For a small UK business choosing between WordPress and Shopify, start with Shopify if selling products online is the main purpose and you want hosted infrastructure; consider WordPress with WooCommerce if the shop belongs within a broader WordPress website or needs flexibility that Shopify does not easily provide.

Treat that as a starting point, not a final verdict. Before commissioning either platform, ask a developer to assess your actual sales process, the systems you need to connect and who will look after the website after launch.

Is the website mainly a shop or a wider business website?

FullyCoded's platform guidance distinguishes product-led stores from businesses adding e-commerce to a broader WordPress site: Shopify fits the former, while WooCommerce is an option for the latter.

Write down the most important action a visitor should take. Is it buying a product, requesting a quote, making a booking or reading enough about your service to enquire? Then describe the route from that first visit to a completed sale or enquiry.

  • For a product-led shop, ask for a demonstration using your products, delivery requirements and order-handling process.
  • For a service-led website, ask to see how your team would create service pages, publish information and handle enquiries.
  • For a mixed business, identify which requirements are essential at launch and which can wait. Ask the developer to explain their platform recommendation against that list.

How much flexibility do you actually need?

Shopify can be extended through custom themes, apps and third-party integrations. FullyCoded's Shopify work includes connections to fulfilment, warehousing, CRM, ERP and accounting systems.

Shopify's standard functionality does not cover every requirement. Complex product configurators, custom checkout flows and tightly connected ERP or fulfilment processes are examples FullyCoded identifies as needing closer technical assessment.

For WordPress, FullyCoded builds custom themes and bespoke plugins where the required functionality is not available off the shelf.

Rather than asking which platform is more flexible in the abstract, give the developer your hardest requirement. Ask them to show how it would work, identify any restrictions and separate standard functionality from paid extensions or bespoke development. Do this before approving the design.

Who will maintain the website after launch?

Shopify provides a hosted platform that handles the infrastructure. Keep that distinction separate from the ongoing work on your store's design, custom features and integrations.

For either proposal, request a written responsibility list. Avoid accepting a vague promise of support without agreeing what it covers.

  • Ask who handles hosting, domain renewals, updates, backups and recovery, and mark anything included in another service as such.
  • Ask who investigates a failed payment, broken enquiry form or order that has not reached the fulfilment system.
  • Agree which changes your team will make, what training is included and which changes need developer support.

FullyCoded offers ongoing maintenance and managed hosting packages after a website goes live. When reviewing a proposal, ask which ongoing services are included and which require a separate agreement.

How should you compare total running costs?

Compare dated, itemised quotes for the same requirements rather than choosing on the initial build price alone. Request a first-year total and a separate ongoing annual estimate, with assumptions and exclusions clearly stated.

  • Build and launch: request separate figures for design, development, content entry, product data, migration, testing and training where relevant.
  • Recurring services: ask for platform, hosting, domain, app, plugin and support charges where applicable, including renewal terms.
  • Selling costs: ask each supplier to calculate applicable payment and transaction charges against the same expected order volume and average order value.
  • Future changes: request an estimate for one realistic addition, such as a new delivery rule or system connection, and ask whether VAT is included in every quoted figure.

Do not assume either platform will be cheaper for your business. Use your own requirements and sales assumptions, and ask the supplier to explain any figure that remains uncertain.

What should you do before commissioning the website?

Prepare a one-page brief covering your main customer action, products or services, essential integrations, editing needs and ongoing budget. Include the most awkward part of your current process, not just examples of websites you like.

Then ask for a recommendation that explains what fits, what needs custom work and who owns support after launch. Use FullyCoded's website development page to start that conversation with your requirements in hand, rather than committing to WordPress or Shopify first.