How to Choose the Right Storefront for Your Designs

Choosing the right storefront for your designs can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re taking your stationery hobby and turning it into a stationery business. But don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it may seem. Sure, there’s a lot of options to choose from, but we’re here to break it down for you. In this article, we’re sharing the best e-commerce storefront solutions for stationers so you can make the best decision for your business.

5 Most Popular E-commerce Storefronts

One of the best parts about opening your stationery business is that the options are endless. In this day and age, many e-commerce platforms do most of the work for you. Here are some of the most popular all-in-one e-commerce storefront options for stationery businesses.

1. Etsy

Etsy is one of the easiest ways to take your hobby to a business in just a few simple clicks. Stationers love Etsy because it’s simple and easy to use. You don’t have to worry about finding a domain, designing a website, or integrating it with payment solutions. Not only is it easy to open your own shop, it’s also easy to manage your shop with their helpful “Shop Manager” tool.

Another plus? Brand recognition. Many people know Etsy is the best place to shop if you’re looking for handmade or unique items (like stationery). That means there’s room for your business in their marketplace too! One downside of using Etsy is scalability. When you’re ready to grow and expand your business, you may have to find a different platform, especially if you want to customize your brand and make it your own.

2. Shopify

Shopify is an excellent choice for businesses of any size. If you’re looking for a one-stop shop, this is a great platform for you. Shopify offers domains, web hosting, and payment solutions, all in one place. And if you’re not too tech savvy, you can choose from their shop templates and then customize it exactly to your liking. After you choose your monthly plan, you’ll choose a domain name, pick a shop template, and drag and drop your way to a fully designed storefront. The great thing about Shopify is that it’s fully customizable. As your business grows, you don’t have to worry about switching your ecommerce platform. Shopify has plans for businesses of all sizes and plans include customer support to help you along the way. Just remember: Choosing to open a storefront with a platform like Shopify means that you have to build your own customer base and bring your own traffic (there’s not a built-in audience waiting to shop your designs like Etsy). But they do offer marketing tools to help you get the job done. Compare their plans here.

Looking for a comparison between Etsy and Shopify? Start here.

3. Wix

Like Shopify, Wix is another all-in-one solution that lets you purchase a custom domain, offers web hosting, and seamlessly integrates payment solutions for your small business. Wix allows you to create a free site and then choose a plan when you’re ready. Each plan offers a free domain for one year, storage space, hosting, and marketing tools. When you’re ready to start accepting payments, you’ll want to choose their “Core” plan which starts at $29/month. Just like Shopify, this storefront platform offers you scalability as your business grows over time. The best part? They offer a drag and drop editor (no developer needed). Compare their plans here.

4. Squarespace

Squarespace is another all-in-one business e-commerce platform that offers customer domains (free for a year with your subscription), editable shop templates, hosting, marketing tools, and more. You can start on their basic subscription for $16/month and go up from there. Check out their plans and pricing here. Just note: Most of their marketing tools are added fees. And if you want to upload videos with your listings, their basic plan only allows for 30 minutes of hosting and storage.

5. WooCommerce

If you have a WordPress site, WooCommerce may be a great option for you. WooCommerce markets itself as a plugin for WordPress developers. So, if you’re a developer by day and a stationer by night, you’ll have no problem with integrating this plugin with your WordPress site. This is a popular choice for people who want full control of their site (code and all). Just remember, this is not an all-in-one ecommerce platform. You’ll have to piece together your domain, hosting, design, and even this payment solution. Read all about it here.

How to Choose the Best Storefront for Your Stationery Business

The best storefront for your stationery business is one that doesn’t get in the way of doing business. Sure, you can choose the e-commerce platform that has all the bells and whistles for when your business booms…but if you’re too intimidated to use it now, it’s not the best choice for you right now.

Remember: It's okay to start right where you are and grow slow!

Choose the storefront that lets you show off your beautiful designs easily and doesn’t get in the way of you starting your business. Then, as you grow, you can scale and adjust accordingly. Most importantly, choose the one that lets you have fun in the process. We’re here cheering you on every step of the way.

If you’re looking to save time and energy in this next season of your business, PrintsWell would love to partner with you. Fill out this quick and easy application to get started. And if you have any questions, please reach out to our friendly customer service team.