Choosing A Platform
Choosing the right platform to build your online store is a critical step that should be addressed before you start building. Below are 2 options, choosing the right option depends if you’re tech-savvy or not.
- Option 1: Shopify eCommerce Website Builder ( recommended if you’re not tech-savvy )a
- Option 2: WordPress WooCommerce With Bluehost Hosting ( recommended if tech-savvy )
Shopify eCommerce Website Builder Pro & Cons
Let’s go over some of the pros and cons of using Shopify to build your online store.
Pros:
- Free 14 day trial for new customers
- Easy to use website builder interface
- Fixed pricing regardless of the amount of traffic starting at $29 /month
- Included SSL certificate with fixed pricing
- Included enterprise-grade security with fixed price
- Quick to get up and running
- Easily Integrates with Facebook Merchant, Google Merchant, and now TikTok Merchant.
- Ability to run Google, Facebook, Instagram ads from admin.
Cons:
- Most plugins are paid plugins
WordPress WooCommerce With Bluehost Hosting
Let’s go over some of the pros and cons of using WooCommerce with Bluehost to build your online store.
Pros:
- Variety of themes to choose from
- Very Customizable and Developer Friendly
- Tons of great free plugins
- Seo friendly and blog ready
- Low hosting costs if you have low traffic.
Cons:
- Most Integrations to selling channels requires developer knowledge
- Hosting costs can become expensive for high traffic websites.
- Website security is at your own hands
- SSL certificate not included
As you can see Shopify is much easier if you don’t have a team of developers or if you’re not that tech-savvy while WooCommerce can be a great option for custom features and if you are tech-savvy or if you have a team of great developers.
Pre-requisite For The Next Steps:
Before we get into designing your online store, let’s make sure you have chosen a platform, below you will find links to both solutions.
- Option 1: Click Here For Shopify – 14-day free trial included
- Option 2: Click here For Bluehost | Click Here for Woocommerce