Shopify has been well known to be one of the most supreme website builders today. With a closer inspection, it might not be the best platform for you.
One alternative for smaller businesses is the latest addition to ecommerce, SureCart. This latest offering provides essential elements designed for smaller businesses. Let’s tell you more about both, and let you decide for yourself which one is best.
Shopify Explained
Shopify is a web application that lets you design your very own online store. In it you will find a massive variety of themes you can modify to fall in line with the necessities of your own brand. Shopify lets you sell both digital and physical goods online.
If youre new to selling online, Shopify is convenient as it helps new entrepreneurs build a website from scratch- even if they aren’t very tech savvy.
For the tech gurus, Shopify can also be used by developers. Yep, you will be able to get access to CSS, HTML and Shopify’s own template language- affectionately known as liquid.
How does Shopify work?
Shopify runs on its own servers. You won’t need to buy web hosting of any kind no do you need to any software to make use of it.
You simply create and organize your Shopify store using a web browser. You will be able to run your online store from anywhere at any place if you have access to the internet.
Shopify’s key function is to give you the cornerstone you need to build an online store. This includes:
- templates
- a payment processor
- an informative blog
- email marketing tools
With Shopify you can upgrade your online store expansively by adding useful apps or making use of personalised coding.
Also just remember that you don’t own a copy of Shopify, you have to pay a pay a monthly fee to use it.
Shopify- Why it’s good
Before telling you about the alternative, let’s look at some the reason why Shopify is still cool.
- It’s easy to use.
- The templates are striking and completely responsive even on a mobile.
- It’s a fantastic basis for entrepreneurs who are interested in dropshipping.
- Its programmed tax calculation devices are clever and complex. Saving you time to focus on business
- You can trade using multiple currencies
- With Shopify you will be able to generate multiple versions of your site in as many as 20 languages.
- Shopify’s Starter plan has a ‘Buy Button’. What this does is allow you to use Shopify to add a shopping cart conveniently to any website or online business.
- It is fully equipped with an email marketing tool. This gives you the means to send as many as 10,000 emails per month.
- The POS options are easy to understand.
The design and use of product categories are properly thought out.
- You can expand Shopify’s main roles effortlessly because of a massive variety of third-party apps. Some are free and some charge a fee.
- Their SEO features are great.
- You can create Accelerated Mobile Pages of your product pages. Although this will probably be possible with extra cost of a third-party app.
- Apart from their ‘Starter’ plan, there are no transaction fees. Shopify also has its own fully equipped payment administering system- Shopify Payments.
- You also have the option of using multiple external payment gateways.
- Shopify allows you to try it for free, and without giving out your credit card details. If you don’t like it you can simply opt out.
- If you decide to pay annually, Shopify offers reasonable pricing for this.
Seeing that Shopify has so many benefits, it’s hard to imagine that it has another contender. In comes SureCart.
SureCart Explained
If you have been battling with ecommerce platforms that have complicated setups, weak execution, only to get results that are just “ugh”, then SureCart may be your best solution.
The usual ecommerce plugins for WordPress have all been created many moons ago. They are outdated, they are unnecessarily difficult.
Most of them also need add-ons for important elements.
Not only can they cost an arm and a leg, but they can also slow down your website.
With SureCart, you have a convenient and prevailing ecommerce platform aimed at expanding your business through easy online commerce trading.
It is Different
SureCart is a whole new machine when compared to other WordPress ecommerce plugins. Here is why this new platform is different.
Platform Based
SureCart is dissected into two pieces. Firstly, is the platform, which functions as the Ecommerce engine. Then there is the plugin.
The platform was created from similar technology used on Shopify, Basecamp, GitHub, Twitter, Stripe. When it comes to the plugin, it links to the platform instantaneously. This takes a big load away from your website and on their platform.
SureCart is more effective than other platforms as you don’t have to deal with loading time on your website. It won’t put pressure on your product database. SureCart’s secret business life saver here is that you get peace of mind because when it comes to security, storing information, and backups.
Is It for You?
SureCart is idyllically well-matched for the selling of non-physical goods. This includes online courses, memberships, subscriptions, selling services, selling event tickets, accepting donations, and selling digital downloads.
Nevertheless, you will still be able to sell physical products- SureCart is currently in its beta phase and aims to be fully operational in 2023.
As stated on their website “we have merchants selling physical goods currently, but we have yet to launch some essential features for selling physical goods.
These are inventory control, shipping calculations, and country buying restrictions. These are planned by the end of the year.”
SureCart Features
Below we have listed the best reasons why SureCart is an ideal ecommerce platform for everyone.
Multiple Payment Processors
You will be able to get payments easily through Stripe or PayPal. SureCart also allows you to use several processors on one checkout form. Additionally, you also have the option of using ApplePay or GooglePay. The platform is working on adding other gateways such as Square, PayStack and Mollie.
Diverse Payment Possibilities
Once off payments, subscriptions, instalments, pay what you want and even donations. SureCart has your back in the many ways you want to be paid, and its totally free.
Unique Subscription Payments
When it comes to subscriptions, SureCart’s subscription engine is beyond comparison. Using their widespread subscription payment options you will be able to sell your subscriptions in any way you see fit.
What makes it a little more appealing than other ecommerce platforms is that it offers proportional upgrades or downgrades. Whether your business offers a regular monthly or yearly subscription, and your buyer wants to upgrade, SureCart can divide the upgrade.
DIY Customer Section
The customizable customer section gives you total control over what a customer can see and do. You can allow them to change their personal information, password, access secure digital downloads, upgrade a subscription, downgrade a subscription and more.
Building Customized Forms
Create as many custom forms as you like. There is no other ecommerce platform gives you this much freedom. Just drag and drop your fields, price choosers, donation choosers, check boxes, and other elements to design the perfect checkout form.
Coupon Discounts:
Rewarding buyers with a coupon discount is one of the best ways to boost your sales revenue. You can effortlessly design unlimited coupons as well as add coupons with a URL restriction.
Reliable Digital File Distribution
If you are marketing digital downloads, SureCart will be perfect fpr you. This could be software, music, ebooks and more. SureCart can transfer these digital items safely to your customers.
Slide-out Cart
SureCart’s eye-catching and rapidly responsive slide-out cart is perfect for businesses who want to sell their products or services by using a traditional cart. This allows your customers to add items, buy them and then checkout.
Comprehensive EU Compliance
If you are considering relocating your business from South Africa to Europe, bear in mind that the EU have very stern requirements when it comes to VAT. They take into consideration how you display the prices that include VAT, information shown on invoices, the manner in which your invoices should be numbered and loads more. Fortunately, by using SureCart, you will be covered with their Vat and Sales systems.
Integration
One of the biggest selling points of an ecommerce platform is how it integrates with other plugins and external platforms. SureCart gives integrations with multiple WordPress plugins. For this reason alone, we absolutely love it for all ecommerce purposes.
All-in-one Scaling Solution
SureCart is platform based, so should you get a flood of new customers, there is no need to panic. They take care of the scaling for you with their useful servers.
Real-time VAT & Sales Tax Calculations
While ecommerce platforms let you mix with pricey tax calculation services. This can possibly cost you an arm, legs and perhaps an eye or both. This isn’t the case with SureCart. This platform is completely integrated with TaxJar and they pay for the calculations.
Conclusion
If you need to sell bucketloads of products, Shopify is a great option, but for fewer items, SureCart is the best option because it allows you to do a lot of things compared to Shopify.
SureCart is the Ecommerce platform we see a lot of potential in. It delivers a jam packed Ecommerce experience with everything needed for today’s online business dealings.
