According to W3Techs, WordPress now powers about 30 percent of the web with that number increasing every day. It is not only the most popular CMS on the web, but it is also the most versatile.
With plugins such as WooCommerce, you can turn any website into a full-fledged ecommerce powerhouse able to stand up to platforms like Magento and PrestaShop.
For selling products on auction, showcasing brands, or setting dynamic pricing, all you need is a plugin. Anyone can build an amazing ecoomerce store using WordPress and start making money.
In WordPress, you will find thousands of plugins that are developed to solve the problems you are facing in managing and operating an online store.
A quick comparison with other eCommerce platforms
There are many options when building an online store. The two most prominent being Magento and PrestaShop. This comparison proves WordPress is all you need.
Magento, PrestaShop, Shopify, and BigCommerce
It is true that WordPress cannot stand alone, you’ll need plugins such as WooCommerce. But the CMS is incredibly scalable and most importantly, easy to learn. Though Magento is also a powerful platform, it’s not exactly beginner-friendly. You’ll need to do take some courses or hire a developer to really get the most out of Magento. WordPress has a much smaller barrier to entry, allowing anyone to start an online store.
PrestaShop is also a prestigious name but it comes with a cost. WordPress is free to begin and offers countless free plugins and themes.
Ecommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce are worth-mentioning alternatives to selling products online. These platforms offer integrated hosting with a limited functionality and customization options. And, the merchants have to incur monthly maintenance fee as well, which you won’t have if you’re using WooCommerce.
Overall, WordPress is cheaper, easier to use, and more customizable than any of the other options.
Can WordPress make other eCommerce platforms obsolete?
The rapid changes in technology and merchants’ behavior are among the primary factors that decide which platform is going remain a favorable alternative. But, WordPress has the potential to lead the ecommerce industry.
Following are some of the reasons that can dominate WordPress eCommerce and make the rest of the platforms obsolete.
WordPress is free and doesn’t have a recurring fee
The hosted ecommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce charge set up cost, a monthly maintenance, and take a percentage of transactions as well. They maintain everything on your behalf, which is a way too expensive for a small to medium size enterprise.
On the other hand, setting a WordPress site and installing WooCommerce is a one time cost. You hire the services of an expert to set up the store and make customization and save all the money a hosted platform can deduct from your earnings.
Open source with extensive community support
Magento and PrestaShop are also reliable open source ecommerce platforms, but WordPress is backed by a vast and active community of developers. Whether you need to fix an issue, add a function or customize a theme or extension, you have an extensive community to turn to.
The hosted platforms completely fail in personalizing your website. For example, to list a product in Shopify, you only have three attributes; color, size, and material. And, if you want to add another attribute, you have no option at all. It limits describing your product on the landing page.
With WordPress, you can create anything you want for your site. Connect with people through Slack and social media and get your questions answered while making a friend. There is no other community like it.
Hundreds of thousands of plugins and themes
The great community of developers has made available a vast pool of amazing themes and useful plugins. It gives you complete freedom to expand your business or add enticing features. The beginners can install free versions and opt to have a paid version if it fulfills their requirements.
The availability of so many plugins and tools makes WordPress a scalable platform. For example, if you need to sell prominent brands and allow users to search different products by its manufacturers, a simple can do the whole task. You no longer need to modify the entire code of your website.
Like we mentioned above, WooCommerce is an incredibly powerful plugin that gives you everything you need to create a compelling online store. You can make it even better by employing add-ons such as the Dynamic price WooCommerce expansion, which allows a merchant to allow discounts on the basis of the quantity or amount of product selected by a user.
WordPress has all the security measures intact
WordPress is trusted worldwide by millions just because it offers sufficient measures to secure your ecommerce website. Hackers try different techniques. And, for them, it is always a challenge to hack a website which can be of WordPress or any other platform. But, WordPress ensures unbreakable security through SSL certificates and security plugins.
All your data is safe until you meet the basic security requirements, which includes following the protocols and installing one of the reliable extensions for deterring the malicious attacks. The community also ensures the safety of the platform. Anyone can report a vulnerability, which means there are thousands of watch-dogs at any moment.
Conclusion
A WordPress user always has the option to retain a simple website or turn it into an online store. This is one of the competitive factors that encourage customers to adopt WordPress to start with as low as they need, and expand as they grow. Other platforms just don’t allow for the same options as WordPress. We will soon see it take over the ecommerce market.
Zeeshan Khalid
Zeeshan Khalid is a Web Architect, an eCommerce Specialist and an Entrepreneur. He is the CEO and founder of FME Extensions, a leading e-commerce web design and development agency. Over the years, FME Extensions has successfully delivered projects in Magento, WordPress, WooCommerce, Joomla and other CMS/shopping cart platforms. You can find him on the LinkedIn.
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