What I usually recommend at that point is that users do one of two things:
1. Switch to a hosted solution like Shopify for actual order processing, inventory, etc and keep Wordpress around for the read-only business type pages or blogs. Let each component do what it is best at.
2. Switch entirely to a hosted platform like Wix or Squarespace, which let you do both.
I have yet to encounter a Wordpress eCommerce plugin that wasn't, at some level, a disaster. Every one I have seen is janky and the code quality is usually quite poor.
There is also the security implications of doing this. Especially for small businesses, if you can't or don't want to pay someone to constantly patch Wordpress up against the most recent security issues [0] (again, in fairness, this is largely plugins and themes these days), you're taking a very real risk at having your installation hacked and possibly data exposed depending on the severity. I've seen Wordpress installs hacked within hours of a zero-day being dropped. Every plugin you bring in increases your attack surface, and the more complex the plugin, the larger the attack surface.
People really need to just let Wordpress be Wordpress. Wordpress was designed to be a blogging platform and basic CMS. Just because you can extend it beyond that doesn't mean it's a good idea. You can use a screwdriver as a hammer if you try hard enough, but that doesn't make it actually a hammer or the right tool to use.
I wouldn't recommend Shopify. Clunky, slow, overpriced. And business inventory shouldn't be outsourced and hosted on third party platforms.
Self-managed solutions offer more options to scale and add features, customization and generally taking control over the way your business is presented online. This matters, and customers notice the confidence of a business owning its online presence.
Doesn't need to be Wordpress, but even if it is, the option to use something like Snipcart is there if WooCommerce isn't wanted. No need to switch everything over to hosted solutions like Shopify.
> "You can use a screwdriver as a hammer if you try hard enough, but that doesn't make it actually a hammer or the right tool to use."
Not sure why you thought it necessary to expand "right tool, right job" into that longer version, but you're implying Shopify is the hammer. Why? Because it has "shop" in the name? They stack a bunch of technologies together just like everyone else. And with that comes attack surfaces and issues just like anyone else.
1. Switch to a hosted solution like Shopify for actual order processing, inventory, etc and keep Wordpress around for the read-only business type pages or blogs. Let each component do what it is best at.
2. Switch entirely to a hosted platform like Wix or Squarespace, which let you do both.
I have yet to encounter a Wordpress eCommerce plugin that wasn't, at some level, a disaster. Every one I have seen is janky and the code quality is usually quite poor.
There is also the security implications of doing this. Especially for small businesses, if you can't or don't want to pay someone to constantly patch Wordpress up against the most recent security issues [0] (again, in fairness, this is largely plugins and themes these days), you're taking a very real risk at having your installation hacked and possibly data exposed depending on the severity. I've seen Wordpress installs hacked within hours of a zero-day being dropped. Every plugin you bring in increases your attack surface, and the more complex the plugin, the larger the attack surface.
People really need to just let Wordpress be Wordpress. Wordpress was designed to be a blogging platform and basic CMS. Just because you can extend it beyond that doesn't mean it's a good idea. You can use a screwdriver as a hammer if you try hard enough, but that doesn't make it actually a hammer or the right tool to use.
[0] https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvekey.cgi?keyword=wordpress