Love Shopify

Why I chose Shopify (but also use other platforms, too)

I'm a fan - their customer service is excellent, and I've never had any issues with downtime or anything like that.

Pros

I have an online shop to support my podcast on Tudor history. I originally set up my shop thinking I'd sell some fun leggings using print on demand vendors. And it's grown into a bit of a behemoth. Which is great! Here's the thing - lots of creators use Redbubble and Spreadshirt and other places like that, which is fine, but the difference is that when you do that, they handle the entire sales process. This is fine if you don't want to know your customers, but if you're running an online business, then being able to capture that sales information, and get mailing list sign ups, is crucial . You can still use print on demand vendors, only this time you control the entire sales process. Everything is branded for your business. The tags in the leggings are branded for you. The mailing address is your company. It's all yours. Of course, the downside is that you also have to handle the customer service questions that would normally go to the Zazzle equivalent. But if you are really wanting to build a business around your customers, you want that touch point. And you get to keep all the profits. With all the apps, you can have a store that really expresses who you are, and lets you control the entire sales process.

Cons

I'm not a fan of how much is only included in the more expensive options, and how much is only available through paid apps. Of course it's great to have the options at all, but it's very easy to start to run up high bills. At one point I was paying close to $100/mo for all my various apps! I also still use other marketplaces like Etsy because it's the distinction between selling at a church craft fair and setting up your own shop. At the church craft fair you're pretty much guaranteed some kind of traffic. With setting up on your own you have more control over the feel, and ownership of the shop, but it's up to you to go out and get all the traffic.

Great application to get started.

Overall, my experience with Shopify has been very positive. It is a reliable and feature-rich platform that has helped me easily set up and manage my online store. While it may be more expensive than some other options, I feel that the additional features and customer support make it worth the cost.

Pros

Shopify is a very user-friendly e-commerce platform that allows users to easily set up and manage an online store. It provides a variety of customizable templates and themes, making it easy to create a visually appealing and professional-looking website.Shopify offers a wide range of features and tools to help businesses manage and grow their online store, including inventory management, payment processing, shipping and fulfillment, and marketing and advertising tools.The platform also offers excellent customer support, with a knowledgeable and helpful team available to answer questions and provide assistance.

Cons

One potential downside of Shopify is that it can be more expensive than some other e-commerce platforms, especially for businesses that require a large number of features or advanced customization options.Some users have also reported that the platform can be somewhat slow and prone to glitches, although these issues are usually resolved quickly by the Shopify support team.

Shopify is the Yahoo Stores for a New Generation

We are only now setting up the store and getting into using the software so my opinion may change over time (although I doubt it will be for the better). Like Yahoo Stores before them they felt the need to write their own program language for the store instead of using tried and true coding that everyone knows or understands at this point. Making it difficult to change or adjust your store template easily. Also like Yahoo they take a percentage of your sales on top of the monthly fees. If someone needs a site for a few items, can use one of the free templates, doesn't want to use too many other features, and doesn't have a dedicated ecommerce manager then this may be a good solution for you. If you need to set up additional metafields or have better control over you SEO, you may want to look somewhere else. Expect multiple monthly subscriptions and fees above the Shopify fees as you will need to use other apps in your store.

Pros

Modern eCommerce selling features. Hopefully better shopping experience for our customers than our old solution.

Cons

Monthly fees PLUS a per transaction fee. Uses a custom script/language instead of standard coding. (Liquid). Does not utilize WebDAV or FTP for file uploads. Does not allow import/export of anything other than basic product information without use of a third party app. Relies on 3rd party apps to offer features other carts offer out of the box. Cannot customize the checkout process, must do what they say is best. Poor SEO controls.

Shopify - best in class

Overall I only can recommend to use Shopify for an easy and fast setup of your online shop and eCommerce system.

Pros

The most I like about Shopify are the many connectors and integrations available for different well known services. Those are setup at ease and work like a charm. The second thing I like is that it is a hosted service and very easy and fast to setup - friendly for beginners but advanced enough for experts. Third there are a lot plugins available for extended customization.

Cons

The thing I do not really like is that although there are many things customisable, some things need to be done in programming ways or use plugins at a monthly cost. But from my experience that is the same thing with nearly all shops.