Introduction
When it comes to building a website for your next big online retail venture, selecting the right platform for the job is a monumental decision. Shopify and WordPress‘s shopping platforms dominate the online retail market, with each one offering their own distinct advantages tailored around different requirements.
We know that understanding their strengths and weaknesses can help you make an informed decision that will put your e-commerce business in the best position possible from the outset. In this article, we’ll also look at some local examples of websites currently being used Inverness retailers, helping you to decide what’s better – Shopify or WordPress?
What Is Shopify?
Shopify is a dedicated e-commerce platform designed for simplicity and accessibility. It provides an all-in-one solution for online businesses – geared around smaller retailers with a low barrier to entry, allowing shop owners to build custom product listings, update their products, and manage their online stores with relative ease.
What are some stand-out features of Shopify?
- It comes with a user-friendly interface, perfect for beginners
- It has built-in e-commerce tools straight out of the box that pack a punch
- Shopify has integrated payment gateways that are considered secure
- Shopify offers piece of mind with their award-winning customer support
We believe that Shopify is an ideal choice for newcomers to web design & e-commerce and who are seeking a straight forward user experience when taking their first steps into the world of online retail.
What Is WordPress?
Originally built as a blogging platform, WordPress has now evolved into a versatile content management system (CMS) that powers over 40% of websites globally in 2025. With its open-source nature, WordPress offers endless customisation opportunities, particularly when combined with the WooCommerce plug-in for advanced e-commerce functionality. WooCommerce is also free and users can benefit from thousands of free online tutorials. We love WordPress at the Inverness Design Studio, not just for the immense capabilities it brings but also for the organisations ethos, which was founded on the principal of making content sharing available to everyone by Matt Mulenweg.
The following clip shares some of his thoughts on WordPress with Tech Crunch.
Why do so many people choose WordPress for their online shop?
- Limitless plugin options (There are currently over 60,000 plugins available in 2024)
- Advanced SEO capabilities through plugins like Rank Math, Yoast SEO, and the list goes on.
- An unmatched level of customisation options through custom code or through page builders like Elementor, Brizy and Divi.
- WordPress has an expansive community support network with hundreds of experts happy to help.
WordPress really delivers for users who want to prioritise complete design flexibility and are willing to make the time investment into learning how the platform works. We feel most users will be able to get up and running fairly quickly, however mastering WordPress can take decades.
Is Shopify or WordPress Easier to Use?
Shopify
Shopify is the clear winner here. It really shines due to its intuitive drag-and-drop editor. Its pretty straight forward to setup and most users, regardless of their background will be up and running in an evening. We believe this makes it absolutely perfect for novices and beginners.
WordPress
At the other end of the spectrum, WordPress demands far more effort upfront in terms of the time needed to understand it’s complex nature. There’s a steep learning curve involved in understanding how the plugins, themes and database systems work, but the reward is you will gain an unparalleled level of control over your online shop.
Is Shopify as Customisable as WordPress?
Shopify
Shopify offers an extensive theme library within it’s walled garden web builder system. There are hundreds of themes available that look great ou of the box but offer far less customisation options. Advanced modifications are possible and our design team can support you with designing your Shopify website.
WordPress
The WordPress platform provides infinite possibilities to take your e-commerce store in any direction. From minor design tweaks to global functionality enhancements, WordPress offers a range of flexibility that’s a dream for web developers and web designers alike. Our web designers in Inverness are experts in WordPress design and can get you set-up with a fully customised online shop straight away.
What E-Commerce Features Does Shopify Have?
Shopify
Shopify was built from the ground up with e-commerce in mind, and it boasts a range of features like product inventory management, user engagement statistics and analytics, together with a robust payment processing platform that can be tailored to the financial needs of your business.
WordPress
While WordPress was never meant to be an e-commerce platform, plug-ins like Woocommerce transform it into a robust online store which is now one of the most popular platforms for online shops on the internet with over 5 million installs.
What’s best for SEO, Shopify or WordPress?
Shopify
Shopify does offer a basic selection of SEO tools but lacks the depth and flexibility of WordPress.
WordPress
With plugins like Yoast SEO & Rank Math, WordPress is the clear winner here, providing advanced features for optimising your site’s visibility and also a number of options for integrating your online store with third party SEO tools. Even Google provide a plug-in called Site Kit, built especially for the WordPress platform.
Is Shopify Cheaper than WordPress?
Shopify
Shopify’s pricing in the United Kingdom includes hosting and support, starting at £19 per month. However, transaction fees can quickly begin to add up.
WordPress
WordPress, due to its open-source nature is completely free, but additional costs for hosting, premium themes, and plugins can vary widely. Huge savings are possible though with an expansive list of incredibly powerful free plugins.
Are Shopify’s Themes as Good as WordPress?
Shopify
Shopify provides a beautifully curated selection of templates designed with e-commerce in mind. These themes have been thoughtfully designed by professional web designers but do not inherently have the wide array of customisation options available from a platform like WordPress.
WordPress
With tens of thousands of themes available and infinite customisation options, WordPress offers endless design options for every type of online shop. Our custom WordPress design service can match your web shop’s vision with unmatched levels of uniformity right here in Inverness.
Is Shopify Faster than WordPress?
Shopify
Shopify comes on it’s own hosted platform, which results in fast loading times and lightning page speed. If speed is your main focus when creating an online shop, platforms like Shopify or Webflow really shine.
WordPress
Performance depends on your hosting provider and the quality of plugins used. Hosting providers we recommend are Namecheap or Hostinger as they provide dedicated WordPress plans which can turbo charge your website’s performance.
What’s the Most Secure, Shopify or WordPress?
Shopify
Shopify takes care of all the security for you which is perfect for those new to e-commerce. Everything is included out the box such as all the necessary SSL certificates and current PCI compliance.
WordPress
Security depends on the shop owner, requiring plugins and regular updates to safeguard your site. Investing in strong security plugins is worthwhile and can prevent your website from getting hacked or taken over. Plugins like Solid Security offer increased levels of protection against online threats.
Is Shopify Better for Small Shops?
Shopify
Shopify is perfect for small businesses who want an online store in the Highlands. Inverness based companies looking for a shop platform that is easy to use will find it’s features robust enough to carry them through the initial growth stages of their business.
WordPress
WordPress is a great recommendation with sprawling product catalogues and who have intentions of growing large lines of products. There’s more of a learning curve but once mastered, WordPress will provide your Inverness business with unsurpassed levels of control over your online store’s design and functionality.
Example Websites from Inverness-Based Companies
Shopify
Rougue Boutiques – https://www.rougeboutiques.co.uk
Inverness Pram Centre – https://www.invernesspramcentre.co.uk
Bonk & Co – https://www.bonkandco.com
WordPress
The Inverness Design Studio – https://invernessdesignstudio.com
Sonas Christian Holidays – https://sonaschristianholidays.com
Portalhab – https://portalhab.com
To Summarise . . .
Ultimately, the best platform for your online store in Inverness depends on your business’s priorities. Shopify’s simplicity and built-in tools make it simple for e-commerce beginners, meanwhile, WordPress offers an unmatched level of flexibility if you’re willing to invest your time into learning the huge amount of customisation features. By carefully evaluating the needs of your retail business, you’ll be able to select what platform will serve you best, long into the future.
FAQs
- Which is better for SEO, Shopify or WordPress?
WordPress excels due to its advanced SEO plugins like Yoast SEO & Rank Math. Online shop owners that require advanced search engine optimisation features may become frustrated by the limitations of using the Shopify platform. - Can I use Shopify and WordPress together?
Yes, you can integrate Shopify into WordPress using a wide array of plugins for added functionality. - What are the ongoing costs for Shopify and WordPress?
Shopify has fixed monthly fees, while WordPress costs depend on hosting and if you decide to purchase premium add-ons, plug-ins or themes. However, those willing to spend the time finding affordable hosting and domain and source effective free plug-ins, will quickly see the savings compound over time with WordPress. - Is Shopify better for beginners?
Yes, Shopify’s user-friendly interface makes it ideal for newcomers to both e-commerce and web design. Someone with next to no web design experience can be up and running after a couple of hours. - Which platform is better for large-scale businesses?
WordPress offers far more flexibility for large-scale e-commerce retail platforms and content-driven projects that rely on enterprise level complexity.
Which platform do you prefer? We would love to hear about any Inverness or Highland run Shopify or WordPress websites that you think are great examples of how the platform of choice shines. Get in touch at hello@invernessdesignstudio.com and we’ll include it in our article.
