This article covers WooCommerce and Shopify, the two top e-commerce platforms used and loved by many global and small e-commerce businesses. If you’re in a hurry, click here to take the infographic quiz and find out which on would be best for your business needs.
Did you know that the number of digital buyers around the globe increased to 2.14 billion in 2021? Even more amazing, it is reported that retail e-commerce sales in the U.S will reach $1.06 in 2022. Wow!
It is safe to say that the e-commerce business is thriving, and there’s no better time to begin than today. So, if you’re currently planning to start an e-commerce business, or planning to expand your offline business, check out this article to find out what e-commerce platforms you could utilize.
What Are the Two Top E-Commerce Platforms?
According to Built With, WooCommerce and Shopify are the two leading e-commerce platforms in today’s digital market.
WooCommerce is leading with 29%. Shopify follows second with 20%. In the third spot is Magento with 8%. And the rest 44% belongs to other platforms.
Let’s focus on the top two platforms for now — which happen to be our favorites, too!
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Take our short quiz to see which platform suits your needs!
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns your WordPress into an e-commerce site. It works on WordPress and on WordPress only. Despite its dependency, WooCommerce is favored by over 3 million websites globally because it offers many advantages. Some of them are:
Infinite Customization Options
Theme customization is effortless, even for non-tech people. Although, if you do prefer to get an expert’s help, our Nerd Team can definitely help you.
More than 3K Plugins Available
Whether it’s a payment gateway, checkout system, analytics, or even customer surveys like NPS, there’s always a plugin for everything your e-commerce store needs.
WooCommerce Offers Shipping & Tax Calculator
This helps your shipping process, and your customers can check the tax before making a purchase. You can download WooCommerce tax and shipping plugin for free.
However, WooCommerce does have some disadvantages, such as:
- WooCommerce doesn’t work without WordPress
- It needs regular site maintenance
- Many of the plugins require annual subscriptions
The Pros and Cons of Using Shopify for Your E-Commerce Store
Did you know that more than 120,000 e-commerce stores in the world use Shopify? The number isn’t surprising at all, though, since Shopify offers many advantages, such as:
Effortless Setup
Shopify offers themes, website builders, and store builders, with over 1,200 apps or add-ons available. The admin dashboard is very user-friendly, you won’t have a problem going through it.
Built with Its Own CMS
Server and hosting are provided by Shopify. This means that you don’t need to worry about maintenance, updates, and other tech-related stuff.
Shopify Provides SEO & Marketing Tools
Shopify e-commerce stores come with built-in SEO features, and you can also use paid tools like Yoast and SEOMetriks. Utilize these tools to optimize your content and rank higher on Google search.
Now, there are some disadvantages of using Shopify for your e-commerce business, such as:
- It’s hosted by Shopify, so expect less flexibility
- Customization can be too advanced for non-developers. You can talk to our team if you need help with this.
- Shopify doesn’t provide email hosting
WooCommerce and Shopify: Which One Is Better?
At the end of the day, it all goes back to your preference, resources, and budget. Take our short quiz below to help you weigh the options!
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