When NOT to Integrate Shopify and Squarespace
Sometimes it’s as important to know when NOT to do something as it is to know when to do it. A lot of people ask about how to integrate a Shopify shop into a Squarespace website and there are a couple of options for this that might work well for some. But although some think this hybrid approach is going to be a “best of both worlds” solution, the actual answer to whether this is a practical solution for you depends on what you’re attempting to get out of doing so.
So, if those other posts are the argument FOR doing this (or at least letting you know that it’s possible) this post is the argument AGAINST. I just think it’s important to define both sides of the argument so that you can fully understand the pros and cons of each setup and decide for yourself which is the best route!
Why Do You Want To Do This?
Whenever someone reaches out to me asking about integrating Shopify into Squarespace, I usually reply to them with some initial questions along the lines of:
Are there features you feel like you’re missing on Squarespace that you think Shopify offers instead?
Is it because someone else told you that you should be on Shopify?
What do you really love about your current site? What’s not working?
What is the potential desired outcome of doing this? What would be your ideal?
Here’s why I ask these questions:
By digging deeper into the WHY behind wondering about integrating a Shopify store into a Squarespace website, we can get to what the real “pain points” are. Sometimes they are real issues; sometimes it’s just because someone felt like they “should” do it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Asking about what someone really loves about their current site also lets me know what to prioritize. This is as important as understanding the pain points because it would be horrible to fix one small problem only to have a bigger one crop up.
Keeping the desired outcome in mind allows us to focus on the bigger picture instead of nit-picking silly little details.
5 Bad Reasons for Wanting to Integrate Shopify & Squarespace
Someone told you to - this is a horrible reason to make any kind of business decision but if I had a dollar for every person who started their query with “Well so and so said I really needed to be on Shopify…” well, let’s just say I would be on a beach somewhere with a margarita right now. Honestly - are you going to let someone else armchair quarterback YOUR business?
You want to use an app from the Shopify app store - sorry to be the bearer of bad news but this isn’t going to happen. Shopify apps are NOT compatible with the Shopify Buy Button so if you’re thinking you’ll be able to use a Shopify app on your Squarespace site by doing this you’re going to be disappointed.
You think it will be “easier” to manage - LOL why? When has managing two systems ever been easier than managing one? Walk me through that. Explain it to me like I’m five.
You think the checkout experience is better on Shopify - this is a myth stranger than the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. Squarespace’s checkout experience is simple, smooth, and proven to be a highly converting experience for customers.
You want to use Shopify POS - perfect but before you go through all that work, did you know that Squarespace has a pretty awesome POS setup that’s 1) automatically connected to your website and ready to go right now 2) allows you to sell in person and collect payments via Square 3) included for free with Squarespace commerce plans and 4) super mobile friendly? (Check it out here.)
Disadvantages & Alternatives
In addition to the notes above, here are some other general disadvantages to integration:
Even though the Shopify Lite Button is only $9/mo, it’s still an additional expense that you may not need to take on. Worst yet, sometimes people end up paying the full subscription cost for both platforms and then running essentially dual platforms for no reason. Twice the cost, twice the work. No bueno.
Styling options for embedding Shopify are pretty decent but a keen eye will still be able to distinguish between what elements are native Squarespace and which aren’t. Nothing is going to compare to just using the built-in Squarespace shop and checkout options when it comes to brand consistency (fonts, colors) and style.
You should also remember that both platforms (Shopify & Squarespace) come with their unique strengths and weaknesses. As great as it would be to be able to cherry-pick just your favorite parts of each and meld them together into one “perfect” solution, that’s just not realistic. You’re still going to have pain points if you don’t address the actual issues.
Alternatives to Integration
Clearly identify what you feel isn’t working on Squarespace and fix it there. It’s honestly probably way easier to do this than bring on a whole other system as a band-aid. Chances are there are some features or elements of Squarespace that you’re just not using to their fullest potential that would make life a whole lot easier. There may also be a simple plugin or code solution to your problem that would hold up better in the long run.
If you truly must have two sites, I think using a tool like Trunk (see my review here) to sync inventory between multiple shops is often a cleaner solution than embedding. A bonus with Trunk is that you can also sync inventory with all your other sales channels like Square, Quickbooks, Faire, Etsy, or Amazon!
Sometimes what people think is a website problem is actually a business, systems, or people problem 😬 Eek, I know, right?? It’s tough to admit but true. While your website is definitely a super-powerful business tool, it’s still just one part of your ecosystem. Making a huge change with your website to avoid making a small change to your business processes or your people is short-sighted and will severely limit growth in the long run. We put a lot on our websites because we think technology can handle everything but at the end of the day, even the best website can’t make up for broken people or processes.
Bottom Line
Real talk: 9 times out of 10, I end up advising someone to just go all-in on one platform or the other. Using the Shopify Buy Button as a solution is super cool IF you need it but with so many ongoing improvements on the Squarespace commerce front, I think those specific use cases are becoming fewer and farther between.
Integrating seems like it’s going to be the “best of both worlds” solution BUT it also means that you’ll always end up feeling like you’re dividing your attention between your “website” and your “shop.” And really, you want your website and your shop to be united and cohesive; when it comes to eCommerce, they definitely should be one and the same.
You know I love a minimalist solution that keeps things as simple as possible so instead of dividing and conquering, I would just choose the best tool for the job from the get-go and focus on getting the most out of it as possible.
p.s. If you’re wondering what tool I think is best check out this post: What eCommerce Platform am I Recommending Most These Days!
