Leveraging GitHub Pages for a Minimalist E-commerce Store

GitHub Pages is a simple, free way to create websites hosted directly on GitHub. For small businesses, entrepreneurs, or anyone wanting to test a concept, GitHub Pages offers a quick way to build a minimalist e-commerce site. This article explains how to set up a basic e-commerce site using GitHub Pages with the help of Jekyll or a headless CMS.

Why Use GitHub Pages for a Simple E-commerce Store?

1. Free Hosting: GitHub Pages provides free, reliable hosting for small, static websites.
2. Fast Setup: Ideal for small projects or MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) that need to get up and running quickly.
3. Customizable with Jekyll: GitHub Pages integrates with Jekyll, a static site generator that lets you easily design and customize your store.
4. No Server Management: You don’t need to worry about server setups, making it easy for non-developers.

Step 1: Set Up a GitHub Repository

1. Create a New Repository
   • Sign in to GitHub, click on New to create a new repository.
   • Name the repository (e.g., “minimalist-ecommerce-store”).
   • Set it to Public and check Add a README file.
   • Click Create repository.
2. Enable GitHub Pages
   • Go to Settings in your repository.
   • Scroll to Pages under the Code and Automation section.
   • Under Source, select the main branch and click Save.
   • Your site will be live at https://yourusername.github.io/minimalist-ecommerce-store/.

Step 2: Install Jekyll Locally

Jekyll allows you to create a customizable website structure. GitHub Pages supports Jekyll, which makes it easy to set up your e-commerce store.

1. Install Jekyll:
   • Follow the instructions on Jekyll’s website to install it locally.
2. Create a New Jekyll Site:
   • Open your terminal and run:

     jekyll new minimalist-ecommerce-store
     

   • This will generate all necessary Jekyll files and folders, like _posts, _layouts, and _config.yml.
3. Push Jekyll Files to GitHub:
   • In your Jekyll site folder, initialize a git repository:

     git init
     

   • Add, commit, and push your files to GitHub:

     git add .
     git commit -m "Initial commit with Jekyll files"
     git push -u origin main
     

Step 3: Customize Your E-commerce Store Layout

1. Edit Layout and Design
   • Open the _layouts folder in your Jekyll site directory and customize default.html.
   • Add sections for product listings, contact information, and any details specific to your store.
2. Add a Products Collection Create a _products folder in your site directory. For each product, create a Markdown file (e.g., product1.md) with details like:

   ---
   layout: product
   title: "Product Name"
   price: $20
   description: "Product description here"
   image: "/assets/images/product1.jpg"
   ---
   

   • These Markdown files will generate individual product pages for your site.
3. Update Configurations
   • Open _config.yml and set the site title, author, and any other details you want to display on every page.

Step 4: Add E-commerce Functionalities

A minimalist GitHub Pages store won’t have complex e-commerce functionalities (like checkout or inventory management) by default. However, you can integrate third-party tools to handle payments and orders.

1. Embed a Payment Button
   • Use third-party payment buttons, such as PayPal Buy Now or Stripe.
   • For PayPal, go to PayPal Button Generator and create a “Buy Now” button.
   • Copy the HTML code provided by PayPal and paste it into each product page.
2. Link to an External Cart Service (Optional)
   • Services like Snipcart or Shopify Lite allow you to add a shopping cart to a static site.
   • Sign up for the service, generate the cart code, and embed it on your GitHub Pages site.
3. Display Products with Jekyll Loops
   • In your main layout, add a loop to display products dynamically:

  {% for product in site.products %}
    <div class="product">
      <h2>{{ product.title }}</h2>
      <p>{{ product.price }}</p>
      <p>{{ product.description }}</p>
      <img src="{{ product.image }}" alt="{{ product.title }}">
    </div>
  {% endfor %}

Step 5: Test and Deploy

1. Run the Site Locally
   • In your terminal, go to the site folder and run:

     bundle exec jekyll serve
     

   • Open a browser and go to http://localhost:4000 to preview your store.
2. Check for Issues
   • Make sure all pages load correctly, images display, and payment buttons work.
3. Deploy to GitHub Pages
   • When ready, push all changes to GitHub:

     git add .
     git commit -m "Finalize store setup"
     git push origin main
     

   • Your GitHub Pages site will automatically update with your changes.

Step 6: Share and Update Your Store

1. Share Your Store Link
   • Your store is now live at https://yourusername.github.io/minimalist-ecommerce-store/.
   • Share this link with potential customers on social media or through other marketing channels.
2. Update Product Listings
   • To add or change products, simply edit the Markdown files in the _products folder and push the changes to GitHub.
   • GitHub Pages will automatically rebuild the site with your latest updates.
3. Expand Features Over Time
   • If your store grows, consider moving to a more robust e-commerce platform or adding more functionality with a headless CMS.

Conclusion

With GitHub Pages, you can set up a minimalist e-commerce store that’s perfect for MVPs and small-scale projects. Here’s a quick recap of the steps:

1. Set up a GitHub repository and enable GitHub Pages.
2. Use Jekyll to create and organize your store’s layout.
3. Customize product pages with individual Markdown files.
4. Integrate simple payment solutions, like PayPal buttons.
5. Test locally and deploy to GitHub Pages for a live site.

GitHub Pages is a free, straightforward solution that provides just what you need for a basic e-commerce site.