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WooCommerce vs Shopify with a look at SEO

WooCommerce or Shopify? For those looking for an e-commerce platform, these are definitely among the most popular and recommended.

WooCommerce vs. Shopify is a comparison based on price, of course, but mostly on the platforms’ features, from ease of installation and use to freedom of customization, both functional and aesthetic, and choosing between the two may not be easy, especially for those starting from scratch.

Shopify provides customers with a “hosted” solution, with different plans depending on traffic and other features.

WooCommerce proposes both the “hosted” solution, born more recently, and the classic “self-hosted”, that is, free and unconstrained by any limitation of expansion, platform and changes.
We will consider only the most popular version, the “self-hosted” one, for the greatest operational freedom.

However, one needs to look beyond the platform: there are pros and cons to both, but those who want to start an online store should also look at the marketing strategies, SEO, and related tools available for both platforms, and this is where the choice could make all the difference going forward.

Difference between “hosted” and “self-hosted”

“Hosted” platforms are those in which the more technical part, such as hosting service, maintenance, updates etc., are borne by the hosting service.
As a result, in these platforms it is possible to use only the functionality provided by the service, which is certainly sufficient in many cases but could become limitations.

In contrast, “self-hosted” platforms require that you have compatible hosting available, and must install them yourself. On the other hand, they are much more open and expandable, and allow greater freedom of implementation, through extensions or code changes/integrations.

Those who choose Shopify don’t have to worry about hosting and maintenance, which at first glance might seem like no small relief, especially for the uninitiated.
With Shopify you sign up for the service, even with a free trial, and you can immediately proceed with setting up the store without having to worry about anything else…

WooCommerce also offers both a hosted solution, which was born recently to keep up with the competition, but this is not what we are interested in.

Rather, let’s look at WooCommerce in a “self-hosted” version, which you can download for free as Open Source software and you can install on your own hosting, as long as you already have a WordPress site (also Open Source and also free) installed there as a base.

First of all, the simplicity of management

Both platforms focus on ease of configuration and use, and in both cases their maturity allows for a fully functioning e-commerce with just a few steps, from product catalog, to shopping cart, to receiving payments.

It is not always as simple and straightforward as they promise, as we will see in this comparison. Different features can make a difference, weighing the choice toward one platform or the other.

Shopify wins for ease of configuration, especially for those starting from scratch with a simple project, because in practice there is little or nothing to do except configure the company and products, but only if you “settle” for a relatively basic store.

When needs increase, the much-vaunted simplicity of configuration often gives way to even complicated modifications and technicalities.

We can certainly say that Shopify’s simplicity is also the source of its limitations-just a little goes a long way and the learning curve quickly becomes very steep.

WooCommerce is a little less guided at first, you have to install and configure it on the hosting side, but it still remains very simple and intuitive, especially for those already familiar with WordPress, whose basics and well-known philosophy it espouses.

WooCommerce also gets complicated in advanced configurations, but the vast universe of available extensions, very often free, manage to simplify many operations otherwise impossible for most.

Shopify also has a good catalog of extensions and graphical themes, but not as many as its competitor, and especially on average more expensive, a detail that significantly affects the final cost of the platform.

Also making a difference is the amount of documentation; the amount of guides, videos and tutorials available on the Web, almost always intended for end users at every level, is definitely to WooCommerce’s advantage.

Last but not least, the number of consultants specializing in the individual platforms should also be considered: so many agencies and professionals have based their core business around the WooCommerce platform, many more than in Shopify, and this makes it easier to find the right consultants for your project.

Shopify vs WordPress: how much does an e-commerce cost?

Cost is an important element, when comparing Shopify vs WooCommerce it is one of the first things you try to evaluate-.

Shopify has an advantageous basic plan that can be used for very simple e-commerce without too many frills and technicalities.

It must be said that in more complex projects it is difficult to stop at the cost of the basic Shopify plan, especially if the store is successful and visits increase significantly: in the case of even slightly more advanced stores, the cost of Shopify inevitably goes up, both for the plan and for the extensions needed to achieve the desired functionality and aesthetics.

WooCommerce (self-hosted) is Open Source, like the WordPress platform on which it relies, you download it for free but in the end it is not free.

The final cost depends on the hosting used, which is decisive for final performance, and the number of commercial themes and plugins used, but unlike Shopify there is also plenty of choice of free themes and plugins.

It is important not to get carried away, especially with plugins; advice from a consultant who knows the platform well can save a lot of money.

For a store of medium complexity, considering a medium-quality hosting for WooCommerce, the cost of both platforms equals each other.

For larger ecommerce businesses with greater demands for aesthetic and functional customizations, the balance of cost definitely shifts in favor of WooCommerce.

The difference can also be felt when one has to rely on the professionalism of a specialized consultant: thanks to its greater diffusion, it is definitely easier to find a good consultant, at lower prices, in the WooCommerce environment.

Our cost assessment is based on the average quote for good hosting, ranging from 10 to 30 euros/month, and the cost of a basic Shopify plan, 21 euros/month at the time of writing this comparison.

We had mentioned it at the beginning of this comparison: the WooCommerce vs Shopify SEO comparison requires you to evaluate this important aspect perhaps even before choosing the ideal platform for your business, otherwise you run the risk of ending up with heavy limitations and operational difficulties in the future.

Both WooCommerce and Shopify are very attentive to these issues, both platforms enjoy good optimization to ease the work of search engines, but this is not enough.

Woocommerce vs. Shopify SEO, in both platforms there are extensions available to handle SEO and Marketing in an advanced way, both for the beginner and the professional, but the choice and versatility of WooCommerce on this front is unmatched.

Compared to Shopify, WooCommerce provides an important variety of tools, both free and premium, that can thoroughly handle all aspects of search engine ranking, connecting and sharing on social, and all aspects of marketing.

For the same performance and cost, this aspect alone would tip the scales in favor of WooCommerce, and it is one of the reasons we prefer and recommend it.

Shopify Overview

Shopify’s strength is definitely the immediacy of turnkey use. The easy and guided activation procedure allows you to have an active online store in a short time, provided that the basic features meet the needs of the store.

The system offers a choice of free layouts and basic functionality, but with the risk of ending up with an e-commerce site that is limited and the same as many others on the net.

If, on the other hand, particular customizations, special and original layouts, or advanced features are desired, the matter changes, and the difficulties of setting up the online store increase significantly.

The price of Shopify starts from a 21 Euro/month Basic plan, however, to these must be added the cost of any additional graphic themes and extensions, as most are paid.

Shopify pros and cons

Pros:

It does not require hosting.
Free trial available.
Step-by-step guided installation (basic stores).
Ease of use.
Good documentation at various levels.
24/7 customer support (chat).

Cons:

The cheaper Basic version is suitable only for the simplest installations.
Limits of customization in functionality.
Cost of themes and plugins high.
Fewer tutorials and specialized professionals on the platform, and generally more expensive.

WooCommerce Overview

E-commerce system born on WordPress, in the “self-hosted” version, is an Open Source system that can be installed for free on any site as long as WordPress is already present.
In fact, the basis of the system is completely free, and allows you to quickly activate a functioning online store at no cost (excluding hosting).

If you already have a WordPress-based site you start off easy: just check that the theme you use is compatible with WooCommerce, install a plugin and start configuring your store, directly on your website.

However, it is worth pointing out that WooCommerce is not free in the end: hosting aside, the final cost will depend on the commercial themes and plugins used, which are often indispensable despite the wide choice of free themes and plugins.

The strength of WooCommerce is based on the system’s widespread use, the participation of a large number of developers in the project, and the wide availability of quality themes and plugins, all of which make it easy to build superior e-commerce.

WooCommerce pros and cons

Pros:

Open Source installable for free (self-hosted version only).
Easy to install and configure,especially for those already familiar with WordPress.
Maximum creative freedom thanks to the many free and non-free graphic themes and plugins available.
Expandable functionality through the many available plugins, free and otherwise.
Professional tools for SEO and marketing
Many specialized agencies and professionals.
Plenty of guides, videos, and tutorials for every level of use.

Cons:

Requires hosting, possibly quality hosting.
Requires a WordPress site already installed.
Installation procedure from scratch and intuitive configuration, but only partially guided.
Requires constant maintenance for updates and security.
There is no direct service and support, you must rely on dedicated forums or a professional.

A nod to sales commissions

Important and complex topic for all online stores, but the stipulations are so vast for each payment gateway that it is impossible to make a case-by-case comparison.

The fees of both platforms are equivalent for the classic modes, i.e., credit/debit cards and PayPal, with a slight advantage of WooCommerce regarding the use of standard credit cards, using Stripe as the payment gateway.

Differences are most noticeable when customers use more installment or alternative payment systems, such as ApplePay or Google Pay, in which case it is a good idea to consult the tables provided by the payment gateways.

Shopify pushes customers to use its payment receipt system. While discouraged, alternative payment gateways are also available.

WooCommerce also has its own payment systems, but it does not interfere in case you decide to use a third-party payment system.

The best advice, regarding this topic, is to do a very thorough comparison before deciding which platform to choose depending on the payment methods to offer to customers.

It should be mentioned that both platforms allow you to change payment methods and gateways at any time, even after the store has started.

In conclusion, who wins Shopify or WooCommerce?

Both platforms have different strengths, depending on the characteristics and complexity of the project you want to implement.

For those starting from scratch, with an intentionally simple store, without having to deal with hosting or maintenance, with Shopify they can probably meet their needs at a low cost.

If you already have an active WordPress site, so you already pay for hosting, then WooCommerce might be more convenient.

If the idea is an evolved store, with advanced aesthetic and functional demands, or if the project includes ample room for growth, then wooCommerce might be more suitable and also more cost-effective, even in the case of new projects starting from scratch.

We make no secret of it, we definitely prefer WooCommerce, we have specialized on this platform, because it allows us to offer our clients customized solutions, and quality support.

Is your eCommerce built with WooCommerce?

E-commerce & Marketplace

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