Shopify vs Custom e-commerce Development in Dubai: A Comparison

If your are about to launch an online store, the first question that will come to your mind is to choose which platform for development. Is it more advantageous to develop a bespoke website or to deploy a solution such as Shopify? This is a question that we continually get initiated from our users. In this article, we aim to dispel the common myths and provide better insight to the users in UAE so they can choose what is best for their case.

The importance of a Shopify development agency in Dubai

Before diving into the questions, I want to highlight the advantages of hiring a Shopify development company in Dubai. While Shopify is indeed user-friendly, a competent agency can transform your store from a basic template into a fully-fledged conversion-driven online business. A proficient Shopify developer in Dubai has the skills to design a unique, tailor-made storefront that speaks for your brand, integrate local shipping and payment gateways, and even SEO-optimize your store for the UAE market. They ensure your online store looks good, performs well, and is tailored to the market.

1. How does Shopify e-commerce development differ from custom e-Commerce development?

This question appears to be very straightforward. At the core of this matter, there is the fundamental difference between ease and speed, on one hand, and control and flexibility, on the other hand.  For Dubai companies looking to do e-commerce, Shopify development is often the preferred approach due to its “hosted” nature. The platform provides payment gateways, hosting, security, and templates, allowing the launch of ecommerce websites with minimal technical knowledge to be quick and efficient. 

In contrast, a custom e-commerce store means building an online store from scratch. Every single aspect from the store’s design, code, features, and integrations can be made to fit the particular purpose for the store. This is made to be as flexible as possible, yet it does take a lot more time and money upfront.

2. What is the cost for a Shopify store in Dubai?

This is the usual accompanying question. Shopify store fees for Dubai include monthly subscription fees and a one-time development fee.

• Shopify Subscription: Starting at $39 per month, the plan also requires you to pay a monthly subscription fee in addition to transaction fees. 
• Shopify Development Cost: If you want to use Shopify development services in Dubai, the price can start as low as AED 12,000 for a simple store that uses a base template. The price can also go over AED 40,000 if you want to pay for a store that uses a high-end template and goes for a custom design that also includes specific features that you want.

In contrast, a tailor-made e-commerce website can be priced as low as AED 30,000 and can go up to as high as six figures, depending on the level of details involved. While the initial investment is much higher, you have full ownership and do not pay any platform fees in the future.

3. How quickly can I launch my online store? Which option is the quickest?

Showing up a Shopify store in Dubai will unquestionably be quicker than the alternatives. A good Shopify development team can have a working Singapore store ready in just 2-4 weeks, as the basis is already made.

Custom e-commerce websites usually take 2-3 months or longer to build from scratch. If you are a startup e-commerce business in Dubai, Shopify is certainly the preferred pick when trying to cut down on the time to market.

4. Is a custom site more secure than Shopify?

Shopify has security measures in built whereas with a custom site, you are fully responsible for your own security. You can customize the security and add up to the maximum level according to you choice in a custom ecommerce website especially if you are saving customer payment information.

5. My company requires certain unique features. Can a Dubai based Shopify development company add those?

Features for Shopify do not require much evaluation thanks to the widespread plugins and the features you require to be implemented can be offered by custom-built features by a Shopify developer.

A custom-built website can integrate any feature you envision, which is why a custom-built website is the best idea if the business model is very different and relies on a feature that would be difficult to implement on Shopify.

6. Will I be able to edit my store easily after it's built?

Yes, once your Shopify development agency completes the site, you can manage products, orders, and content through the intuitive admin dashboard. But unlike a custom built dashboard, Shopify dashboard is not user friendly and will contain menus that you don’t require making the dashboard confusing.

A custom website's ease of use depends entirely on how it's built. An experienced web development agency will provide a user-friendly CMS (Content Management System) for you to manage content, and updating core functionalities and complex integrations will not require professional help. It is easy to manage the backend of a custom-built ecommerce as it’s built as per your specific requirements.

7. Which option is better for SEO in the long run in the UAE market?

Both platforms are fine for SEO but they do shine in different areas. An ecommerce Shopify website serves as a ready-made solution that is perfect for startups. It has clean code and automatically follows best practices for meta tags, titles, and redirects. On the flip side, you are stuck with the platform’s basic functionalities. 

A bespoke website gives you complete freedom over every technical SEO element. This allows you to engage in more advanced and aggressive SEO strategies; however, its development and maintenance require a skilled team. In the end, for an effective ecommerce SEO strategy in Dubai, the platform doesn’t matter as much as content and marketing strategies.