<\/span>What is a Shopping Cart?<\/span><\/h2>\n![\"add](\"https:\/\/staticblog.payhip.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/30201530\/add-shopping-cart-to-website1.png\")
<\/p>\n
Before diving into the process, let’s briefly explain what an online shopping cart is.<\/p>\n
An online shopping cart, in the context of e-commerce, is a virtual container or software component that allows online shoppers to select and store items they wish to purchase from an online store. It acts as a centralized hub where customers can add products, review their selections, modify quantities, and proceed to the checkout process. The shopping cart provides a convenient and user-friendly interface for managing the items chosen for purchase before finalizing the transaction.<\/p>\n
Simply put, an online shopping cart software turns your static website into a website where you can sell stuff and customers can purchase stuff from it.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Why You Need to Add a Shopping Cart to Your Website<\/span><\/h2>\n![\"how](\"https:\/\/staticblog.payhip.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/30201706\/how-to-add-shopping-cart-to-a-website.png\")
<\/p>\n
Adding a shopping cart to your website offers numerous benefits, with the most notable being the opportunity to generate additional income by establishing online revenue streams<\/strong>. By enabling direct online transactions on your website, you provide a seamless and convenient shopping experience for your customers. For instance, if you have an art-focused blog, integrating a shopping cart allows your readers to purchase items directly from your website instead of redirecting them elsewhere. This eliminates potential hurdles and significantly increases the chances of conversion, maximizing your earning potential.<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re new to creating websites, you might be familiar with one of the biggest burning questions that one usually asks: \u201cI created my website with a website builder. Doesn\u2019t it already come with a shopping cart?<\/strong><\/em>\u201d<\/p>\nAnswer: It’s not always the case. The availability of a built-in shopping cart depends on the website builder you’re using. Some platforms like Wix offer options for users to build a static website, or pay more and upgrade to their more expensive plans to enable shopping carts on your websites. You\u2019ll need to check the features and settings of your site builder to determine if a shopping cart is already available.<\/p>\n
In this article specifically, we\u2019ll teach you how to add a shopping cart to any website for free\u00a0so you won\u2019t have to fall victim to those eCommerce platforms that ask you to pay hefty monthly fees for their shopping cart functionalities. And\u2026don\u2019t worry, no technical skills needed here – anyone can do it! ?<\/p>\n
<\/span>Types of Online Shopping Carts that You Can Choose From<\/span><\/h2>\nThere are various types of shopping carts available, including hosted solutions and self-hosted solutions.<\/p>\n
Self-hosted<\/strong><\/h3>\nLet me first start by saying that self-hosted shopping is NOT recommended for people who aren\u2019t as tech savvy.<\/p>\n
With self-hosted shopping carts, you have more control and responsibility. You install the shopping cart software on your own server and manage it yourself. Popular self-hosted options include WooCommerce (a plugin for WordPress), Magento, and OpenCart.<\/p>\n
Self-hosted solutions require more technical expertise and involve installing and configuring shopping cart software on your own server.<\/p>\n
Hosted (Most Recommended)<\/strong><\/h3>\nHosted shopping carts are perfect for business owners who do not possess technical expertise or do not wish to deal with the technical headache of implementing a shopping cart to their websites.<\/p>\n
This is the solution that we would recommend to most business owners, AND there are free hosted shopping cart software that you can use.<\/p>\n
These shopping carts are provided by companies that host your online store. They handle the technical aspects, such as server management and security. Examples include platforms like Payhip, Shopify, BigCommerce, and Wix (and yes, many shopping cart software also offer website building software. All of the platforms mentioned above offer both functionalities)<\/p>\n
Here are some of the key advantages of using a hosted shopping cart software:<\/p>\n
\n- No coding skills or technical skills required<\/li>\n
- Comprehensive package which already includes web hosting along with pre-installed eCommerce functionalities. You won\u2019t need to download or install anything \u2013 simply access your control panel through a web browser. The shopping cart software provider takes care of software updates and other technical aspects of the platform. Instead of separately paying for web hosting and software licenses, you typically pay a monthly or annual fee for one of the provider’s plans (unless the software is free – like Payhip!)<\/li>\n
- Robust store management interface. You\u2019ll be able to easily and intuitively publish and make unlimited subsequent changes to your product listings without having to deal with any technical issues<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Payhip is one of the most popular shopping cart software in the market, and best of all, it\u2019s completely FREE!<\/p>\n
<\/span>Using Payhip to Add Shopping Cart to Your Website (for free)<\/span><\/h2>\n![\"payhip\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.payhip.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/24192624\/signup-on-payhip1.png\")
<\/p>\n
Payhip<\/a> is a powerful and user-friendly hosted shopping cart software that enables you to effortlessly incorporate shopping functionality into your current website or blog.<\/p>\nHere are some of the best benefits that you\u2019ll enjoy when using Payhip as your shopping cart:<\/p>\n
\n- Generous free plan: You\u2019ll get unlimited access to the entire Payhip platform\u2019s features for free! You\u2019ll only a pay 5% fee for each order, capped at a maximum of $99 per month. This also means that if you\u2019re not making any sales yet, you won\u2019t be paying anything – perfect for business owners who are just starting out!<\/li>\n
- Securely accept payments from all around the world and receive your earnings instantly and securely through the world\u2019s most-trusted payment gateways, PayPal and Stripe<\/li>\n
- Embed your shopping cart on any websites or blogs (no technical skills needed!)<\/li>\n
- Features to sell various digital products including digital downloads, online courses, coaching services, memberships or physical products<\/li>\n
- Automatic handling of digital UK & EU VAT<\/li>\n
- Enable powerful marketing tools with your shopping cart and boost your sales with Payhip\u2019s free marketing tools such as discount codes, affiliate program, referral system, cross-sell, upsell, and much more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nSELL DIGITAL PRODUCTS ONLINEJoin over 130,000<\/b> sellers who have launched their online businesses with Payhip<\/p>\n<\/div>\nGET STARTED FOR FREE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/span>How to Add A Shopping Cart to ANY Websites for FREE (5 Simple Steps)<\/span><\/h2>\nBefore delving into the step-by-step guide on integrating a shopping cart into your existing website, it’s important to highlight that Payhip offers a robust store builder that allows you to create an entire website for free. If you don’t have a website yet, Payhip provides a comprehensive guide on building a website from scratch at no cost<\/a>, complete with embedded shopping cart functionality.<\/p>\nBut for the purpose of this article, we will assume that you already have your own website or blog, and are looking for free ways to add a shopping cart to your existing website or blog. Here are the steps:<\/p>\n
1. Sign up for a Payhip account<\/strong><\/h3>\nVisit the Payhip website and create a free account to get started<\/a>. Since the platform is completely free, you won\u2019t be asked to input any payment information. This also means that you can take your time to explore the platform and see if it\u2019s the right option for you.<\/p>\n2. Set up your payment gateway and payout information<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"set-up-payout-information\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.payhip.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/30201228\/set-up-payout-information.png\")
<\/p>\n
This will ensure that you can accept various payments (credit cards and Paypal) from customers around the world, as well as get paid and receive your income once orders start pouring in.<\/p>\n
Connect your Payhip account to your preferred payment gateway, such as PayPal or Stripe or both. If you don\u2019t have an account with PayPal or Stripe yet, don\u2019t worry, it takes less than 10 minutes to sign up through Payhip\u2019s dashboard (no fees involved!).<\/p>\n
3. Add your products<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"add](\"https:\/\/staticblog.payhip.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/30201303\/add-new-product.png\")
<\/p>\n
Upload your products, including images, descriptions, and pricing details, using Payhip’s intuitive interface. You can offer a variety of digital or physical products, such as ebooks, courses, or merchandise. Payhip also provides a comprehensive guide on how to set up various types of products including digital downloads<\/a>, courses<\/a>, coaching services<\/a>, memberships<\/a>, and physical products<\/a>.<\/p>\n4. Embed your products into any websites or blogs<\/strong><\/h3>\nEach one of the products that you have uploaded has a \u201cShare\/Embed\u201d button to allow you to embed these products to any websites or blogs.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.payhip.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/30200150\/1.png\")
<\/p>\n
Simply make any adjustments to the embed button such as the button text, color, as well as type (direct purchase or add to cart).<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.payhip.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/30200153\/21.png\")
<\/p>\n
Click the Get Your Embed Code button and\u00a0copy and paste the provided code into your desired webpage.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.payhip.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/30200155\/31.png\")
<\/p>\n
And voila! Anytime your website visitor clicks this button on your website or blog, they\u2019ll be able to purchase your product without leaving your site at all!<\/p>\n
5. Test and launch your online store<\/strong><\/h3>\nWe recommend thoroughly testing the shopping cart functionality to make sure that it\u2019s performing exactly how you\u2019d like it to. Make sample purchases and verify that the cart, checkout, and payment processes work flawlessly.<\/p>\n
TIP: You can create a 100% off coupon code using Payhip\u2019s free marketing tools<\/a>. This allows you to perform test transactions on your own website without the need for actual payments.<\/p>\nWatch the short video below to see a preview of what your shopping cart would look like when your website visitors purchase items directly on your website.<\/p>\n
In this example, the seller is using WordPress as their website, and embedded the \u201cbuy now\u201d button from Payhip to enable a shopping cart on their WordPress website. Credit to https:\/\/www.victoriamarchantknits.com\/<\/a>\u00a0for this example.<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Adding a shopping cart to your website offers numerous benefits, with the most notable being the opportunity to generate additional income by establishing online revenue streams<\/strong>. By enabling direct online transactions on your website, you provide a seamless and convenient shopping experience for your customers. For instance, if you have an art-focused blog, integrating a shopping cart allows your readers to purchase items directly from your website instead of redirecting them elsewhere. This eliminates potential hurdles and significantly increases the chances of conversion, maximizing your earning potential.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re new to creating websites, you might be familiar with one of the biggest burning questions that one usually asks: \u201cI created my website with a website builder. Doesn\u2019t it already come with a shopping cart?<\/strong><\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Answer: It’s not always the case. The availability of a built-in shopping cart depends on the website builder you’re using. Some platforms like Wix offer options for users to build a static website, or pay more and upgrade to their more expensive plans to enable shopping carts on your websites. You\u2019ll need to check the features and settings of your site builder to determine if a shopping cart is already available.<\/p>\n In this article specifically, we\u2019ll teach you how to add a shopping cart to any website for free\u00a0so you won\u2019t have to fall victim to those eCommerce platforms that ask you to pay hefty monthly fees for their shopping cart functionalities. And\u2026don\u2019t worry, no technical skills needed here – anyone can do it! ?<\/p>\n There are various types of shopping carts available, including hosted solutions and self-hosted solutions.<\/p>\n Let me first start by saying that self-hosted shopping is NOT recommended for people who aren\u2019t as tech savvy.<\/p>\n With self-hosted shopping carts, you have more control and responsibility. You install the shopping cart software on your own server and manage it yourself. Popular self-hosted options include WooCommerce (a plugin for WordPress), Magento, and OpenCart.<\/p>\n Self-hosted solutions require more technical expertise and involve installing and configuring shopping cart software on your own server.<\/p>\n Hosted shopping carts are perfect for business owners who do not possess technical expertise or do not wish to deal with the technical headache of implementing a shopping cart to their websites.<\/p>\n This is the solution that we would recommend to most business owners, AND there are free hosted shopping cart software that you can use.<\/p>\n These shopping carts are provided by companies that host your online store. They handle the technical aspects, such as server management and security. Examples include platforms like Payhip, Shopify, BigCommerce, and Wix (and yes, many shopping cart software also offer website building software. All of the platforms mentioned above offer both functionalities)<\/p>\n Here are some of the key advantages of using a hosted shopping cart software:<\/p>\n Payhip is one of the most popular shopping cart software in the market, and best of all, it\u2019s completely FREE!<\/p>\n Payhip<\/a> is a powerful and user-friendly hosted shopping cart software that enables you to effortlessly incorporate shopping functionality into your current website or blog.<\/p>\n Here are some of the best benefits that you\u2019ll enjoy when using Payhip as your shopping cart:<\/p>\n Before delving into the step-by-step guide on integrating a shopping cart into your existing website, it’s important to highlight that Payhip offers a robust store builder that allows you to create an entire website for free. If you don’t have a website yet, Payhip provides a comprehensive guide on building a website from scratch at no cost<\/a>, complete with embedded shopping cart functionality.<\/p>\n But for the purpose of this article, we will assume that you already have your own website or blog, and are looking for free ways to add a shopping cart to your existing website or blog. Here are the steps:<\/p>\n Visit the Payhip website and create a free account to get started<\/a>. Since the platform is completely free, you won\u2019t be asked to input any payment information. This also means that you can take your time to explore the platform and see if it\u2019s the right option for you.<\/p>\n This will ensure that you can accept various payments (credit cards and Paypal) from customers around the world, as well as get paid and receive your income once orders start pouring in.<\/p>\n Connect your Payhip account to your preferred payment gateway, such as PayPal or Stripe or both. If you don\u2019t have an account with PayPal or Stripe yet, don\u2019t worry, it takes less than 10 minutes to sign up through Payhip\u2019s dashboard (no fees involved!).<\/p>\n Upload your products, including images, descriptions, and pricing details, using Payhip’s intuitive interface. You can offer a variety of digital or physical products, such as ebooks, courses, or merchandise. Payhip also provides a comprehensive guide on how to set up various types of products including digital downloads<\/a>, courses<\/a>, coaching services<\/a>, memberships<\/a>, and physical products<\/a>.<\/p>\n Each one of the products that you have uploaded has a \u201cShare\/Embed\u201d button to allow you to embed these products to any websites or blogs.<\/p>\n Simply make any adjustments to the embed button such as the button text, color, as well as type (direct purchase or add to cart).<\/p>\n Click the Get Your Embed Code button and\u00a0copy and paste the provided code into your desired webpage.<\/p>\n And voila! Anytime your website visitor clicks this button on your website or blog, they\u2019ll be able to purchase your product without leaving your site at all!<\/p>\n We recommend thoroughly testing the shopping cart functionality to make sure that it\u2019s performing exactly how you\u2019d like it to. Make sample purchases and verify that the cart, checkout, and payment processes work flawlessly.<\/p>\n TIP: You can create a 100% off coupon code using Payhip\u2019s free marketing tools<\/a>. This allows you to perform test transactions on your own website without the need for actual payments.<\/p>\n Watch the short video below to see a preview of what your shopping cart would look like when your website visitors purchase items directly on your website.<\/p>\n In this example, the seller is using WordPress as their website, and embedded the \u201cbuy now\u201d button from Payhip to enable a shopping cart on their WordPress website. Credit to https:\/\/www.victoriamarchantknits.com\/<\/a>\u00a0for this example.<\/p>\n<\/span>Types of Online Shopping Carts that You Can Choose From<\/span><\/h2>\n
Self-hosted<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Hosted (Most Recommended)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
<\/span>Using Payhip to Add Shopping Cart to Your Website (for free)<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n\n
<\/span>How to Add A Shopping Cart to ANY Websites for FREE (5 Simple Steps)<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Sign up for a Payhip account<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Set up your payment gateway and payout information<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n3. Add your products<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n4. Embed your products into any websites or blogs<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n5. Test and launch your online store<\/strong><\/h3>\n