Shopify vs Webflow

June 26, 2023 | Author: Sandeep Sharma
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Shopify
Simple, Beautiful, and Flexible End-to-End E-Commerce Solution. Simply choose a stylish ecommerce website design, easily customize your online store, add products, and you're pretty much ready to accept payments. Whether you already have products, are looking to sell digital goods or are interested in drop shipping — Shopify has a complete solution for you.
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Webflow
Web design tool, CMS, and hosting platform. Build dynamic, responsive websites in your browser. Launch with a click. Or export your squeaky-clean code to host wherever you'd like.

Shopify and Webflow are both popular website building platforms, but they have distinct differences in their focus and features. Shopify is primarily an e-commerce platform designed specifically for creating online stores. It offers a comprehensive set of tools for inventory management, order processing, payment integration, and marketing. Shopify provides a user-friendly interface and a wide range of themes and extensions tailored for online businesses. On the other hand, Webflow is a flexible and powerful website builder that caters to a broader range of websites, including e-commerce but also portfolios, blogs, and business websites. Webflow allows for more design customization and offers a visual drag-and-drop editor combined with the ability to edit the code directly. It is popular among web designers and developers looking for more control and customization options.

See also: Top 10 Website building platforms
Shopify vs Webflow in our news:

2024. Webflow acquires Intellimize to add AI-powered webpage personalization



Webflow, a platform for web design and hosting, has recently acquired Intellimize, a startup utilizing AI to tailor websites for individual visitors, although the exact terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed. Sources suggest the purchase price falls within the "eight-figure" range. This acquisition aligns seamlessly with Webflow's objectives as it addresses the common need among its customers for personalized and optimized websites. Intellimize's approach involves AI-driven page generation and continuous adjustments based on user behavior and origin. By employing Intellimize's technology, companies can create website templates, allowing the AI to conduct experiments and refine content for optimal performance before presenting it to visitors.


2021. Google partners with Shopify on online shopping expansion



Google has recently announced a strategic partnership with Shopify, enabling over 1.7 million merchants on the e-commerce platform to effectively reach consumers through various Google services, including Google Search. This integration empowers merchants to effortlessly sign up and have their products featured across Google's extensive network, encompassing over 1 billion daily "shopping journeys" on platforms such as Search, Maps, Images, Lens, and YouTube. The collaboration comes as a response to Amazon's heightened investment in its advertising business, posing a potential challenge to Google's core ads business. In light of these developments, Google has made a series of updates to Google Shopping, ensuring its competitiveness in the evolving e-commerce landscape.


2021. Shopify expands its payment option, Shop Pay, to its merchants on Facebook and Instagram



Shopify and Facebook have joined forces to extend the availability of their payment option, Shop Pay, to all Shopify merchants selling on both Facebook and Instagram. This marks the first time that Shop Pay will be accessible beyond Shopify's own platform, signifying a significant expansion of the e-commerce platform's payment technology. Initially, Shop Pay will be introduced to Shopify merchants using Instagram's checkout feature in the United States, followed by its rollout on Facebook in the subsequent weeks. Prior to this launch, Facebook's platform has been widely favored among Shopify merchants as a prominent sales and marketing channel.


2021. Website builder Webflow raises $140M



Webflow, a software company specializing in empowering businesses to create no-code websites, has announced the successful completion of a $140 million Series B funding round. Webflow's product falls under the category of companies advocating for the idea that software development for the internet should become easier, not more challenging, as time progresses. With ambitious plans ahead, the company aims to enhance its services to enable the creation of richer and more robust websites. According to the CEO, websites are an integral part of the software landscape, and he envisions no-code tools gradually assuming more complex software tasks. This expansion could foster the growth of the broader no-code market, potentially paving the way for startups to develop services that allow non-developers to rely less on engineering teams as time goes on.


2018. Shopify now allows to fulfill orders directly from your phone



The Shopify app for iOS and Android has introduced a new feature that enables users to purchase and print shipping labels directly from their mobile devices. With this functionality, you have the convenience of creating and printing labels instantly or saving them for future printing. Additionally, you can efficiently manage your entire shipping workflow from the convenience of your palm. The app provides full access to all the features available in Shopify Shipping, including access to discounted rates with supported carriers such as UPS, DHL Express, USPS, and Canada Post, all within the Shopify app itself. This update empowers you to handle your shipping needs seamlessly and efficiently while on the go.


2017. Shopify adds new shareable discount links



To enhance your holiday shopping experience, Shopify has introduced a convenient new feature that enables you to attract eager deal-seekers to your store. With Shareable Discount Links, you can direct customers to your homepage while automatically applying a discount code to their shopping carts. These links eliminate the hassle of searching for or entering a code, providing customers with an enticing invitation that can be shared via email, Facebook, or other social media platforms.


2017. Shopify Mobile adds Discounts, Product Collections, Live View, and More



During the Black Friday Cyber Monday event last year, a greater number of Shopify merchants accessed their accounts through mobile devices compared to desktop computers. This trend has prompted the developers to prioritize the inclusion of essential features required for your success during the #BFCMWin on your smartphones and tablets. Now, you have the capability to create, customize, and manage discounts directly from your mobile devices. Additionally, one of the noteworthy new additions is the availability of Product Collections, which significantly aids your customers in swiftly finding their desired items. With the Shopify app on mobile, you can effortlessly set up and modify Product Collections. Moreover, the Live View feature on mobile enables you to monitor your store's performance in real-time, proving to be particularly advantageous during high-traffic periods such as the BFCM weekend.


2017. Shopify integrates with UPS



UPS is now available as a fresh choice in Shopify Shipping, enabling Shopify merchants based in the United States to provide an exceptional delivery experience akin to that of large-scale retailers. By utilizing UPS in conjunction with Shopify Shipping, you can take advantage of competitive rates with discounts of up to 52% off the standard rates, perfectly timed for the holiday season. Regardless of the size of your business, you now have the ability to access UPS' shipping options with guaranteed delivery dates at rates that lead the industry. Additionally, UPS extends exclusive discounted rates to Shopify merchants, particularly for heavier packages. During the holiday period, Shopify will cover any peak surcharges on UPS Ground shipments.


2017. Shopify introduced real-time visitors monitoring



Shopify has introduced an exciting feature that empowers store owners to monitor the live activity taking place in their online stores. With Live View, you now have the ability to track the real-time performance of your store conveniently from your mobile device. This innovative feature allows you to stay updated on the number of current visitors on your site and their geographical locations. You can witness the conversion of visitors into customers and celebrate sales as they occur. Additionally, you can monitor key metrics such as daily total visits, orders, and sales. Stay informed about the progress of your purchase funnel as visitors add items to their carts, initiate the checkout process, and successfully complete purchases. Live View also enables you to observe the number of pages being viewed at any given moment.


2017. Shopify integrates with eBay



Shopify and eBay have joined forces to grant you access to eBay's vast customer base, comprising over 171 million buyers. This exciting new sales channel is now available for your use. Just like Shopify's existing partnerships with Amazon, Facebook, and other leading selling platforms, the new eBay sales channel seamlessly integrates with your Shopify store. If you are a U.S.-based merchant selling in USD, you can effortlessly list and sell your products on eBay while conveniently managing fulfillment and inventory processes through Shopify. Adding new products to your Shopify store allows for automatic syncing of product information to the eBay sales channel, creating eBay listings without the need for manual data entry. This streamlined approach not only saves you time but also enables you to effectively manage your entire product catalog for your online store, retail establishment, eBay listings, and all other sales channels, all from a single, centralized location.

Author: Sandeep Sharma
Sandeep is a marketing expert with a wealth of knowledge in various domains: customer relationship management, social media management, advertising, search engine optimization, website building, Sandeep has established himself as a multifaceted professional. He honed his skills while working at Salesforce and Hubspot, where he gained invaluable insights into the industry. Now, as the proud owner of a small advertising consulting agency, Sandeep continues to provide innovative and effective strategies to businesses, helping them thrive in the competitive landscape of digital marketing. You can contact Sandeep via email sandeep@liventerprise.com