UK’s alternatives to Shopify
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a Canadian eCommerce platform that allows merchants to quickly start an online store and begin trading. Shopify powers over a million websites. Shopify is not a single product but hundreds of products under one platform.
With Shopify, you could build anything from a simple store using a template to sophisticated websites that host thousands of products.
Why do people look for a UK alternative to Shopify?
Limited theme customisation:
Shopify relies on ready-made themes that offer limited customisation. In case you need full control over your theme, you need to hire a developer that can handle custom-made code.
For example, if you want to display a message to customers that a product is low in stock, you will need to buy a separate plug-in or hire a developer to build a custom feature.
The Monthly subscription is cheap but the final bill is expensive
Shopify’s initial subscription is not expensive however the subscription covers the price of basic functionalities. Merchants will need more features that come in the form of addons. addons are paid and they are more expensive than the basic monthly subscription.
Transaction fees are high:
Many merchants feel frustrated with Shopify’s transaction fees that are high for basic plans compared to more expensive plans. Shopify’s transaction fees reduce merchants net income. Shopify receives around 2% of each sale you make.
Limited catalogue:
You are limited to three options per product. So, if you have a product that has many options such as colour, size, weight and height, you will be able to select just three options.
If you need to have unlimited product options, you could buy a plugin from Shopify named product customizer. Product Customizer costs $19.99 a month.
Search Engine Optimisation limitations
Shopify users suffer from some limitations with SEO functionality. Users have limited control over how search engines crawl and rank their site because they have to use Shopify SEO apps. Website owners are used to using YOAST or Rank Math but those are WordPress Plugins and they are not available on Shopify. The alternative is Shopify’s PLUG In SEO which costs $20 a month.
Limited content management:
Shopify themes are restrictive compared to WordPress themes. WordPress allows you to create an unlimited number of landing pages to give your store the best chance of customer conversion. With Shopify, you are limited to one homepage which makes it suitable for small businesses.
Why choose Martave?
If you are a small business and looking for a Shopify alternative in the UK, you could consider Martave.
- Personalised service: we are able to design a personalized service to suit your requirements. We believe in a one-to-one relationship where you have someone to speak to about your website and suggested improvements.
- 0% transaction fees: we do not charge any transaction fees on top of what payment gateways usually charge.
- Unlimited Catalog: you can create as many product options as necessary. There is no limit to the number of product pages you create.
- UK based company: we are based in the UK and able to understand your requirements and provide personalised service.
- More features: all our themes come packed with lots of features that are available at no extra cost. Our features include customer reviews, low stock notifications, product variations.
