As a business owner you are likely experts in your field, you know how to sell your product and who to sell it too, however chances are you aren't clued up when it comes to using online commerce platforms. There are plenty of e-commerce platforms out there, but which one is right for you? Firstly you should always go for the technology that will make running your business easier, not harder. Choosing the wrong platfrom for your online store can result in a LOT of time troubleshooting software, time you could be spending on higher-impact activities for your business.
That’s why at SPF we encourage clients to turn to the robust, turn-key platform provided by Shopify instead of stitching together similar functionality through plugins and third-party services with WooCommerce. Shopify features built-in hosting, analytics, marketing features, shipping services, live 24/7 support, and a carefully curated app store. Shopify is made for entrepreneurs who want to build and sell, not manage an ever-growing list of tools.
Usability:
WooCommerce appears familiar because many people know WordPress. But it’s an add-on to a platform that’s a native content management system (CMS). A CMS has different requirements than an ecommerce site, so while Shopify was built as a dedicated online store builder, WordPress’s came as an afterthought. Plugins sound good, but they don’t always play nice with your site. It’s easy to accidentally break something and not always as easy to fix it. This high learning curve makes it an intimidating platform for even the savviest online entrepreneur.
Shopify is one of the easiest and most intuitive ecommerce platforms out there. You can choose from loads of ready-made themes, allowing you to find something to match your every need. At SPF we can take a theme and tailour it to match your branding, work the way you want and when it's finished we can teach you the ins and outs, setting you on the road for success. Another massive benefit to shopify is that their themes are mobile-responsive so you don't have to worry about adding extra code to your site to make it play nice on mobiles.
Support:
WooCommerce customer support isn’t readily available to troubleshoot issues or guide you along the way. You’re likely better off hiring SPF to smooth things out for you but this may wear thin after a while when you are craving autonomy. Aong with a 24/7 support service, Shopify Support Advisors also offer advice and guidance to any independent business that needs it, beyond the tech stuff. This means once you are up and running, help is only a click away. This is vital in giving you the self confidence, knowing your store will always be functioning at it's best.
Streamlined Checkouts:
Many people report having trouble getting all of these different payment systems up and running on WooCommerce. If you are a business that wants to offer multiple payment options, including Apple Pay and Google Pay this can be a struggle to configure on a WooCommerce website. One of the fastest and highest-converting native checkout experiences on the internet, Shop Pay makes it easy for customers to check out with saved payment and shipping information. And it’s more widely used than you might think. In fact, more than 20% of your customers are already set up with Shop Pay. Shopify Checkout is also optimized for other accelerated options, as well as for customers shopping on their mobile device. It can also accommodate subscription-based selling, digital wallets, and multi-currency.
Losing sales to a slow website:
A WooCommerce site can quickly become overloaded with plugins, scripts, code, and more. WooCommerce itself is a WordPress plugin, so it inherently slows down your site the second you install and activate it. Shopify, on the other hand, is a native ecommerce site builder—no extra plugins or downloads necessary.
Shopify uses a content delivery network (CDN) and is constantly working on ways to improve speed for all of their merchants. That means you can spend less time worrying about speed and more on building and growing your business. While any site can take advantage of the improved speed offered by a CDN, it’s an enhancement that is pre-built into Shopify to speed up your site, save you time, and take one more technical task off of your to-do list. You can spot-check your Shopify site speed at any time in the admin.
Eliminate complex website hosting:
When you have a site, you essentially have to store its information on a server, so it’s accessible on the web. This storage and access are essentially what we call hosting. Every website is hosted somewhere, meaning it has dedicated server space with a provider.
WooCommerce sites are non-hosted. They’re built on WordPress, which doesn’t host your domain. Instead, your domain is hosted via a third-party. Or you can host the domain yourself. This makes ongoing website maintenance unnecessarily complex—not to mention the convoluted process of changing hosts. Non-hosted WooCommerce sites can quickly become not only cumbersome but also costly. Website hosting services cost money, eating into your margins.
Shopify offers a hosted platform, so you don’t need to worry about the mess of self- or third-party hosting and additional fees. Website hosting is included in every Shopify plan. And there’s no preferential treatment. Everyone gets the same benefit from thier infrastructure—fast hosting without throttling or charges for extra traffic.
Shopify vs. WooCommerce at a glance
WooCommerce
- Ease of use. More cumbersome setup and management; requires a WordPress website first and then the WooCommerce plugin.
- Features and customizability. Completely customizable themes; requires plugins and apps for most things beyond that.
- Apps and integrations. Thousands of free and paid apps that require lots of updates.
Shopify
- Ease of use. Simple and intuitive interface that requires minimal technical skill.
- Features and customizability. Includes an entire ecosystem of business tools for online and in-person selling, such as shipping, fulfillment, local delivery, online payments, and more.
- Apps and integrations. Thousands of free and paid native and third-party apps to run every aspect of your business.