For an ecommerce site to succeed, a "smooth cart function for purchasing" and "content functionality that conveys the appeal of your products and brand" are both essential. If you already run a WordPress site and are considering starting an ecommerce business, connecting it with Shopify offers many benefits.
This article explains, with illustrations, how to connect Shopify with WordPress. We also cover tips for running a cohesive site when it comes to Shopify and WordPress domains.
What's the Difference Between Shopify and WordPress?
If you're considering connecting Shopify and WordPress, first let's check how the two differ. The biggest difference between Shopify and WordPress is "whether or not a cart function is included." Shopify allows product purchases by default, but WordPress doesn't come with a cart function, so you'll need custom development or an app to add one.
Here are some of the other key differences.
| Service | Shopify | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Subscription model (monthly fee) | Free in principle (requires a separate paid hosting contract) |
| Design customization | ・Limited ・Some customization possible via apps or paid themes ・Code changes require expertise and are difficult |
・Highly customizable ・Relatively easy to find expertise for code customization |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner-friendly, easy setup | Free-form customization is suited to intermediate to advanced users |
Features of Shopify
Shopify is a cloud-based ecommerce platform for building and running an online store.
Shopify's appeal is that you can build an online shop that rivals a professionally made site simply by choosing from a wide range of design themes, even without design or coding knowledge. It also offers a wide range of features essential to running an ecommerce business by default, including payment processing, inventory management, and marketing tools, so you can start selling online with a Shopify plan alone.
The blog article below explains the pros and cons of Shopify. Please take a look for reference.
Features of WordPress
WordPress is the most widely used open-source content management system (CMS) in the world.
A wide variety of websites, from blogs to corporate sites to online shops, are built using WordPress. It offers a wealth of themes and plugins, a high degree of design freedom, and easy feature expansion. Also, since so much knowledge about WordPress has accumulated online, even relative beginners to site building can get started with it. From small sites to large corporate websites, WordPress is used by everyone from site-building professionals to beginners.
Benefits of Connecting Shopify and WordPress
As we've seen, Shopify and WordPress each have their own strengths and weaknesses. By connecting the best of both, you can gain benefits such as the following.
Boosting Customer Acquisition Through Stronger SEO
WordPress is a platform that excels at SEO, and you can make fine-grained adjustments using various SEO plugins. In recent years, Shopify has also gained more SEO features and Shopify apps, but WordPress is still arguably better suited to SEO measures at this point. That's why using WordPress for customer acquisition and Shopify for sales can be expected to create a synergistic effect.
For example, creating product pages, blog posts, and other content on WordPress and linking that content to Shopify's sales functionality can help you build an ecommerce site that's stronger for SEO.
Reducing Development and Marketing Costs
By running WordPress while using Shopify for cart functionality, you can keep additional plugins and custom development to a minimum. This also helps keep system-building and maintenance costs as low as possible.
By combining Shopify, with its rich marketing features, and WordPress, which excels at creating SEO-friendly content, you can run a wide range of marketing initiatives without spending a lot of money.
There is some management overhead in running two platforms, but making good use of both can significantly increase the benefits.
How to Connect Shopify and WordPress
There are two ways to connect Shopify and WordPress:
- Use the Shopify app "Sell on WordPress"
-
Use the Shopify app "Buy Button channel"
Let's look at each in detail.
1. Use the Shopify App "Sell on WordPress"
Image source: Sell on WordPress | Shopify App Store
Sell on WordPress is Shopify's official app that lets you sell Shopify products on your WordPress site. If you already run a blog or brand site on WordPress, it makes it easy to embed products and collections into that site.
You can set it up without any coding knowledge, and product information and inventory managed on the Shopify side are reflected automatically. This means you can expand your sales channels while keeping your information centralized, even if you run multiple sites.
Sell on WordPress is free to use, and the plugin required on the WordPress side (a program for extending functionality) is also free.
The blog article below explains how to use Sell on WordPress to display products and collections on your WordPress site. Please take a look for reference.
2. Use the Shopify App "Buy Button channel"
Click "Sales channels" on the left side of the admin to open a pop-up screen.
From there, click "All recommended sales channels."
Install "Buy Button channel" from the recommended sales channels.
If "Buy Button channel" doesn't appear among the recommendations, search for "Buy Button" in the Shopify App Store and install it to add the buy button feature.
After installing, open the app and create a button from "Create buy button."
There are two types of buttons you can create.
- Product buy button: displays a single specific product
- Collection buy button: displays an entire collection
Select the type of button you want to display, then customize its design and functionality.
Finally, copy the HTML code for the buy button you created and paste it anywhere on your WordPress site.
The blog article below explains Buy Button channel in detail. If you're considering adopting Buy Button channel, please take a look for reference.
Can Shopify and WordPress Share the Same Domain?
Before we get into domains, let's confirm how Shopify's servers work. Shopify and WordPress cannot be built on the same server. That's because Shopify has its own dedicated servers where sites are built and run, whereas WordPress is built and run on a rented server contracted externally. And it's not possible to migrate a site built on Shopify onto an external rented server.
Because WordPress and Shopify are built on different servers, it's structurally impossible for them to use the same domain.
Setting Up a Subdomain on Shopify
While WordPress and Shopify can't share the same domain, using a subdomain lets you create the impression that they're part of the same shop or brand site.
How you set up a subdomain on Shopify depends on where you obtained the domain you're configuring.
- Using a domain purchased through an external service: Admin > Domains > Connect existing domain
- Getting a subdomain through Shopify: Admin > Domains > Buy new domain
Compare domain management methods and costs, and choose whichever is easier for your company to operate.
Make the Most of Shopify's Features to Grow Your Site
We've explained how to connect Shopify and WordPress. Consider a connection method that makes the most of both Shopify's powerful ecommerce features and WordPress's excellent content management system. In recent years, Shopify has also been drawing attention for its SEO strength and content features. Consolidating everything onto Shopify is also a good option for reducing management and operating costs. Make the most of Shopify's many features to help your site grow.
