which e-commerce platform is right for you?
Opening an online store and have NO idea what shop platform is going to work best for you? Feeling the pressure to get a website up and running for your product but not sure which is best for you?
Let’s help you sort through them.
I can’t cover allllll e-commerce platforms but I CAN tell you about my experience with 3 of the most popular shop platforms: Shopify, Etsy, and Squarespace.
Before I was designing websites, I spent years selling calligraphy goods online (prints, cards, etc.) and I jumped from platform to platform based on my needs for 5 years.
Let’s get into the pros and cons of each of them!
Etsy
(AKA the first platform I used!)
Pros:
Simple set up! No fancy design work - just good photos.
Low investment. You pay a small fee per listing but no subscription fees are necessary.
Etsy can bring you sales you wouldn’t receive otherwise - it’s a huge platform that a lot of people are searching for goods on! Most of the sales I got on Etsy were random people discovering me on the platform - people who had never heard of me before. (Hello simple marketing!)
Customizable shipping profiles by product type.
Cons:
Market saturation + a lot of competition. Your work can get lost in a sea of similar work and it’s easy for potential customers to get pulled out of your shop.
Stigma that Etsy is not professional. (We need to shed this because many successful small shops sell on Etsy - but it’s there!)
Etsy takes 3.5% from every sale you make. This can end up being a lot more expensive than subscription based services like Shopify + Squarespace if you’re rocking with the sales.
Difficult to get Etsy customers onto email list or social media platforms.
Limited ability to build a branded + customized store.
I recommend Etsy for:
Anyone just starting and needing to test out their product! The organic traffic Etsy brings that you don’t have to drum up yourself can be really beneficial for new makers! Setting up an Etsy shop is a lot simpler than a website like Shopify or Squarespace.
Squarespace
I opened a store on Squarespace because I needed a website anyways for my wedding calligraphy services + I wanted a “more professional” experience for my online store. I kept my Etsy shop open but didn’t advertise it at all and ONLY linked my Squarespace store on my social media + website.
Pros:
So much customization + design options! The world is your oyster with designing your Squarespace website/shop. You can create a really branded and professional experience for your customers.
Easy to build your email list or direct people to social media platforms.
Squarespace includes domains in annual subscriptions so you can have a URL like jenniferbianca.com instead of something like etsy.com/shop/ca/jenniferbianca.
Cons:
You have to bring all your own traffic to your website. This can be through good SEO (aka, your website pops up in search) or social media - but the work is all up to you!
Larger initial investment than a platform like Etsy.
This is a personal opinion but the back-end of the shop just feels really clunky. It’s hard to sort through orders and shipping profile options aren’t ideal.
I recommend Squarespace for:
Any service-based business who just happens to also sell some products. Squarespace is not primarily a STORE-platform so they’re back-end experience for shop owners is just too clunky if you’re selling a bunch of physical products IMO. It’s best for digital products or shops with a small selection of physical goods. Squarespace is excellent for telling potential clients who you are + sharing about your services though!
OR anyone for which design is extremely important. Definitely the best design options over here.
Shopify
Spoiler: My favourite shop platform. It’s the perfect option between Etsy + Squarespace in my opinion!
Pros:
Best back-end of all 3 of these options. Best experience for adding products, sorting through orders, creating shipping profiles, and ALL that good stuff.
More customization with the design than Etsy.
Easy to build an email list or direct customers to your social platforms.
Cons:
Less customization with the design than Squarespace.
Most expensive monthly fee.
Have to build all your own traffic to your shop.
I recommend Shopify for:
Any product-based business with a consistent customer-base. If you’ve got a lot of products and a strong clientele (as in, you don’t need Etsy to bring you random sales) Shopify is probably the best option for you!
Hopefully that helped you pick the right platform for you! Still not sure? Feel free to email me and explore this further!
