The current digital landscape gives about anyone an opportunity to create an online business. The eCommerce sector has boomed, and there is a multitude of options available to incorporate it into your business and website. Everyone from the largest corporations down to the smallest one-person operations can find an applicable eCommerce platform.
The two major platforms that most eCommerce businesses use are WordPress and Magento. While they are, in principle, doing the same service, there are many differences to be aware of. No one business is going to have the exact same needs, so you must choose the platform that is going to suit you best.
Know Your Business and Needs
Since both services are going to give you something different, you have to know what you need to be successful. A lawn care business trying to sell their services online has different needs than a company making custom business cards.
There are a lot of different factors you must consider:
- the goals of your online business,
- products or services offered,
- the size of your company.
How Are WordPress and Magento Similar?
There are many differences between these two platforms. But they do have some things in common. After all, both are providing eCommerce solutions for millions of people. Regardless of which you choose, you will be getting an open-source platform that allows for a lot of different options.
They both work for content management and are backed up by some massive online communities. You are going to get SEO support, various customization options, and ongoing developer support.
But that is where the similarities stop. Each platform offers a unique experience. As eCommerce solutions, both are excellent choices, depending on your needs.
WordPress
For many years, millions of people use WordPress to write, organize, and publish their blogs. They also can conduct eCommerce through different themes and plugins that are available. To organize and promote a blog, you cannot get any better than WordPress.
WordPress is easy to use. People of any skill level can create and customize websites with a variety of plugins and templates available. But WordPress can come short when you think about security. There are some options you must weigh before deciding on this particular platform.
Magento
Magento is, and always has been, primarily a platform for eCommerce. It is not something that they have added to existing architecture; developing eCommerce websites is what they do. Their customization options far outweigh those provided by the competition. But it can also get overwhelming and confusing for novice users.
You can choose to sign up for their free “Community Edition” or pay for the premium “Enterprise Edition.” The free version of the platform offers users a lot of options. But for large or fast-growing companies, the Enterprise Edition gives much more. More extensions, plugins, and expert support await you for a premium price.
What About Security?
You have to be extra vigilant when it comes to security online. There are constant attempts to hack and hijack personal information for various reasons. Your customers’ data needs protection, and you have to provide it.
WordPress allows third-party plugins on its platform, which means that security is not going to be entirely on their end. You must be careful when deciding on which plugins to use, as the wrong ones can cause some serious damage. This is not to say that WordPress is not secure. But you do need to keep your wits about you and take extra precautions.
Magento gets frequent updates by the platform operator and has a security team on constant surveillance. All extensions and plugins are also in-house, so you don’t put your website at risk from third-parties.
Of course, you can compromise the security of both WP and Magento site all by yourself. So no matter which option you choose, it’s crucial to take care of admin passwords, monitor logins, and use a VPN when connecting to the platform. “What is a VPN,” some may ask. It’s a service that leads your connection through a remote server where it gets encrypted and reaches websites without getting exposed to any third parties. You can find more information here: https://nordvpn.com/what-is-a-vpn/
Both Are Solid Choices
When it comes to building an eCommerce site, both WordPress and Magento are going to give you tons of options. Each platform supports hundreds of thousands of successful businesses, and that says it all. When used correctly, both options can lead to success.
