Definition

What Is E-commerce in Web Design?

The buying and selling of products or services online, including the full workflow of product pages, cart, checkout, payment processing, and order management.

Related Terms

Webflow

Conversion Rate

UX

Integration

Landing Page

Example

A Webflow E-commerce build for a fintech company includes a subscription pricing page, secure checkout with Stripe, and post-purchase email automation.

Global e-commerce sales reached $5.8 trillion in 2023 and are projected to surpass $8 trillion by 2027 — with mobile commerce accounting for 60%+ of all transactions, according to Statista's Digital Commerce Outlook.

Synonyms:

Online retail, Digital commerce

Acronyms:

-

What it applies to

Any website selling products or services directly online — from a simple single-product store to a complex multi-category catalogue with subscriptions, variants, and wholesale pricing.

Core e-commerce components

  • Product pages: High-quality images (multiple angles), clear pricing, variant selection (size, colour), stock status, detailed descriptions, and a prominent Add to Cart or Buy Now CTA.
  • Cart: Clear item summary with the ability to adjust quantities, apply discount codes, and see shipping cost estimates before checkout.
  • Checkout: Single-page or two-step flow. Guest checkout option. Multiple payment methods. Clear delivery timeline and return policy visible before the final step.
  • Payment gateway: Stripe (cards + Apple Pay + Google Pay), PayPal, or Buy Now Pay Later options (Klarna, Afterpay) — depending on the audience.
  • Order confirmation: Immediate email confirmation with order summary, tracking information, and a clear next step.

In Webflow

Webflow E-commerce supports product variants, digital downloads, and subscription products (via Stripe). Enable E-commerce in Project Settings, create a Products CMS collection, and design product listing and detail templates. Stripe handles all payment processing. For complex inventory management or ERP integration, consider a headless approach — Webflow as the front-end, Shopify or a custom back-end as the commerce engine.

E-commerce: Common Questions Answered

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