How to Choose The Right eCommerce Platform For Your Business (Wix vs WooCommerce vs Shopify)
You’ve decided to take the leap and open an eCommerce store, but you feel overwhelmed with all the available options.
Whether you’re a retail or wholesale store that needs to quickly pivot their sales to an online platform or an in-person product seller who typically does tradeshows and events but now needs to start shipping products, I’m going to break it down for you! Keep reading for the pros and cons of 3 major eCommerce platforms so you can get right down to business.
The Contestants:
Wix
WooCommerce
Shopify
I chose these 3 platforms as they are the ones I hear most about from my coaching clients.
Below, I’ve outlined the pros and cons of each platform and given you my expert opinion on which one I think is suitable for your eCommerce needs.
Wix
Wix is a website builder that happens to have an eCommerce component.
Pros:
Great for true beginners selling simple products
Tons of amazing free themes
On page support
Pricing starts at $5/m for the basic no-frills website to $25/m for their VIP eCommerce store
Cons:
It’s super basic
Support comes with top tier levels
Lacks scalable marketing integrations
Wix is the right eCommerce platform for you if: You’re looking for a website builder that can help you to get started in a hurry and not looking to scale your business.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a customizable, open-source eCommerce platform built on WordPress.
So in order to use WooCommerce, you have to have a WordPress website.
Pros:
Offers complete customization and control over your website
Themes and plugins are endless
The actual WooCommerce plugin is free
Cons:
It has a HUGE learning curve
Everything you need to run an eCommerce store requires a plug-in. This includes shipping, marketing, and inventory management.
It’s self-hosted, meaning, you have to handle all the technical stuff to make sure your site is safe and up to date.
WooCommerce is the right eCommerce platform for you if: You already have a WordPress website and you want more control over your store.
Shopify
Shopify is built for the eCommerce business. It’s an all-in-one solution that offers you everything you need to run an eCommerce business.
Pros:
Super easy to use if you consider yourself tech-savvy (And by tech-savvy, I mean if you use Canva or Gmail, you can use this)
Sell from one website, one set of inventory to multiple sales channels including Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and more
24/7, 365 tech support on all plans in all forms, chat, phone, Twitter.
Start with their $29 plans and scale all the way to FashionNova levels - yup, that’s Shopify.
Cons:
The add-on apps add up and can become costly
You don’t have complete control over the platform but this might be a good thing. Less stuff to mess up.
There’s still a learning curve, but if you consider yourself tech-savvy, it’d be in your best interest to learn. If not, there are thousands of Shopify experts you can hire to help you.
Shopify is the right eCommerce platform for you if: You want an all-in-one package for your eCommerce store that gets you up and running quickly with lots of great features and apps.
Let’s recap the pros and cons of the 3 eCommerce platforms
Wix - good if you want to get a basic website up and running quickly. Not so great if you want to scale your eCommerce business.
WooCommerce - good if you have a WordPress website and need to add eCommerce. You’ll also have more control over the website, but you’ll need to be really tech-savvy to do this.
Shopify - If you want to get up and running quickly, with the latest technology and tools built in to help you grow your business.
It doesn't matter if you have a brick-and-mortar store or are just starting out a brand new eCommerce store, Shopify could be the ideal choice for you.
I built the 1st version of my 7 figure eCommerce brand KinkyCurlyYaki on the Big Cartel platform in 2012. I switched platforms because it wasn’t robust enough. Then I built the 2nd version on Shopify back in 2015, then redesigned it again in 2018 to the current version you see now. I wish I had started out on Shopify.
The reason why I created Mind Your Business is to teach you all the things that I wish I had known or someone had shown me when I started my eCommerce business back in 2012. I'm a huge believer in learning from people who have rolled up their sleeves, have done the work, and have the receipts so that’s why I launched Shopify Prep School.
If you have a physical product that you want to sell online but feel overwhelmed by Shopify I’m here to help you. By the end of my signature Shopify course, you’ll have the essentials set up and you'll be ready to go live and start making money online. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, CLICK HERE to learn more and enroll now!