Profit Analytics Blog
Read expert articles with insights about e-commerce profitability from analyzing thousands of e-commerce businesses' data.
Profit optimizationRevenue Analysis in E-Commerce: Benefits and DifficultiesWhether you’re an established online business or new to the space, the importance of revenue analysis cannot be understated, as it's used to determine whether the venture is feasible or will continue to be. This analysis should include an evaluation of the company's assets, liabilities, and cash flow.
By doing this, business owners can get a clear picture of a business's financial status and make informed decisions about how to move forward. Most importantly, though, a financial analysis can help identify areas that may need improvement and how to go about rectifying them.
What Is a Revenue Analysis in E-Commerce?
In the context of e-commerce, a revenue analysis is a way to measure and track the amount of money a business makes from its online sales. This information can be used to help make decisions about pricing, marketing, and product development. The revenue analysis can also show how well a company's e-commerce strategy is working and identify areas where improvements should be made.
By understanding how a company's revenue is generated and what influences it, businesses can make more informed decisions about where to focus their efforts to grow their business.
A revenue analysis is important for all businesses, regardless of size, as it helps them to understand their sales and profits over a given period. By analyzing revenue, a company can identify trends and make changes to increase sales and profits. Additionally, a profit/revenue analysis tool can help a business determine its overall financial health.
Benefits of a Revenue Analysis
A revenue analysis report can help you in the following ways:
Benchmark your company alongside industry peers to identify opportunities and threatsPerform competitor analysis and discover which markets are the most lucrative for your business.Identify the optimal pricing strategies for your business.Recognize which products or services are most profitable, and which need to be improved or discontinued.
» Learn about the revenue vs product revenue discrepancy in GA4
Difficulties Associated With a Revenue Analysis
Revenue analyses aren't without their difficulties, including the following:
Accurate revenue analysis can be very time-dependent if conducted manually. Thankfully, an online tool like BeProfit will significantly cut time through automated functions and outputs.Revenue analyses are not always feasible if the company follows no standardization in the revenue recognition process and the basic accounting policies.For a revenue analysis to be accurate and effective, appropriate segregation of the revenue from different sources along with the different classifications of revenue are vital.Revenue analyses are complex if the revenue is derived from numerous sources, leading to variable results.
Implementing Strategies From Your Analysis
Revenue growth analysis is important for e-commerce businesses because it can help them predict future trends and plan ahead. By looking at past sales data, businesses can identify patterns and forecast future sales. This information can help businesses make decisions about inventory, pricing, and marketing, while a revenue trend analysis can also help them track their success and make changes to their business strategy as required.
» If you're interested in learning how to calculate monthly revenue in Excel, check out our revenue calculation templates
Profit optimizationUsing Amazon ROI to Maximize Profit MarginsReturn on investment (ROI) is a measure of the efficiency of an investment, usually expressed as a percentage of the investment's original cost. It compares the amount of money gained or lost on an investment relative to the amount of money invested. The higher the ROI, the more efficient the investment.
Difference Between ROI and Profit Margin
One of the most important distinctions in business is the difference between ROI and profit margin. They may sound similar, but these two concepts are actually quite different.
ROI measures how much money you make on your investment, while profit margin measures how much you make on each dollar of sales. In other words, ROI tells you how efficient your investment is, while profit margin tells you how efficiently your company converts revenue into profits.
COGS, or the costs of goods sold, is another important metric that Amazon merchants should keep their eyes on. Check out this guide to see how to calculate cogs for your Amazon business.
» Find out 4 ways to increase your marketing ROI with dynamic pricing
How to Calculate ROI and Profit Margin
Calculating ROI and profit margin are essential for all businesses, regardless of their size or industry. The first step is to calculate your ROI, which is expressed as a percentage of the profit you earn on your investment. This is calculated by subtracting the initial value of an investment from the final value of an investment.
For example, let's say your business invested $2,000 in advertising. One year later, the advertisement campaign generated $10,000 in profits. Therefore, the net profit was +$8,000. With these numbers, the ROI calculation would be:
(8,000/2,000) x 100 = 400
This means that the initial investment in the advertisement campaign generated a 400% return on investment.
Once you have your ROI, you can then calculate your profit margin, which is the percentage of each dollar earned that results in profit. This can be calculated by dividing net profit by net sales.
For example, let's say a business generated a profit of $10,000 from $25,000 of net sales. The ROI calculation for this would be:
(10,000/25,000) x 100 = 40
In other words, the business has generated a 40% profit from $25,000 in sales.
Knowing these two numbers will give you a clear picture of how efficiently your business is running and where it could improve. It will also help you make more informed decisions about where to allocate your resources.
If this looks too complicated, time-consuming, or both, there is an easier way to calculate profit for Amazon merchants. To do so, check out the best profit calculators for Amazon here.
Healthy ROI for Amazon FBA Sellers
For Amazon FBA sellers, a healthy ROI is essential for the success of their business. Sellers need to keep track of their expenses to minimize these as much as possible and boost sales through effective marketing to ensure that their profits exceed their costs. There are a number of considerations that factor into calculating a seller's ROI, including the cost of inventory, shipping costs, and Amazon fees.
So what is a good ROI for Amazon FBA sellers?
An ROI of around 100% is considered sustainable. Anything lower than this is working on profit margins that are too tight, putting a business at risk.
For further reading, see how to track and calculate profit on Amazon here.
Amazon ROI Strategies to Maximize Profit
Sellers seeking a way to improve Amazon ROI should focus on keeping their costs as low as possible. Sourcing products from wholesalers or manufacturers can reduce inventory acquisition costs, and shipping costs can be reduced by using a fulfillment company like Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). Amazon fees can also be minimized by using the right selling plan and taking advantage of promotional opportunities.
If you'd like further insight into how to maximize e-commerce profits, see our guide on ways to improve profit here. Or, to kick-start your earning potential, check out the best products to sell online in 2022 here.
Profit calculationBest Profit Calculators for AmazonA profit calculator is a handy tool to help business owners and entrepreneurs track their profits and losses. By inputting data about their income and expenses, a profit calculator can provide users with an estimate of how much money they are making (or losing) on a particular venture.
Why Do You Need a Profit Calculator for Amazon?
When selling items on Amazon, it is essential to understand how much profit you are making in total and on each sale. This is where a profit calculator for Amazon comes in handy. With this tool, you can enter the information about the items you are selling, such as the cost price and the sales price, to determine how much profit you are making on each item.
This information can be helpful when it comes to making decisions about what items to sell and how many of them to sell. Additionally, it can help you understand which items are your most profitable and track your progress. If you are looking for ways to increase your profits, using a profit calculator for Amazon can be a great place to start.
Best Profit Calculators for Amazon
If you are an Amazon seller, then you know that profit is key. However, calculating your profits can be tricky, especially if you are not familiar with all the ins and outs of Amazon’s selling platform. That’s where a profit calculator comes in handy.
1. BeProfit
The BeProfit Profit Calculator is an Amazon tool that allows you to measure the profitability of products on Amazon by considering factors such as product costs, shipping costs, and Amazon fees. The calculator is simple to use: just enter the product information, and it will provide you with an estimate of your profits.
Provides a complete business and financial overview.Access to real-time data and custom reports.Link multiple platforms and shops for an aggregated view.
This handy tool can help you determine whether a product is worth selling on Amazon. It can also help you decide which products are most profitable so that you can focus your efforts. The BeProfit Profit Calculator makes it easy to calculate your profits and make informed decisions about your Amazon business.
» Learn how to track and calculate your profit on Amazon FBA
2. Feedvisor
Feedvisor offers an Amazon profit calculator that makes it easy to keep track of your business' bottom line.
The calculator considers several factors, including shipping costs and sales tax, while also serving as an Amazon FBA calculator. It also allows you to perform a profitability analysis to compare past months or years to see if your business is trending up or down. Additionally, the calculator can help you determine which products are the most profitable and identify areas where you could make changes to improve your bottom line.
3. Helium 10
With the Helium 10 Amazon Profit Calculator, online merchants can weigh all the factors that determine a product's profitability and price their items accordingly.
The calculator considers shipping and handling fees, Amazon’s referral fees, and other associated costs. It also provides data on how long it will take for a product to sell at a price point and calculates revenue after accounting for all associated costs.
4. AMZScout FBA Fees Calculator
AMZScout is a web-based tool that lets you calculate your Amazon FBA fees. It’s simple to use; just enter the weight and dimensions of the product you want to sell, and AMZScout will tell you how much it will cost to ship your item to Amazon. The tool also calculates your expected profit so you can see how much money you’ll make on each sale.
AMZScout is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to start selling on Amazon. The fee calculator makes it easy to figure out how much it will cost to ship your products and the profit calculator tells you how much money you can expect to earn as well as how to calculate COGS. With AMZScout, there’s no guesswork involved; you know exactly what your expenses will be and how much profit you can expect to make.
5. Viral Launch Amazon FBA Revenue Calculator
When it comes to making a profit on Amazon, it's important to be able to track Amazon FBA profit. This is where the Viral Launch Amazon FBA Profit Calculator comes in.
The calculator is easy to use and can help you determine your profits with just a few simple clicks. You simply input your product's details, including its weight, dimensions, and price, and the calculator will tell you how much profit you can expect to make on each sale.
» Learn more about Amazon FBA calculators to avoid costly mistakes
Benefits of Profit Calculators
There are many benefits of using a profit calculator, but the 3 main reasons are to help you:
Determine accurate profit marginsCalculate sales potentialPrice your products accordingly
A profit calculator can help you determine how much you need to sell each product in order to cover all of your costs and make a profit.
For further help with profit calculations, take a look at our top profit calculating mistakes to avoid.
» Discover the best profit calculator apps for Shopify
Profit calculationBest Profit Calculator Apps for ShopifyOne of the most impressive features of Shopify is the access to its wide range of apps. Shopify apps act as a middleman between you and the unique features you can use on your Shopify store’s admin.
The profit calculator apps for Shopify are some of the most useful apps for small businesses as they effortlessly and automatically track profits and expenses, allowing you to focus on growing your business.
What to Look For in a Shopify Profit Calculator App
Shopify Profit Calculator apps can assist in monitoring and evaluating fees by providing a breakdown of the Shopify fees associated with each sale. Before choosing an app, examine the following when looking for a profit calculator app:
Ease of useAutomation or manual inputPricingWhat does the app provide other than simple outputs?
A Shopify profit calculator is a tool that gives e-commerce merchants the ability to estimate their potential profits and automatically track their business expenses - helping to avoid miscalculations and mistakes. The tool considers various factors, such as shipping costs, product prices, taxes, and other losses to find out exactly how much money an online seller can expect to make after expenses.
Additionally, profit calculator apps can provide insights into what investments are worth their initial costs, making them the perfect system over the long term.
Top 3 Profit Calculator Apps
The best profit calculator apps provide access to not only accounting-related information, like those available through BeProfit’s customizable analytics, but also a wide range of other features.
1. BeProfit Profit Calculator App
The BeProfit app is the fastest, easiest, and most powerful way to track your profit - not to mention its one of the best profit calculators for Amazon. With BeProfit’s in-built Shopify pricing calculator, you can make educated decisions to maximize your profits - even if you are running multiple stores or selling on multiple platforms. The app automatically syncs with your Shopify store and other sales channels so you can quickly identify profits and trends.
Key features:
Automate your business' finances, calculates your profits and expenses,and make it easy than ever to keep track of your business' progressMonitor sales, expenses, and profits in real-time, allowing business owners to make sound decisions about where to allocate their resources for maximum gainThe Shopify fees calculator allows business owners to enter their monthly sales volume and see how much they're spending on Shopify services each month
2. TrueProfit ‑ Profit Tracking
TrueProfit is a gross profit calculator app that tracks your income and expenses in real-time. It automatically detects any sales made on your Shopify store and calculates the exact profit made by your business. Additionally, the TrueProfit app can also be used as a Shopify fees calculator or Shopify shipping calculator.
Key features:
Make quick and informed decisions about where to allocate resources in order to grow your online businessThe app's user-friendly interface makes it easy for businesses to get started quickly, while its comprehensive reporting capabilities provide insights that can help businesses optimize their operationsTrueProfit's cloud-based architecture ensures that businesses can access their data from anywhere at any time
3. Delirious Profit
The Delirious Shopify profit margin app was developed to bring the ease of getting accurate sales data, analyzing it, and being able to adjust prices in real-time. The app is specially designed for retailers who are always looking for ways to grow their business.
Key features:
Includes features such as graphs, charts, and customizable reports that make it simple for business owners to see where their money is coming and goingThe app's simple, intuitive interface makes it easy to use, even for those who are not tech-savvyProvides historical data, so businesses can track their progress over time
What Can a Shopify Profit Calculator Do for You?
There are a few mistakes to avoid when calculating profit in order to ensure an accurate figure. To help you out, below, we've listed some factors to take into consideration.
Calculate Blog Ad Revenue
Shopify calculators take the guesswork out of how much revenue can be generated from ads, and help to ensure that businesses are getting the most out of their advertising space. The calculators can also identify which ad placements are most effective, and how to adjust ad campaigns for better results.
If you'd like to know more about profitability, read our customer profitability analysis guide.
Calculate Shopify Fees
With help from a Shopify calculator, businesses can accurately calculate their Shopify fees and other expenses associated with using Shopify. This allows businesses to keep their shop running smoothly without any surprises.
Calculate Shopify Taxes
Shopify calculators provide business owners with the ability to understand and calculate taxes. Business owners can use the calculators to figure out how much they need to charge for taxes, what their tax liability will be, and more. The calculators are a great resource for business owners and help make tax season a little less stressful.
Calculate Shopify Shipping Rate
Shopify shipping calculators are also designed to help merchants understand and calculate shipping rates. The calculators are easy to use and provide accurate rates for a variety of shipping services. This makes it easy for merchants to find the best shipping service for their needs and budget. Additionally, the calculators take into account Shopify's built-in discounts on shipping rates, which can save merchants money on their shipping costs.
BusinessWix vs. Shopify for Dropshipping: Which Is Better?The dropshipping business model is a popular strategy for small businesses. It eliminates the need to care for inventory and completely neutralizes the expenses of a brick-and-mortar store.
Maintaining a physical store is expensive and time-consuming. Dropshipping eases these burdens by facilitating a competitive advantage over physical stores, primarily by minimizing upfront and ongoing costs. For instance, a third-party fulfillment company handles the ordering, shipping, and the rest—eliminating inventory and warehousing costs.
The question then becomes which website builder offers the best dropshipping features. Both platforms allow e-commerce entrepreneurs to operate their online store, but when it comes to dropshipping, the two have some key differences that you'll want to consider before making your final decision.
» Is dropshipping profitable? Discover dropshipping challenges and best practices
Pros and Cons of Wix
ProsRecently added dropshipping options. Wix has recently added a ton of dropshipping functionalities to its platform. Most notably, merchants can now connect their stores to the Modalyst marketplace, where they'll access vetted suppliers and an infinite range of products.2 business plans with built-in dropshipping. Wix now offers 2 business plans that boast dropshipping integrations.Inbuilt SEO. Wix's pre-configured search engine optimization capabilities are a significant advantage when it comes to SEO.Easy to use. Wix is an easy-to-use platform with intuitive features and a user-friendly interface.Lots of customization. Wix's website builder works from a drag-and-drop interface, offering lots of templates, themes, and visual templates to choose from.ConsExpensive to list lots of products. Wix's compatible dropshipping plans can get quite expensive for larger lists of products.Modalyst fees. Although Modalyst is a great dropshipping marketplace, it charges merchants a 5% transaction fee for each purchase.
» Wix vs. Shopify: Discover which is better for e-commerce
Pros and Cons of Shopify
ProsExtensive range of e-commerce features. Shopify offers a variety of features that allow you to upload your products and sell them directly to your customers.Limitless growth, flexibility, and scalability. You can easily scale your operation and increase your business by adding more products, growing your customer base, and even hiring Shopify experts to help along the way.Complete control over your inventory. There are no restrictions over how many products you can sell using the platform.Social media integrations. You can easily reach a large customer base and increase sales by adding your products to social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Great shipping options. Shopify offers international shipping, allowing you to ship products to your customers in over 190 countries.ConsEthically questionable. Shopify has been criticized for not being as transparent as they should be on their terms and conditions.Less affordable. Shopify starts at $29/month; however, the costs rise quickly after that.Limited flexibility. Shopify isn't as customizable as other e-commerce CMS platforms with limited themes.
» Looking for a Shopify dropshipping app? Compare the best Shopify dropshipping apps
Cost of Dropshipping
Depending on which dropshipping marketplace merchants connect to their Wix or Shopify store, prices will vary. For instance, Wix and Shopify are both compatible with Modalyst, Spocket, Salehoo, AliExpress, and many more. Both platforms charge additional fees for dropshipping suppliers and targeted ad expenses, which is an average monthly cost of $79.
There are 2 main pricing considerations for selling products on Wix:
Platform plan: $17-35/monthWebsite domain hosting: $5-20/year
Dropshipping with Shopify is the same in this regard:
Platform plan: $29-299/monthWebsite domain hosting: starting at $14/year
The Final Verdict: Which Platform Should You Use?
Dropshipping through Shopify offers merchants more options, but Wix is also a great option to use. With the choice, you should consider how complex your business is and what sort of features you need. Shopify is very flexible when it comes to dropshipping as it has a wide variety of e-commerce dropshipping-based features. While, year after year, Wix's platform is becoming more and more dropshipping friendly, adding functionalities that are sure to benefit most dropshipping entrepreneurs who would like more customization options.
» Want to try dropshipping on other platforms? Here's all you need to know about dropshipping on Amazon
Business managementWix vs. Shopify: Which is better for eCommerce in 2021?
Wix vs. Shopify: In a nutshell
Wix is one of the best website development platforms out there and provides you with most of the necessary tools you need to create a smooth and successful online store. Since it’s primarily a website development platform, Wix does lack some functions and features related to running an eCommerce website – things that Shopify does better.
On the other hand, since Shopify was launched as an online store development platform, it admittedly lacks a little bit in the area of creative design. Those weaker spots are counterbalanced by the strengths Shopify exhibits in terms of backend business management tools and features. So which is better Wix or Shopify? Keep reading to get the final verdict!
Wix: An overview
Although Wix commands only about 6% of eCommerce market share, it does a great job at staying competitive against other players in the marketplace. Wix ranks high when it comes to SEO tools, provides outstanding user support, doesn’t charge any transaction fees, and even includes abandoned cart recovery with every plan they offer!
Wix also offers a 14-day money back guarantee for anybody looking to start a website, but doesn’t have a free-for-life plan for ecommerce stores just yet. Paid plans for online businesses start at $28 per month (annually) or $30 per month (monthly).
Shopify: An overview
Compared to other eCommerce platforms, Shopify actually ranks lowest in terms of market share (a mere 3.7%). Despite its small size, Shopify offers its online merchants a big bang for their buck. The user interface is extremely intuitive, allowing users to do virtually anything with a click or drag of the mouse. That means getting your website the way you want doesn’t take you hours or even days learning how to do web design.
Beyond the ease of using the platform, the extensive number of Shopify apps mean that there’s almost always a way to ‘fill in the gaps’ which Shopify doesn’t address directly. Similarly to many eCommerce platforms, Shopify lets you give them a try for 14 days free of charge. After that, plans start at $29 per month.
Who is Wix for?
Wix is best for small businesses that want a quick way to start their online presence. Learning how to code isn’t necessary for tailoring the look and functionality of your website. Plus, if you’ve already developed a social media marketing strategy, you can easily sync your social media pages with Wix and bring in leads from existing audiences.
Who is Shopify for?
Shopify is best for business owners who want to develop an online store with all of the necessary pieces already included. Shopify stands out by offering a much wider array of features even in its most affordable pricing plan (including discount codes, gift cards, abandoned cart recovery, a Shopify POS app, and more). It’s an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes. Still curious about Wix ecommerce vs Shopify? If it’s about eCommerce, Shopify is the clear choice.
Wix pricing
Since Wix is a website development platform that isn’t exclusively for e-commerce businesses, be sure that you’re evaluating the business pricing plans (not website plans).
Under the business pricing plans, there are three options to choose from:
Business Basic starting at $28/monthBusiness Unlimited starting at $33/monthBusiness VIP starting at $56/month
Each of those plan options also offer lower rates if you pay for a year in advance, or even two or three years in advance with progressively lower rates. So is wix cheaper than Shopify? The answer is yes.
Free trial
While there’s no ‘free trial’ per se, Wix does provide a 14-day money back guarantee on all of their premium plans – “no questions asked”.
Shopify pricing
Unlike Wix, Shopify is designed with e-commerce businesses in mind, so the only plans they offer are designed specifically for online stores. Whether you want just the bare minimum or all the bells and whistles, Shopify has a plan for you.
Shopify Lite starting at $9/monthBasic Shopify starting at $29/monthShopify starting at $79/monthAdvanced Shopify starting at $299/monthShopify Plus starting at $2,000/month
With so many plans to pick from, you can use Shopify to get your business up-and-running online no matter the size or what your broader goals are. You can also save 10% on those plans by paying for a year in advance, or save 20% by paying for two years in advance. Wix pricing vs Shopify – which comes out on top? See below…
Free trial
Shopify offers a true 14-day free trial that requires you only to enter a valid email address and confirm it to get started.
Wix: How long does it take to build a website?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how long it takes to develop a website with Wix. While you can theoretically publish a website in a single day, we wouldn’t advise you to do so. After all, if you intend on running a successful online store, you’ll want your website to be as near to perfect as possible.
That means outlining the sitemap structure, visualizing the website in finer detail, setting up all of the features you’ll need on each page, testing it, and ironing out any wrinkles that remain. Even with those steps in mind, there’s no telling for sure just how long it will take. We estimate at least a month, but every business’s website is different.
What we can say for sure is that using Wix drastically reduces the complexity of building a website. You won’t need to study coding or web design to put the pieces together – you’ll just need time, creativity, and patience to get it done right before going live with your online store.
Shopify: How long does it take to build a website?
Building a website with Shopify is a very quick process compared to using a platform like WordPress, but that doesn’t mean it should be done as fast as possible. Again, you could get a website up and running with Shopify in a single day, but chances are it would have quite a few bugs throughout.
Similarly to our recommendation for building a website with Wix, we suggest taking at least 3-4 weeks to develop your website with Shopify (design, test, and optimize) before going live. You only get one first impression, so you’ll want to make sure your online store is as good looking and functional as can be prior to letting your audience interact with it.
Wix usability
It’s hard to give Wix too much credit for its usability – they’re simply one of the best. The platform’s interface is a breeze to get a hang of, even for novice website designers. And it makes sense that that’s the case, since Wix was founded first and foremost as a website development tool (whereas Shopify is primarily focused on eCommerce).
On the other hand, while Wix excels at website design, it does lack a bit in online sales functionality. We get to more on that further in the article.
Shopify usability
As we mention above, Shopify was not created with the express goal of providing the best website development tool. Compared to Wix, Shopify is a bit ‘clunkier’ and doesn’t have exactly the same level of smooth usability that Wix has.
With all of that said, Shopify still does a great job of giving online businesses the functions and features they need to get their ecommerce shops set for success. That’s one of the key places where Shopify has an edge on Wix.
Wix themes & design
With over 800 templates to choose from, Wix is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to premade themes and designs. Whatever eCommerce niche you’re in, chances are there’s an existing Wix template that can provide you with a strong concept to build on.
And if you don’t really vibe with any of those hundreds of templates that Wix already has (somebody’s picky!), you can always create your own from a blank template! Uploading your own images, customizing fonts & texts, and rearranging page layouts are all easy to do on Wix.
Shopify themes & design
As you might imagine, Shopify has a much smaller number of predefined themes to pick from compared to Wix (“over 100” according to Shopify’s website). Additionally, the vast majority of Shopify themes are behind paywalls that typically cost between $150-$300, with a mere 10 themes available free of charge.
Let’s be clear though – you do not need to pay for a premium Shopify theme to build a strong online store. Every theme comes with the essential components of a functioning eCommerce website, even the free ones.
Your choice of theme will ultimately boil down to factors like how many products you intend on selling, what niche you’re selling in, whether you want to focus more on text or on images, and so on. To that extent, Shopify provides enough variety to select from – plus you can still customize aspects such as font, CTA locations, images, and more.
Wix plugins/integrations
This is another area where Wix falls a bit behind. While the platform itself includes some very strong apps that you can get from the Wix App Market, there aren’t quite as many third-party developers that have integrated with Wix.
The number of apps in the Wix App Market totals at just over 250, most of which are entirely free, and many of which offer free or paid versions. Whether you want to auto-generate product descriptions, display your customer reviews, start using upselling techniques, or anything in between – Wix is likely to have a plugin to help you get it done.
Shopify plugins/integrations
Remember when we said Wix is a powerhouse when it comes to design templates? Well, that would make Shopify a bonafide behemoth in the app game. The platform hosts over 6,600 different apps – yes, you read that right! That means Shopify has more than 26x the number of apps that Wix has.
What’s even better is that more than half of those 6,600 apps are either entirely free or offer a free version – can you say “cha-ching”? The sheer number of Shopify apps that exist means that you can find one to address virtually any and every issue, function, or feature you can dream of.
One of the best apps that exists for both Wix and Shopify users is the BeProfit Profit Tracker app. This all-in-one profit and expensing tracking app gives you the power to:
Track your profit history over timeGet intuitive visuals and graphsUnderstand complex business metricsConnect metrics once with smart integrationsSpot what factors need improvement to increase profitsMake data-driven decisions to optimize your storeAnd much more
You can try any BeProfit plan for 7 days free of charge and discover how the app can help you optimize your profitability.
Wix payment processing
It’s important to note that, in order to accept payments on any Wix website, you must have a premium Business & eCommerce Wix account. That said, accepting payments on your Wix website can be done several ways. Possibly the easiest form of payment processing on Wix is the built-in Wix Payments system which allows you to accept pretty much every major brand of credit/debit card and a few other types of payment including iDeal and Pay Now by Klarna.
The second option to accept payments on Wix is to integrate PayPal. If you already have a PayPal account, essentially all you need to do is log in using the email address you use for PayPal. If you don’t have a PayPal account yet, it’s very easy to create one! The downside to using PayPal on your Wix store is that customers will be taken off of your website in order to complete a purchase.
Apart from those two options, there are an array of other payment processing tools that Wix offers – a few too many to list in great detail here. Suffice it to say that there is flexibility in the payment processing area of Wix’s platform.
Shopify payment processing
Shopify also offers a wide range of payment processing options – in fact, Shopify gives business owners even more routes to accept payments than Wix.
Similarly to Wix, the simplest and quickest way to set up payment processing with Shopify is through the built-in Shopify Payments. With Shopify Payments, your store will be able to accept payments with all major credit and debit cards, along with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay, Facebook Pay, and more!
Of course, Shopify also allows you to accept payments through PayPal if you prefer to do so. Additionally, there are a number of third-party payment processors you can use within your Shopify store.
As far as payment processing goes, there isn’t such a huge difference between Shopify and Wix. But, given the fact that Shopify offers a broader range of payment options, it manages to come out on top.
Wix speed & performance
Judging speed and performance can be tricky to do, since every website incorporates a different array of elements that can weigh down on loading speed and website performance.
That said, one study found that Wix does tend to work a bit faster and perform a bit better than Shopify – but not by huge margins. Again, if you choose to upload lots of high quality images, include product videos, add in a moving user review bar, and so on, then your online store will take longer to load all of those heavy elements regardless of which platform you use.
One thing that stands out about Wix is its mobile load speed, which is faster than Shopify by a large enough margin that it’s worth highlighting. This makes Wix the better choice if m-commerce is a big focus of your business.
Shopify speed & performance
Despite the fact that Wix has it beat on this point, Shopify is still one of the fastest and best-performing eCommerce platforms available to choose from. Again, your online store’s loading time is strongly correlated with the complexity of the elements you include throughout your site’s pages.
To keep speed up and customer experience positive, be sure to compress all images and videos so that they will load more quickly. Another ‘best practice’ is to place more complex elements lower down on pages so that they have time to load before your website visitors scroll down.
Whichever platform you end up using, you’ll need to pay attention to what you include and how you organize your content so that your customers won’t be pushed away by slow load times or poor performance.
Dropshipping on Wix
The question of dropshipping on Wix can be reframed as a question of running a business in general on Wix. In that regard, Wix is at a bit of a disadvantage for a few reasons.
First off, as we’ve mentioned several times above, Wix was created as a general website development tool – not as an online store development tool specifically. That means that, while Wix makes it easy and intuitive to create a snazzy, eye-catching website, it lacks the backend functionalities that Shopify has to manage your online store.
Secondly, and again as we mentioned earlier, Wix dropshipping apps are drastically fewer in its app market. So, even though you can certainly run a dropshipping store through Wix, the integrations with dropshipping platforms are much, much more limited compared to Shopify.
Dropshipping on Shopify
Since Shopify is an eCommerce development platform above all else, it naturally has a much more immersive experience in terms of business management. That goes for built-in features that are already part of Shopify as well as the vast number of apps that you can download to enhance your store. In terms of dropshipping specifically, Shopify has an extensive list of integrations available with top dropshipping platforms like Oberlo, Dropified, AutoDS, EPROLO, and so on – which are not available on Wix.
Furthermore, the Shopify platform itself is much more focused on making it simple to set up an online store. That makes it much easier to build product pages and include all the necessary details and information straight away, such as product names, descriptions, images, price ranges, multiple variants, and so on.
So in the battle of Wix vs Shopify dropshipping, Shopify comes out as the better option.
Wix SEO
Here’s another area where Wix has a slight leg up on Shopify. Broadly speaking, the major SEO tools and components that you can find in Wix are also available on Shopify, there’s one aspect in particular that gives Wix an edge: keyword support.
It’s not a huge difference, but getting suggested keywords can help you expand your SEO strategy without increasing the amount of effort you put in. Without suggested keywords, you might turn to a third-party service to present those suggestions instead. Of course, that comes with a monetary cost and simultaneously increases the time it takes to manage your SEO strategy.
Shopify SEO
Virtually all of the SEO tools you’ll need to run a successful eCommerce store are already included in Shopify, including customizable meta titles, meta descriptions, URLs, headings, image alt text, and so on. As per usual, anything that’s not already built into Shopify is usually available in the shape of a Shopify app.
Additionally, since Shopify is designed primarily for online sales, its SEO features are specifically shaped to address the needs of your online business and optimize your store’s exposure on search engine results.
Conclusion
So which is better Wix or Shopify? As far as creating an online store is concerned, Shopify gets the winning spot in our opinion. Shopify’s platform is designed and developed to address all of the key aspects that an online business owner will need to hit on in order to create a strong and successful store.
On the other hand, even though Wix meets most of the requirements to help you build an eCommerce website, it’s a platform designed to help you create a website – not a store. That means there’s a heavier focus on design than there is on internet sales functions. Of course, there are a range of very good reasons as to why we compared Wix to Shopify in the first place. If Wix couldn’t compete, it wouldn’t have warranted this article!
Is Shopify or Wix better? The answer may change depending on where you look and who you ask. The bottom line is, whichever way you decide to go, be sure to take into account all that was laid out for you in this breakdown of Wix vs Shopify!
FAQs: Wix vs. Shopify
What’s better for selling online, Wix or Shopify?
Shopify is a better fit for eCommerce stores, since it’s specifically developed to provide online business owners with all the tools, features, and functions they need to manage a shop. You can sell online with Wix, but it’s more focused on design features than it is on online sales.
Which is more affordable, Wix or Shopify?
Wix lets you sell online using their platform for as little as $28 per month, while Shopify starts at $29 per month. Although those starting rates are nearly identical, the more advanced eCommerce plans are more affordable on Wix than they are through Shopify.
Which is more customizable, Wix or Shopify?
Wix offers built-in tools that allow for more customizations for the layout and design of your website, while Shopify hosts a much larger number of third-party apps that also give you the power to customize your online store.
Which is better for giving customers discounts, Wix or Shopify?
Shopify is somewhat better than Wix when it comes to offering customers discounts. With Wix, you can only offer specific monetary amounts for discounts, while Shopify allows you to give customers discounts in the form of percentages as well.
Business management7+ Best Shopify Dropshipping Apps to Boost Your Bottom LineHow does dropshipping work?
Dropshipping is yet another phase in the evolution of eCommerce: it’s a unique business model which usually doesn’t involve high risk or requires you to break your savings account on your way to success; it’s a constantly growing trend all over the world and becoming a favorite way of selling online for hundreds of thousand online merchants selling on all kinds of eCommerce platforms, from Amazon to eBay, Shopify, BigCommerce and more.
So how does dropshipping work? It’s simple. Dropshippers usually don’t manage any physical inventory nor need to own a warehouse to store their products. The items they sell are bought in real-time from third-party sellers who take care of both order fulfillment and shipping. In other words, dropshippers function as the middlemen between customers and suppliers, making a profit by offering products of other sellers at higher prices, without having any upfront costs.
Asking yourself how to start dropshipping? Check out our 6 easy steps to help you make your first dropshipping sale.
Why is dropshipping so easy on Shopify?
The answer to this question relies on the Shopify app store. Contrary to other popular eCommerce platforms, Shopify doesn’t only offer a super-intuitive tool to help you start your own dropshipping website from scratch but also collaborates with thousands of external apps, answering almost every need of online merchants to optimize their store and increase their profits.
» Discover how Wix and Shopify compare for dropshipping
Best Shopify dropshipping apps
Choosing the right app for your dropshipping business can be challenging, with more than 6,000 available apps on the Shopify app store to date. That’s exactly why we’ve gathered a few of the best dropshipping apps on Shopify every dropshipper needs to optimize their store and boost their bottom line. Let’s dive in!
Dropshipping automation apps
AutoDS by AutoDS Dropshipping Tools
Searching for an all-in-one dropshipping solution? Search no more! AutoDS is probably Shopify’s #1 dropshipping automation platform.
The app is packed with features that put you in the driver’s seat of your online store, covering every aspect of your dropshipping needs and automating the dropshipping process from scratch to save you time, effort, and most importantly – money.
Looking for winning items? AutoDS provides a comprehensive database of millions of products offered by over 25 global suppliers, as well as the option to easily import the ones you select to your stores. You’ll also enjoy 24/7 price and stock monitoring to make sure you’re always updated with everything your supplier has to offer, all in real time.
AutoDS makes it easier than ever to manage your store by providing an intuitive performance dashboard to help you track everything from products to sales, profits, tags and more. The best part? AutoDS lets you see the statistics of one or all of your stores at once under one screen, so you don’t need to flip back and forth between multiple stores to see what’s going on in your business.
More features by AutoDS include automatic order fulfillments, a smart filter system to sort inventory efficiently, advanced bulk editing and an advanced product optimization system which also helps you add Virtual Assistant accounts; you can give them control over any part of your store – whether adding products, editing/deleting them, processing orders, handling customer service and more.
AutoDS provides automatic tracking number updates and easy one-click returns with the Fulfilled by AutoDS managed orders system.
The app integrates with eBay, Facebook and Shopify. Soon, more selling channels will be added to the list, including Wix, WooCommerce and more.
In addition to its awesome features, AutoDS provides everything you need to know about dropshipping; its YouTube channel gives you hot product tips, tutorials, news and updates about everything dropshipping related. If that’s not enough, AutoDS offers a completely free Shopify course with over 40 lessons for those who want to build a successful store from scratch, along with a Facebook community dedicated to dropshippers.
AutoDS has an excellent average ranking of 4.8 from more than 70 reviews on the Shopify app store.
SaleYee Dropshipping by SaleYee
SaleYee is a global dropshipping and wholesale platform launched in 2012. The platform makes it easy for merchants to launch and boost their online business.
With SaleYee, global online sellers can source and import over 30,000 quality dropshipping products from reliable factories at wholesale prices. The advantage of SaleYee is that merchants can focus on their marketing and sales while the rest is handled by SaleYee. They take care of all the products, inventory, delivery, and after-sales needs.
Sellers enjoy fast and free delivery from SaleYee’s warehouses. To ensure fast dispatch of orders, they have over 630,000 warehouses in the US, UK, and EU.
SaleYee’s dropshipping service is free. No minimum order quantity is required, and there is no inventory cost.
Their support team provides professional after-sales service as well as 1-on-1 sales consultancy.
Spocket – US & EU Dropshipping by Spocket
Spocket offers a range of features to help you stay on top of your dropshipping business. The app’s products have a 30-60% discount of retail price to help you offer competitive prices and increase your sales. Spocket guarantees fast shipping, as their fair amount of product suppliers are based in the US and Europe.
More features by Spocket include auto-updating of inventory, one-click order fulfillment and real-time order tracking. If that’s not enough, the app allows you to test products with sample orders and gives you the option to create branded invoices to strengthen your brand.
Spocket offers 24/7 support and has an average ranking of 4.6 from over 2,400 reviews on the Shopify app store.
Price: Starts at $24/month with a 14-day free trial. Free plan available.
Ali Orders AliExpress Dropship by FireApps
Ali Orders allows you to import products from AliExpress to your dropshipping store and fulfill orders automatically – as easily as it gets. The app provides an A-Z automation of the dropshipping process: one click order-fulfillment, shipment tracking, bulk orders, variants control and more.
The app supports the Ali Orders Chrome extension to help you filter products by shipping fees, product prices and ePacket.
Ali Orders integrates with Ali Reviews, AliExpress, Ali Hunter and more. It has an average ranking of 4.5 from more than 500 Shopify app store reviews.
Price: $19/month. 7-day free trial.
DSers-AliExpress Dropshipping by DSers
The DSers app specializes in helping dropshippers working with AliExpress. Its dropshipping automation tool lets merchants place multiple orders at once and provides exclusive access to unique suppliers.
DSers features include the option to auto-track and sync shipping information, find and edit products, create bundle offers, set country-specific suppliers, get notified of every change made to your products, and more.
The app has an excellent average ranking of 5 from close to 3,500 reviews on the Shopify app store.
Price: $1.99/month. 14-day free trial. Free plan is available.
Wiio Dropshipping
Wioo is a free all-in-one dropshipping tool for Shopify merchants; it doesn’t require any monthly fees nor a minimum order quantity; the app collaborates with local suppliers to offer its users valuable products at competitive prices.
If you’re looking for a place to manage your inventory, Wiio offers the option to store products in one of 3 warehouses for up to 90 days. More features include repackaging and branding, a strict quality check of products, a large variety of payment methods, and more.
Wiio Dropshipping has an average ranking of 4.8 from 50 reviews on the Shopify app store.
Price: Free to install.
Profit tracking apps
BeProfit Profit Calc & Reports by Become
“What’s your bottom line?” If you asked eCommerce store owners that question, chances are a lot of them wouldn’t be able to answer it accurately, to say the least. But the reality is that knowing your numbers is one of the most important things you can do to increase your chances for eCommerce success.
That’s exactly what BeProfit was built for. This Shopify profit calculator gathers all your business metrics in one intuitive dashboard to help you keep track of every expense and know exactly how much you’re making.
Features by BeProfit include easy creation of business reports, LTV analysis, ad performance monitoring and much more. All your data is presented in easy-to-digest charts and graphs so you can really understand your numbers and make data-driven decisions.
BeProfit has an excellent average ranking of 4.9 from 170 Shopify app store reviews.
Price: Starts at $25/month with a 14-day free trial. Free plan is available.
Summing Up
The extreme variety of apps on the Shopify app store is obviously great news, but can also trigger some difficulties by making the process of choosing the right dropshipping app for your store a bit confusing.
Before making a decision, ask yourself exactly what are your needs and goals; carefully read what other users have to say, as reviews will give you a glimpse to the true value of a certain app. Make some time to do some reading and filtering, and create a short list of finalists to choose from.
Need some tips for creating a store that sells? Check out these 4 key points to consider about Shopify dropshipping.
Marketing5 Discount Techniques to Improve Your Shopify Product BundlesAccording to a survey by Criteo, 93% of shoppers in the United States say that "discounts and offers" are a crucial factor when deciding to make a purchase. Shopify stores can utilize bundling to help encourage sales and be more cost-effective by, for example, targeting existing customers since it's cheaper than customer acquisition. Stores can optimize bundling strategies through discount options to further maximize sales and profits.
» Try these 4 easy Excel discount formulas for your e-commerce store
How Does Shopify Bundling Work?
Product discount bundling is a marketing strategy in which retailers combine multiple products to offer a lower price than if each item were purchased individually.
You can easily enable product bundling for your Shopify store with the following process:
1. From your Shopify admin dashboard, go to your products page and select "create new product." This will be the parent product for your bundle.
2. Create a variant for each of the products you wish to include in the bundle. Be sure to set the inventory for each variant to zero so that customers cannot buy the products separately.
3. Make a new collection and call it "Bundles."
4. Include the parent item (from step 1) in this collection.
5. Turn on collection discounts. This is done in the Shopify admin dashboard > Sales channels > Discounts.
6. Create a new discount with the type "Collection."
7. Finally, pick the "Bundles" collection you created. Specify the amount or percentage of the discount and save your adjustments.
Keep Track of Product Performance With Ease
Get an easy-to-access overview of your product profitability and pricing performance from one dashboard.
Gain insight into your real profit per order.Easily identify your most profitable products.Access data from anywhere using mobile or desktop devices.
BeProfit allows you to integrate multiple Shopify stores for an aggregated view of your business performance. So, you can make informed discount bundling decisions to help improve your revenue and profits.
» Find out ways to boost product profitability for your e-commerce store
Techniques to Optimize Your Shopify Discount Bundles
To optimize discount packages, you can use various tools, like Shopify apps, and customize your approaches in the following ways.
Create Urgency
Discounts can increase urgency by creating a sense of scarcity or limited availability. For example, offers that last only for a holiday weekend can encourage customers to take action and purchase before the discount expires.
This sense of urgency can:
Significantly improve store conversionsBoost customer satisfaction because of discounts Increase store revenue because customers may be more likely to buy higher-priced items to take advantage of discounts
Emphasize Savings
Jonah Berger, a marketing professor, suggests the Rule of 100, which states that dollar savings tend to be more effective on higher-priced items, and percentage savings are more effective on lower-priced items.
Discount shipping rates can also help highlight savings. The Wall Street Journal reports that customers are four to five times more likely to buy when free shipping is available.
Making the overall cost of your package more attractive can help because:
Customers are more likely to purchaseRevenue improvesProfit margins increase
Keep Monitoring ROI
Once your discount bundles are in place, it's key to evaluate their performance and your ROI. This can offer useful insight that can be used to improve sales, such as:
Identifying how cost-effective the discounts areIf the current discount strategy results in good conversion ratesEnsure the discounts aren't leading to massive revenue lossesMake informed changes to discounts and bundling techniques
Target and Personalize Bundles
Creating personalized discount packages can be more effective for your store as it allows you to meet the needs and preferences of individual customers. This can be done using data, such as:
Browsing habitsPurchase history Wishlist items
Implementing personalization into discount bundles can increase customer satisfaction and retention because customers may feel understood and valued. Ultimately, this can encourage higher AOVs, which can boost revenue.
Bundle Related Items
If unrelated items are bundled together, discounts may not be effective. For example, combining expensive items with inexpensive items may make customers less inclined to buy if they are only interested in one item.
By bundling related items that complement each other, businesses can
Increase the perceived value of the bundleEncourage customers to purchase more itemsImprove revenue even when the bundles are discounted since AOVs may be higher
Bundling Types
Pure bundling - Two or more products are sold together as a single unit at a lower price than if purchased separately. This can encourage customers to purchase more than one item, thereby increasing sales and revenue.Frequently bought together - Items that are commonly purchased together are bundled at a discount. Using data to identify which items are commonly purchased together, you can imply suitable bundles, which can up AOVs.Buy X, get Y free - Customers receive a free item when they purchase a certain quantity of a product. This can incentivize customers to purchase more, increasing sales and revenue.Cross-selling and upselling - Customers are encouraged to purchase related or upgraded items in addition to the item they're already purchasing. This can boost AOV, add personalization, and increase revenue.
» Need help? Check out these proven tips you should try for boosting Shopify sales
Boost Your Shopify Store's Bundles Strategically
Practical discount bundling can have a significant impact on a store's bottom line by increasing the AOV, improving customer retention, and driving sales. Through implied urgency and personalization, among other tactics, you can optimize your discount bundling strategies. Then, using platforms like BeProfit, you can monitor the performance of your strategies and make informed adjustments to ensure you're staying profitable.
Profit calculationAmazon FBA Profit Calculator Is Inaccurate—How Sellers Can Avoid Costly MistakesWhile the Amazon FBA profit calculator is a handy tool, it shouldn't be taken as gospel. What do we mean by that? The information you get from the Amazon FBA profit calculator is not wrong—but it is only a guideline for your revenue analysis.
So, why use the calculator at all then? Because it still gives you a good idea of your revenue. But, you need to understand the inaccuracies so that you don't get caught, like many others, with small errors that end up costing you a small fortune. It also needs to be used in conjunction with other profit calculation methods.
The bottom line: to promote your Amazon products at a fair price, you need an accurate calculation of the FBA costs to maximize your e-commerce profit margin.
Understanding the Difference Between FBA and FBM
It's essential first to understand what FBA means and how it differs from FBM. Where FBA stands for Fulfilled by Amazon, FBM stands for Fulfilled by Merchant.
What's the difference between FBA and FBM? With FBA, the merchant pays Amazon to store and ship its inventory. With FBM, the merchant stores and ships the inventory in-house—that is, this function is not outsourced to Amazon.
Why the Amazon FBA Profit Calculator Isn't Always Accurate
The Amazon FBA calculator—otherwise known as the Amazon profitability calculator—isn't always 100% accurate. This is because many sellers have different products and unique requirements. It would be almost impossible to create an accurate calculator that would work perfectly for such a vast market of sellers.
Amazon confirms this in its disclaimer:
This Fulfillment by Amazon Revenue Calculator should be used as a guide in evaluating FBA only. Amazon does not warrant the accuracy of the information or calculations in this Revenue Calculator. Independent analysis of the output of this Revenue Calculator should be conducted to verify the results.
Avoiding 5 Expensive Amazon FBA Mistakes
These are five of the most common mistakes that sellers make and how they can be avoided:
1. Taking Your Eyes off Your Books and Accounting
Never lose track of your books. For your Amazon FBA business to work, you need to very carefully calculate your profits on your own, using the FBA calculator as a guide.
The one disadvantage of Amazon is that you have many competitors. Your calculations need to be so sharp that you offer the best value for money.
2. Not Understanding the Full Scope of Fees Charged
There are Amazon selling fees and FBA fees. Both sets of fees depend on different variances.
For example, if you buy too much stock and it stays in Amazon storage for longer than expected, fees could increase. You need to know and understand the full details of the fees charged.
3. Not Realizing That There Are Gaps in the Calculations
The calculator takes the basic costs into consideration. It doesn't take expenses like taxes, advertising and Amazon product promotion, and overheads into account.
You would need to include these and other hidden costs when tracking your expenses for a more accurate picture of your profits.
4. Not Including Returns in Your Calculations
Inevitably, there will be defective products and packaging. There will also always be customers that are not happy with your products. Sending products back will cost you, and this also needs to be accounted for.
5. Not Providing Amazon With Accurate Descriptions of Your Products
If you input inaccurate dimensions of your products, you could be calculating the total costs of storage and delivery incorrectly.
Let's look at an example. You sell a product for years, and it gets updated. Expectedly, the new packaging is slightly bigger than the previous packaging. You calculate costs according to the old specs, and Amazon calculates costs according to their measurements while in storage.
» Learn how to track and calculate your profit on Amazon FBA
Other Ways to Calculate Your Profit
Fortunately, you don't need to rely 100% on the Amazon version, as there are other calculators to use.
Five FBA calculators you could consider if you would like to research other options include:
Seller App AMZScoutJungle Scout Viral LaunchHelium 10
» Discover the best Amazon FBA calculator
Finding the Best Solution
There are various other ways to calculate your profit—each different way will work better for some e-commerce stores than others. You should take some time to try the different versions out simultaneously, and you will soon see which calculator is the most accurate for your business and your products.
There is no manual to give you all the right answers; otherwise, everyone would be highly successful Amazon merchants. The trick is to learn and keep learning, research and keep researching, and never stop growing. Good luck!