Opinion Archives - m.e.designlab

WordPress vs Shopify: Which is Best for Your Online Store

May 6, 2024/0 Comments/in Opinion, SEO, Web Design/by Matt Everley

NOTE: This blog article was originally written 3 years ago. Have my opinions changed? Not really! Read on…

I’ve been building custom websites with shopping cart functionality for years. Two of my favorite platforms are WordPress and Shopify. Here’s some info on the pros and cons of both for selling online!

In a nutshell, WordPress (WP) is an open-source platform, meaning it’s up to the user (you, or someone you hire, such as m.e.) to maintain updates and security, but offers a TON of scalability through plugins and third-party software. Shopify is closed-source, meaning Shopify handles updates and security, but you are limited to the only “apps” they provide or have cleared others to provide. Both require a roughly 3% take on sales, and both can be in relatively the same price range per month once you factor in web hosting, security/SSL, payment gateway and possible add-ons. Both are very popular and “easy” to use, so I’m merely trying to outline how they differ below…

PROS of WordPress for Your Online Store

Widely used, flexible and very scalable (geared toward versatility)
Easy [for designers like me] to customize
More design options than Shopify
WooCommerce is one of the most used e-commerce platforms on the internet (highly supported)
Easier to add custom product variations
There’s a plugin for everything you can imagine!
Free to use (but premium add-ons to be purchased for certain functionality)
Ability to take payment for items other than products (for example, payment form where user inputs invoice # and custom payment amount)
Much better blogging/content marketing component
More customizable SEO
Easier backups
E-mail hosting comes with some WordPress hosting packages*

CONS of WordPress for Your Online Store

Many moving parts and varying costs
Needs continual updates for security and maintenance (WordPress itself, plugins and theme)
Little support (although premium add-ons typically have fantastic support, and you can find virtually anything with a quick google search)
WooCommerce plugin needed to enable shopping cart and e-commerce
Hosting is separate from add-ons
A bit less friendly for updating global elements such as header, footer and sidebar widgets

Please also be aware there are two versions of WordPress (.com and .org). WordPress.com is like Shopify where you pay monthly and it controls the updates and security. I do NOT recommend wordpress.com. If choosing WordPress, it’s best to install and configure the free software at wordpress.org in order to take full control of WP’s capabilities.

*NOTE: Not all WordPress hosting packages include e-mail. Website hosting from Siteground includes e-mail, whereas other companies tend to focus on website and direct users to a third-party such as Google for e-mail accounts using the same domain name.

PROS of Shopify for Your Online Store

Widely used and supported (geared specifically for sales)
All costs rolled into one monthly bill
Security and maintenance handled; SSL included
Better customer support (24/7 although mostly through access to forums)
No additional shopping cart plugins necessary
Better at social sharing and marketing out of the box
Some email marketing included (although I would recommend using Mailchimp for both WP and Shopify)

CONS of Shopify for Your Online Store

Not as scalable as WordPress
More difficult [for designers like me] to customize
Less design options (limited to templates they offer, but they have some good ones!)
Not as many third-party plugins for adding customization (for example: events calendar or photo galleries)
Blogging available but not as customizable or robust
SEO not as customizable
E-mail hosting not included*

*NOTE: Shopify hosting packages do NOT include e-mail. So be sure to budget for a third-party such as Google for e-mail accounts using the same domain name.

Okay, so I know this a TON of info. But all good stuff for you to consider. There are a couple of articles I referenced for this if you want to dig deeper…

Shopify vs WordPress (2022) – Which is Best?

Shopify vs WordPress: Which is Best for Your Online Store

Likewise, there are a lot of other platforms worth considering such as Bigcommerce or Squarespace, but I would recommend WordPress and Shopify over both of these. If you’re asking my preference, it will always be WordPress since I have the most experience with it and I really love the flexibility from both a design and functionality perspective.

So what’s next? Contact m.e. for estimates for what I can handle regarding either platform. Ultimately it will depend on how much work is involved, so I would love for you to fill out a website workplan questionnaire I can send through email.

Happy researching!

Matt

P.S. – A word or two about web hosting… I offer “Managed Website Hosting” for $50/mo, which includes quarterly WP/plugin/theme updates + SSL and dedicated VPS (Virtual Private Server—which houses a website separately from other sites which could be infected with malware or decrease performance in a “shared” environment). A typical Shopify plan with hosting included is $29/mo. There is cheaper hosting out there for around $10/mo+ from companies like Siteground. But with web hosting you definitely get what you pay for!

How to Take Headshot and Bio Photos for Websites and Marketing Communications

September 19, 2020/0 Comments/in Opinion, Tutorials, Web Design/by Matt Everley

Matt Everley - Graphic Designer in Hickory, NC As a web designer, I frequently receive headshot photos and other bio images to place on “about us” or “our team” web pages. More often than not, these are taken with someone’s mobile device, and the quality is, well… crappy. This is not due to the quality of the camera—because let’s face it, cell phone cameras these days are better than most older, traditional cameras. It’s the way the images are shot that makes the difference.

Professional photography is ALWAYS recommended, but it’s well understood that time, budget and other factors come into play which may prevent you from employing a professional photographer to take headshots. Here are just a few helpful tips for shooting these types of photos at home or your place of business.

5 Do-It-Yourself Headshot Photo Tips for Your Website

Headshot Photo Tip #1: Take Photos on Backgrounds Other than a Blank Wall

Blank wall backgrounds are good for passports and driver’s licenses, but do you want your headshot to look like a passport or driver’s license? Get creative with your background. Choose a background with some context for your industry. A factory setting is great for manufacturing. Outside is great for Landscaping. An office setting is great for, well you know, an office! If nothing else, choose a brick or stucco wall—something with a good bit of texture or color, and not just plain blah.

Headshot Photo Tip #2: Have the Subject Stand Away from the Background

I’ve seen it a thousand times. The person is glued to the wall behind them! Step away from the wall or whatever objects are behind you. This will create depth, some nice shadows, and show that you are welcoming.

Headshot Photo Tip #3: Step Close to the Subject

Even if you are wearing your favorite outfit of all time, don’t take a photo of your full body. You want the focus to be on your face and likeness. Showing up close and personal helps to communicate how approachable you would be in a face-to-face meeting.

Headshot Photo Tip #4: Use Natural Light—Don’t Use a Flash!

Want your photo to look like a crime scene? Then don’t use a flash! Take the picture outside or close to a window with natural light. Taking photos with the flash on will only look amateur.

Headshot Photo Tip #5: Don’t Crop from an Image with Other People

It may be your all-time favorite picture of yourself, but if you’re cropping yourself out of a picture with someone else you are not thinking professional. What happened to that other person? What did they do to deserve this? Why do you hate them so much that you had to crop them out? That’s where my mind goes when I see this on LinkedIn, Facebook or any other profiles or websites.

Exception: If you’re in your natural/work environment, and you crop your headshot from an “action” shot in your office or industry, this is totally acceptable. Even if you are not looking straight into the camera, this is a great way to display how or what you do!

Why Do I Need a Better Headshot Photo on My Website?

Your photo represents your company AND your brand. Low quality, unprofessional photos on your website and in other marketing pieces will communicate the same about your organization and the products and services you offer. Always choose professional photography services if your budget allows! But if not, follow these tips, because customers want to get to know YOU–and what better way to do this than with a great looking headshot!

Bonus Tip: What to Provide to Newspapers for Press Releases

bad newspaper registration Always provide a black and white (grayscale color mode) to newspapers. Have you ever seen how bad a picture in the newspaper looks when the registration is off? When the paper prints, it lays down 4 different separations for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (CMYK). If these layers don’t line up, the picture looks TERRIBLE. To avoid this, submit a grayscale photo. (You may need Photoshop or another imaging program to do this properly—a gray image from Instagram or another platform is not in true “grayscale”.)

Mobile-Friendly Test – How will Google’s update affect my website?

April 21, 2015/0 Comments/in Opinion, SEO, Web Design/by Matt Everley

Google has modified their search algorithm again and in view of their big update on April 21 (see links below), this will impact all websites that aren’t mobile-friendly. You can check your website by putting your URL through a Google Mobile-Friendly Test and check whether your website is ready to face Google’s update:

» Check your website’s mobile friendliness

[Update] In addition—or alternatively—you can test your mobile speed via Think with Google.

Despite delivering a 100% user experience, your website may also lagging behind in page speed, both in mobile and desktop, and needs to be fixed.

You may also want to read more…

Should you and your website be concerned? Sources say the new mobile-friendly ranking algorithm will have several times more of an impact on Google’s search results than the Google Panda or Penguin update did, and you might end up losing up to 60% of your traffic. I can’t vouch for that percentage, but it definitely raises some eyebrows!

What can I do to avoid being penalized?

To be on the safe side, consider converting your website to a fully responsive website that is functional on all mobile platforms. You should also optimize your website for mobile search in conformity with Google updates. And of course if you need assistance, contact a web professional such as myself!

GoPro Hero 3+ Black: Down and Dirty Photo Quality Review

August 25, 2014/0 Comments/in Opinion/by Matt Everley

Just a quick photo-only quality review on the GoPro Hero 3+ Black. Disclaimer: I’m not a commercial photographer by trade, but rather an art director who is well versed in photography at a semi-pro level. I’ll leave the video review for someone who knows that realm better.

A GoPro is great for what it is intended—an action sports video camera. I have a HERO 3+ Black and for the most part I use it for aerial drone photography and video with the images intended to be used on the web. The videos are crisp and high-quality (although a bit on the digital-looking side) and there are a ton of settings. However, the still photos leave something to be desired. It’s a 12MP camera, but there are no settings for stills other than wide angle vs. normal view and 12MP vs. 7MP. The files are jpegs that are very heavily compressed and there are no options for different levels of quality (and no RAW capabilities either). At 100%, photos look like they have a water-color effect on them. They work well for web, and I use them creatively in print materials. I just don’t think you’d want to create a 300 dpi poster from them, that’s all!

I did some research and there was a firmware update, but it bombed during update and I had a helluva time getting the camera back to where it would start up. (That was back in April, so maybe I’ll try it again!)

GoPro Hero 3+ Black Still Photo Image Examples

The image below is cropped for web use. Not bad, and after you consider you have to optimize it for faster loading (JPEG 60 Quality), I’d say the quality is pretty good.

The same image, but shown actual size (JPEG 80 Quality) so you can see the detail. Watercolor anyone?

The GoPro camera meters light automatically, which can help in most situations, but can deliver a bum image you might not be expecting. For instance, look at the image below… This was a dusk/sunset shot I was intending to be simply beautiful. However, what happened was the GoPro took a light reading from somewhere in the bottom part of the photo and blew out the sky. So no pretty sunset! And alternatively, not a great house shot either. There was no way to meter the house or the sky like I can on my DSLR, or even thru my iPhone. An alternative would be for me to take two pictures—one of the sunset sky, and another of the house—in order to fuse them together in Photoshop, but that was not an option. I might be stating the above metering terminology incorrectly, but I think you get the gist.

On the bright side, I am a Photoshop pro and managed to manipulate the shot in order to get a decent image as seen below. I hate to rely on digital imaging and would always rather have a better photo to work with from the start. But there is hope!

The Bottom Line

The GoPro Hero 3+ Black is a nice little camera. For how I use it, the GoPro is great and I hope these images aren’t poo pooing on the GoPro too much. It’s well worth the money, especially for the waterproof video camera and the fact it is SO small for that level of quality. And not to mention the creative factor like attaching it to a remote-controlled hexacopter drone or placing it at the bottom of a bucket of ice water! But if you’re only looking to take great still images, it may be better to invest in a bigger aerial rig that can carry a DSLR (pricey!) or for the water people out there—a waterproof case for your better image quality camera, than to rely on still image photos from the GoPro Hero 3+ Black.

Any thoughts or questions, feel free to leave a comment below!

Building Your Brand: Business Podcast

August 1, 2014/1 Comment/in Branding, Opinion/by Matt Everley

I was recently invited to be a guest co-host on “Entrepreneur Exchange”—an internet audio show (podcast) on themesh.tv. It was recorded last Friday and officially released today for download and your listening pleasure.

To listen to the show, go to:

Entrepreneur Exchange: Building Your Brand

It was a great discussion hosted by Jeff Neuville, Director of the Small Business Center at Catawba Valley Community College and Gary Muller, Business Programs Department Head of CVCC. I was asked to discuss some of the various facets of how to go about building your brand. From reasons to choose a professional to develop your logo and brand’s identity, to using a consistent “voice” when branding social media, and even the psychology of color and how your brand can own it in your market.

I was also fortunate to be able to give a plug to my new aerial drone photography studio, Viking Aerial. Viking uses unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) technology to provide aerial photography and videos for Advertising, Real Estate, Commercial Property, Resort Promotion, Action Sports and more. That’s right, I am once again an entrepreneur! And what better to promote my own startup brand than on brand-building podcast?

Instead of having you read all about it, go there and have a listen. And please let me know what you think about the show in the comments below!