Exploring eCommerce Beyond the Shopify

Shopify has been an unequivocal market leader in the fast-ascending eCommerce industry ever since its launch, despite having ample flaws. Some new players have entered the expanding market lately to compete with Shopify and put an end to Shopify’s dominance over the eCommerce industry. Check out why to look beyond Shopify and how the emerging eCommerce platforms are outplaying Shopify by introducing smarter features.

If you’ve been brainstorming inventive eCommerce ideas to accomplish something extraordinary, you’re on the right growth trajectory.

Experts are predicting the global eCommerce sector to thrive at a whopping year-over-year growth rate of 14.7% from 2020 to 2027.

Overwhelming stats, right?

E-commerce and Shopify go hand in hand, as the latter is deemed the most distinguished eCommerce platform. Interestingly, the speedy expansion of the e-Commerce sector has caused a skyrocketing increase in Shopify’s revenue. But despite being the most popular platform, Shopify comes with plenty of drawbacks.

If you don’t want to bear with Shopify’s limitations and are up for exploring new horizons in eCommerce, this blog is going to be helpful for you.

Limitations of Shopify!

The exponential growth rate of the eCommerce industry over the past few years has helped it occupy the throne of the fastest-growing sector. Forbes’ report says that the global e-Commerce market is all set to reach an incredible milestone of $6.3 trillion in 2023.

Apparently, Shopify tops anyone’s preference list whenever it comes to setting up an eCommerce store. Owing to this popularity, the platform has grown at a jaw-dropping yearly growth rate of 200% in the past couple of years.

Unfortunately, Shopify users tend to overlook the drawbacks the platform has, and they barely explore other options. Here we are discussing some of Shopify’s evident flaws.

1. High commission fees

No business owner likes paying a substantial percentage of their revenue to an eCommerce platform, right? Shopify has a preset commission structure that is a little more expensive than the market average.

You are required to pay a monthly fee of $29 if you subscribe to the basic Shopify plan to build your store. On top of that, you have to pay 2.9% of the transaction value plus an additional $0.30 for every transaction made through your store. The fee structure is pricier than what other online eCommerce store builders charge, and it’s a serious drawback.

2. Limited scaling opportunity

Every eCommerce business owner aspires to scale their business to the highest possible threshold. But Shopify is definitely not the best option to stick to in that case.

The basic Shopify plan provides you with limited scaling features and functionalities that are favorable for small businesses. If you want your eCommerce business to take off to an impressive height, you need to go the extra mile in terms of scaling. That’s nearly impossible with Shopify’s basic plan. You will have to upgrade to Shopify Plus to unlock significant scaling features, which is not affordable for every business founder.

3. Limitations of customization

Customization is the secret sauce behind an eCommerce business’s success. Be it item customization, or theme customization, Shopify has set boundaries that you can’t go beyond. You don’t get the complete creative freedom to make your store look distinctive when you’re building your eCommerce store with Shopify.

Also, you can barely customize your product campaigns as per your expectations with Shopify. Plus, Shopify’s 100-variant limit for product customization doesn’t make much sense. In fact, limited customizations can become a barrier to your store’s scaling.

4. Payment gateway lock-in

Third-party payment gateways tend to lock in when you’ve built your eCommerce store with Shopify. In such scenarios, transactions can’t be completed, causing a significant loss to your business operations.

Alternatives to Shopify

Though Shopify towers over other eCommerce platforms, some other platforms have been creating buzz lately too. Let’s explore some of the best alternatives to Shopify.

1. Magento

Being an open-source eCommerce platform, Magneto has an edge over its competitors. Magneto enables you to add special features to your store by installing plug-ins seamlessly.

Even if you own multiple eCommerce stores, Magneto’s single admin panel allows you to manage all your stores simultaneously. Magneto is also an exceptional choice for mobile commerce, and it’s super easy to integrate third-party services into your store when you’re using Magneto’s services.

2. BigCommerce

If you want your eCommerce store to be backed by a lightning-fast API, head to BigCommerce. In addition to that, the platform ensures 99% uptime, which is also a convenient reason to choose it over others.

Also, you unlock your access to a vast variety of applications as you opt for BigCommerce, and incorporating these apps into your eCommerce business will catalyze your growth.

3. Wix

Wix is the best bet for those who are not into technical aspects. You can set up an eCommerce store with Wix with very little technical knowledge, and that’s its best part. In addition, Wix lets you create a unique design for your store from scratch. With Wix, the mobile version of your store becomes more functional and responsive, increasing the conversion ratio indirectly.

4. WooCommerce

WooCommerce has the potential to upscale your game with its real-time analytics and proficient developer community. The platform promises to offer you something more than you expected.

Most importantly, the competitive pricing of WooCommerce makes it superior to other options out there. Being a modular platform, WooCommerce lets you push the growth limits of your business by integrating handy plug-ins and features. Lastly, the content management tools that come with WooCommerce are on point, and they do half your job.

How to Choose the Right eCommerce Platform for Your Business

We empathize that it’s difficult to pick a particular platform among several options to build your eCommerce store. The following points will make your decisions more confident, for sure.

1. Assessment of business needs

Not all eCommerce businesses are identical, and business owners must identify the specific needs of their businesses. The features required for a tech gear store are bound to be different from the requirements of a supplement store, right? So, examine the specific requirements of your store and select an eCommerce platform that provides all the necessary features.

2. Cost Comparison

The prices charged by different eCommerce platforms must be a pivotal factor in your decision. Make sure that you compare the charges of different eCommerce platforms. You need to pick a platform that fits your budget and offers value for its fees.

3. Evaluate the current eCommerce solutions

Keeping your store up-to-date is the only solution for long-term sustenance in the eCommerce industry. Follow up on the concurrent eCommerce trends and check whether your preferred eCommerce platform offers all the necessary features or not. Make your decisions based only on that.

4. Long-term scalability

It’s wise to rely on an eCommerce platform that offers the flexibility to scale in the long term. Most eCommerce platforms provide users with limited scalability features, and they are not good fits in the long run.

Conclusion

Shopify is definitely a pioneering eCommerce platform, but not the ultimate one. If you wish to stretch your limits beyond the conventions of eCommerce, you must look beyond Shopify. At Intuz, our experts aim to comprehend what sort of eCommerce solutions you require and assist you accordingly.

While building your first-ever eCommerce store, a blend of innovativeness and sustenance is what you should seek. This blog has educated you on shortlisting the most suitable eCommerce platforms for your business while introducing you to some buzzing names in the eCommerce industry. Now, make your call wisely based on your aspirations and business requirements.