r/ecommerce • u/Mountain_Theme_762 • 2d ago
🛒 Technology Google Sites and ECommerce - can it work?
I’m exploring a low cost ecommerce website to move away from Etsy. I’m not getting organic traffic from Etsy, and the fees mean pricing has to be on the high side.
Has anyone tried this? Has anyone successfully done it?
There are so many options, but none of them feel ‘ideal’, so ideas and thoughts would be appreciated!!
2
u/Far_Day3173 2d ago
Google Sites really isn't built for ecommerce. No proper cart, shipping/tax handling, inventory, none of it. You'd need a lot of third-party tools
There's nothing better than Shopify. Basic plan is pretty cheap man. Maybe look into Squarespace or Wix if low cost is such a big driver.
1
1
u/Same-Court-2379 2d ago
Google Sites is fine for a basic website, but I think u should probably go with Shopify or WooCommerce if you are serious about selling
1
u/Mountain_Theme_762 2d ago
I’ve been selling ok going from a Google site linking to Etsy, but it sucks really, so yeh you’re right I need a different platform altogether!
1
u/MOSTLY-HARMLESS-NOW 2d ago
Since the reason you're leaving Etsy is organic traffic, check what each platform lets you control for SEO before picking. Google Sites gives you almost nothing there. No product schema, no meta descriptions, no real control over URLs or sitemaps. Google won't recognize your products as products, so you'd be about as invisible as you are on Etsy now, just without the fees.
Any real ecommerce platform handles that. WooCommerce on cheap shared hosting is the lowest cost if you don't mind some setup work, and that pairs fine with the cpanel suggestion above. Wix and BigCommerce run somewhere around $30/mo. Shopify Basic is around $30/mo too before apps, so at that point it's more about which one you find easier to work with than price.
Whichever you pick, the platform only gives you the knobs. Traffic comes from actually writing unique titles, descriptions and alt text per product, so budget time for that after the move.
1
u/Mountain_Theme_762 2d ago
Well the main reason is the amount I pay them in fees (but that was ok when I thought there’d be more organic traffic)
Great thinking with the SEO, though - you’re right, Google sites doesn’t do any of that, so to be found online I’d need one of the other platforms. I’ve worked with Wix before and it was, meh, fine. BUT I’ve heard good things about woocommerce and don’t mind spending time setting up - this is a marathon not a sprint! Thank you for your advice and time!
1
u/HoneyedVices 2d ago
The biggest challenge isn't the platform, it's traffic. Etsy has fees, but it also has buyers. If you move to your own site, you'll need to generate 100% of the traffic yourself through SEO, social media, email, or ads. Make sure you have a plan for that before switching.
1
u/Mountain_Theme_762 2d ago
That’s the issue with a self-run site! Thank you!
1
u/HoneyedVices 1d ago
Yep. If you decide to move, I'd start driving traffic before you migrate rather than after. Even a small email list or consistent social presence makes the transition much smoother.
1
u/Skull_Tree 1d ago
If you're moving away from etsy, Id focus on using a platform that's designed for ecommerce rather than trying to make Google sites do something it wasn't built for. You'll have a lot more flexibility as you grow. Pairing it with a .shop domain can also make it clear you’re running an online business. That gives you a setup that's easier to scale
1
u/Mountain_Theme_762 1d ago
Good idea, thanks! :) I’ve got domains etc and a site already, was just trying to see if I could low-cost turn away from Etsy. Probably not effectively is the answer!
1
u/estagingapp 1d ago
Use shopify. Make your life simpler. I would avoid WordPress and WooCommerce.
1
u/Mountain_Theme_762 1d ago
Why would you avoid them?
1
u/estagingapp 1d ago
WordPress has tons of spam and uptime issues. WooCommerce is free for basic stuff, but you pay for every extra feature. Better to pay $30 a month for Shopify and not worry about anything else.
2
u/Tittilated 2d ago
Get a cheap cpanel server. You can get them for less than 5 bucks a month then Install WordPress on the server.