Nowadays, creating an online store is relatively easy. You just have to know how to choose the right platform to create it.
When we have an e-commerce project in mind, we want it to be good, an eye-catching, beautiful website, with all the necessary features.
Regardless of that, we cannot forget our ultimate goal is to reach the top and generate a desired profit. And to achieve this, it is recommendable to create an ecommerce with the best platform that suits the needs of the product or service your business is offering.
If you want to create an ecommerce, but still do not know what platform to choose, read on.
Nowadays, two of the best platforms to do this are PrestaShop or Shopify.
Both platforms contain excellent tools with the necessary features to start a successful ecommerce. However, each platform has unique and particular characteristics useful for different business needs.
We will now explain the differences between the two and break down how to create a Shopify store and how to do it with PrestaShop.
We will talk about its main characteristics to determine which platform is better suited for your business.
PrestaShop
This platform is totally free, with no monthly fees or commissions. It can be customized and adjusted to your needs since it is a very flexible software besides having the best SEO in the industry. These are a few of the characteristics of Prestashop:
-
It has a community of 1,000,000 users and translates the content of your ecommerce into 75 languages.
-
PrestaShop has an open source system, which allows us to download, install and set up our ecommerce for free.
-
Another advantage is that with PrestaShop you can manage your customers and purchases.
-
It also allows you to manage payments and catalogs and has advanced statistics of your online store.
-
In addition, you are able to manage the marketing of your ecommerce with promotions and special operations.
Shopify
This platform consists of more than one million active users and generated sales. Meaning this is one of the favorite platforms for entrepreneurs around the world. These are a few of the characteristics of Shopify:
-
Its software offers 100 different templates. Also, Its control panel is quite complex and very functional.
-
The support service of this platform is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A plus point in case any problem or doubt arises.
-
With Shopify, it is possible to customize each element of the store in a very simple and practical way.
-
You can receive payments in up to 70 different currencies and you have the ideal tools to manage your online business.
-
It also offers a 14-day free trial period, the software isn’t free.
Prestashop vs Shopify comparison
After listing some advantages of each platform we will make a brief summary comparing both software.
-
For better SEO, PrestaShop facilitates better ecommerce positioning while Shopify is less flexible.
-
PrestaShop allows for easier modifications and customizations thanks to its open source while it is more difficult to make modifications with Shopify.
-
The Shopify platform has a monthly cost depending on the plan contracted, while PrestaShop is a free software (you only have to pay a small amount for the hosting concept).
-
Both platforms have an excellent customer support service. But it is important to note that, in Shopify, in addition to its great phone customer service, they have an online chat available 24 hours a day.
-
Shopify offers up to 252 authorized marketing platforms while PrestaShop only has 54.
Both Shopify and PrestaShop are ideal tools for entrepreneurs venturing into the world of ecommerce for the first time. Depending on your budget and specific business needs you may choose one platform over the other.