The evolution of networks has seen new sales channels emerge and explode with growth. Over 80% of the globe buy something online at least once per month, and now sales driven by social media are in the hundreds of billions of dollars while being predicted to triple in the next couple of years.
The internet allows customers to research and compare products, and easily make a purchase, even from their mobile phone. Huge opportunities await for businesses who embrace the efficiencies of e-commerce and have the ability to out-compete other market players.
To successfully operate an e-commerce business in 2025, requires a well-thought-out digital strategy as part of the overall business plan. This means designing systems to support marketing, sales, logistics, and finance with as much automation as possible.
So much of this strategy is intertwined with the preferred e-commerce platform - of which the two major players are Shopify and Woocommerce. Both platforms have well-established third-party plugin libraries to extend functionality without large custom development costs and generally integrate with accounting and logistic services. Shopify and Woocommerce also work in a similar fashion, relying on 'Themes' which act as a template for your brand and overall customer experience.
Shopify offers complete out-of-the-box e-commerce functionality and is likely to be the best choice for businesses entirely focused on online sales. Powered by ‘Liquid’, a templating language unique to their platform, Shopify dynamically generates content to display in digital stores. It’s important to engage developers fluent in Shopify’s Liquid to handle technical aspects.
Shopify operates as a paid subscription with tier levels depending on overall site volume and customisation needs. Advanced features often require expensive subscriptions, making it less customisable than Woocommerce. However, Shopify provides a better customer experience and avoids security vulnerabilities common to Woocommerce.
Woocommerce is a free extension to WordPress and integrates seamlessly with the CMS that powers WordPress. This makes Woocommerce an excellent choice for blog or content-driven websites adding e-commerce functionality, particularly where SEO is critical.
Woocommerce relies on PHP to dynamically generate content and offers greater flexibility than Shopify. However, the out-of-the-box experience often requires significant customisation to improve aesthetics and usability. While Woocommerce can be operated at low cost, paid plugins are typically more expensive than those in Shopify.
For larger or more sophisticated operations, stock management, logistics, and accounting are crucial. In some cases, third-party tools provide needed functionality, but custom solutions may be required. Wallace Corporation specialises in integrating business platforms into cohesive ecosystems and building custom e-commerce solutions.
Any commerce business should strongly consider establishing themselves online to improve competitiveness and maximise sales. Shopify is the better choice for pure e-commerce businesses, while Woocommerce is ideal for hybrid-style businesses that heavily rely on content and SEO to drive traffic.
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