When it comes to starting an eCommerce business, the first thing you need to decide is where you’re going to sell your products. Two of the most popular choices are Shopify and Amazon.

Both platforms have their pros and cons, so it’s really just a matter of which method works best for your business.

Are you thinking about starting an eCommerce store and wondering which platform to use? Keep reading for an in-depth breakdown of both Shopify and Amazon.

Pros of Selling on Shopify

The first thing to note here is that you don’t really sell on Shopify. Rather, you sell products on your own website and use Shopify to facilitate the transactions.

Shopify is a sophisticated suite of eCommerce tools that can be easily installed on any website. It gives you the ability to list items, create product pages, set up shopping carts, and accept various payment methods.

Once your site is set up you’ll have your very own eCommerce store on your own domain.

There are a number of advantages of selling on Shopify:

  • Build Your Own Brand: Selling items on your own website allows you to build your brand much more effectively. When someone buys something from you on Amazon they’ll tell people they bought it on Amazon. But if someone buys something from your store they’ll say “I bought this from [Your Brand].”
  • Personalize Your Store: Because you’re selling on your own site you can make things look however you like. Shopify even offers a variety of themes which makes personalizing your store easy. When you sell on Amazon you have very little control over the look of your product listings.
  • Less Competition: When you drive people to your Shopify site you’re the only seller there, meaning you’ll get all the sales. However, when you’re selling on Amazon there are millions of other sellers competing against you. Even on your own product listings there are links and ads to other sellers’ pages.
  • Powerful eCommerce Tools: Their platform boasts a wide range of tools, including abandoned cart recovery, inventory systems, automatic tax calculation, a logo maker, multichannel selling, app integration, and more. All this allows you to build a sophisticated store that rivals any large company.
  • Easy to Use: Shopify is designed to be easy for everyone to use. Their interface and tools are very user-friendly. Even if you’re new to selling online it won’t take you long to learn how to get the most out of your Shopify store.

If you want to build your own store, or you already have an established brand and are looking for an easy way to sell online, Shopify is a great choice.

Pros of Selling on Amazon

Amazon is more than just an eCommerce platform. It’s a massive online marketplace. This means that when you sell on Amazon you don’t just get their tools and features, you also get access to their customers.

If you’ve ever shopped online then you’ve probably bought something on Amazon. The thing is, a lot of the time you’re not actually buying from Amazon, you’re purchasing from a third-party seller.

In order to further increase the number of products they offer, Amazon allows other eCommerce sellers to use their platform. This is a massive opportunity for entrepreneurs looking for a way to sell online.

Here are the advantages of selling on Amazon:

  • You Benefit From Amazon’s Brand: While it’s tough to build your own brand on the platform, the plus side is you’re able to take advantage of Amazon’s brand. People have a lot of trust in the company since they’re the world’s largest retailer. So, when you sell on Amazon customers are more likely to trust you as well.
  • Access to Large Amounts of Traffic: Amazon is one of the most popular sites on the internet. This makes marketing your items a lot easier. If you’re able to optimize your listings properly and take advantage of the platform’s advertising options you can drive a lot of traffic to your product pages.
  • Less Work: If you use Amazon’s FBA program then selling on the platform is extremely simple. Just send your inventory to one of their warehouses and they’ll store it for you, and when someone places an order they’ll ship it to the customer. This greatly reduces the amount of time and resources you need to run your business.
  • Lots of Helpful Tools: Amazon’s Seller Central provides you with everything you need to run your Amazon business. There are also plenty of third-party research tools that will help you identify the best things to sell on Amazon.
  • Easy to Use: Just like Shopify, Amazon is very user-friendly. Plus, with this strategy you don’t need to build your own site. Just sign up and create your product listings to start selling.

Amazon is a great choice for new sellers and those who don’t already have a large following. The site’s established brand and large amount of traffic also make it easier to build up your business quickly.

Differences Between Shopify and Amazon

As you can see, both Shopify and Amazon are excellent options for eCommerce sellers. However, they work very differently.

Some of the key differences to consider are:

  • Marketing: Shopify stores will require a larger marketing budget, since you won’t have an established traffic source to draw from. You’ll need to develop a solid SEO and advertising plan in order to build your customer base.
  • Support: Amazon support system consists of forms you can fill out and an online community you can ask questions in. But it can take time to receive answers. In comparison, Shopify offers robust support services, including 24/7 phone and live chat, a forum, and social media and email support. This could make it more appealing for sellers who want immediate access to support any time of day. Additionally, to create personalised services, you have got HulkApps Shopify Experts.
  • Price: Amazon offers an Individual plan with no monthly fee and a $0.99 referral fee, as well as a Professional Plan for $39.99 a month. Shopify has three plans: Basic Shopify ($29 per month), Shopify ($79 per month), and Advanced Shopify ($299 per month).

All in all, Amazon is geared more towards individual sellers and small businesses, whereas Shopify is more suited for larger companies and those that want to build their own brand. If you want to build your Shopify store just like Amazon, you can check out HulkApps Shopify theme customization service.

Conclusion

When it comes to eCommerce you really can’t go wrong with Shopify or Amazon. Analyze your business goals and choose the platform that works best for you.