ShivarWeb

Better Websites. SEO. Marketing. Business.

Choosing The Right Website: Web Hosting, Ecommerce Platform Reviews & More

Choosing the right infrastructure for your website is critical. It's the foundation you'll use to build your business - whether it's an online store or personal project.

But choosing the right option is tough.

Because there is no such thing as an overall "best" option for everyone. There is no "best web hosting" or "best ecommerce website platform" - there is only the best option for you based on your goals, expertise, resources & situation.

Here's an overview of the types of reviews I've written based on my experience as either a customer or consultant.

Web Hosting Reviews

Your website has to "live" somewhere. And that somewhere is a server that "hosts" your website. I've been able to look at a wide range of web hosts and break them down based on pros & cons, or compare them to each other based on set of criteria.

My most popular web hosting review looks at the two of the industry's top brands - Bluehost vs. GoDaddy. My post on InMotion and 1&1 Hosting are also popular.

If you're getting frustrated reading about all the options, I also have a BuzzFeed-style quiz that can help you figure out the best web hosting options for you.

Find all my web hosting reviews here.

Ecommerce Hosting Reviews

There are some types of websites that need a core set of features. For ecommerce, that means a shopping cart, payment processing and inventory management. For some, it makes sense to provide those features as part of an integrated platform. My most popular ecommerce hosting review looks at Shopify. I've also written a guide to building your own ecommerce site with WordPress.

If you're getting frustrated reading about all the options, I also have a BuzzFeed-style quiz that can help you figure out the best ecommerce hosting options for you.

Find all my ecommerce hosting reviews here.

Domain & Business Software Reviews

But your business doesn't start and end with hosting - below, you'll also find reviews of domain name registrars, website builders & more. And I have quizzes on choosing domain registrars & choosing website builders too, and a full list of my favorite resources here.

Background on Ratings

I generally hate stars. They do not provide the nuance that I like to know when choosing a service. And yet, stars are a thing. We all expect stars on reviews, so my reviews have stars.

Here's what star ratings on my site mean.

1 Star - if you need the service, stop researching this company and move on. You will certainly find someone better.

2 Star - For what it's worth, this company is fine...but you'll probably be able to find a better service provider regardless of your goals.

3 Star - if there is a specific pro or feature that speaks to you - then you should feel good about using this company. Their cons or disadvantages are not especially bad across the board.

4 Star - unless there is a specific con or disadvantage that turns you off - then they are a good choice. Their pros are great across the board, but you should still keep an eye out for disadvantages that apply to your goals.

5 Star - if you need the service, stop looking and use them. I've never given a full 5 star even though Ahrefs comes super close.

Explore onwards - you'll find all my reviews listed below!

11+ Wix Website Examples for Inspiration

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So you’re considering using Wix as your website builder, and you’re looking for Wix website examples for inspiration and confirmation that you’re making the right choice.

Wix is one of the biggest names in the website builder product space. It’s a drag-and-drop website builder, which means users can “drag” different elements around  and “drop” them where they want to create a site that looks the way they want. It makes nice designs incredibly accessible for DIY-ers while leaving the heavy-lifting (AKA hosting, functionality, coding) to someone else.

See Wix’s Current Plans & Pricing

But before we dive into examples of what Wix websites look like in the wild, there is one thing to keep in mind when you’re evaluating a website platform: it’s not just about how the websites look. The functionality matters too.

Think of it like buying a car. You have a make / model in mind, and you’re probably looking to see them drive by on the road to see how they actually look. However, you also care about how they operate. Does it accelerate well? Does it have the hauling capabilities you need? How is the gas mileage?

Looking at a website platform should be done in the same way. We collected the following Wix examples not just to show you how they look, but how Wix websites can function so you can be sure you have a website that fits both the style you want and the functionality you need.

[Read more…] about 11+ Wix Website Examples for Inspiration

Google Domains vs. GoDaddy: Domain Name Providers Compared

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Google Domains and GoDaddy are two of the most well-known domain name registrars on the Internet. I’ve written about both Google Domains and compared GoDaddy to NameCheap (their other big competitor). But how do they compare to each other?

Visit GoDaddy’s Current Domain Coupon

Visit Google Domain’s Current Selection

Domain Registrars are a unique industry. Since ICANN issues all domain names, leaving Registrars mainly as bookkeepers, there is not a ton of scope to offer completely different products. At the end of the day, you simply need a domain name that you can associate with a server where your data lives.

And yet, not all domain registrars are the same (which is why you are reading this post, I’m guessing). I’ve tried dozens and have had every problem imaginable. There is no such thing as a “best” domain registrar. Everybody has tradeoffs. And Google and GoDaddy are actually a good example of very different approaches to domain registration.

I was a Day One customer of Google Domains back at their launch, and I’ve been a customer (and consultant to customers) of GoDaddy for 10+ years.

Here are my thoughts on Google Domains vs. GoDaddy based on company structure, pricing structure, domain selection, usability, customer support, and complementary products.

You can also Skip to Conclusion.

[Read more…] about Google Domains vs. GoDaddy: Domain Name Providers Compared

NameCheap Shared Hosting Review w/ Pros & Cons

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NameCheap is an independent (ie, not owned by a big holding corporation) ICANN-accredited domain name registrar founded in 2000. In addition to domain registration, they offer a complementary spectrum of hosting services.

Check out NameCheap’s plan and current pricing here.

NameCheap also provides email, a website builder, SSLs, and various services with 24-hour support and a 30-day money back guarantee.

I reviewed NameCheap as a domain registrar here, but have received questions for years about their hosting services. Readers ask because NameCheap Hosting is really cheap – like, suspiciously cheap.

Although I like to keep my hosting and domain registration separate, I had a small project to launch, so I decided to put it on NameCheap and see how the service turned out.

Here’s my NameCheap Shared Hosting review – structured with pros & cons based on my experience as a customer. [Read more…] about NameCheap Shared Hosting Review w/ Pros & Cons

WordPress Hosting vs. Web Hosting Explained

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Choosing the best web hosting plan for your specific project has always been a bit confusing. Plan features never line up. Terminology never matches. And pricing varies according to current discounts and plan length.

But that was before the latest trend – WordPress-specific hosting plans.

Nearly every hosting company offers a “WordPress Hosting Plan” in some form.

View my guide to WordPress Hosting companies here.

Sometimes those plans are nothing more than a headline change. Sometimes they very well-priced for the extra services. And sometimes they are plainly upsells with dressed up “features.”

It’s maddening – because here’s the thing. WordPress software runs fine on typical web hosting.

You do not need “WordPress Hosting” to run WordPress software. All you need is a Linux-based hosting account that supports PHP and mySQL.

Both are run of the mill features since the early 2000s. So what’s with all the WordPress Hosting plans vs. Web Hosting plans?

Well – sometimes a WordPress-specific plan is absolutely worth paying for. WordPress does have some needs & requirements that are not “generic” so some companies can offer seriously better service, support & performance for WordPress installs.

Here’s how they differ along with features worth paying for, and what to look for when shopping for the right host for your specific project and next steps. [Read more…] about WordPress Hosting vs. Web Hosting Explained

99designs Review: Using 99designs For Blog Logo Design

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There are tons of free options for graphic design on the web. I love using everything from Hipster Logo Generator to Canva to Stencil to Pixlr. But when it comes to website or blog logo design – or really anything related to graphic design that makes your blog stand out – you’ll need expertise.

And professional graphic design expertise isn’t cheap. So how can you make your website or blog really stand out – give it that extra ‘pop’ that it needs without turning hiring a professional graphic designer directly?

One option is crowd-sourced design. It’s a way to help make good graphic design accessible to all budgets, while giving freelance graphic designers a vibrant marketplace.

I’ve used 99designs for a couple of my website projects. I’ve had clients use their design contests feature as well.

See 99designs’ current plans, options & pricing.

Based on those experiences, here’s my 99designs review with how it works, along with pros and cons…

Disclosure – I receive referral fees from any companies mentioned. All data and opinion is based on my experience as a paying customer.

[Read more…] about 99designs Review: Using 99designs For Blog Logo Design

Avast SecureLine VPN Review: Pros & Cons of Using Avast

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A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, keeps your information protected at home, at your place of business, or when you’re traveling. In a world with an uncertain future of internet privacy, it’s more important than ever to keep sensitive data under wraps with a VPN, which acts as a personal bubble between your information and the vast world of the internet.

Avast SecureLine VPN is a basic VPN service that works with other Avast security products, like its antivirus and internet security tools.

See Avast Secureline VPN’s plans here.

Avast SecureLine VPN is another security tool from Avast Software, a worldwide security company based in the Czech Republic. Since 1988, Avast has been a leader in the development of applications created to keep you, your devices, and your important information safe.

After years of foolishly running my online business via public WiFi, I decided to start using a VPN to secure my communications (and access a bit of out of market sporting events while traveling).

But I found out that – similar to web hosting – there is no such thing as a “best VPN provider”. In fact, it’s like a whole world of confusing information where even trustworthy information is near-useless since it’s so complex. This Avast SecureLine VPN review is my notes from trying them out for my own purposes as a security-aware, traveling, US-based businessperson who needs good usability and good pricing. I am not a political activist or someone who regularly travels to firewalled countries.

Whether you are looking for a VPN for privacy, for website access, for avoiding geotargeting, for protecting communications or all the above, hopefully, this Avast VPN review will be useful.

Skip to the Conclusion & Next Steps

Here’s my Avast SecureLine VPN review – structured with pros & cons based on my experience as a customer. [Read more…] about Avast SecureLine VPN Review: Pros & Cons of Using Avast

Weebly Review: 6 Pros & 3 Cons of Using Weebly For Your Website

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When it comes to getting a website up, there’s never been an easier time. Weebly is one of the fastest growing and longest standing brands in the website building space. They were mentioned in the first edition of the 4-Hour Workweek. Ever since then, they’ve grown and continued to revise their software. I recently gave Weebly a try for a small project, along with several other website builders.

See Weebly’s Plans & Pricing here.

But first, a bit of an overview on website builders in general. Whether you go drag and drop builder; an installed Content Management System (CMS), or hand-coded HTML files, there’s a lot of considerations that go into building a website.

In the end, you really want someone to type in a website address and see your information, presented well with the right functionality in their browser. Whether you are building a simple personal website or running a business, the way you build your site determines a lot both long-term and short-term.

In the long-term, the tools you use to set up your website affects your versatility, functionality, and, of course, your brand. In the short-term, it can certainly add/take away a lot of headaches. That said, just like choosing a physical house or office, there is no such thing as an absolute “best” or “top” choice. There’s only such thing as the right choice relative to your goals, experience, and circumstances.

Here’s my overview, pros, cons, and full Weebly review with tour and notes on ecommerce. Or skip to the conclusion & next steps.

*Aside – I did try to sort the best choices by typical uses/goals in my best website builder quiz here, though.

What Is Weebly?

On the wide spectrum of website building solutions, Weebly lives on the end that is all-inclusive and provides everything you need to get started and grow your website. It’s in contrast to solutions where you buy, install, and manage all the “pieces” of your website separately.

It’s like trading off some control for more convenience.

Using Weebly is sort of like leasing and customizing an apartment in a nice development instead of buying and owning your own house. You’re still in control of decor, cleaning, and everything living-wise – but you leave the construction, plumbing, security, and infrastructure to the property owner. That point is key because there’s usually a direct tradeoff between convenience and control.

All the functionality and design that are included with Weebly work seamlessly together as a platform. That’s what allows them to have drag and drop design, layout, and content.

As far as competition, Weebly competes directly with all-inclusive website builders like Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress.com.

Website builders as a group compete with options like WordPress.org (which provides the free software to build a website that you own & control – see my WordPress setup guide here) all the way to options like typing actual HTML code into a text file. Make sense? Awesome, let’s dive into the Weebly review. [Read more…] about Weebly Review: 6 Pros & 3 Cons of Using Weebly For Your Website

InMotion Hosting Review: 6 Pros & 4 Cons of InMotion Hosting

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InMotion Hosting is one of the largest independent web hosting companies in the world. They’ve been around since 2001, and have tried to develop a brand around being the “nerd’s choice” that businesses also love.

InMotion Hosting has positioned themselves as one of the few large, stable hosting companies that are not owned by Endurance International – a holding corporation for many well-known hosting brands (including a few that I use for sites like HostGator, Bluehost, and iPage).

Check out InMotion’s plan and current pricing here.

There are a lot of InMotion Hosting reviews online – usually with user-generated reviews based on anecdotes, complaints, and personal experience. That’s fine, but I take a different approach with pros and cons to highlight whether a particular company is a good “fit” given resources, priorities, and experience.

Since 2013, I’ve done several side-projects on InMotion in addition to consulting for clients who run projects on a range of competitor hosting companies. In August 2015, I actually moved ShivarWeb.com to an InMotion VPS server, though several projects remain with other hosting companies such as HostGator and InMotion’s sister brand Web Hosting Hub – both of which have more “unmetered” plans and a support focus on beginner / small sites.

Here’s what I’ve found to be the pros and cons & full InMotion Hosting review with next steps based on my experience there and at other providers as a customer & consultant. [Read more…] about InMotion Hosting Review: 6 Pros & 4 Cons of InMotion Hosting

How Many Domain Names Should I Buy? 10 Rules To Use When Starting Out

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So you’re wondering “how many domain names should I buy?” Well here’s a quick story before we dive into 10 rules I use.

Let’s say that a person – let’s call him Fred – decides to learn a little bit about websites and marketing online. He finds how easy it is to install WordPress and setup a website. He learns all about keywords. He installs Google Analytics. Fred writes some content and gets some traffic.

Oh wow! This deal is so easy, fun, and might make me money someday! And I’ve got a million other website ideas!

So Fred goes over to his domain registrar of choice, and see that most of his website ideas are available! And they’re only $10 per year! He buys several.

But what about misspellings? Buys a few of those too.

What about the .net and .co versions? Buys a couple of those too.

And so on and so forth. And before you know it – Fred has spent $600 on domain names…without building out a single website idea.

Here’s the deal – “Fred” is really Nate (me) back when I knew little about how websites and digital marketing worked. I had this idea that thinking of an idea and buying a domain counted for something.

It doesn’t. But your domain name is still important – but important relative to other factors.

So whether you’re a freelancer, DIY type, someone getting your feet wet, or a small business owner concerned about your online presence wondering “how many domain names should I buy?” – Here’s 10 lessons I’ve learned to use when researching and buying domain names. [Read more…] about How Many Domain Names Should I Buy? 10 Rules To Use When Starting Out

GoDaddy WordPress Hosting Review: Pros & Cons of Using GoDaddy

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GoDaddy is one of the world’s largest “web services” companies. Although they were founded as a domain registrar, they provide a whole range of services from web hosting to website builders accounting to email to digital storage to online security and much more.

See GoDaddy’s Current Plans & Pricing…

Over the years, you’ve probably seen GoDaddy’s Super Bowl commercials, GoDaddy girls all around the Internet, and most recently their “Helping Small Business” commercials. They have brand recognition if nothing else.

With the popularity of using WordPress for setting up websites, GoDaddy has made a big product push for their “WordPress Hosting” product.

Like any product, there will be tradeoffs, advantages and disadvantages – depending on your particular goals, preferences, and resources. However, this product not only competes with other competitors but also with GoDaddy’s own regular web hosting product.

So. Here are GoDaddy’s WordPress Hosting pros, cons, how it compares to “regular” web hosting, and next steps.

[Read more…] about GoDaddy WordPress Hosting Review: Pros & Cons of Using GoDaddy

Google Domains Review: Pros & Cons of Google As Domain Registrar

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Google Domains is a domain name registrar owned and operated by Google. Google rolled out the product in 2014, and it’s still in “beta” as of 2018.

Google Domains is not my primary domain registrar (which is NameCheap). As a Googlephile and SEO consultant, I pretty much had to register a domain with Google Domains the day they started.

Here’s my my experience so far and my full Google Domains review with pros & cons…

Skip to the Conclusion & Next Steps

[Read more…] about Google Domains Review: Pros & Cons of Google As Domain Registrar

Bluehost vs. GoDaddy: Who To Choose For Web Hosting?

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GoDaddy has the brand, pricing, and mind-share in the website industry. Bluehost is one of the oldest and most reputable shared hosting companies on the Internet. Here’s my comparison of Bluehost vs. GoDaddy for best choice in web hosting – with a specific focus on WordPress hosting.

A few quick notes before diving in (or skip to the conclusion).

First, this entire Bluehost / GoDaddy review (originally published July 16, 2013) has been updated several times (now for October 2018) to account for both GoDaddy’s and Bluehost’s rebrand, new tiers and various other changes. Also, a disclosure: although everything here is based on my experience as a paying customer or consultant to a paying customer, I do receive referral fees from any companies mentioned in this post.

View Bluehost’s Current Hosting Promo.

View GoDaddy’s Current Hosting Promo.

Second, GoDaddy provides a ton of services beyond hosting. They were originally founded as a domain registrar, but now provide a huge range of business services including accounting, email and more. I’ve also written how their domain services compare to NameCheap and how their hosting compares to InMotion and SiteGround. But it’s important to “weight” your desire for convenience across a range of business products in addition to your desire for the best web hosting choice.

I’ve also had some questions about whether I recommend Bluehost overall – especially because I recommend their sister brand HostGator elsewhere on the site. So, point of clarification: HostGator and BlueHost are different brands of the same holding company. They are kind of like Coke and Sprite.

I use HostGator for many of my small projects mainly because of how they structure their pricing & features. You’ll want to check out HostGator with a 60% off discount here as well. I’ve written a focused Bluehost review here. I have clients who love them – and use their email and domain services as well. I’ve found that every brand has tradeoffs – there is no overall “best” – there is only the best for you based on your goals & preferences. For example, this site specifically uses InMotion VPS Hosting – which has a big emphasis on customer service & performance.

But for now, we’ll compare Bluehost vs. GoDaddy specifically on price, usability, support, hosting features, and extra features based on my experience and their own guides.

So let’s dive in and compare GoDaddy vs. Bluehost for best web hosting company for anyone just starting out or running their own website. [Read more…] about Bluehost vs. GoDaddy: Who To Choose For Web Hosting?

Shopify Review: Pros & Cons of Using Shopify For eCommerce

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There are a lot of options for running an online store – Shopify is an all-in-one eCommerce solution that I’ve used to run several online stores & consult with clients since 2009. Here’s my Shopify review – with 6 pros and 6 cons of using Shopify for your online store.

You can check out Shopify’s current Plans & Pricing here.

Skip to Conclusion & Next Steps, or what is Shopify, how Shopify works, is Shopify worth it?, the advantages of Shopify, the downsides of Shopify.

I’ve been using & consulting with clients on Shopify since 2009. This Shopify review was originally published 7/13/2013 is re-published frequently with updates to reflect new features/pricing/opinion. From 2016 through 2018, Shopify has improved on several fronts, especially with a much-improved checkout process. Just in the last year, they added same domain checkout – previously a big disadvantage.

But first, a bit of intro.

There’s a lot of options for running an online store, and your choice of best eCommerce platform can have just as big of an effect on your business as choosing a building or location for a physical store. It’s not the end all of the business – but it certainly can make or break your business – and can either expand your opportunity or severely kneecap your business.

What Is Shopify?

Shopify is part of a group of turn-key eCommerce (aka “hosted eCommerce”) solutions that provide everything you need from end to end (minus the product and business know-how) to set up and start selling your product(s) to the world as opposed to you putting all the pieces together yourself (see Shopify’s plans here).

It’s sort of like hiring a general contractor to build your house, over being the contractor and hiring sub-contractors yourself. You’re still in control, but you let the general contractor use their expertise to make the project happen. My go-to analogy is with real estate.

Ecommerce Real Estate Tradeoffs

There are pros and cons to the approach – which is what we’ll get into. But basically know that Shopify competes mainly with BigCommerce and Volusion – all three of which provide turn-key eCommerce solutions, which in turn compete with non-turnkey solutions (like setting up your own store with WordPress).

And these hosted solutions sort of compete and integrate with eCommerce “marketplaces” like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. I wrote more about how Shopify can work with Etsy here and how Shopify competes with website builders like Wix here.

Aside – Shopify also has a “Buy button” functionality that allows you to use Shopify as Point of Sale (POS) / Inventory option – and let customers click to buy your products anywhere online (Pinterest, Facebook, WordPress blog, Tumblr, etc). I’ll be looking less at that – and more at Shopify’s full online store package. You can get the Buy button only as part of the Lite Plan, but it competes with PayPal rather than full online store options.

How Does Shopify Work?

Shopify is fairly straightforward – which is sort of their whole selling point. The broad process is as follows –

  1. Pick a Shopify plan that fits your budget and feature needs.
  2. “Point” your domain that you bought from a registrar like GoDaddy or NameCheap to your Shopify store. You also buy one via Shopify.
  3. Choose a design/template for your store. You can edit a free one via their drag/drop tool or buy a premium one or hire a designer.
  4. Add your products, page content, payment options, etc
  5. Go get customers! Here’s an eCommerce marketing strategy to get you started.

Is Shopify Worth It?

It depends! That is a maddening answer, I know. But it’s true. Shopify is a tool. It might not be for you. If you are selling a single digital product on your blog, then Shopify is probably not worth it. A PayPal button or a WooCommerce plugin on your WordPress site would work. But if you need to run a multi-product ecommerce store with inventory, marketing tools, customer records, etc – then Shopify is absolutely worth it…if the pros / cons balance out for your based on your goals, resources, expertise, etc.

Make sense? Cool. Let’s dive into the actual Shopify review. [Read more…] about Shopify Review: Pros & Cons of Using Shopify For eCommerce

1&1 IONOS Web Hosting Review: 4 Pros & 4 Cons of 1&1 Hosting

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1&1 IONOS is one of the largest brands in the Internet services industry, and I get a lot of reader questions about what their hosting product is like. I’ve worked with 1&1 IONOS web hosting several times for clients, and recently bought a hosting package for a separate project I’m running. Here’s my first 1&1 web hosting review in a series that looks at their hosting product overall & in comparison with other top hosts.

Check out 1&1 IONOS’s current plans & pricing here.

Skip to the Conclusion & Next Steps

1&1 IONOS offers a wide range of products from domain names to hosting to website packages. 1&1 IONOS is actually one of the oldest web hosting companies – founded in 1988. And they are also one of the more aggressive advertisers with full-page ads in magazines and TV spots. Anecdotally, I think only GoDaddy rivals them in terms of mass-market advertising and brand awareness.

They recently merged with one of Europe’s largest cloud providers to create a new company. They’ve redesigned a lot of their products, and restructured their products.

1&1 Rebrand

But big brand doesn’t always mean a good product – and that’s one thing I wanted to look into with a full 1&1 IONOS web hosting review.

[Read more…] about 1&1 IONOS Web Hosting Review: 4 Pros & 4 Cons of 1&1 Hosting

Shopify vs. Etsy: How To Choose, Differences & Using Them Together

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If you are building an online store, Shopify and Etsy are two of the biggest brands that you’ll encounter. But a frequent question that I get is – Shopify or Etsy? What’s the difference and how do I choose what to start with?

View Etsy’s Current Plans & Pricing

View Shopify’s Current Plans & Pricing

The core difference is fairly straightforward.

Etsy is a marketplace for handmade, vintage and artisanal products (here’s my guide to setting up Etsy).

Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform. An ecommerce platform allows you to set up and run an online store on your own domain while they take care of the technical parts & customer support (here’s my Shopify review).

In other words, Etsy is a marketplace where you can have an account. Shopify is software that sets up a storefront for you.

If they had physical world equivalents, Etsy would be a local farmer’s market where you could set up a stall.

Shopify would be a shopping center owner letting you build out your own store at your own address.

But that still doesn’t tackle the question behind the question – so let’s look at the biggest differences & considerations so you can decide between Shopify or Etsy (or both!).

Skip to the Conclusion & Next Steps

These differences will highlight Shopify vs. Etsy specifically – but they can also be applied to any alternative to Shopify, whether it’s WooCommerce, BigCommerce or others.

Keep in mind that these are all differences/considerations – they are not pros & cons. Everything has a tradeoff that might be a good or bad thing for you depending on your goals, resources and priorities. [Read more…] about Shopify vs. Etsy: How To Choose, Differences & Using Them Together

GoDaddy vs. SiteGround Web Hosting Comparison

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GoDaddy vs. SiteGround for hosting is a tale of the established, name-brand, corporate giant against the rapidly growing, scrappy, independent company.

View GoDaddy’s Current Promo

View SiteGround’s Current Promo

While there is no such thing as the “best overall” hosting company, both these companies excel for certain types of projects & certain types of website owners.

In this comparison between GoDaddy and SiteGround, I’ll break down the differences that I’ve found in seven different areas ranging from pricing structure to customer service and market focus so that you can decide which is the best fit for your project.

Also – you can skip to the short version in the conclusion here.

Let’s dive into GoDaddy vs. SiteGround… [Read more…] about GoDaddy vs. SiteGround Web Hosting Comparison

Shopify Plus: An Enterprise Ecommerce Platform Review

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Shopify Plus is Shopify’s enterprise eCommerce platform for large and growing online stores and brands. It’s a hosted platform customized, staffed, and priced for big brands. This Shopify Plus review is based on my experience doing SEO consulting with marketing directors using the platform.

Most of my incredible audience are DIYers or small business owners just starting out or working to grow their websites. But I also have a lot of readers in charge of marketing or platform development at large organizations who are looking to apply innovative marketing strategies to their rapidly growing brands.

Both groups of readers have asked the same question: what do you do when your with eCommerce for large businesses? How do you keep the same agile marketing infrastructure when you’re at the enterprise ecommerce level?

I’ve been able to consult with several enterprise level eCommerce brands using platforms ranging from Adobe Magento Commerce, proprietary platforms, a .NET based eCommerce solution, and Shopify Plus.

Check out Shopify Plus’ current features page here.

This Shopify Plus review will look at my experience with Shopify Plus specifically and hosted (SaaS in the jargon) platforms more broadly for the advantages and disadvantages of enterprise eCommerce solutions and how Shopify Plus compares to Magento, BigCommerce, and Shopify. [Read more…] about Shopify Plus: An Enterprise Ecommerce Platform Review

Dynadot Review: Pros and Cons of Dynadot as Domain Registrar

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Dynadot is an ICANN-accredited domain registrar and web host headquartered in California. They were founded in 2002 by a software engineer and state their primary focus is engineering and designing excellence.

Dynadot’s main pitch is to help customers “register domains names and create websites simply and affordably”.

They are one of the myriad smaller domain registrars that have a dedicated but smaller following than the big brands like GoDaddy.

Do they hold up to their mission? Here’s our Dynadot review with pros and cons.

[Read more…] about Dynadot Review: Pros and Cons of Dynadot as Domain Registrar

Shopify vs. Wix: Online Store Builders Compared

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Shopify vs. Wix – they are two of the most well-known online store builders. I’ve written a Shopify review here and Wix review here. But how do they compare directly to each other?

View Shopify’s Current Pricing & Plans

View Wix’s Current Pricing & Plans

First, a bit of background. Over the past few years, online store costs have plummeted, and the technology to get a website from idea to reality has blossomed. Whether you’re using a text editor and uploading to the Amazon cloud, hosting your own site powered by WordPress + WooCommerce or using a drag and drop online store builder, there’s never been an easier time to create an online store.

All-inclusive ecommerce builders have been particularly interesting. Companies like Squarespace, Weebly, Wix, Shopify, and BigCommerce – not to mention platforms like Etsy, eBay, and Amazon – have brought ecommerce to everyone regardless of their coding skills.

On the wide spectrum of ecommerce store building solutions, they all live on the end that is all-inclusive and provides everything you need to get started and grow your website.

That is in contrast to solutions where you buy, install, and manage all the “pieces” of your website separately. That’s not a good or bad thing. But it is something to be aware of when you’re choosing one of them as a solution since it affects your website both long and short term.

In the long-term, it affects your versatility, functionality, and, of course, your brand. In the short term, it can certainly add/take away a lot of headaches. That said, just like choosing a physical house or office, there is no such thing as an absolute “best” or “top” choice. There’s only the right choice relative to your goals, experience, and circumstances.

Using an online store builder is like leasing and customizing an apartment in a really classy development instead of buying and owning your own house. You’re still in control of decor, cleaning, and everything living-wise – but you leave the construction, plumbing, security, and infrastructure to the property owner. That point is key because there’s usually a direct tradeoff between convenience and control.

Ecommerce Real Estate Tradeoffs

Shopify, Wix, and other options like BigCommerce and Weebly as a group compete with options like WordPress (which provides the free software to build a website that you own & control – see my WordPress setup guide here) all the way to options like typing actual HTML code into a text file.

The last preface I’ll mention is that Wix is an all-around website builder with ecommerce capability.

Shopify, in contrast, is strictly an ecommerce platform. This focus puts Wix behind as an advanced tool and Shopify behind as a super-easy-to-use tool. With their respective free trials, you can quickly see the differences.

Make sense? Awesome – let’s dive into the comparison.

Skip to the Conclusion & Next Steps

Side note – if you want this comparison in a BuzzFeed-style quiz, you can take my online store builder quiz here…

You can also look at my posts on –

Otherwise, we’ll look specifically at pricing, onboarding/user experience, design features, technical features, ecommerce features, marketing features, and customer support. [Read more…] about Shopify vs. Wix: Online Store Builders Compared

Register.com Domain Registrar Review: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

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Register.com is a domain registrar owned by Web.com (one of the largest and oldest website hosting/builder brands in the industry). They were one of the first give companies chosen by ICANN to participate in the initial test phase of the new competitive shared registry system, making them one of the oldest and most established domain registrar companies in the game outside of Network Solutions.

Aside from domain purchasing and management, Register.com offers a range of products, from marketing to hosting to web design. Their main pitch is that their services and solutions cover all ranges of business sizes and especially help small businesses build their web presence without the need for technical experience.

Given Register.com has a certain level of brand recognition and clout, I decided to try them out as a domain registrar. Here’s my Register.com review – structured with pros & cons based on my recent experience as a customer.

Skip to the conclusion & next steps here.

[Read more…] about Register.com Domain Registrar Review: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives