Look, here’s the thing about starting an online store in 2024 – it’s absolutely wild out there! Like, seriously wild. I’ve been in this game for years (built my first store back when MySpace was still a thing, if that tells you anything), and honestly? The options we have now are both amazing and completely overwhelming. It’s like walking into one of those massive candy stores – you know the ones, where you’re excited but also kind of paralyzed by all the choices?
But hey – let’s break this down into something actually useful, yeah?
Shopify: The 800-pound Gorilla That… Actually Works?
Ok so here’s the deal with Shopify – everyone and their grandmother recommends it, which usually makes me suspicious (like those “life-changing” air fryers everyone won’t shut up about… though I did eventually buy one and, well, that’s another story). But Shopify actually deserves the hype, mostly.
What’s Good:
– Stupid-easy to set up (like, seriously – if you can use Instagram, you can use Shopify)
– The app store is MASSIVE (though watch out – those $15/month apps add up FAST)
– Customer support that actually… supports? Wild concept, I know
The Not-So-Good:
Transaction fees that’ll make you wince – especially if you’re not using Shopify Payments. But hey, that’s the price of convenience, right? (Though sometimes I miss the good old days of just setting up a PayPal button and calling it a day…)
WooCommerce: For When You’re Feeling Brave
-Let me tell you a story about WooCommerce… Actually, no – first, grab a coffee. You’ll need it.
WooCommerce is like that project car sitting in your garage – infinite potential, but you better LOVE tinkering. It’s free! (But also not really free, if you know what I mean). You’ll need:
– Hosting (please, for the love of all things holy, don’t go with the cheapest option)
– Some plugins (maybe a lot of plugins… ok definitely a lot of plugins)
– Either coding skills or the patience to watch 47 YouTube tutorials
But when it works? *chef’s kiss* It’s beautiful. And you own everything – no monthly fees eating into your margins.
BigCommerce: The Dark Horse That’s Actually Pretty Bright
Can we talk about BigCommerce for a sec? Because – and I might be a bit obsessed here – it’s like they took everything annoying about other platforms and just… fixed it?
The Good Stuff:
– Built-in features that would cost you an arm and leg in Shopify apps
– No transaction fees (!!!)
– B2B features that actually make sense (looking at you, Shopify B2B…)
But (there’s always a but) – it’s not cheap. Like, “maybe I should skip a few lattes” not cheap. Though tbh, those lattes aren’t helping your business anyway… probably… maybe… (I say as I sip my third coffee of the day)
Squarespace: Pretty. So Pretty.
Listen – sometimes you just want things to look good. Like, REALLY good. Without spending 3 days adjusting padding by 1px at a time. That’s Squarespace.
It’s perfect if:
– You’re selling art/photography/anything visual
– You want people to go “ooooh” when they visit your site
– You have a small-ish inventory (trust me on this one)
It’s not great if:
– You need complex features
– You’re planning to scale to thousands of products
– You enjoy customizing every… single… thing (you know who you are)
The Extra Stuff You Actually Need
Ok, real talk – the platform is just the beginning. You also need:
Klaviyo for emails (expensive but worth it – like that fancy coffee machine you justified buying during lockdown)
Google Analytics (free! finally something’s free!)
Hotjar (because wondering why people aren’t buying is so 2023)
And here’s a hot take – you probably need WAY fewer tools than you think. I’ve seen stores doing $1M+ running on basically Shopify + Klaviyo + a prayer. Keep it simple, seriously.
Final Thoughts (Or: What I Wish Someone Had Told Me)
Look, here’s the truth – any of these platforms CAN work. The secret sauce isn’t in the platform – it’s in what you do with it. I’ve seen gorgeous WooCommerce stores and ugly Squarespace ones (which is actually impressive). I’ve seen Shopify stores making bank and others that haven’t seen a sale since… ever.
Pick something and start. You can always change later (it’ll be a pain, but everything in e-commerce is a pain sometimes).
And remember – everyone saying they know EXACTLY what you should do? They’re probably trying to sell you something. Including me! (Except I’m not selling anything, just sharing war stories from the e-commerce trenches…)
Now go forth and sell stuff on the internet! And if anyone asks – yes, you definitely need another app for that. (That’s a joke – you probably don’t. But you’ll install it anyway. We all do.)
P.S. – If any of this helped, cool! If not… well, there’s always dropshipping, right? (Please don’t @ me for that one…)