A week ago, I was contacted by an acquaintance of a friend. This chick was aiming to launch her online store and needed some advice. As soon as she arrives home, she immediately mentions the two solutions they plan to choose to create their e-commerce site: Wix or Shopify.
But at the end, which platform is the best solution for your needs? Is it better to choose Wix vs. Shopify to create your e-commerce site? What are their advantages and disadvantages, depending on your situation?
I have worked in e-commerce development platforms for several years. I have supported startups, SMEs, and freelancers setting up their businesses by trying to earn a little money to supplement their ends of the month. Whether it's Wix or Shopify, I'll give you the keys to making the right decision.
Summary of my opinion:
You don't have an aquaponic lesson, and you don't have time to read my full article, in which I give you my most objective opinion possible to help you choose Wix or Shopify. Do not panic; here is the summary of this article.
Wix, a solution for beginners
Wix is a good solution for creating a static site that will allow you, for example, to present your company, its services, and your teams. This solution mainly aims at people who manage a service company or association.
When it comes to selling online and therefore opening an online store, Wix is a good solution if you only have a few products to offer to Internet users. Indeed, Wix offers the possibility of opening an online store in just a few clicks thanks to its solution for creating e-commerce sites.
However, having a product catalog of more than 30 different products will quickly become complicated to manage on the Wix interface. Indeed, it will be complicated to administer the products correctly when you have many of them.
So, when should you use Wix to create an e-commerce site? If you plan to sell only a few products (from 1 to 30 products), this will allow you to get started quickly (and for only €20 per month – when Shopify costs €29 excl. tax/month – i.e., €35 incl. tax + 2% commission on the CA).
Shopify, an e-commerce solution to challenge
Shopify is the world leader in the creation of online stores by subscription. Its attractive price (€29 per month + 2% commission on the turnover achieved) makes it an attractive solution for budding e-merchants who want to get started at a lower cost.
The advantage of Shopify compared to Wix is its ability to manage large catalogs of products. Indeed, many e-commerce sites today have catalogs of hundreds of products and use Shopify to sell online. Another advantage of Shopify, it is possible to open an online store without embarking on the development of a tailor-made store (like on Prestashop, for example).
The problem with Shopify is that this solution takes commission fees on all your sales. This amount varies depending on the package you take, but it starts at 2%. Thus, if you sell 100€ of goods, Shopify will take 2€ from this sale (in addition to the subscription or hiring a Shopify developer for your online stores)
Wizishop, the USA challenger
Note, however, that at Shopify, I still prefer the USA solution Wizishop, which has, in my opinion, several advantages:
It is 100% USA(located in Nice), and therefore your site will already be in the USA, as well as the after-sales service if you need a hand to open/manage your shop. The technical documentation is in the USA.
Wizishop offers its customers a video training catalog to help e-merchants who are starting to develop their online store and their sales. These training courses are offered and are very well done, which will help you to get started, especially if you haven't sold on the internet yet.
The price is €27 excl. VAT/month, which is €2 cheaper than Shopify. So, if you plan to sell more than 30 different products, choose Wizishop rather than Shopify.
Wix vs. Shopify, which e-commerce solution to choose?
When choosing a solution to create an e-commerce site, it is important to take stock of your skills, knowledge, and technical needs.
In this case, Wix and Shopify are two very popular solutions for entrepreneurs because they allow you to launch a site quickly without technical skills.
But is it better to choose Wix or Shopify? Here are some answers that should help you make your choice (knowing there are no right or wrong answers).
Wix, an e-commerce solution for beginners
A few years ago, I would have laughed in your face if you had told me about Wix creating an online store. Indeed, at the time, Wix was a solution mainly known for creating a presentation site for a company or an association but not an e-commerce site.
However, over the years, Wix has made great progress in criteria that are very important for a merchant site:
In terms of functionalities for managing a catalog of products, Wix has made progress. So, if you plan to sell a few products (about thirty), the Wix solution will be more than enough.
In terms of natural referencing, i.e., the optimization of the store to appear in the first results of Google, again, Wix has made great progress for many years.
And, of course, Wix has kept its simplicity: if you need to create a store quickly and without technical skills, it will be largely possible in just a few hours!
How much does it cost to open an online store with Wix?
The big advantage of Wix, especially if you plan to sell a few products, is its price. Indeed, Wix e-commerce costs €20 per month, while Shopify will cost you €29 excl. VAT/month (i.e., almost €35/month) + 2% of the turnover achieved.
If you are new to e-commerce, this solution can allow you to test your business without investing too much money in the development of a store (as can be the case with Prestashop). Indeed, for 240€ per year, you will have a shop that holds up to see if you manage to develop your turnover.
Be careful. Once your product catalog grows or your turnover increases, you will have to think about switching to a more robust solution such as Shopify or Prestashop.
Shopify, the world leader in SAAS e-commerce solutions
On the other hand, Shopify is a Canadian solution that has taken off for several years. Based on an increasingly used Shopify development language, this solution is the world leader in opening an online store in SAAS format.
What is a SAAS solution?
SAAS stands for Software As A Service. Understand software accessible from your internet browser and therefore does not need to be installed on your computer.
Is this good?
Inevitably, if this solution is ahead of all the others in the world, it is because it is effective. Shopify has successfully created a solution that allows anyone to create an online store without technical skills.
So, by using a free theme (design) or buying one to make your store look more like what you would like it to be, you will be able to have a professional-looking store for just a few hundred euros a year.
What's wrong with Shopify?
The real problem with Shopify comes from its business model. Indeed, in addition to a subscription of $29 excl. VAT/month, Shopify takes a percentage of the number of sales generated by your store. This amount varies depending on your selected plan, starting at 2%.
It may not seem like much, but when you add the 2% that your e-commerce payment solution will charge, you are already losing 4% of your margin due to these commissions.
But then what to do? Wix or Shopify?
If you only plan to sell a few products, Wix can do the job. Shopify will allow you to create an online store with a larger and more professional product catalog.
Whatever happens, these two solutions will offer you the advantage of investing little money in developing your online store and requiring almost no technical skills.
Whatever solution you choose, know that it is essential to invest the bulk of your available budget in acquiring a stock of products, especially in communication, to make your online store known. Because that's what is the most complicated in e-commerce: letting all Internet users know that your shop exists!
Once you make €10,000 in monthly turnover, you will then have the means to invest a few thousand euros in developing a store with a proprietary solution (you rent a store on Shopify, from where commission fees), for example, with Prestashop.
Last advice
You will have understood the difference between Wix and Shopify. I tell you that Wix is not bad to start and that Shopify will allow you to manage a large catalog of products. However, if your heart leans more towards Shopify, I would advise you to look closely at the solution Wizishop.
Why? Here are the 3 main reasons
Wizishop offers the same services as Shopify but has the advantage of being USA. Thus, if you encounter problems with your store, you will have to deal with the after-sales service team in Nice. And besides, all the information and technical documentation are available in the USA, which is not the case for Shopify. In addition, the price of Wizishop is €27 excl. VAT/month compared to $29 for Wizishop. That's 2€ savings, but it's still taken.
But above all, what makes me recommend Wizishop rather than Shopify is the free training offered by Wizishop to its users. Aware that its interest is to keep as many e-merchants as subscribers to its solution, Wizishop has developed several video training modules that it makes available to its customers free of charge.
The program of this video training: how to create your shop, advertise on Facebook, optimize your natural referencing, etc. Through this training, the idea is that e-merchants get trained, be more efficient, therefore make more sales and remain subscribed to their solution.
So, take advantage of the training, develop your skills, and store, and when you make €10,000 monthly turnover, you can say goodbye to Wizishop or Shopify and the commissions they take on each sale.
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