In this article, we’ll explore the topic of Shopify vs. WooCommerce and which is the best e-commerce platform. Although WordPress powers millions of websites, and is the most popular website building platform, it is not the most popular solution in the e-commerce space. Although WooCommerce is a very flexible e-commerce solution, it is not perfect and it is not a blanket solution for all individuals and businesses.
Why is Shopify Popular?
Shopify is popular because it makes it very easy for business owners to launch online stores. It has a very streamlined process which makes it easy to create an e-commerce site in just a few hours. Shopify makes everything easy, including calculating taxes and shipping, so you can focus on advertising and selling your products.
Shopify has a wide range of professionally designed templates available for purchase (note: they templates usually cost a few hundred dollars, although free ones are available.) Because Shopify uses templates, making extensive changes to design and layout of the website isn’t always easy.
Shopify has very fast page loading times, which is important for user experience and ultimately SEO. In this regard, you don’t have to worry about scoring high on Google PageSpeed Insights, or finding a hosting company that is fast and reliable.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Shopify became very popular because many started online side businesses.
Why is WooCommerce Popular?
WooCommerce is popular because of the popularity of WordPress. WooCommerce is developed by Automattic, who also brought us WordPress.com, JetPack, Akismet and much more. Although installing WooCommerce is a more difficult than Shopify, you’ll have much more control over your website’s design (eg. with the use of a visual builder like Elementor).
Although not everything will work out of the box and you’ll have to manually setup your shipping rules, tax settings, and (unfortunately) much more, you can accomplish more with WooCommerce with the right plugins (Note that you might have to pay extra).
Unlike Shopify, WooCommerce doesn’t hold your hand and many business owners end up hiring a freelancer or a website design company to help with the project.
Thinking about adding a booking system to your website? There are several options that integrate directly with WooCommerce. Take a look at our article about the subject.
Which One is Right For Me?
Unfortunately there is no clear answer to this question, it just depends on your needs. If you’re looking for a highly optimized website with a unique design, then WordPress and WooCommerce are the right choices. However, if you’re looking to quickly get an E-commerce site up and running quickly, then Shopify is definitely your best bet.
Want to discuss further? Email us at support@primarydm.com.
