Shopify vs Amazon Review: Comparing Plans, Pros, and Cons

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Which service should you use to start an online store? In this Shopify vs Amazon review, I will compare which one has the most benefits for building an online store? One thing that makes Shopify and Amazon different is Amazon is an online marketplace while Shopify is a tailored eCommerce platform.

What Is The Difference Between Shopify And Amazon?

• With Shopify, you can design your very own online store with easy to use customizable templates. This will help build your brand identity and help you grow your business.

• With Amazon, you are selling alongside other sellers in Amazon’s marketplace which means you competing with other sellers’ products right next to yours. This means your brand will be hidden underneath the Amazon site branding. This is a big deal if you are trying to build brand awareness for your online store.

The real question is how do you want your online business to be represented to your customer? There are big differences when it comes to Amazon and Shopify when you are trying to make your best first impression with a new customer!

Amazon selling experience for the online store owner:

A booth at a fair, flea market, or a swap meet type of venue!? You can easily get overlooked by your customers because all they see is Amazon branding. Let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with those venues and I use them to get great deals. However, I wouldn’t want to start my business that way and no one would be looking for your brand that way either. If branding is not important to your business goals, and you prefer to do an individual seller setup then Amazon would be a great solution for you.

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Shopify selling experience for the online store owner:

A digital storefront is similar to a physical storefront but much more affordable. It is your own space and customers will easily recognize your brand and come looking for you! Of course, it will require you to market your brand but having your own site will make it easier to build brand awareness. Unless you already have successfully established your brand, for example, Tesla Motors, Penguin Books, Sephora, Budweiser, Red Bull, LA Lakers Team Store, etc.

By the way, all the brands listed above all have a Shopify eCommerce store as well as an Amazon store. Many businesses leverage both services because there is a great rate of success using both. If you want to learn more about using both services check out the Shopify Review post!

You only have one chance to make a good impression with a new customer and branding is how you do it. Shopify makes building your online store and branding quick and easy with simple to follow instructions (written and video) and award-winning 24/7 customer service (Can’t say the same for Amazon!).

They really want you to be successful, so Shopify gives you access to powerful marketing tools, eCommerce industry tools, and reporting systems. Shopify is great for everything from small businesses wanting to grow their online presence with the option to scale up to much larger brands.

Another benefit of using Shopify is there are no transaction fees when you use Shopify Pay. With Amazon, there are transaction fees and the cost can vary! This makes it harder to control your overhead cost which is very important to any business. Neither one is expensive, here is a cost breakdown for you.

Amazon retailer account plans:

The Individual Selling plan
No monthly fee – instead you pay $0.99 per item sold plus extra selling fees, which vary depending on your product category.

The Professional Selling plan
Costs $39.99 per month, plus extra selling fees, which vary depending on your product category.

Note: If you are doing FBA there are extra costs but this is difficult to plan for since it can vary depending on your products and business.

Shopify retailer account plans:

I already have an Amazon store can I still use Shopify?

Yes, you can use Shopify and still take advantage of all the benefits they provided to their retail partners. Your current Amazon store can be imported into Shopify without losing your product or customers. Shopify also offers a free 30 day trial for switching to the Shopify service. Since you already leveraging Amazon you have some additional options most other Shopify store owners will not have to start out.

For example, you can sync your Shopify store with your Amazon store. How does this benefit you? You can allow your customers to still use Amazon payments on your Shopify store with their Amazon accounts. It will save your customers time in entering their information during a purchase. This will make the buying experience easier for them. Simplifying this process is always good for you and your customers.

Another benefit of syncing your Shopify and Amazon stores together is that you can enable Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment. Why is this a big advantage to you as the retailer? Multi-Channel Fulfillment lets you leverage Amazon fulfillment centers to help you store and ship your inventory for you. This is a big deal for your supply chain and inventory management!

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I make a commission from purchases made through links in my posts, at no extra cost to you. Read my disclosure for more information.

Another benefit of syncing your Shopify and Amazon stores together is that you can enable Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment. Why is this a big advantage to you as the retailer? Multi-Channel Fulfillment lets you leverage Amazon fulfillment centers to help you store and ship your inventory for you. This is a big deal for your supply chain and inventory management!

Yes, you can use Shopify and still take advantage of all the benefits they provided to their retail partners. Your current Amazon store can be imported into Shopify without losing your product or customers. Shopify also offers a free 30 day trial for switching to the Shopify service. Since you already leveraging Amazon you have some additional options most other Shopify store owners will not have to start out.

Overall Shopify is the best eCommerce platform on pricing and the features they provide you to build your online store! They even give you the flexibility to branch out into a physical store if that is your future goal. I would recommend Shopify to anyone starting a business because you receive so much versatility and a variety of service plans to choose from. I like the fact that Shopify is more willing to be upfront with the retailer regarding fees associated with their services. I can say the same thing about Amazon and their fee structure.

For example, you can sync your Shopify store with your Amazon store. How does this benefit you? You can allow your customers to still use Amazon payments on your Shopify store with their Amazon accounts. It will save your customers time in entering their information during a purchase. This will make the buying experience easier for them. Simplifying this process is always good for you and your customers.

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