Disadvantages of Shopify
Whilst Shopify certainly does have it’s advantages, there are some disadvantages that need to be considered. We’ve outlined some of the disadvantages to Shopify, with one of the biggest call outs being the limited design aspects and customisability.
Con: You’re Limited in Terms of Design Customisation
Although Shopify does offer a wide range of themes, you are limited in terms of design customisation. If you want to make significant changes to the look and feel of your store, you will need to hire a designer to help you do so.
Depending on how complex your online store is, this may or may not be an issue. If you do need to hire a designer, though, ensure that you engage professional Shopify website designers if you wish to customise the finer details of your design.
A poorly designed site could deter potential customers from interacting with your brand. In a scenario like this, they might visit a competitor’s site instead and never look back.
A poorly designed Shopify website can also affect your search engine optimisation, something you should never overlook for your business. It is for that reason that you should engage an SEO expert even if it’s just to support you with your technical SEO and initial content strategy to ensure the best success.
Con: It Can Be Expensive
You need to pay a monthly fee in order to use it, and then you also need to pay for premium features that you want to use.
When handled correctly, this shouldn’t prove to be an issue because you can generate more revenue through the features that you purchase. Consider it an investment into the longevity of your eCommerce business.
Con: Payment Processing and Transaction Fees
Shopify charges a transaction fee for each sale that you make. This is a fee that you have to pay in order to use the Shopify platform.
The amount of this fee varies depending on the plan that you choose, but these fees can catch you by surprise if you don’t have a comprehensive understanding of how much you are paying.
Con: No Access to Email Hosting
Shopify does not include email hosting in its plans. You’ll have to find another provider if you want to set up an email address for your store.
Although this is a simple process, it’s another cost that you need to consider in your overall budget. For example, at the moment services such as Google email hosting will cost around $10 per month to host an email address that includes @yourdomain. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that using Shopify will take care of every miscellaneous expense.
Con: No Access to Marketing Automation
Unfortunately, Shopify does not offer marketing automation tools as part of their plans. This means that you need to find another provider like Mailchimp or pay a monthly fee for a Shopify app if you want to automate your marketing tasks.
Automation is one of the most important tools you can use when looking to scale your business. So, you should still take advantage of it even though this platform does not offer its own form of marketing automation.
