Could your business benefit from having an online store? With more and more people shopping online every year, now is the time to take the leap and create your own eCommerce website. Setting up your online store might seem like too large a task, however, this blog will cover the two main eCommerce platforms in 2021, WooCommerce and Shopify.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce plugin that has been built specifically for WordPress. It utilizes the design capabilities of WordPress to help you fully customize your online store. 99% of stores built on WordPress utilize the WooCommerce plugin, showing how useful it is when used on WordPress.
WooCommerce makes it easy for online retailers to sell their products and services to their customers. It allows retailers to take secure payments and manage store inventory easily.
| WooCommerce Pros | WooCommerce Cons |
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Limitless customisation – as this is an open-source platform, users can use code and plugins to customise to their hearts content. |
Not beginner friendly – unless you have some knowledge in coding, you may struggle to build and customise the online store to your liking. |
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Scalable – Due to its massive flexibility, WooCommerce allows users to easily achieve their ecommerce dreams |
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Excellent value for money – WooCommerce is free to install. Most of the plugins are reasonably priced. This helps users add better functionality at a lower cost. |
Shopify
Unlike WooCommerce, Shopify is not a plugin, it is an all-in-one eCommerce platform. Like WooCommerce it makes it easy for retailers to accept secure payments from customers and manage store inventory.
Even though Shopify does not allow for the same levels of customization as WooCommerce, it handles the technical side of running an online store better.
| Shopify Pros | Shopify Cons |
| Hosted Software – Shopify includes hosting and security, plus you don’t need to use any code to build a brilliant online store | Transaction fees – Shopify is the only platform to enforce its own transaction fee, unless you use its own gateway, Shopify Payments |
| 24/7 Support – If any problems arise you can use the 24/7 support to keep your customers and sales figures happy | Costly Apps – It can be easy to build up an expensive yearly bill for your apps |
| Multichannel integration – A built in feature on Shopify allows you to sell on channels such as Amazon, Facebook, eBay and Pinterest. |
Summary
Overall, both eCommerce solutions aim to offer the same result to clients. Both options have their individual pros and cons but both WooCommerce and Shopify can comfortably create a functional and well-designed online store.
Why should your business have an online store?
In the digital age, there are many reasons for a retailer to acquire an online store. An eCommerce store can help you grow your businesses brand, it can also help find new customers as well as providing current customers with an easier way to purchase from your business.
In 2020 over 80% of consumers across the globe shopped online. So why don’t you get your business ahead of the competition and create an online store.
What can we do for you?
The good news for your business? Here at Catchfish Online, we use both WooCommerce and Shopify to create online stores for our clients. This means you don’t have to worry about building the eCommerce on your own.
We can create your business an eCommerce website that is designed with your branding in mind. Together with your specifications and our design and development skills we can create an online store that can serve you and your customers well. Contact us today to get started on your eCommerce website!
