Outline
- Quick intro and who this article is for
- How to choose a platform — quick checklist
- Shopify — the easy route that feels pro
- WooCommerce — the DIY shop on your own terms
- Wix and Squarespace — pretty and simple
- BigCommerce — feature-rich without too much fuss
- Etsy and marketplaces — low barrier, different trade-offs
- Extras that matter — payments, shipping, marketing
- My pick by seller type and a short closing
Let’s get started.
Opening note — who are we talking to here? If you’ve ever felt equal parts excited and mildly terrified about selling online, you’re in good company. Maybe you make candles, or knit hats, or design vintage posters. Maybe you’re clearing out garage inventory. Whatever the case, you want a store that helps you sell without making you learn server admin or enter the twilight zone of plugin conflicts. You want something that works. Simple enough.
How to choose a platform — a quick checklist Let me explain what really matters when you’re just starting:
- Ease of use — can you set up a product and start selling today?
- Cost — monthly fees, transaction fees, theme costs
- Design — does it look like the brand you want?
- Payments and shipping — easy to connect to PayPal, Stripe, major carriers
- Growth path — can the platform grow with your store, or will you outgrow it fast?
- Support and community — do you get help when things break?
You don’t need everything perfect. But if the platform nails most of this, you’ll sleep better.
Shopify — the easy route that feels pro Shopify is often the first name people think of. And for good reason: it makes store setup fast. You get hosting, payment processing options, apps to add features, and a clean theme library. It’s like renting a well-decorated retail space where the lights already work.
Pros
- Fast to launch. You can have a product page in an afternoon.
- Built-in payments and checkout that reduce friction.
- Lots of apps for marketing, inventory, reviews, print-on-demand.
- Solid support and a big user community.
Cons
- Monthly fees plus app and theme costs can add up.
- Transaction fees if you don’t use Shopify Payments.
- Some customization needs apps or code.
Who it’s for Shopify is great for makers who want to focus on product and marketing, not servers. If you want something that “just works” and you don’t mind paying a bit for convenience, Shopify fits.
WooCommerce — the DIY shop on your own terms This one’s for people who like control. WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress. That sounds technical, but it’s flexible. You pick your host, theme, plugins. You control everything — which is both freeing and slightly terrifying at first.
Pros
- No monthly platform fee if you use basic hosting.
- Deep customization through themes and plugins.
- Good for content-driven stores (blogs, SEO).
Cons
- You handle hosting, backups, and security — or pay for managed WordPress hosting.
- Plugins can conflict; there’s a learning curve.
- Performance depends on your hosting choice.
Who it’s for If you enjoy tinkering, want tight control over SEO and content, and prefer owning everything, WooCommerce is a strong pick. It’s classic “build it yourself” territory.
Wix and Squarespace — pretty and simple Both of these platforms focus on design-first stores. They’re drag-and-drop friendly and make your shop look modern without a steep learning curve.
Pros
- Visually appealing templates and easy page editing.
- All-in-one hosting and simple checkout.
- Great for portfolios, small catalogs, and service-based sellers.
Cons
- Not as feature-rich as Shopify for full ecommerce complexity.
- Limited advanced ecommerce features; might feel restrictive later.
Who it’s for If design matters and your catalog is modest, these are lovely choices. Wedding photographers, boutique sellers, and small lifestyle brands often start here.
BigCommerce — feature-rich without too much fuss BigCommerce sits between Shopify and WooCommerce. It gives more built-in features than Shopify, often avoiding the need for extra apps. At the same time, it’s not as hands-on as WooCommerce.
Pros
- Strong native features for SEO and multi-channel selling.
- Good for larger catalogs and B2B features.
- No transaction fees with many payment gateways.
Cons
- Pricing tiers can rise with sales volume.
- The interface feels more businesslike, less playful.
Who it’s for If you plan to grow quickly or have a larger product range, BigCommerce reduces the “need another app” problem. It’s the platform people choose when they want power without managing servers.
Etsy and marketplaces — fast, built-in audience Sometimes the right move is not to build a site at all. Marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon, and eBay give instant traffic. You trade some control for customers who are already browsing and buying.
Pros
- Built-in buyers who are ready to purchase.
- Low setup time and easy listing tools.
- Useful for handmade, vintage, or niche goods.
Cons
- Fees and competition inside the marketplace.
- Less control over branding and customer data.
- Policy changes can affect your shop overnight.
Who it’s for If you want to test product demand fast or don’t care about a full brand site yet, marketplaces are a smart first step. Many sellers start there, learn, then move to their own site.
Extras that matter — payments, shipping, and marketing Here are a few real things that can trip up beginners. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself for thinking about them early.
Payments Stripe and PayPal are the usual suspects. Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay reduce checkout friction. Make sure the platform supports the gateways your customers use. Also check for transaction fees — they add up.
Shipping Shipping calculators, label printing, and carrier integration help. ShipStation, Pirate Ship, and the platform’s built-in tools can save hours and headaches. If you sell heavy items, shipping costs can kill your margins, so test this before you go big.
Marketing and SEO Build mailing lists. Use basic SEO: product titles, meta descriptions, and alt text for images. Social commerce (Instagram shops, Facebook Shops) can bring traffic. Small, steady promotion beats frantic promotion. Seriously, slow and steady grows trust.
Apps and plugins Apps extend features: reviews, upsells, subscription billing, loyalty programs. But apps can add cost and complexity. Choose a few that solve real problems, rather than turning your store into a Swiss Army knife for everything.
A note about trends and the holiday season If you’re launching near the holidays, plan shipping lead times and inventory carefully. Seasonal traffic is real — and so is the disappointment if orders arrive late. Also, AI chat tools and simple automation are growing. A chatbot that answers common questions can save time; but don’t rely on it to replace real support when issues arise.
Who should pick what — quick guide by seller type
- Hobby maker selling a handful of items: Etsy or Squarespace.
- Design-minded boutique with a small catalog: Wix or Squarespace.
- Fast-growing consumer brand: Shopify.
- Content-first business or blog-turned-store: WooCommerce.
- Larger catalog or B2B features: BigCommerce.
- Testing a single product quickly: Marketplace listing first.
My pick — and yes, I have favorites If I were starting a small brand with room to grow, I’d start with Shopify. It gets you selling quickly and handles the boring but crucial stuff: hosting, checkout, security. But if I loved writing and wanted absolute control, I’d use WooCommerce because I’d rather own my platform and my SEO. That contradiction — wanting both simplicity and control — is common. You’ll make a choice that fits what you value most at the moment.
Final thoughts — small risks, smart steps You don’t need perfection at launch. Start with a single solid product page. Learn from customer questions. Improve photos, rewrite product descriptions, test a few ads. The platform is a tool — not the whole business. Keep costs in check, and don’t fear moving platforms later if your needs change. Yes, migrating takes work. But growing pains are a good sign — they mean you’re selling.
You know what? Selling online is part plumber, part storyteller. You fix the pipes (shipping, payments), and you tell the story (product pages, emails). Both matter. Pick a platform that lets you do both without turning every evening into a new tech lesson.
If you want, tell me what you’re selling and I’ll suggest the best fit and a simple launch checklist you can follow.
