E-commerce is all the rage nowadays. Every business, both small and larger corporations, is turning to online platforms to host their products and services. With various platforms on the market, Shopify seems to always make the top 5 e-commerce platforms available… and for several reasons.
Shopify is an online commerce platform that allows users to sell products and services to consumers directly. Shopify is a great tool for small businesses who are looking to expand their reach of current customers and clientele, while keeping tabs on how the business is doing with inventory, financially, and overall demand. Since Shopify is completed cloud-based, you can access it from any compatible & connected device. They take care of maintenance (including server upgrades), which allows you to run your business from anywhere with WiFi.
Shopify is almost a one-stop shop for both small and large businesses. According to Shopify, “merchants can build and customize an online store and sell in multiple places, including web, mobile, in-person, brick-and-mortar locations, and pop-up shops and across multiple channels from social media to online marketplaces.” (source)
Offering business owners the opportunity to conduct their business all in one place online makes Shopify one of the leading e-commerce platforms of the past few years. With its user-friendly interface and easy-to-set-up platform, even those without technical expertise can quickly grasp the basics. Shopify also offers a wide range of customizable templates and design options for all the creatives, allowing businesses to create a unique online store. Shopify offers a large app store with a variety of plugins and add-ons that can help businesses with tasks such as marketing, shipping, accounting, and much more.
With online shopping becoming the new normal for many consumers, the demand for e-commerce platforms is at an all-time high. Considering all the available platforms, how do you know which is the best? Here’s a list of the 10 leading e-commerce platforms and how they hold up to Shopify:
| Ecommerce Platform | Pros | Cons | Cost |
| Shopify | – free 14-day trial
– easy to use ‘drag and drop’ tool for editing your website – the most dropshipping integrations across all ecommerce platforms – POS functionality – flexible payment options for customers (Klarna, Afterpay, Sezzle, etc) | – no free plans available past 14-day trial
– high price point compared to others | – various plans available ranging from $38 CAD a month to $299 CAD a month (when purchased annually), depending on business demand for online channels. Shopify POS available at an additional cost. |
| Squarespace | – beginner friendly
– Basic Commerce plan offers POS functionality – affordable plans available | – no free plans available
– no multi-channel selling – no option for abandoned cart follow ups – 3% transaction fee on all transactions without a Commerce plan | – various plans available ranging from $16 USD a month to $49 USD a month (when purchased annually) |
| Square | – offers a free plan
– all plans have multichannel selling – discounted transaction fees on the highest-tiered plan | – no custom domains available with a free plan
– must have a paid account for the abandoned cart feature | – various plans available ranging from $29 a month to $79 a month (when purchased annually) |
| Wix | – beginner friendly
– all templates are free – accepts recurring payments | – limited dropshipping integrations are available
– lowest-tiered plan has a storage limit of 50 GB | – various plans available ranging from $7.50 CAD a month to $44 CAD a month (when purchased annually) |
| Weebly (Square) | – free basic plan available
– sell both physical and digital goods – automatic shipping & tax calculator at checkout | – cheap-looking themes
– on the free plan you cannot connect a custom domain | – various plans available ranging from $0 a month to $30 USD a month (when purchased annually) |
| BigCommerce | – free 15-day trial
– user friendly – accepts Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay | – premium themes are costly (majority are over $200 USD)
– each plan has a cap on annual sales – cheapest plan is costly ($29.95 USD a month) | – various plans available ranging from $29.95 USD a month to $299 USD a month (when purchased annually) |
| WooCommerce (WordPress) | – free to use
– you can sell pre-orders – you can sell both products and services, accept bookings & recurring payments | – must purchase a domain, web hosting and SSL certificate separately
– under the ‘WordPress’ family, so this can cause a learning curve | – while this platform is free to use, extensions can cost upwards of $249 USD each |
With over 2 million users daily (source), Shopify is a leader in the e-commerce space for a reason. If you are a small business owner weighing your options, I highly recommend researching what platform suits your current business needs. Shopify offers a variety of pricing plans to suit different business sizes and needs and offers Shopify a reliable and secure platform trusted by many businesses worldwide. Want to learn more about if Shopify is right for you and are interested in getting some help? Click here (add hyperlink) to schedule a chat, and let Go With Flo take care of your e-commerce setup!
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