WordPress WooCommerce or Shopify for e-commerce?
This is a common question we get all time the at Mr Pigeon. The CMS on which you build your website will be the foundation of your online business. It is important to make the correct decision from the beginning. Make the wrong choice and you may soon find that you are held back by the limitations of the platform.
The key differences between Shopify and WordPress
The fundamental difference between WordPress and Shopify is that WordPress is stand-alone software that you install yourself, whereas Shopify is an online service that you sign up and access via their portal.
WordPress offers a lot more flexibility when it comes to building robust, full featured online stores and websites and can cater for the long-term growth of a business. However, It requires some development knowledge to get started so it can be the more costly option if you aren’t building the website yourself.
Shopify is wonderful for very simple websites with basic products that have limited options. It is very easy to setup and can be operated without the need for a developer. If you are selling more complex products and services or require more advanced back-end functionality you may quickly grow out of Shopify.
Reasons to use Shopify
- You want to get a simple store up and running quickly on a budget
- You have no design, coding or website building skills and you don’t want to hire a developer
- You don’t have complex products, services or the need for third party integrations
- You don’t plan to use any advanced SEO techniques
Reasons to use WordPress
- You want a full featured and flexible Ecommerce solution
- You have web development and hosting knowledge or you are prepared to hire a developer
- You want to add a store to an existing WordPress site
- Your products are unique in or you have complex rules for purchasing
- You are selling subscription services, bookable services, online courses etc
- You have specific design or functionality requirements