Shopify has many thousands of customers, and most are very probably happy. But Shopify isn’t for everyone. Many disgruntled Shopify users are complaining on Reddit, and their customers’ comments on Trustpilot are brutal.
So, who is Shopify good for?
Shopify offers a low price at the entry level.
- It’s good for small businesses, especially those with a modest turnover.
- Also those businesses—usually enterprise-sized—who want to work with a well-known brand.
- Businesses that have deep pockets and a desire to spend.
Referencing Trustpilot, another reason enterprise businesses suit Shopify is they likely will have their own support team, so less need to experience Shopify’s customer service.
Which business might not suit Shopify?
- All businesses sized in between tiny and enterprise.
- Every business that cares about the customer service they receive
- Any which is even slightly complex.
- Businesses frustrated by the less-than-transparent percentage of turnover they have to give away.
- B2B wholesale businesses unhappy paying huge fees of Shopify Plus.
On Reddit, some complaints are from businesses that might differ slightly from the standard. If we use the ice cream analogy, vanilla suits Shopify, but other flavours, less so. Shopify works for them for a while until they realise they want something more flexible.
What to you do? What are the Shopify alternatives? BigCommerce & Magento?
If you dislike excessive fees and the difficulty and costs of customisation, then BigCommerce and Adobe eCommerce (Magento’s new name) aren’t going to cut it. They have similar pros and cons to Shopify, although the customer service reviews are more mixed and not as bad.
You could go the open-source route, but that requires a lot of ongoing technical work; otherwise, security is compromised.
Might I then suggest Uptivity’s JustSell e-commerce platform?
Fully disclosure: I work for Uptivity, and if you haven’t guessed already, we have an alternative to Shopify.
Our e-commerce platform, JustSell, is focused on B2B and its price is a fraction of that of Shopify Plus (and others).
How can JustSell be so much cheaper? Our costs are North of England rather than Silicon Valley, California. But also they are big, well-known brands; they can charge high fees because enough businesses will pay.
Since Uptivity’s inception, our primary focus has been on customer service. That and flexibility are our superpowers. We don’t use bots for support. You email or call, and you’re connected to someone who understands your issue and can often give a solution there and then.
We don’t have a big name or a well-known brand, but we can offer unparalleled support and reasonable-cost customisation.
Going back to the ice cream analogy, if your business is cookies and cream, Italian gelato, Haagan Dazs, or Ben & Gerry’s….. you need to look at JustSell seriously. Even vanilla businesses that need support occasionally should at least consider JustSell.
Book a demo and see what’s on offer. If you visit our office in Newcastle, we’ll save you an ice cream.
