79% of the US population prefers shopping online due to its convenience and speed. The demand for online shopping is soaring, and businesses are taking advantage of this trend by building eCommerce websites. But what if you’re not a tech genius? No problem. Artificial intelligence (AI) makes creating an online store easier and faster than ever.
With AI-powered website builders, like Bluehost’s AI WordPress Website Builder, you can build your eCommerce store in minutes without needing to code. Whether you’re a small business owner, a creative entrepreneur, or simply someone with a unique product to sell, AI tools can make your online store dreams a reality.
This comprehensive guide walks you through how to use AI to create a unique online store. By the end, you’ll have everything you need to create an ecommerce website—from choosing the right hosting plan to adding products and setting up payments. Plus, you don’t need any technical skills to get started!
How to use AI to create an online store
Step 1: Buy hosting and choose a domain name
First things first, you need to buy a web hosting plan and register a domain name. Think of hosting as the foundation of your online store—it’s where your website will live. And the domain? That’s your web store’s address, the one customer will type to find you online.
Bluehost, recommended by WordPress.org, offers fantastic WooCommerce hosting plans that are perfect for eCommerce businesses. These plans include advanced eCommerce features along with a free domain for one year, a free SSL certificate (for security) and a CDN. Additionally, you get pre-installed WordPress and WooCommerce plugins, along with other essential SEO tools like the Yoast SEO plugin.
You can also opt for Bluehost Cloud hosting plans. It offers a high level of flexibility, boosting your site’s performance and reliability. It’s like having a safety net that adjusts to accommodate different numbers of visitors. If one server faces issues, others automatically step in to keep your site running, ensuring your store is always open for business and giving you a sense of security.
Pro tip: Pick a domain name that’s easy to remember, relevant to your brand and includes your primary keyword if possible.
Once you’ve sorted your hosting and domain, you’re ready to build your eCommerce website.
Step 2: Set up the website using an AI website builder
Building a website used to be a job for web developers, but AI website builders have changed everything. These smart tools leverage artificial intelligence to design and prepare layouts so you can focus on your business. AI builders do more than just follow your instructions—they learn from your input to create a website that reflects your unique style.
Bluehost offers a free AI eCommerce website builder with its web hosting plans. This AI website builder comes packed with eCommerce specific features like customizable templates, a super easy drag-and-drop editor and a user-friendly interface that makes website building process effortless. Plus, you don’t need any design or coding skills—just a clear idea of what you want, and the AI will do the rest.
Here’s how:
Choose an AI website creator
When adding a new site in Bluehost, select the ‘AI website creator’ option and click ‘Get Started’. This tool will guide you through the initial steps of building your store.
Add a brief description of your website
In this step, you’ll briefly describe the type of website you want to create. For instance, you might describe it as an online store or personal blog. This helps the AI understand your needs better.
Connect your Facebook account (Optional)
You can connect your Facebook account if you want to provide additional information about your eCommerce website. This allows the AI to gather details about your brand and make the design more accurate. If you prefer not to link to Facebook, simply click ‘Skip for Now.’
Upload your logo
Next, upload your eCommerce website logo. If you don’t have one, you can create one using a logo maker tool like Canva. A simple yet catchy logo helps build brand recognition. Once your logo is ready, either drag and drop the image into the box or browse your local drive to upload it.
Get website versions
Select your level of WordPress expertise to help the AI tailor its suggestions. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced user, the AI will generate three versions of your eCommerce website. You can preview each one by clicking the ‘Preview’ button. If you don’t like what you see, hit ‘Regenerate’ to get new options.
Customize the website
Once you’ve selected a version, click the ‘Customize’ button to make it your own. You can change colors, fonts and layout design elements. You can pick your color scheme and fonts for a more personalized touch to your eCommerce website.
Edit with Wonder Blocks
To further customize your site, use Wonder Blocks, a feature that lets you drag and drop various pre-designed elements, like text, images and buttons, directly onto your web pages.
Step 3: Add payment options
Once the design of your eCommerce website is ready, setting up payment methods is the next step. Payment gateways are the virtual cashiers that handle the transaction between your website and your customer’s bank. They securely process payments, whether through credit cards, digital wallets or even buy-now-pay-later services. The key is offering flexibility so your customers can pay how they want.
WooCommerce, integrated with Bluehost, makes this process simple. You’ll be able to link multiple gateways and start accepting payments from across the globe in just a few clicks. Here’s how you can set it up:
Setting up PayPal
To add PayPal as a payment method and enable online transactions:
- Navigate to the Payments tab in the Bluehost dashboard.
- Click ‘Connect,’ and you can either link an existing PayPal account or create a new one.
- Fill in the required details, save them and you’re ready to accept PayPal payments.
Other payment options
In addition to PayPal, WooCommerce lets you integrate other well-known and secure payment gateways like Stripe and Amazon Pay, giving your consumers more options for completing their purchases.
Step 4: Set up shipping
After setting up payment methods, it’s time to configure your shipping options. Setting up an efficient shipping process is crucial for any online store.
Studies show that 45% of shoppers abandon their carts because of unsatisfactory shipping options. So, it’s important to offer flexible shipping solutions that cater to different customer needs—whether it’s free shipping, flat rates or speedy next-day deliveries. Plus, clearly outlining shipping policies builds trust with your audience and reduces the chances of cart abandonment.
Whether you’re shipping locally or internationally, WooCommerce integrates with popular shipping carriers, allowing you to provide multiple shipping methods and rates to keep your customers happy. Let’s walk through the process:
Setting up Shippo
By default, Bluehost uses Shippo as its shipping partner. To link Shippo to your store:
- Navigate to the Shipping section under Store Details in the Bluehost dashboard.
- You can either create a new Shippo account or link an existing one.
- Once connected, Shippo will manage your shipping logistics, making it easy to send orders to customers.
Additional shipping options
WooCommerce also supports other shipping options like USPS and FedEx. You can choose the best option for your business based on your location and customer preferences.
Step 5: Add products and services
Now that the structure of your online storefront is ready, it’s time to add the products or services you want to sell. When adding products or services online, ensure your product descriptions are not just informative but engaging as well. Highlight key features, benefits and unique selling points to help customers understand why your product is worth buying. Quality images are equally important to make a lasting impression on your customers.
Managing your inventory is made easy with WooCommerce’s user-friendly interface. You can easily track stock levels, set variations (like different sizes or colors) and manage pricing. You can even use tools like ChatGPT, which can be a great resource for writing polished, persuasive copies that resonate with your audience.
Connect ChatGPT to WordPress
To write product descriptions using ChatGPT, you first need to connect it to your WordPress site. To do this:
- Go to your WordPress dashboard, then Plugins tab and click ‘Add New Plugin.’
- Search for ‘AI Engine,’ then install and activate it.
- In AI Engine’s settings, go to the Settings tab and click ‘OpenAI Account.’
- Log in to your ChatGPT account or create a new one if needed.
- Click ‘Create a new secret key’ and copy the code.
- Return to the settings and paste the code into the ‘API Key’ field.
Add a product
Once ChatGPT is connected, you can start adding products by going to the Bluehost dashboard:
- Go to the Store tab and select the Products and Services tab.
- Finally, click on the ‘Add a product’ button.
- On the new page, you are ready to add your product’s description.
Generate product descriptions
To generate a product description with AI:
- Go to Posts from left navigation menu and click on ‘Generate New’.
- Enter your product name in the Topic section, choose the language, writing style and Products in the end. Then, click ‘Generate.’
- Once the fields are created, click ‘Write all fields’ to modify the content.
- Click the ‘Set Product Image’ button to upload a high-quality product image.
- Add product categories and set the product prices.
- Finally, click ‘Save Draft,’ then ‘Preview’ to review the product content and click ‘Publish’ when ready.
Step 6: Build a Homepage with WonderBlocks
Your homepage is the digital face of your brand. A well-designed homepage should clearly communicate who you are, what you do and most importantly, why customers should choose you. Elements like compelling headlines, easy-to-find navigation and eye-catching attract customers and guide them through your site.
With Wonder Blocks, a powerful all in one solution of Bluehost’s AI eCommerce website builder, you can build that perfect homepage. It offers customizable templates that let you arrange pre-made elements—like text, images and buttons—however you want. Let’s take a closer look at how to customize your homepage using this powerful tool:
Create a new page
Go to the ‘Pages’ tab in your WordPress dashboard and select ‘Add New’ to create a new homepage. You can access the standard editing tools for WordPress here.
Use Wonder Blocks to build your page
Click the Wonder Blocks icon (green button) in the upper-left area of the editing panel. This will give you access to a range of pre-designed blocks, such as text sections, image galleries and call-to-action buttons. You can add the website elements on your page by dragging and dropping, then tweak them to match your brand.
Publish your homepage
Once you’re satisfied with the design, click ‘Publish’ to make your homepage live. You can use similar steps to create other essential pages, such as an About Us page, a Contact page and a Product page.
Step 7: Offer gift cards with YITH plugins
Gift cards are one of the easiest ways to increase user engagement and drive sales. They’re perfect for those last-minute shoppers or indecisive buyers, and they give your customers the freedom to choose what they really want. Plus, gift cards often lead to repeat business and even higher spending than the card’s value.
Bluehost WooCommerce hosting plans come with YITH WooCommerce Gift Cards. This tool makes it simple to add, customize and manage gift cards right from your eCommerce store.
Set up gift cards
In the Bluehost dashboard, navigate to the ‘Store’ tab, scroll to the Additional Features section and click ‘Manage’ under YITH WooCommerce Gift Cards. You will be redirected to the WooCommerce product page, where you can create your gift card as a new product.
Customize gift cards
Follow the standard steps for adding a product, but instead of adding physical items, create a digital gift card. Once you’ve configured all the settings, click ‘Publish’ to make the gift card available in your store.
Gift cards are a great way to get more organic traffic to your online store, particularly around the holidays!
Step 8: Create a sales campaign with WonderCart
Sales campaigns are essential for any eCommerce business. Whether it’s a seasonal sale, a flash discount or a special promotion, running a well-timed campaign can skyrocket your online sales and attract new customers. A good sales campaign isn’t just about slashing prices—it’s about strategically highlighting products, creating a sense of urgency and offering irresistible deals that encourage customers to hit the ‘Buy Now’ button.
WonderCart is another important tool that you get with Bluehost WooCommerce hosting plans. This tool gives you the flexibility to craft campaigns that resonate with your audience and drive conversions. You can quickly set up sales, deals and discounts in online stores with just a few clicks.
Set up a campaign
To create a sales campaign, navigate to the ‘Sales and Promotions’ tab in the Bluehost dashboard. Click ‘Create Campaign’ from this menu. A variety of campaign options, like ‘Frequently Bought Together’ and ‘Buy One Get One Free’, are available for selection.
Customize your campaign
After selecting a campaign type, you’ll be prompted to choose the products you want to feature. You can also apply discounts—either as a fixed amount or a percentage—and customize the appearance of the campaign. Once everything is set, click ‘Finish’ and schedule your campaign to run at a specified date or immediately.
Step 9: Launch your AI-powered eCommerce store
After following all these steps, your AI-powered online store is ready to go live! Double-check all your settings, ensure your pages look great and click the ‘Launch Your Store’ button.
Your eCommerce site is now live and ready for potential customers!
Best practices for using AI in your eCommerce website
Now that your AI-powered store is up and running, let’s talk about some best practices to ensure its long-term success:
- Prioritize customer experience (UX): Make sure your site is easy to navigate, mobile-friendly and fast to load. No one likes a slow eCommerce website.
- Monitor AI performance: AI tools are amazing, but they’re not perfect. Keep an eye on their performance and make adjustments as needed.
- Regularly update your content: Fresh, relevant content keeps customers coming back. Use AI generated content for new blog posts or product descriptions, but always give it a human touch.
- Test, Test, Test: Regularly test your site for any issues, like broken links or slow pages. Conduct A/B testing to see what’s working and what needs improvement.
Wrapping it up
Congratulations! You’ve now completed all the steps to create a fully functional web store using Bluehost’s AI WordPress website builder and WooCommerce. Whether adding products, managing payments, or launching campaigns, AI makes the process smoother and more intuitive. Plus, with WooCommerce’s flexibility, you can easily scale your online store as your business grows. So, go ahead—launch your online store and start making sales today!
FAQs about AI eCommerce website builder
Yes, The AI builder is designed for users with zero coding experience. You can create a professional eCommerce site in minutes even if you are a beginner.
No, a Facebook account is not mandatory, but linking it can streamline the setup and ensure consistency across platforms.
WooCommerce supports multiple payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe and direct bank transfers.
Yes, the AI online store builder automatically creates responsive designs that look great on all devices, including mobile devices.
Yes, WooCommerce offers plugins that integrate AI-driven inventory management tools to help automate stock tracking, reordering and alerts for low stock levels.
There are no specific limits within WooCommerce, but your hosting plan may impact performance. If you expect to manage large product catalogs, consider upgrading to a plan that offers higher server resources, such as Bluehost Cloud hosting.
Yes, you can easily modify your eCommerce website even after it goes live using Bluehost’s Wonder Blocks and AI eCommerce website builder. At any time, you can update the website content, add new eCommerce features, or modify the layout.
Yes, WooCommerce has extensions that allow you to sell in multiple currencies. This is especially helpful if you’re targeting international customers.
Yes, you can add AI-powered chatbots to your WooCommerce online store to assist customers, answer their queries, boost engagement and conversion rates. Popular options HubSpot’s AI chatbot builder.
