Ecommerce is on the rise. It is a huge number of people who are starting an eCommerce business.
Shopify is the most prominent platform taking advantage of this huge industry. Is the hype true? Shopify: Is it worth the effort?
Shopify is definitely worth the investment. It is one of most advanced and powerful eCommerce platforms available. Shopify has all the features you would expect from an eCommerce platform. It is unique because it offers all of these features at a very affordable price. This makes it appealing to many entrepreneurs.
Continue reading to learn why Shopify is so great and why Shopify should be used.
Six Reasons Shopify is Worth It
Ask any eCommerce entrepreneur about the platform they use to manage their online store. Shopify is the most popular platform that eCommerce entrepreneurs use. That alone speaks volumes about how great it is.
These are just 6 reasons Shopify is so popular:
1. It’s easy to use
Shopify’s greatest asset is its ease-of-use. It is easy to navigate and learn about Shopify for beginners.
It is all laid out so well, you won’t be lost.
2. Online store builder
Shopify’s site builder is outstanding and stands out among the rest. It is easy to use, quick and can create a stunning store in minutes.
These can be divided into blocks, and placed anywhere on the page.
You can add Custom HTML, Featured products and galleries to your store. This is how the Store Builder looks like:
3. Clean, professional themes
Shopify has hundreds of themes. Many of them were created by third-party businesses and many of them look great.
It’s better to choose a theme that is unique and professional in order to stand out from your competition.
Shopify offers a variety of free themes. Make sure to completely redesign it to make it stand out from the other thousands of online shops.
Debutify was very good in design and features. If you are interested in using it for your online shop, do not hesitate to check it out.
4. Reporting Tools and Analytics
Shopify offers the most advanced analytics tools. It is simple and professional, and shows almost all the information you need about your store.
Advanced reporting is available only on the higher plans. However, it’s not necessary and you can use the reporting tool included with the basic plan.
Their real-time dashboard looks amazing and is immersive. This kind of reporting is not available on other platforms.
You must have seen the dashboard and analytics, as there are many “Gurus” who are making huge profits with this.
5. Shopify Apps
More than 6000 apps are available on the Shopify App Store currently. These apps enhance Shopify’s functionality.
There will be an app for everything, whether it’s an app to help you with your email marketing, reviews, fulfillment, or any other purpose.
There is one problem: many of these apps can be expensive, so if you have a lot of them, it will add up. There are many free alternatives to many of these apps, just like every other app.
6. Multi-platform selling
Shopify makes it easy to sell products on multiple platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and other websites.
Your online store could be integrated with Facebook Shop. You can also link products to your Instagram page.
Two Reasons I Hate Shopify
1. Pricing for Paid Themes
Shopify themes are quite expensive. Prices range from $80 to $350 for each theme.
I would recommend that you start with a free theme, and then buy a new one as your store grows.
Get started with Debutify. You don’t need to upgrade to get the additional features. It is a free theme.
2. Advanced plans are more expensive
Shopify’s basic plan starts at $29/month, which is very affordable and competitive. They also offer 2 additional plans at $79/month or $299/month.
If you have a large business and multiple people running it, these plans will not be of any use. If you do not scale your business with many people managing it, the basic plan will suffice.
Shopify Alternatives
Woocommerce
Shopify is not the only option. WooCommerce is the best alternative.
WooCommerce is open-source software and is free. You will need to purchase a hosting plan with any provider. Bluehost and EasyWP are my top choices.
It is also very affordable to begin. To get started, you will need only $3-$4. This is quite a difference to Shopify’s $29/month.
However, I found Woocommerce less appealing in terms of design and usability. The Woocommerce interface will be more difficult to use for the majority of users.
These themes also look less appealing when compared to the many Shopify themes.
Woocommerce can be a great solution for anyone who is looking to open an online shop with low risk and limited funds.
Wix
Wix can be used for eCommerce. It is not something I would recommend. It is slow and confusing.
The online store builder is very flexible, which I love. Drag and drop elements from any page. It is the most flexible website builder I have ever seen.
However, it has its limitations. The site is slow. The site is slow, no matter how you organize it.
Wix’s eCommerce plan is a little expensive so you might be better off choosing Shopify.
Ecwid
Ecwid has a great platform. I strongly believe they will be a major platform to compete with Shopify in years to come.
Although they offer a free plan, it is limited. This free plan doesn’t allow you to link custom domains to your store.
The paid plans start from $15/month, which is very competitive and you can test it if necessary.
Although there are many apps that can extend functionality, they don’t offer as many as Shopify.
Shopify: Is it really worth it?
Shopify can be a great choice. There are few other platforms with such amazing features and functionalities that cost $29 like Shopify. Woocommerce is Shopify’s closest competitor.
You can sign up for the free 14-day trial if you’re still unsure whether Shopify is right for you. You can test the features to see if they suit your eCommerce company.
If you don’t have the budget for $29/month, I recommend you start with Woocommerce by purchasing a hosting plan from Bluehost and EasyWP.
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