What’s the best way to set up a dropshipping shop, given the booming nature of the online retail sector?
You can’t really compare WooCommerce to Shopify unless your dropshipping store is based on one of the big guys like Amazon or eBay.
We’ll compare the two systems and advise you on which one is best for your needs.
Now, please welcome our challenger.
Definition
WooCommerce is a plug-and-play e-commerce solution built on top of WordPress. In terms of user base, it has been dubbed “the most popular CMS in the world” (CMS).
Since WooCommerce and WordPress are both open source, anyone can make changes and improvements to them.
More than 55,000 plugins for WordPress may be found online. Each and every one of these came from independent designers and regular folks.
Shopify is not an open source platform like WooCommerce. This limits the ability to customize Shopify to only Shopify and authorised third-party firms.
It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of this setup before committing to it. The benefit is that the standard of practically all functionality is maintained. However, the supply will be lower and the performance may be compromised as a result.
Pricing
If you’re like most business owners, cost is your top concern. Let’s examine the cost differences between Shopify and WooCommerce.
WooCommerce price
As a plugin for WordPress, WooCommerce is available at no cost. WordPress stores aren’t difficult to set up, but. A domain name and web hosting are two necessities, and their respective costs might vary widely.
WordPress and WooCommerce hosting packages are readily available from a large number of web host providers. Some examples include SiteGround and ManageWP. For as little as $5 a month, you can get started with all you need.
Shopify price
Shopify’s price structure is tiered, with each tier delivering a unique set of features. Costs range from $29 per month for the cheapest option all the way up to $299 for the most comprehensive premium package.
Payment processing fees and other transaction costs make it difficult to accurately estimate Shopify expenses.
In layman’s terms, Shopify retains a nominal cut of all transactions. If you want to use the Shopify Payments gateway, you will be charged 2.9 percent plus $0.30 each transaction.
If you choose to use a different payment gateway (like Stripe or PayPal), you will incur an additional fee of 2% per transaction.
Depending on the circumstances, these costs could quickly add up.
User Experience
The majority of online storefronts aim for user-friendliness.
As an online merchant, perhaps you are very fluent in the latest technological advances. However, this is no excuse to waste time adjusting code.
Can we finally settle the Shopify vs. WooCommerce debate?
Shopify
The simplicity of Shopify is its strongest suit. It’s obvious that it’s the superior option to WooCommerce and WordPress in this field. Paying a subscription fee on a regular basis for an immediately usable service is the selling point of software as a service (SaaS).
Nothing concerning backups, security, hosting, or anything else is your responsibility.
If you want to start an internet business, all you have to do is visit the website, sign up, and fill out a form.
In a nutshell, that’s how it works.
If you’re already using the platform, you may use the intuitive drag-and-drop storefront editor to make whatever adjustments you like. Just add products and images, pick a color scheme and theme, and you’re almost there!
Once your company is up and running, the sidebar will make navigating it a breeze.
You can make changes to your products or company’s structure without worrying about causing any disruptions.
However, there is a catch to the whole situation. It’s really difficult to exercise fine-grained control. Changing the empty space between two photographs is one such example.
Shopify is an all-around excellent e-commerce platform. Not a lot of thought went into it.
You’ll get the hang of running an online shop using WooCommerce now.
Woocommerce
WooCommerce’s setup process is more involved than Shopify’s, but it’s otherwise comparable in terms of ease of use.
WooCommerce is only compatible with WordPress-powered websites. What I mean is, if you don’t know:
Get a domain name for your website.
Get yourself a hosting plan.
Put WordPress on your website.
Generating a WordPress theme
After you have finished all of that, you will need to install the WooCommerce plugin on your WordPress site so that you can begin selling your products. After that, it’s your responsibility to perform regular maintenance such as software updates, security checks, and data backups.
WordPress and WooCommerce both lack any kind of ‘design’ features. You’ll get access to a blank, starter theme from which you may make any customizations you choose. Still, you can pick from a huge variety of styles and hundreds of distinct themes.
Although this is a lot of work, the payoff is complete freedom.
In Shopify, it might be difficult to manage details down to a fine grain.
Even so, WordPress makes it a breeze. Many options are available, and best of all, they’re totally cost-free!
You get the same degree of customization options when you run your online store using WooCommerce. If you’re looking for an e-commerce platform as user-friendly as Shopify, go no further than WooCommerce.
Once you’ve got everything set up, you can begin selling.
Payment Methods
When it comes to collecting payments, your options are plentiful.
Whether you’re considering Shopify or Woocommerce, each payment processor has its own benefits and drawbacks.
Your business’s requirements will dictate how you evaluate these payment channels.
It is crucial that you calculate the costs associated with each payment gateway.
Don’t let fees pile up and drain your bank account because you weren’t paying attention.
Shopify payment methods
To put it mildly, Shopify’s payment system is a bit convoluted.
There is a 2 percent transaction fee for using any of Shopify’s many payment gateways.
On top of that, there is a per-transaction fee assessed by the payment gateway. Any online payment processor will do.
On the Shopify Advanced plan, the per-transaction fee drops to 0.5 percent. And if you pay with Shopify Payments, it’s completely free.
There is a lot of complexity surrounding Shopify’s payment options. It’s pricey because of the processing fee.
WooCommerce payment methods
Quick and easy online payment options like PayPal and Stripe are now available to you. Installing the WooCommerce extension for WordPress.
The term “core gateway” refers to the standard means by which customers may make purchases using WooCommerce, however the platform also makes use of plugins to extend the number of available methods of payment.
WooCommerce is compatible with a plethora of niche, region-specific payment gateways. Because WordPress is used by millions of people every day.
When traveling to a country where English is not the native tongue, it is often necessary to use a more locally-relevant form of payment. In Eastern Europe, one such website is Przlewy24.
It’s easier to break into regional markets served by lesser-known payment processors if you’re willing to accept payments via those processors.
WooCommerce, in contrast to Shopify, does not cost you money every time someone makes a purchase. Payment processing through the third party will only cost you a little proportion. In a way that facilitates financial discipline and thrift.
SEO
SEO is a potent tool for promoting an internet business, but it must be handled with care.
Which medium affords you the greatest potential for achieving top placement in a Google search?
Shopify
Shopify appreciates the importance of giving its customers a range of SEO customization options. (Search Engine Optimization Addons)
Accessible examples include meta descriptions and headings in product descriptions. Shopify’s high Google page rank is a direct result of the site’s clean, organized code.
Google prefers websites with clean code. It also indicates that the site reacts more quickly, which is an important factor for Google when determining where to place your page in search results.
WooCommerce
Yoast is a plugin for the popular blogging platform WordPress that helps users get the most search engine traffic possible. Yoast will tell you where to place a keyword based on the information you provide.
This degree of customization is one of the many reasons why WordPress is the preferred blogging platform for so many. Similar to Shopify, WooCommerce lets you alter the title, heading, and meta description of your store. Furthermore, the code is clean.
Both Shopify and WooCommerce/WordPress have excellent code and plenty of SEO customization options.
If content marketing is important to your marketing plan, you may argue that WooCommerce is the better option.
Because there is no better platform for blogging than WordPress.
Conclusion
In summary, it’s not clear that either WooCommerce or Shopify is the superior e-commerce platform.
The best answer is up to YOU.
Which option you go with depends on your level of coding knowledge, as well as your time and financial commitment.
Shopify or WooCommerce stores are great options, but after you’ve got them up and running, it’s time to start looking for a reliable supplier.
