter plugins are a must if you want to quickly grow your homebased Ecommerce site and the best news is that they are free for all!

 

5. Web Hosting

If you don’t have the money available to pay for webhosting at the very beginning, there are hosting companies available that offer you a limited amount of space to set up an Ecommerce site. Each of these ‘free’ web hosting services will make money off the ads they place on your site. In effect, you are paying for hosting because the income generated from those ads goes to the host and not to you. There’s always time later to subscribe to hosting companies like bluehost or HostGator, but for the time being, these ‘free’ hosting sites are available. You may not get a free dot com URL, but you will be able to at least begin setting up your own Ecommerce store.

The bottom line is simply this. If you have a home computer, a reliable Internet connection and a bit of time on your hands, you may be able to set up an Ecommerce site without spending a single penny! Are you looking to build a profitable homebased online business? Start with freebies until the income starts coming in – and it will if you keep at it! Ecommerce is where it’s at, so now that you know about the free tools, what are you waiting for? Ready, set, GO!


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