What’s Better WordPress or Shopify?

We like WordPress. All of the websites we create or help people to create are WordPress websites. But even so sometimes when someone asks us the question, “What’s better WordPress or Shopify?” we say, “In your case, Shopify”.

Now you may wonder why we would say this, surely we want to get that person’s business? But we don’t. We want to help the people we know we can help well but if we can see that we wouldn’t provide the best solution for someone then we tell them.

So, when is it better to use Shopify over WordPress?

If you are creating a website that’s purely ecommerce, selling products then Shopify is probably your best choice. Especially if you have a large number of products, need to link to a fulfilment centre or there are variations to a product for your customer to choose from. Shopify is designed specifically for this type of business and so it makes perfect sense to use it.

You will also often find web developers and designers who specialise in using Shopify and they tend to also have more of an insight into what works on an ecommerce website in terms of design and user experience to make more sales through your website. So, if your business focus is purely on making these sales then that’s a great level of extra insight and support to have.

When does WordPress work for ecommerce?

If you have a business that has an ecommerce element to it where you are selling a few simple products which complement your services that you want to showcase on your website or maybe you have a blog and you also want people to be able to take other actions such as booking in calls with you, then this is where WordPress works.

WordPress is great for the all round website that needs to be able to grow and adapt to changes in your business. There are a number of plugins you can use to add an ecommerce element such as WooCommerce and SureCart, both of which we use.

Take time choosing your website platform

Whatever kind of website you are creating we always advise that you write a full shopping list of all the functionality and design elements you need or want on your website as well as considering the level of support you think you will require when creating it and on an ongoing basis. It’s also important to have an idea of the budget you have for your website.

Then using all of this you can do your research on the website creation methods and choose the one that’s right for you.

Our book, The Website Handbook is a great little sidekick in helping you through the website planning process to ensure the shopping list you create is accurate and will help you even once your website is live.