Recently, the Rise of Shopify and BigCommerce has created much stir in the eCommerce market. Many people believe these platforms to be the end of WordPress and Magento. However, we at Above Bits think differently. Here, we will summarize why WordPress and Magento will still lead the market even with the rise of Shopify and Big Commerce.
Absolute Zero Startup Cost!
WordPress and Magento are practically free themselves. You don’t need to pay a dime to get the basic framework. Both platforms are indeed self-hosted, and you would need to pay for the hosting. However, hosting payments does not mean that the platform itself will cost anything.
On the other hand, eCommerce solutions like BigCommerce and Shopify have inherent costs. Yes! You need to pay to use these platforms. Some of the prices are extremely high for high-end tools and conversion systems. Therefore, WordPress and Magento are still more affordable than Shopify and BigCommerce.
- BigCommerce offers three subscription packages, ranging from $29 to $299.95 per month.
- Shopify offers three plans ranging from the Basic plan at $1/month to the Advanced plan at $299/month.
In addition, both of these platforms have enterprise plans that usually start from over $2,000.
Plugins to Supercharge Your Website
BigCommerce and Shopify are not completely open-source. Therefore, developing third-party plugins for them is not easy. It would help if you got everything from their official store, which can drive up the costs of website extensions.
On the other hand, WordPress has plugins and themes for almost every requirement. You can use both the repository-free themes and plugins or paid counterparts developed by third-party organizations to boost your website’s performance. Such liberty is not available in either BigCommerce or Shopify
- Installing and customizing plugins on WordPress and Magento is very straightforward, and can be done with a few clicks. Shopify and BigCommerce require more advanced knowledge and steps to install plugins.
- WordPress and Magento have an active community of users and developers that provide support for plugins. In contrast, BigCommerce and Shopify lack a strong community, and support for custom plugins is more difficult to come by.
- WordPress and Magento offer a wide variety of free plugins and extensions, which makes it easy to customize the functionality of a site. However, this isn’t the same when it comes to Shopify and BigCommerce and many of the basic plugins are subscription based.
A Superior Design Experience
You are technically creating a website with a store attached in WordPress and Magento. As such, you have home pages, an about us page, and other relevant pages on the website. More importantly, WordPress offers an inbuilt blogging system as well.
Therefore, you can blog and add content to the website easily. On the other hand, such features are not inbuilt into Shopify and BigCommerc and these platforms are much restricted to online selling only.
- Magento and WordPress are easy to learn and offer higher flexibility. Shopify and BigCommerce, on the other hand, have steeper learning curves and require technical knowledge.
- WP and Magento offer an extensive range of customizations and plugins that enable users to create a unique and attractive website. Shopify and BigCommerce, on the other hand, are limited to the features that are built into the platform.
- Magento and WordPress can easily be scaled up or down depending on your needs. Shopify and BigCommerce are great for small businesses that are looking to start an eCommerce store, but it is not as flexible as WordPress when it comes to scaling up.
- Users have access to different templates in Shopify and BigCommerce but they cannot make significant modifications to their site’s design without hiring a web developer. However, this is not the case when it comes to WP and Magento.
Ease of Doing SEO
WordPress is the SEO king. It is easier to rank your websites if developed on WordPress due to its clean coding and SEO-friendly environment. Additionally, many plugins can help you rank your work on WordPress as well.
On the other hand, ranking with the restricted tools of Shopify is no less than a nightmare. You have to work considerably hard to ensure your website ranks well.
Similarly, the backlinks may not synchronize well with the website too. You are left in a restricted cage where all sales may have to be generated through advertisements.
- WordPress and Magento offer more SEO options than Shopify and BigCommerce, making it easier to optimize your website for search engines.
- WordPress and Magento have a large selection of free and premium plugins that can help with advanced SEO, while BigCommerce and Shopify lack this type of customization.
Flexible and Scalable
A business that looks to expand its operations and increase its customer base can benefit from a site built with Magento and WordPress. Such a combination offers an efficient, reliable, and easily scalable platform.
However, this is not the case with shops hosted using Shopify or BigCommerce. Whilst these two platforms offer a quick solution for owners looking to create an online shop, they do not provide as much flexibility as a website built using Magento and WordPress.
- WordPress and Magento is an open-source platform, which means that it is highly customizable and can be easily scaled. However, when it comes to BigCommerce and Shopify, scalability depends on the plan you choose.
- WP and Magento are arguably the more versatile platforms and offer more flexibility. On the other hand, Shopify and BigCommerce are closed systems, which means that the customization options are more limited.
Technical Expertise
While Shopify and BigCommerce have become popular among larger retailers, they require a significant amount of expertise and technical knowledge to use effectively.
However, Magento and WordPress offer alternatives that don’t require as much in-depth understanding of technology. They both are an open-source platform that offers users the flexibility to customize their store without the need for specialized knowledge.
Both platforms also have access to hundreds of third-party integrations including payment gateways, making it easy to set up an online store quickly.
- WordPress and Magento can be set up quickly and easily, whereas Shopify and BigCommerce require more time and technical expertise to get up and running.
- WordPress and Magento are typically easier to set up and maintain than BigCommerce and Shopify, making them ideal for those with limited technical knowledge.
Other Issues
Remember, you need the power to grow your website into something other than a restricted online store in the long term. For such reasons, WordPress and Magento are the better choices. They don’t restrict you to something just limited to a store online.
There is no doubt that Shopify and BigCommerce are excellent competitors for WordPress and Magento. However, the latter are still the rulers of the market, with more flexibility and accessibility than the former options.
Don’t wait any longer to have the website presence you desire. It has never been easier to build your dream eCommerce platform with WordPress or Magento. With the help of Above Bits, you can create an online shop that stands out from the crowd and delivers results.
Conclusion
To sum up, Magento and WordPress are still two of the most popular eCommerce platforms today. Their longevity and flexibility make them ideal for merchants who need to customize their user experience and platforms.
Shopify and BigCommerce are more popular with newer merchants because they offer more intuitive user interfaces and easier setup processes.
Ultimately, it is up to each business owner to decide which platform best suits their needs. While some may choose Shopify or BigCommerce, others may opt for Magento or WordPress due to the unique features, and higher customization options they offer.
