The Pros and Cons of Using Shopify for selling digital products
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One of the easiest things you can do to monetise a blog is to create a paid for product-such as a downloadable ebook, membership, course or even a physical product such as workbooks or journals. There’s a few different platforms to do this-each with their own advantages and drawbacks but today we’re going to delve into Shopify and if it’s the right platform for you.
What is shopify?
Shopify is software that allows anyone to set up an online store to sell products. It allows you to effectively build and customise an online store front with checkout services. It is a very simple way to set up an online store if you don’t necessarily know coding or have a developer. Whilst it’s not always needed, some people also use the services of a Shopify Agency if they’re looking for more support in creating an aesthetically pleasing, user friendly site.
What are the Pros of using shopify to sell your own product?
One of the biggest advantages of Shopify is that it’s compatible with WordPress. I have used Payhip previously and that relies on you directing customers to their site. However, Shopify have a WordPress plugin so if you’re keen to host your shop on the same site as your blog content then this is a great way to do that. Another advantage is Shopify, like most sites that allow you to sell products and services, take care of a lot of the fiddly bits: things like taking payments and ensuring they’re compliant and allowing your store data be encrypted to ensure you’re keeping all of your customer’s info completely safe. Another huge advantage that I haven’t had on Payhip is that it has an abandoned cart program; which means if a customer starts a sale but abandons it for whatever reason, you have the function to email these customers and set a reminder. Gamechanger! They also have lots of tech support so you really don’t need to have much tech know how or employ a developer.
What are the Cons of using Shopify to sell your own product?
Personally, I find Payhip easier to set up than Shopify-this is because you don’t have to do any design, you simply upload a copy of your digital product and write a description. However, this does mean its functions are quite limited compared to Shopify. Also Shopify isn’t actually free-you pay a monthly fee to use it; unlike other services such as Payhip and Gumtree who deduct a % of the product sales. If you’re worried you won’t make any sales, it may be better to use something like Payhip/Gumtree as there’s nothing to pay unless you do! Another disadvantage is some people feel it can be limited for a growing business; since you don’t 100% have full control and customisation as you would if it was hosted 100% by yourself.
The verdict
Overall, Shopify is a really great choice for selling products. If you’re very new with one product, then I would advise using Payhip instead. However if you’re looking to create your own selling platform, possibly embeded in your own blog, then it’s definitely worth considering using Shopify.