An online store is a great place to sell your products or services and grow a market share. Whether you’re starting or have an existing business, investing in a reputable eCommerce platform could help boost the business’s reputation and appearance, and WooCommerce is one of them. However, there are some concerns that WooCommerce could be too much for an online store, especially new ones, and it’s fair if we address this.
WooCommerce is a great eCommerce platform with anything you need to run an online store. It’s suited more to a bigger online store that requires more functionality and has more products. However, it’s too much for a smaller online store selling fewer products and requires basic functionalities.
This article will look at WooCommerce in detail and highlight why it’s better suited for online stores that require a lot of customization and why it might not be ideal for a small business. After reading the article, you’ll understand why WooCommerce is good or not ideal for your online store.
Is WooCommerce too Much for your Online Store?
E-commerce has been experiencing a steady growth in the last decade, with the market generating Trillions of dollars in revenue, with the market expected to grow even further. Many people have seen the potential and opportunities that eCommerce can bring, which has resulted in hundreds of thousands of eCommerce stores opening up.
WooCommerce has seen its fortunes rise with the growing demand for online stores, as it offers almost everything an online store requires. However, there are some concerns that it might be too much for an ordinary online store, and it would be beneficial if we solved this debate.
Many believe that WooCommerce is suited for bigger eCommerce stores that have multiple products and require more functionality than smaller stores selling fewer products.
Why WooCommerce is Great for Bigger Stores
Anyone who has used WooCommerce knows how powerful and compact the platform is, making it perfect for bigger online stores. Additionally, other features make it stand out, and they include:
- Great Flexibility – an eCommerce platform should be flexible to allow selling different products, regardless of your niche. You can use WooCommerce to sell physical products or downloadable products. You can also use it to sell Amazon affiliate products.
- Unlimited Customization – you can edit the platform to give it a distinctive look, making it unique. You can choose from a plethora of themes or customize existing ones to improve the store’s look. You also don’t need to know HTML or CSS to make it work.
- Better Security – the developers work around the clock to improve the platform’s security to reduce cyber-attacks. You can also add other security plugins to scan the site and remove any malware, helping to keep the clients’ information safe.
- Secure Payment Systems – take advantage of integrated payment systems like PayPal and Stripe that keep your client’s information confidential.
- Multiple Functionality – besides serving as an eCommerce platform, you can also use it as a blog, which helps to bring in more traffic through social media or search engines. However, this function is optional.
WooCommerce was created to solve complex eCommerce problems such as listing multiple products and allowing any business to scale up to any level. However, this hasn’t stopped smaller businesses from using the platform to create online stores, which perform well in the market, but is it suited for such stores?
Why WooCommerce is too much for Smaller Online Stores
A smaller online store sells mostly less than five products, and using WooCommerce to build and maintain such a store might not be the right decision. There’s the load speed to consider, given how heavy WooCommerce can get, but besides that, here are other reasons to reconsider using WooCommerce for smaller online stores:
- Too Many Plugins – WooCommerce relies on plugins to run smoothly, and it’s common to have over ten plugins to cover everything an online store requires. Some plugins are free, but the best are premium, which might add running costs.
- Too Much Work – customizing the WooCommerce platform to fit your needs can be exhausting, especially for someone new to the platform. There’s also the maintenance work, especially given the platform doesn’t have automatic backup options.
- A WordPress Plugin – unfortunately, WooCommerce is not a stand-alone platform but a WordPress plugin that you must install and customize. WordPress plugins struggle with bugs, which is not something you want for an online store.
- Too Much Technical Work – you’ll have to set up and handle everything, from the contact form, autoresponder, and customer support, which is a lot of work for a smaller online store.
- Added Cost – the only way for WooCommerce to function well is by buying themes, additional plugins, and a security package that could add to the total cost of a smaller online store.
Although it might sound a handful for a small online store, it’s always best to get familiar with it, as it offers more functions compared to many similar platforms.
WooCommerce Alternatives Worth a Mention
Using WooCommerce is a great way of getting into the eCommerce business, but it’s not the only option available. Some platforms offer similar and even more features than WooCommerce to make them worth a mention, and they include:
Shopify
It’s probably a majority’s favorite given the ease of use, unlimited customization, and compatibility with other platforms like Amazon. Shopify is also affordable and should be mentioned next to WooCommerce.
BigCommerce
It’s the closest WooCommerce competitor and offers similar features. However, BigCommerce is not very easy to use and requires a bit of a learning curve. Design flexibility is also an area it lacks.
Final Thoughts
WooCommerce is an outstanding eCommerce platform that allows you to start, run, and maintain an online store. However, it’s more suited to huge online stores due to much functionality that is not useful to small online stores. Even so, using the platform has many benefits, including added security and customization.
