WordPress vs Shopify: Which One to Choose in 2024?
WordPress and Shopify offer content management systems and e-commerce platforms, so many small business owners can find themselves choosing one over the other. Before selecting the right platform to pursue in 2024 and beyond, some essential distinctions between WordPress and Shopify must be considered.
Ease of Use
From the usability viewpoint, Shopify provides a more straightforward and more convenient interface and installation. Shopify is an excellent option for anyone who wants to get their e-commerce store online as soon as possible. It is well suited for e-commerce as it comes with functions such as creating a store, adding products, and processing orders and payments. This makes Shopify a good “out of the box” solution.
WordPress can provide more customization and flexibility, but creating an online store is not as easy as in Shopify. You must select a hosting service, set up WordPress, decide on the theme, and enable the e-commerce plugins. WordPress, in particular, allows you to extensively tweak the look and function of both the client and the admin side of your site. However, starting with WordPress involves a more technical approach than with Shopify.
Costs and Transaction Fees
Analyzing the costs of the platforms, it is essential to note that Shopify and WordPress have different approaches to pricing. Shopify requires you to pay a monthly fee based on the plan you wish to use for your business. This includes the provision of the platform for the event, security measures that will have been put in place, and help that the event will require. Commissions are also taken for each transaction made through various orders. However, the program is not so inexpensive as your business evolves because of the monthly and transaction fees.
WordPress is open-source software that can be used for free after being downloaded from the internet. However, you need hosting and will likely need premium themes and plugins. Transaction fees vary and, in some cases, can be optional or lower than Shopify, depending on your payment gateway. This makes it easier to control the costs of running the store as your business expands and, thus, increases the profitability of the company. The good thing about WordPress is that you can easily manage your expenses since it is a very flexible platform.
E-commerce Functionality
Since Shopify is an e-commerce platform, it simplifies the management of some essential store operations. Tools such as cart flows, one-page checkouts, and multiple payment options are already integrated into Shopify. However, the degree of customization that can be done out of the box is not very broad.
WordPress, however, provides as much flexibility as you want if the proper development tools are in your hands. WordPress also features compatibility with almost any external service as well. However, you need the technical skills to create and host the e-commerce elements on themes and plugins and through hiring developers.
SEO Capabilities
WordPress has better SEO features than Shopify. WordPress provides complete control over the site’s code, which means you can benefit from the optimization. It is also interesting to note that, currently, there are numerous SEO plugins available to improve the WordPress site. It is worth mentioning, however, that Shopify sites can also be optimized. Still, they have fewer built-in SEO options than WordPress.
Scalability and Growth
Shopify can handle large volumes of traffic and can easily accommodate high sales. It’s imperative to note, however, that costs also rise with the growth of your store. The subscription model may not be sustainable for larger stores, as it may lead to increased costs in the long run. Shopify also restricts the staff account permitted within the store depending on the pricing level.
The part of the WordPress platform that makes it especially popular is that there are no strict limits to the number of visitors and products. WordPress can power enormous online stores and other enterprise-level web resources. There is more control over scaling the hosting or other resources more efficiently. This makes WordPress very versatile and economical as a business expands to meet the demands of its customers.
Design and Customization
Shopify has a selection of professional-looking templates that do not require any further customization to look good. However, they allow much less design customization if you cannot edit the theme code. Some of the Shopify themes use their own language, known as Liquid, in the development of their themes. The number of editing options is limited compared to WordPress.
WordPress offers thousands of themes, including many free and paid versions. Themes incorporate primary web programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and PHP in a way that can be easily modified. But if you want your site to be uniquely designed, you can always have a WordPress theme designed to suit your needs.
Choosing the Best Platform
Deciding whether Shopify or WordPress is better for 2024 and in the near future depends on the specific requirements of your e-commerce site and your knowledge of coding. While it is true that the customization might be limited for some users, for many others, Shopify is simply an easier way to begin. The simple design and integrated features help to facilitate starting an online business. However, growth can be costly, and customization becomes restrained.
WordPress offers more flexibility and control to advanced users. Design and functionality can be easily altered to incorporate many different specifications. You can create an enterprise-level store customized to your requirements. However, WordPress is more technical regarding installation and administration than Shopify. Understanding these key differences can enable small business owners to identify the platform of their choice in 2024, 2025, and beyond, depending on their needs and the capability of their online store.
Bill Yeager, Co-Owner of High Point SEO & Marketing in CT
