Learn how to create an online store with Hostinger, from choosing the eCommerce plan to using AI, editing pages, and publishing step by step.
Building an online store with Hostinger is a beginner-friendly process, especially if you want to use its website builder rather than WordPress. In Julian’s walkthrough, he starts from plan selection, uses Hostinger’s AI to generate a first draft, customizes the site in the drag-and-drop editor, and then moves into the store setup.
If you want to follow the same workflow, start with Hostinger’s eCommerce Website Builder plan here: Get the best deal on Hostinger here. In the video, Julian also applies the coupon code JULIANWEBER at checkout for an extra 10% off.
What this Hostinger tutorial actually covers
This tutorial is specifically about Hostinger’s website builder, not WordPress. That matters because the setup flow, editor, and AI tools are different from a standard Hostinger hosting account.
Based on the video, the process includes:
- Choosing the eCommerce Website Builder plan
- Creating a new site with Hostinger’s AI generator
- Editing the homepage, text, images, and buttons
- Adding new sections and pages, including AI-generated ones
- Configuring store basics like products, categories, payments, shipping, and VAT taxes
- Checking mobile view and publishing
If you decide you would rather build with WordPress instead, use this separate guide on installing WordPress on Hostinger.
1) Choose the correct Hostinger plan
In the video, Julian clicks into Hostinger’s eCommerce Website Builder option and specifically says not to use WordPress for this tutorial. He then selects the eCommerce plan, explaining that it includes online payment functionality and access to Hostinger’s AI tools.
He also shows that you can choose different billing lengths. His stated preference was the 24-month term rather than the 48-month term, because he felt four years was a bigger commitment and the renewal difference was small. He also mentions a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Checkout details shown in the video
Julian shows these payment options during checkout:
- Credit card
- PayPal
- Google Pay
- Apple Pay
- Bitcoin
He also shows where to enter the coupon code JULIANWEBER.
2) Generate your first store website with AI
After signup, Hostinger asks whether you want to create or migrate a website. In the tutorial, Julian chooses create a new website, then selects Hostinger’s own website builder instead of WordPress.
Next comes the AI setup. He calls this part especially strong compared with other builders he has seen.
The exact example Julian tested
For the demo, Julian creates a gym brand called Julian’s Gym. He selects a Business website type and dictates a prompt describing the business:
- the gym is called Julian’s Gym
- it offers bodybuilding, yoga, and spinning classes
- it should also include an online shop
- the shop should sell merchandise and protein powder
He also notes that it helps to give the AI more text to work with rather than a very short prompt.
How the AI performed in his test
Julian says the initial website generation took less than 30 seconds. The result included a complete starter site with:
- a homepage hero section
- a headline for the gym
- selected images
- sections for classes and the online shop
- a gallery
- a footer with social icons, address, and newsletter signup
- multiple pages
- a mobile-optimized version
That is a strong starting point for beginners because you are not starting from a blank canvas.
What the AI generated well in the demo
| Area tested | What happened in Julian’s demo |
|---|---|
| Initial prompt | Hostinger generated a full gym website from a spoken description |
| Speed | He says the first version took less than 30 seconds |
| Layout | The site included homepage sections, extra pages, gallery, and footer |
| Mobile view | He says the website was already mobile optimized |
| Flexibility | If you dislike the result, you can rerun the AI with a better prompt |
3) Set global styles before editing individual sections
Once the AI draft is ready, Julian clicks Edit Site and enters the drag-and-drop editor. Before changing text, he recommends looking at the global design settings first.
This area lets you adjust:
- colors
- fonts
- button styles
- site animations
That is important because it updates design choices across the whole site instead of forcing you to edit every button or heading one by one.
Tips he gives in this step
Julian explains that you can paste in a hex color code if you already have brand colors. If you do not, he suggests sticking with the template color if it already fits the business.
He says the default slide animation is already good, and his overall advice here is practical: set these sitewide styles first so you do not keep redoing the same design changes later.
4) Edit the homepage content
The core editing flow is simple. You click into a heading, paragraph, image, or button and update it directly.
In the tutorial, Julian shortens the hero heading and shows how to resize text if it no longer fits well. He also demonstrates moving content blocks around with drag and drop.
Buttons and links
One especially useful part of the tutorial is the button setup. He shows that a button can link to:
- another page on the site
- a specific section on the site
- an external web address
- an email address
- a phone number
He also points out the option to open a link in a new tab.
Background images and media
For section backgrounds, Hostinger lets you use:
- your own uploaded image
- free stock images from Unsplash
- a video background
- a plain color background
In the gym example, Julian prefers keeping the original image with a real person because he feels real people are more engaging and relatable on a website.
5) Add elements, sections, and pages
Hostinger’s builder is not limited to editing what the AI gives you. Julian shows how to add more content manually.
Elements you can add inside a section
From the Add Element panel, he shows options such as:
- text
- buttons
- images
- galleries
- YouTube videos
- Instagram feed
- contact form
- subscribe form
- social icons
In the class cards section, he adds clearer call-to-action buttons like Learn more and Shop now.
Adding a whole new section with AI
Julian also tests Hostinger’s AI section generator. His prompt is essentially for a section where people can contact him and get directions from Google Maps.
The result is useful but imperfect: Hostinger generates a contact-style section and adds the map, but does not add the contact form he wanted. He then manually inserts the form himself.
That is one of the most useful findings from the video: AI sections can save time, but you should still expect some cleanup.
Generating images with AI: good for objects, weaker for people
Julian tests Hostinger’s AI image generation in two ways:
- People doing yoga in a gym
- Weights at the gym
His conclusion is clear. The people image looks usable at first glance, but facial details are weak. The weights image looks more convincing. In other words, based on this test, AI-generated visuals seem stronger for objects and product-style imagery than for close human subjects.
| Feature tested | Strength | Limitation shown in the video |
|---|---|---|
| AI page generation | Fast starting point | Pages still need editing and section cleanup |
| AI section generation | Can create useful structure | Did not fully match the requested contact form setup |
| AI image generation | Better results for objects like gym weights | Human faces looked unrealistic |
| Drag-and-drop editor | Easy to move blocks and resize sections | You still need to review alignment and spacing |
Adding more pages
The AI-generated site already included extra pages such as a classes page and a contact page. Julian then creates another page with AI using a prompt for a yoga classes page where visitors should be able to book their next class.
Hostinger generates a page with:
- a yoga class heading
- images
- a booking-style button
- customer reviews
- a contact field
- directions
He then explains that you can delete sections you do not need and move the remaining ones up or down.
If you want a broader look at AI-assisted site changes, this guide on redesigning your website with AI is also helpful.
6) Set up the store itself
The second half of the video moves from website design into actual eCommerce setup. The chapter list shows these store tasks:
- add the first product
- set product variations and sizes
- add product categories
- review shop analytics
- open store settings
- set up payments with PayPal and Stripe
- configure shipping settings
- set VAT taxes
- edit product pages
- add a best seller section to the homepage
- make a test purchase
Because the transcript excerpt provided here focuses mainly on the site-building portion, it is best not to overstate store features beyond those clearly shown in the chapter titles. Still, this gives you a solid checklist for finishing your shop before launch.
Practical launch checklist
Before publishing your Hostinger store, make sure you have:
- Added at least one product
- Configured any needed sizes or variants
- Grouped products into categories
- Connected PayPal or Stripe
- Reviewed shipping rules
- Entered VAT or other tax settings where required
- Checked your product page layout
- Run a test purchase
If you want to compare this workflow with another beginner-friendly platform, see this guide on creating a Wix eCommerce website.
7) Check navigation, SEO settings, and mobile view
The video chapters also show a few final housekeeping steps before launch:
- editing the website menu/navigation
- entering SEO metadata for Google
- reviewing the mobile version
- publishing the website
This part is easy to overlook, but it matters. Even if the AI gives you a strong first draft, you still need clear page names, sensible navigation, and a clean mobile layout.
Is Hostinger a good choice for building an online store?
Based on Julian’s test, Hostinger looks strongest for people who want to launch quickly without using WordPress or custom code.
Best things shown in the video
- Very fast AI website generation
- Good-looking starter layout in under 30 seconds
- Mobile-ready output from the start
- Useful global design controls
- Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editing
- Store workflow includes PayPal, Stripe, shipping, taxes, and test purchase steps
Limitations to keep in mind
- AI-generated sections may not fully match the prompt
- AI images of people can still look artificial
- You will still need to edit copy, structure, and spacing
- Longer-term plans require more commitment
Final recommendation
If you want the fastest route to a simple branded online store, Hostinger’s builder looks genuinely compelling. The strongest part of Julian’s test is how quickly the AI creates a usable starting point, while the main caveat is that you should still expect to refine the layout, swap weaker AI visuals, and carefully configure store settings before launch.
For beginners who want an all-in-one builder rather than a WordPress setup, this is a solid option. If that sounds like the right fit, you can get the best deal on Hostinger here and apply the code JULIANWEBER at checkout.
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