Install WordPress e-commerce plugin or set up separate site?

[crphillips]

Hi all,

I have a WordPress site that ranks well. We're getting lots of interest in the products we sell nowadays so I'm planning on opening an online shop to make them easier to purchase. What do you folk reckon is the best way to go about it.

Would you integrate e-commerce into my existing site or just set up a separate shop using OpenCart or similar and link to it from our site?

I seem to feel that a totally separate shop would be the way to go but would like other opinions.

Any help appreciated.

 

[darren atkinson]

You could run both a seperate ecommerce platform and wordpress off the same domain, this is what I do, I have my ecommerce platform on the main domain, then under /blog/ I have a Wordpress blog running. Best of both worlds.

A plugin for Wordpress such as Woocommerce might be a way to go but it's not something I have used myself yet but have heard that its good for a more simple ecommerce system but if you're intending to have lots of products, categories and want to customise the online shopping experience then a 'proper' ecommerce system may be the way to go.

I wouldn't stick the shop on a new domain, I'd keep it on your existing one so that it benefits from the work already put in to promoting your site so far.

Hope this helps,

Darren

 

[Faevilangel]

I would create the shop under the same domain (either shop.domain or domain.co.uk/shop). Lots of reasons including SEO benefits, and customers aren't sent to a new url.

I wouldn't use WP for ecommerce imho, it wasn't built for it and I find it doesn't perform as well as a true ecommerce store using Opencart or Magento.

The problem with WP and ecommerce, you're relying on plugins to add the functionality, this can lead to a few issues including making other plugins work with the ecommerce plugin, OC etc will always have more features and you're relying on a plugin developer to keep ploughing time into a free plugin.

I absolutely love using WP but knowing it's limits is a good thing, and being able to change to more suitable software is key.

 

[Refugeek]

I'd have to agree with the other posters. Woocommerce is a nice plugin but if you're serious about your shop you should look at dedicated solutions. And definitely keep it under the same domain.

 

[ThemeSquirrel]

In general, I agree with everyone thus far, but I wouldn't rule out WooCommerce - they are the WP eCommerce experts and have made a pretty decent business out of it, so they definitely have a clue. Plus, if you go that route, you aren't learning a totally new system.

If you shared the number of items to list, expected number of transactions, international ordering system and payments needed, etc - these are all factors that you need to review to decide between various options like:

WooCommerce
BigCommerce
PrestaShop
osCommerce
Shopify
Magento

All those have strengths, weaknesses, and costs - depending on your exact needs and desires - do your homework on each and understand your true situation.

Joe