Choosing Shopify or Custom Build Website for Your Online Store

Choosing Shopify or Custom Build Website for Your Online Store

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Shopify vs Custom Build Website
3. Starting with Shopify 3.1 Easy Setup 3.2 Pre-built Ecommerce Templates 3.3 14 Day Free Trial
4. Custom Build Website Challenges 4.1 Technical Knowledge Required 4.2 Content Management Systems 4.3 Customization and Plugins
5. Shopify Themes and Design 5.1 Responsive and Mobile-Friendly 5.2 Shopify Theme Store 5.3 Price Range and Customization
6. Shopify Features vs Custom Website 6.1 Exclusive Ecommerce Features 6.2 Fraud Analysis and Payment Providers 6.3 Integration with External Services
7. Maintaining and Upgrading Your Store 7.1 Automatic Updates with Shopify 7.2 Manual Updates for Custom Websites 7.3 Security and SSL Certificate
8. Shopify Support and Education 8.1 24/7 Support 8.2 Shopify Academy and Community 8.3 Learning Materials for Custom Websites
9. Shopify Pricing and Costs 9.1 Monthly Subscription Plans 9.2 Additional Payments 9.3 Custom Website Expenses
10. Conclusion
11. Try Shopify's 14-Day Free Trial

Shopify vs Custom Build Website: Which is Right for Your Online Store?

Introduction Building an online store requires careful consideration of whether to use a platform like Shopify or opt for a custom build website. Both options have their advantages and drawbacks, and it's important to weigh them before making a decision. In this article, we will explore the key differences between Shopify and custom build websites to help you identify the best solution for your online store.

Shopify vs Custom Build Website When it comes to creating an online store, the debate between using Shopify and building a custom website has been ongoing. Each has its own set of pros and cons, as well as various factors to consider before investing in a final solution. In this section, we will delve into the details of each option and analyze their suitability for running an online store.

Starting with Shopify One of the biggest advantages of using Shopify is its ease of setup. Unlike building a store from scratch, with Shopify, you don't have to worry about buying a domain or finding a hosting provider. You have the option to choose a free domain or purchase a custom one. Shopify eliminates the need to hire a web developer or seek out hosting and domain services. Additionally, merchants can build their store easily without any coding knowledge, thanks to the pre-built ecommerce templates offered by Shopify. These templates allow merchants to change the look of their store anytime. Furthermore, Shopify offers a 14-day free trial, allowing users to familiarize themselves with the platform before making a final decision.

Custom Build Website Challenges On the other hand, creating a custom website requires a certain level of technical knowledge. If you lack the necessary skills, you will need a skillful development team or a hired developer to help with the website setup. Content management systems, such as WordPress, need to be considered for managing your blog and website. Additionally, customization of your online store may require the installation of plugins with ecommerce functionality. This process can be time-consuming and complex. Before launching your store, you will need to spend time finding a proper domain and hosting provider, calculating fees and costs, and considering SSL installation. Overall, creating a custom website can be a challenging process.

Shopify Themes and Design Shopify provides a wide range of themes to choose from, making it easy for merchants to create a visually appealing and functional online store. The themes offered by Shopify are responsive, speed-optimizing, and mobile-friendly. The Shopify theme store provides a great number of available themes to match various online presence styles. These themes can range in price from free to $180 and are available as one-time purchases. The advantage of using Shopify themes is the convenience of customization and the flexibility to tailor your website for higher sales and revenue in the long run. However, more advanced modifications may require playing with the liquid code to achieve the desired web look.

Shopify Features vs Custom Website In terms of features, Shopify stands out as an exclusive ecommerce solution. It offers a plethora of features like fraud analysis, which helps identify and cultivate orders while reducing chargebacks. Shopify also provides payment providers like Shopify Payments, supporting payment methods such as Visa, Mastercard, and Apple Pay, while being PCI compliant. Additionally, Shopify offers a wide range of apps for integrating external services with your online store. On the other hand, building a custom website requires careful consideration of the right platform, such as WooCommerce for WordPress sites, and the need to install additional extensions for ecommerce functionality. When it comes to reliable ecommerce tools, Shopify scores higher compared to a custom website.

Maintaining and Upgrading Your Store Keeping your online store up-to-date is crucial for its growth and success. Shopify simplifies this process by automatically updating merchant stores to the latest version, ensuring compatibility with any software changes. In contrast, for a custom build store, sellers have to update their website manually and regularly. If you lack technical knowledge, the best approach would be to have a development team handle these updates. When it comes to security, Shopify provides an SSL certificate that can protect both you and your customers. On the other hand, setting up a custom website requires a financial investment, and the process can be frustrating due to unexpected problems that may arise. Shopify excels in terms of store maintenance and security.

Shopify Support and Education Shopify offers 24/7 support through direct chat, phone call, or email, ensuring that merchants can address any issues or concerns promptly. Additionally, Shopify provides educational resources through the Shopify Academy, blog, and community, which are invaluable for new store owners. In contrast, support for a custom website typically involves relying on learning materials from various sources such as Google, YouTube, forums, blogs, and social media. The process of finding proper solutions may take a considerable amount of time and effort. Shopify's support and education options are advantageous for merchants who value prompt assistance and a centralized knowledge base.

Shopify Pricing and Costs Shopify offers three main plans with monthly subscriptions, each providing a range of features such as SSL certificates, staff accounts, gift cards, abandoned cart recovery, and discount codes. In addition to the monthly subscription, sellers should consider optional payments for apps, one-time purchase themes, and yearly domain subscriptions. On the other hand, creating a custom website entails expenses for domain registration, web hosting, SSL certificates, custom design, ecommerce plugins, email marketing, payment processing software, and more. In the long term, a custom build store may encounter unexpected expenses during web operations and maintenance. Shopify proves to be a more cost-effective solution overall.

Conclusion In conclusion, choosing between Shopify and a custom build website depends on various factors such as technical knowledge, customization needs, budget, and long-term goals. Shopify offers a seamless starting experience, a range of themes and design options, exclusive ecommerce features, automatic updates, reliable support, and cost-effective pricing. However, a custom build website provides unlimited customization options and flexibility for higher sales and revenue. Ultimately, it is recommended to try Shopify's 14-day free trial to experience its interface and build a demo store before making a final decision.

Try Shopify's 14-Day Free Trial If you found this article helpful, why not try Shopify's 14-day free trial to explore the platform and build a demo store? You can experience its user-friendly interface and evaluate whether Shopify is the right solution for your online store. Don't hesitate to leave a comment or discuss further if you have any questions. Remember to subscribe to our PageFly channel for more tutorials and Shopify-related videos in the future. Thank you for watching!