Shopify vs. Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Shopify has replaced Salesforce as the leader in enterprise ecommerce.

Introduction

As the eCommerce landscape evolves, the right platform is crucial for your business’s success. Here, there’s a comparison between Shopify and Salesforce Commerce Cloud, two major players in the industry. This comparison will highlight why more and more businesses are choosing Shopify.

A close examination of each platform reveals important factors such as conversion efficiency, total cost of ownership (TCO), innovation speed, and user experience simplicity. Through data and real-life examples, it becomes apparent why Shopify is becoming the go-to choice for enterprise eCommerce, surpassing Salesforce in these critical areas.

Higher Conversion

Shopify leads in conversion. A 2023 study by a top consulting firm revealed that Shopify’s checkout is 36% more effective in converting sales compared to Salesforce. This success is attributed to Shopify’s focused development in areas such as efficiency, speed, user-friendliness, and adaptability.

Enhanced Conversion

Experience the highest-converting checkout globally, a 172% increase.

Shop Pay: A Swift Checkout Solution. Shop Pay stands at the forefront of fast checkout options online, boasting over 150 million users. It enables brands to turn new site visitors into buyers smoothly, removing the usual complications of guest checkouts.

All the Flexibility You Need

Shopify’s checkout is more flexible and customizable than ever before, with features that allow tracking and adjustments to the checkout process. This adaptability is a key reason why many brands are making the switch to Shopify.

Customize How Your Checkout Looks

Tailoring your checkout to fit your brand is straightforward with Shopify. Adjust fonts, colors, and decorative elements to match your aesthetic. The Graph QL branding API provides the tools for further customization.

Change How Your Checkout Works

Shopify allows enhancements to the checkout experience in unique ways that can both surprise and please customers. There are numerous possibilities for upgrading checkout functionality with interface tweaks, post-purchase options, discounts, and tracking enhancements.

Extend or Replace the Backend

Shopify Functions allow the modification or complete overhaul of the essential parts of the checkout process. This feature provides the freedom to implement custom backend logic that aligns with specific business requirements.

Collect Rich Customer Data

Embed custom pixels within the Shopify checkout to gather comprehensive data on customer interactions and checkout performance. This information is invaluable for the continuous refinement of the customer experience.

Lower TCO, Higher ROI

Pay less. Get a whole lot more.

Dramatically Cut Costs Salesforce users often face high expenses, from development fees to licensing costs, for a service that may not meet today’s needs.

What is the advantage with Shopify? It offers your business more for less. Embrace cost-effectiveness with Shopify’s modern solutions. 

Say hello to lower licensing costs

With Salesforce licensing often ranging between 1% to 3% of Gross Merchandising Value, costs can escalate quickly. In contrast, Shopify Plus starts at a more manageable rate of around $2,300 per month, presenting a significantly more budget-friendly option. 

Shopify developers are more available, and more affordable

Shopify’s platform is designed for hands-on use, letting business teams take charge without needing to lean heavily on the costly developer support often associated with Salesforce.

Higher ROI

See a bigger return

Shopify offers a range of features that help businesses coming from Salesforce to boost their sales. These features include POS, Markets Pro, Shop Pay, Shopify Audiences, Shop Pay Installments, and the Shop app.

Innovation

Innovate at the speed of commerce

Rapid Iteration

Shopify’s pace of innovation is unmatched

Shopify consistently releases a host of updates each year, with a substantial engineering team driving advancements in eCommerce, from AI integration to comprehensive omnichannel selling features. In contrast, Salesforce’s pace of innovation, particularly  in the B2C space, has diminished, prompting businesses to explore other options.

The Edge of Commerce

Innovate before your competitors

Meet savvy shoppers on the newest platforms

Shopify consistently pioneers with new features and integrations, helping businesses stay agile in a market where consumer expectations change rapidly. On the flip side, brands using Salesforce often experience delays or have to create solutions on their own.

Brands on Salesforce are falling behind

Connect with shoppers where they are Shopify supports selling across the latest platforms, from social media like TikTok and Snapchat to the latest in AR and AI technology, aligning with where consumers are engaging now.

Shouldn’t your commerce partner be 100% focused on commerce?

Absolutely. We firmly believe in that principle. Unlike Salesforce, which is primarily concentrated on CRM, our entire commitment lies in creating the finest possible commerce experiences. Shopify’s mission has always been clear and straightforward: “Make commerce better for everyone.”

We built our platform. Salesforce bought theirs.

Shopify was created with a clear vision: to enhance commerce for everyone. This foundational principle guided us to construct Shopify from scratch. In contrast, Salesforce acquired their B2C Commerce platform, which operates on a different system from their main offerings.

Shopify invested $1.7B in commerce R&D in 2023 alone

Committed to our mission, Shopify is developed from scratch to enhance commerce for all users. Unlike Salesforce, which acquired its B2C Commerce platform, Shopify ensures that our architecture is cohesive and integrated with our core offerings.

In line with the dedication, Shopify invested an impressive $1.7 billion in 2023 alone to advance the world of commerce.

 

Everything Simplified

Shopify’s where simple meets technical

Empower Business Users

Shopify is distinctively crafted to empower team members at all levels, enabling them to efficiently manage and update various aspects like discounts, theme customization, and app configurations. This contrasts sharply with Salesforce’s complex interface, where similar updates are more cumbersome and less user-friendly. 

Get efficient composability

Choose from a range of options with Shopify, including out-of-the-box solutions, customizable features, or a combination of both. The platform’s native capabilities are complemented by an extensive array of pre-built apps and integrations, enabling rapid and flexible innovation. Additionally, API access and backend customizations allow for tailored solutions to meet specific business needs. 

Move fast, without friction

Shopify’s ecosystem, built with pre-configured integrations and easy-to-use apps, enables brands to operate with unparalleled agility. This streamlined approach is a stark contrast to the often lengthy and expensive process of adding features on Salesforce, providing a more efficient and cost-effective solution. 

Affordable Developer? Check.

Finding skilled and affordable developers is more straightforward with Shopify compared to Salesforce Commerce Cloud B2C, which often requires developers with specialized, and typically more expensive, skills in Demandware and Lightning Web Components. 

Focus your developers on what really matters

Refocusing Developer Efforts With Shopify, development teams can shift their focus from routine system maintenance to projects that have a direct impact on business goals, such as enhancing the customer experience and driving revenue growth. 

Analyst Validation

Industry Recognition Shopify’s standing as a leader in the e-commerce sector is evidenced by its recognition as a 2023 Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™. Its significant market share among global brands and popularity among emerging brands in various sectors underscore its effectiveness and reliability as an e-commerce platform. 

Shopify boasts an extensive network of over 10,000 tech partners, coupled with more than 100 Shopify Plus Certified App Partners, establishing itself as a leader with the most comprehensive and diverse range of global partnerships in the eCommerce arena. 

Thinking of migrating away from your current platform?

Talk to us if your current platform and legacy digital infrastructure restrict your growth. We will work with you as trusted advisors to understand your vision, business needs, and pain points. We will recommend the best fit and cost-efficient platform and integrations to scale with you.

Our outcome-oriented team will implement the plan on time and within budget.

If you have questions or need assistance executing these strategies, our team is available at hello@tidalcommerce.ca.

Terrific!