The one question that decides it
Do customers buy from you online, choosing items, paying and waiting for delivery or pickup? Then you need a store, and Shopify is built for exactly that.
Do customers call, book an appointment, ask for a quote or walk in? Then you need a website that makes that easy, and a store would be weight you pay for every month.
When Shopify is the right call
Shopify fits when:
- You have products with stock, sizes or colours to keep track of.
- You ship orders, or offer local pickup.
- You want to take card payments online without building that yourself.
- Your catalog will grow, and you want to manage it without a developer.
When a regular website is enough
A business website fits when:
- You sell services: appointments, repairs, quotes, classes.
- The goal is a call, a booking request or a visit.
- You sell only a few things, like gift cards, which do not need a full store.
What each costs to run
Shopify charges its own monthly plan and fees on sales, paid to Shopify, not to us. A regular website is mostly a one-time build, then a domain renewal and hosting.
At TigerPoint a business website starts from $499 and a Shopify store from $999, and the cost guide shows what moves both. If you are somewhere in between, the free written plan says which your business needs, with the exact price.