Sarah Elizabeth
Choosing the right third-party platform for your ecommerce store is critical. Although there’s a world of options out there, WooCommerce and Shopify are consistently top choices. Each has its selling points and drawbacks, to be sure … but which is better suited for an established, fast-growing business like yours?
It’s an important question, because your needs are very different from those of both small startups and enterprise-level organizations. We’ve carefully analyzed the WooCommerce vs. Shopify debate from a midsized business perspective, and we believe your decision will come down to three issues: ease of setup, service, and cost.
Here’s how the two platforms compare.
Ease of Setup
WooCommerce gives users complete control over the look and feel of every aspect of their ecommerce store. From functionality to data to thousands of different design decisions, WooCommerce truly allows users to build their stores from the ground up. This can be advantageous for large, enterprise-level businesses who typically have complex needs – as well as access to the in-house resources needed to build a customized, unique solution.
On the other hand, that need to micromanage every last detail is often the exact thing Shopify users are trying to avoid. It’s not that these businesses care any less about the look and feel of their stores, but they prefer a plug-and-play solution they can quickly set up so they can quickly start making money.
For a fast-growing, midsized business with plenty of other plates spinning and never enough resources, that type of pressure release can be invaluable.
Advantage: Shopify
Service
WooCommerce comes with somewhat limited support. Users get an assist in building their ecommerce store, but not necessarily a top-line, fully supported solution. For many startups, this isn’t a problem, since their online stores are often fairly simple affairs that don’t require complex insights
Medium-sized businesses, however, may appreciate a more fully supported partnership. When something goes wrong or something needs an upgrade, these businesses need quick and easy access to a person who can make it happen. Growth is a factor as well. Eventually, these businesses will surpass their need for a barebones online storefront and will need to move up a weight class or two in terms of mobility, speed, payment options and so forth.
Advantage: Shopify
Cost
Regardless of business size, free is always better than fee. Between WooCommer and Shopify, WooCommerce is far closer to free than Shopify (although it’s not completely free). It would appear this would give WooCommerce a distinct advantage.
But there’s more to “cost” than simply dollars and cents. Certainly, there will be a cash expense when purchasing Shopify. But there’s an opportunity cost as well – the considerable time and resources required to build an ecommerce storefront on WooCommerce, which isn’t an issue with Shopify. While a startup may have more time than cash and may therefore lean toward WooCommerce, an already successful midsized business may prefer to spend a little more to get a solution that can be implemented quickly.
Advantage: Shopify
The Verdict
In the battle of WooCommerce v. Shopify, it’s apparent the question isn’t as straightforward as “which platform is better?” Instead, the right question is, “which platform is a better choice for my business?” And when it comes to fast-growing, medium-sized businesses, Shopify emerges as the clear winner.
Regardless of the ecommerce platform you choose, it’s important to keep it safe. Clearsale easily integrates with both solutions to protect your profits, so you can optimize your sales. Contact us today to learn more!
