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which best build approach currently for an SMB .ie sales site? Shopify type or diy?

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  • 18-01-2016 10:36am
    #1
    martco
    Registered Users Posts: 423 ✭✭


    howdy
    I am technical with some past & v.ancient it seems HTML 1 knowledge/experience but I'm not a web designer/builder by trade, I work infrastructure stuff and have done for last 20 years.

    I'm opening a new bakery business shortly for myself and my mrs, it's a real bricks and mortar job but I want a web presence too...who knows maybe we'll be world beaters one day but for the moment I'll be selling locally Dublin area and to some degree if I can find the right transportation option countrywide - due to the nature of the bakery products (healthfood) it's defo a runner for ecommerce btw. Domain name already regd and parked.

    Anyways coming to the point...I came at this originally thinking from my old hosting world experiences but find now building websites from a builder's pov has changed utterly since my time....it seems to me there's 2 ways to go these days (oversimplifying I know but...) you either:

    a) go with a building a website like an app type scenario like Shopify which is so simple someone who's never seen the inside of a computer can make but can possibly become expensive for what you get on face value and doesn't seem to allow much control (ftp etc)

    b) a nearly as easy to build but needing some current web building knowledge and running admin knowledge with a local hoster like register365 (wordpress?)

    c) hire a fella or girl to commission a site (not getting any mates involved) but that stresses me out cos although I know its not easy I know it's not exactly hard either (for what I need)

    Have I got this straight? reason I'm in a knot here is that although I wouldn't mind too much putting a bit of time into the building of it I can't become an admin for it (so if my Mrs can do this with Shopify like she does her Facebook then great) but at the same time these applications as a service type scenarios like Shopify leave me wondering about all those infrastructural things like is it suited to selling in Ireland???

    I've been googling a fair bit to try get a picture for myself but a lot of the chat on this subject isn't local and doesn't relate

    thanks for reading
    M


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    #2
    lynvoh
    Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭lynvoh


    Did you find Prestashop in your research?
    I have a similar brackground as you, and I found prestashop easy to set up, and better than a wordpress site for e-commerce.


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    #3
    mneylon
    Registered Users Posts: 7,739 ✭✭✭mneylon


    It sounds like you need an online presence more than you need an online shop.

    For a simple, yet attractive, online presence you could use one of the website builders offered by most hosting providers. They've come a long way over the last few years and these days are pretty slick.

    You could, of course, do your own simple site using Wordpress (or similar), but you'd have to keep it up to date etc., as well as customising the themes.

    Outsourcing the website design to a professional designer might be the best way to go further down the line, but it sounds like you aren't quite there yet.

    HTH

    Michele

    Blog | Tweets



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    #4
    KonFusion
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 2,588 Mod ✭✭✭✭KonFusion


    Shopify is specifically for online retailers.

    If you intend to be just a brick & mortar then forget about Shopify.

    Check out http://squarespace.com/


    Do you intend to sell products via the website?


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    #5
    kgarvey
    Registered Users Posts: 73 ✭✭kgarvey


    It all depends on what you want your web pressence to do.

    If you want to sell online then shopify is one way to go but you could also do the self hosted way with a wordpress install and woocommerce.

    To make it easier and cheaper im going to point you to a few different places

    Wordpress Theme: http://themeforest.net/item/x-the-theme/5871901 (no Affilite Link)

    X theme is pure class and even a none techie could create a beautifull webste and store with it. Check it out.

    Woocommerce: https://www.woothemes.com/woocommerce/

    Woocommerce extensions: https://www.woothemes.com/product-category/woocommerce-extensions/

    Extensions can get expensive but ive found a work around in ultimate woo. Now i havent bought it yet myself but it looks good.

    UltimateWOO: https://www.ultimatewoo.com/

    If you decide to buy X-Theme and go down this root ill give you a hand if you want. Meaning illhelp you set it up and show you around it.


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