Shopify or Custom Website Development- Which One to Choose?

Ecommerce is constantly evolving, and as a business owner, you’re looking to elevate your company’s online presence. It can be a challenging task to determine the best platform for your ecommerce website. Many people are often confused about the two most common options available, Shopify or Custom Websites development. Don’t worry; we got you covered with all the answers! In this article, we will compare both, discussing the pros and cons of each so you can make the appropriate decision about the best platform for your business. Whether you’re just starting or looking to make a change, this article will give you the information you need to make an informed decision.

1. Shopify 

It is a user-friendly ecommerce platform that helps businesses to build an online store and sell through one streamlined dashboard. In technical terms, it is the SaaS (software-as-a-service) subscription-based sales platform. 

There are four standard stores available on Shopify. It offers four subscription plans with starting fees of USD $39/ month and a free trial option. All the plans provide a full suite of business management tools. Including product sourcing, payment processing, inventory tracking, marketing, customer accounts, and reporting are some things built into the plans. 

Pros of using Shopify

1. Ease of use 

It is easy to use for developers who are already familiar with some coding. Many in-built features are available in shopify that can make the process reasonably easy. You can hire a team of experts to get the best results in your store. 

2. Competitive Monthly Fees

Shopify offers very affordable fees for entry plans. This makes it competitive in the market with the higher plans, and more number of user get their hands on it. 

3. Secure Technology 

Shopify is the platform that provides you with all the technical security by handling all the technical details. To encrypt your data, the SSL certificate can be enabled for your store and pass through a secure connection. 

4. Mobile Ready 

In the growing popularity of m-commerce, it is essential, not optional, to have a mobile-friendly website, and Shopify knows it, so all the themes are mobile responsive and include a free built-in mobile commerce shopping cart. 

5. Customizable 

There are almost 150+ themes available in Shopify, free and paid. All of them are mobile responsive. Each of them is fully customizable by editing the code. So it makes it easy to make a feature-packed and unique online shop with your brand identity. 

Cons of Using Shopify

1. Transaction Fees 

Using a third-party platform for payment can lead to a certain amount of transaction fees on every sale made via credit or debit cards. So have to continue with Shopify’s very own payment gateway. 

2. Difficulty with Content Marketting 

As you are starting your business, promoting is an essential process. And while using Shopify, it will provide you with in-build content marketing features. But it sometimes cannot give you appropriate results. Hence you can go for other SEO marketing from a good company to make a perfect strategy. 

3. Difficult Exit

It is challenging to leave Shopify. If you ever decide, you can only take your CSV report. There is a lock-in feature that hinders you from taking your store elsewhere. So before launching the store on the platform, take some time and ask yourself if you intend to continue with the platform for a long time.

2. Custom Development

Unlike shopify, a custom website is made specifically for your business from scratch. It does not use templates and pre-existing designs. It focuses on all the business requirements and is customized according to that. A certain amount of technical knowledge is required by a team of developers, which will help in the setup of the website, so you have to make sure to find a good team for your store development as it is a better option for putting the things as per your choice. 

Pros of Custom Development

1. Unique and Innovative Products 

No two business owners think the same, so creating an online store is also a unique approach for each. When you go for custom development, the team of experts values your opinion and focuses on building the end product as per your needs.

2. Improved Productivity

Whether you are a small business or a big one, making a custom store facilities a smooth workforce collaboration by integrating various functions. As per the business requirement, you can get your store filled with the functions and make it possible for cross-team to access. 

3. Customer Satisfaction 

Over 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized solutions. This can ensure the customers have the required facility they want in the store. More accessible and easy-to-use stores can invite more users. You can get a team who can do thorough market research to find the appropriate requirement that most users can have.

4. Security

Open source software is much easier to hack generally, as the hackers are already aware of the vulnerabilities of such stores. Whereas the custom-developed store is a closed-source project only used by your team. Hence the chances of the intrusion are minimized. Doing regular updates and modifications can make the security standards better.

5. Reliability 

Store reliability is key to the business. The custom solution is more reliable and secure because you can own your rights and dictate how they can be modified and maintained. As the store reflects the users personally, the developers normally use the highest quality tools and industry-leading security standards. 

Cons of Custom Development

1. Time and Resources Required

Developing a custom store requires a lot of time, as the process can be a bit longer. You have to hire a good team for development. All the things are made custom in the store as per your requirement so will require an appropriate amount of money. Adding new things can result in increased time and money. 

2. Maintenance 

A decent amount of maintenance is required for the custom store. No maintenance can lead to low security and drop you down the list. It also depends on the complexity of the codes used in the development and how frequently they need to be maintained. It requires a decent amount of money to invest over and over again.

Shopify vs.Custom Development: Which is the right choice for your business?

Here is the table of advantages and disadvantages of Shopify vs. custom websites so that you can get an idea of which one to invest in. 

Advantages 

Disadvantages 

So, we have pinpointed the points of both developments, seeking an advanced, effective, and comprehensive eCommerce solution. Like two sides of the coin,  Shopify vs. Custom Websites have pros and cons. You can pick a development method for your store depending on the conditions and requirements. If:

• Your product and service you offer are unique and special.
• Your targeted market is a niche.
• You have some specific requirements and needs.

Then customizing your website can be a better option. But if you own a small business and want to establish a legitimate online store, go for Shopify development. It has the potential to provide physical as well as digital goods at once. Nevertheless, custom websites will offer limitless functionality for your business’s growth in the future. Investing in any of the development types can be beneficial depending on the need of the business. 

Conclusion

Hope that the comparison between Shopify vs. Custom development can provide you with the insight needed to answer your critical question: Which one should I invest in? The selection comes down to what best meets your business needs. There is no right or wrong solution; the choice is yours. If you are focusing on a store that meets your requirement, then go for the custom development, and if you need the store to be made as soon as possible and cannot invest much in the start, Shopify is a better option for you.

Still, facing hurdles in deciding which one to prefer for your store development? Don’t worry; we can schedule a free consultation to help you with all your queries. 

Want to develop your online store? We at, Emizen Tech can help you build your store with the help of Shopify and can also help with custom development seeking all your requirements.
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