People who want to set up an online store often choose either GoDaddy or Shopify. Both have pros and cons, so you need to pick the one that works best for you. Here’s a quick look at the two platforms to help you decide which one to choose.
The basics of Shopify vs. GoDaddy
Shopify is a complete eCommerce platform that gives you everything you need to set up and run your store, such as hosting, design templates, and payment processing. It’s easy to use and can grow with your business because it’s scalable.
On the other hand, it can be pricey, especially if you need to use third-party apps to make it do more. Shopify is one of the most well-known eCommerce platforms. It now has more than 600,000 online stores and more than 1.2 million registered users, which are impressive numbers for a great platform.
GoDaddy does more than just host and design websites; it also helps people build strong eCommerce businesses. With an ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence), you can create online shops in minutes by answering a few simple questions about your eCommerce needs.
We know it’s hard to decide which platform is best for your eCommerce goals, since they’re both great and have their own pros and cons. At dropship-empire, we’re here to help, so we’ve done our own research on each platform to make it easier for you to choose.
Shopify and GoDaddy’s pros and cons
The pros and cons of Shopify
Shopify is the best eCommerce platform because it has an easy-to-use inventory system and lets you sell on other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. But compared to its competitors, Shopify’s trial period is very short, and you’ll have to pay transaction costs if you don’t use Shopify Payments as your payment gateway.
The pros and cons of GoDaddy
GoDaddy uses ADI to set up online shops quickly. It’s a simple and quick way to do things. It also works with a wide range of businesses, which makes it a good choice for almost any eCommerce project. On the other hand, some of GoDaddy’s features aren’t as good as they could be, and you can’t sell digital goods.
Shopify vs. GoDaddy: The Whole Story
Designs that can be changed easily
Shopify
Shopify has more than 60 themes, and each one was made by an independent designer. The premium themes cost between $100 and $180, but there are nine free themes to choose from if you’re on a tight budget.
In terms of how they work, Shopify’s themes have a product zoom feature that makes shopping more interesting for visitors. The layouts also have a shopping cart icon in the top right corner, which shows that they are easy to use.
GoDaddy
About 1,500 different types of industry-specific websites can be made with the ADI from GoDaddy. There are about 19 theme options for each industry it serves. However, once your site is made, you won’t have much room for creativity.
Last but not least, both platforms have themes that work well on smartphones. This means that your online shop will change size to fit any screen size, making sure it looks good on all devices. It’s important to note that making your website accessible to people with disabilities takes a lot of work on both platforms. To make your Shopify store ADA-friendly, you’ll need to connect it to solutions like accessible.
Costs and ways to pay
By giving people more ways to pay, you can sell to more people and make more money. As you can see, it’s important that the platform you choose has many ways to pay and low transaction costs.
Shopify lets you pay in a lot of different ways. Some of the gateways it works with are PayPal, Stripe, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, and even cryptocurrencies and cash on delivery.
But Shopify doesn’t cover as much when it comes to transaction costs. Unless you use Shopify Payments, the platform’s own payment gateway, all payment channels require you to pay transaction fees. When you use Shopify Payments, all you have to do is pay the standard credit card rates of the credit card company.
Another area where GoDaddy does well is this one. It lets people pay using PayPal, Stripe, and Square, as well as Apple Pay through Stripe. GoDaddy, on the other hand, makes up for it by not charging any fees for any kind of payment. As with Shopify Payments, the only cost you’ll have to pay is the standard credit card fee, which is about 2.2% of each transaction.
Price
When starting an eCommerce business, it’s important to think about how much it will cost to run the platform. Do the prices of Shopify’s plans work with your budget? Will you be better off with GoDaddy? Let’s check it out.
- Simple – $29 per month
- $79 a month for Shopify
- Advance $299 per month for Shopify
Look at the chart to see what comes with each pricing plan. Overall, Shopify is a great option that gives you a lot for your money because it has some of the best eCommerce tools and customer service. ShopifyPlus, a customized plan option that can only be gotten through a quote, should also be mentioned.
GoDaddy is a lot easier to understand when it comes to pricing than Shopify. There is only one package for eCommerce, and it costs $24.99 per month. This pricing plan makes it easy to make a budget, but it doesn’t have enough sales-specific features, like bulk product imports or analytics, to be as good a deal as Shopify.
Simple to Use
A business takes a lot of hard work from a lot of people. Putting together an online shop shouldn’t seem like one more thing to do on top of bills, client pitches, and other tasks.
Isn’t it true that Shopify wouldn’t be as popular if it was hard to use? Shopify is easy to use because it only takes a few clicks to sign up for a free trial, the drag-and-drop design makes it easy to set up your shop, and there are many visual clues to help you from the beginning to the end. But it’s not as good as GoDaddy.
GoDaddy wins when it comes to how easy it is to use. Its ADI can make a full eCommerce shop in just a few minutes. All you have to do is answer a few questions about your business and industry, and you’ll get a website that’s ready to go.
But you should know that GoDaddy’s use of ADI limits your ability to be creative. Shopify gives you the tools you need to make your online store match the vision of your brand.
Devices and Options
The most used eCommerce platform is Shopify. It’s not surprising that it does well in this area because it has all the eCommerce features you need to easily sell, ship, and return items.
You can add as many products as you want to your Shopify store, and you can change things like color and size. It also has a tool to get customers who left your site without paying to come back and finish a transaction. This is very important, since 71% of US shoppers leave their carts at the checkout.
Refunds are an important part of running an online business, and Shopify has made the process easier. It works with a number of well-known shipping companies, such as USPS, DHL Express, UPS, and Canada Post. If you live in the US, you can print labels to make your mail more personal.
With eCommerce features, GoDaddy does a good job. Your GoDaddy online store can only have up to 5,000 items, and you can’t track customer participation or VAT costs.
A big reason why a lot of people like GoDaddy is because it sends automatic reminders to people who forget their carts. This is a useful feature because it lets you send customers automated emails that remind them to check out with the click of a button.
Help and Assistance
Customer service is an important part of building a successful eCommerce empire because it keeps your online store running, your sales coming in, and your customers happy. Which platform, though, is the best?
Shopify once again pulls out all the stops. It offers support by phone, live chat, email, and social media at all hours of the day and night. There is also a forum where people can help you with any problems. When you use Shopify, you’ll never be in the dark.
GoDaddy is another useful site. It’s one of the most helpful platforms out there, with features like online lessons, live chat support, and phone support that’s available 24 hours a day. It even has a customer service Twitter account. But it loses points because it doesn’t have live chat or technical support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Conclusion
It does better than GoDaddy in the eCommerce category because it has better features, better customer service, and more ways to pay that are approved. GoDaddy is a great eCommerce platform, but in some important ways, it’s not as good as Shopify.
People use Shopify because it’s easy to use and a great way to run a business. It’s the best choice for online businesses of any size. It comes with everything you need to build a successful eCommerce business.
GoDaddy is great for people who want to set up an online store quickly and don’t need many complicated sales tools. In the end, GoDaddy is a great option if you don’t have hours to spend building an online business.
So, now you know that Shopify is a great choice for almost every online store. It has the right mix of simplicity and sophistication in every way. Setting up a Shopify site is easy, and you can use some of the most advanced sales tools out there.
It’s also a successful platform that’s easy on the wallet, with a 14-day free trial and monthly costs that start at $29 per month.