The ecommerce blog that helps you build your business.
Style Factory is one of the web’s leading sources of impartial advice on ecommerce, digital marketing and SEO.
Our site is full of valuable tips on how to start a business, and we also help you get set up on some of the most popular ecommerce platforms, email marketing apps and SEO tools available.
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Our latest ecommerce and website builder reviews
Latest reviews and comparisons
Squarespace Pricing — Which Plan is Best for Your Project?
In-depth guide to Squarespace pricing. Which plan is best for your project?
May 17, 2022
Big Cartel Review — Key Pros and Cons, Pricing and Alternatives
In this Big Cartel review, we run through the key pros and cons of a ‘cheap and cheerful’ ecommerce platform. Can you run a professional online store with it?
May 17, 2022
Shopify vs GoDaddy — Which is the Best Online Store Builder?
Can you build a professional ecommerce site with GoDaddy – or are you better off with a dedicated store builder tool like Shopify?
May 17, 2022
Big Cartel vs Shopify — Which is the Best Store Builder?
An in-depth comparison of Big Cartel and Shopify. Which one is best for your project?
May 16, 2022
Shopify vs Etsy — Which is Best?
In-depth comparison of Shopify vs Etsy. Which ecommerce platform is best for building an online store with?
May 16, 2022
Squarespace Review — The Key Pros and Cons of a Leading Site Builder
In this in-depth Squarespace review, we look at all the pros and cons of one of the most popular website building solutions available.
May 16, 2022
Featured ecommerce platform
Shopify
Is Shopify the right ecommerce solution for your business? Find out in our impartial, comprehensive Shopify review.
You might also find our new guide on how to start a Shopify store from scratch helpful; and our Wix vs Shopify guide discusses how Shopify compares against another hugely popular website building tool.
More Shopify resources
Shopify vs GoDaddy — Which is the Best Online Store Builder?
Can you build a professional ecommerce site with GoDaddy – or are you better off with a dedicated store builder tool like Shopify?
May 17, 2022
Big Cartel vs Shopify — Which is the Best Store Builder?
An in-depth comparison of Big Cartel and Shopify. Which one is best for your project?
May 16, 2022
Shopify vs Etsy — Which is Best?
In-depth comparison of Shopify vs Etsy. Which ecommerce platform is best for building an online store with?
May 16, 2022
Shopify SEO — How to Optimize Your Shopify Store
Shopify SEO: read Style Factory’s in-depth guide to optimising a Shopify store for the major search engines.
May 16, 2022
Shopify vs Amazon — Which is Best for Your Online Store?
In-depth comparison of Shopify vs Amazon. Which platform will get the most attention for your online store?
May 11, 2022
Ecwid vs Shopify — Comparison, Key Pros and Cons
In our Ecwid vs Shopify comparison, we go through the pros and cons of two well-known online store builders. Which one is for you?
May 10, 2022
Running and growing your business
Tips on how to make the most of your business
Checklist for Starting a Business — The 14 Key Steps
A guide to the key things you need to do when setting up a business.
May 18, 2022
10 Key Apps For Startups
10 key apps for startups — if you’re starting an online business, here are 10 apps you’re going to need to make a success of it.
May 17, 2022
Visme vs Canva — Which is Best?
Visme vs Canva — which of these popular graphic design tools is right for your business? Find out in our in-depth comparison.
May 5, 2022
Cyber Security Tips — How to Protect Your Business Online
In this post, we share some key cyber security tips that can significantly reduce the risk of your business being compromised online.
May 5, 2022
Digital Declutter — 15 Ways to Become More Productive and Less Distracted
Declutter your digital life in 2022 — 15 top tips to reduce distraction and improve productivity.
May 4, 2022
Canva Pro vs Free — What’s the Difference?
We compare Canva Pro vs Free to help you decide whether it’s worth upgrading to the premium version of this popular design tool.
May 4, 2022
Spotlight on…
Canva
Our Canva review goes through all the pros and cons of a tool that promises to make creating visual assets easy.
You might also find our Canva pricing guide, our Canva Pro vs Free comparison, our Canva free trial guide and our Visme vs Canva shootout useful.
Email marketing reviews and advice
Latest email marketing platform reviews
AWeber Review — All the Pros and Cons
In this AWeber review, we take a look at all the pros and cons of a popular solution for designing and sending HTML e-newsletters.
May 17, 2022
GetResponse Review — All the Pros and Cons
In this Getresponse review, we provide an in-depth look at an email marketing platform that offers some quite unusual features.
May 11, 2022
How to Create a Newsletter (and a Powerful Email Marketing Campaign)
How to create a newsletter — a simple checklist you can follow to create beautiful HTML e-newsletters and effective email marketing campaigns.
May 5, 2022
Split Testing — How to Improve Email Newsletter Open Rates
A simple guide to split testing and how it can improve the effectiveness of your digital marketing campaigns.
April 28, 2022
Mailchimp vs AWeber — Which is Best?
In this Mailchimp vs AWeber comparison, we’re look at two of the best-known email marketing solutions currently available. Which one is best for you?
April 27, 2022
AWeber vs GetResponse — A Detailed Comparison
In our AWeber vs Getresponse comparison, we put two leading email marketing tools head to head.
April 27, 2022
Our Squarespace resources
Squarespace
Check out our Squarespace review for an in-depth look at an increasingly popular website builder; read our Shopify vs Squarespace comparison to see how it stacks up against a key rival; and visit our Squarespace plugins section to add functionality to your own Squarespace website.
SEO tips
Latest SEO resources
Video: Ahrefs Keyword Research
In this video we show you how to perform simple keyword research with Ahrefs.
May 18, 2022
Shopify SEO — How to Optimize Your Shopify Store
Shopify SEO: read Style Factory’s in-depth guide to optimising a Shopify store for the major search engines.
May 16, 2022
How to Make Your Site More Visible on Google
In this blog post, we share six simple ways that you can improve your site’s search engine optimisation and achieve better rankings in Google.
May 16, 2022
10 Free SEO Resources for 2022
In this post we share 10 free resources and tools that will help improve your understanding of SEO and increase the visibility of your site in search engines.
May 4, 2022
How to Increase Blog Traffic — in 10 Simple Steps
In this article, we share 10 simple ways you can increase traffic to your blog posts — and fast!
May 4, 2022
SEO tool focus: Ahrefs
Ahrefs review
In this review, we take an in-depth look at Ahrefs, highlighting all its key pros and cons. Should you use it for an SEO project — or are you better off with an alternative?
Read our review of Ahrefs, watch our Ahrefs keyword research video or check out our new Moz vs Ahrefs comparison.
Productivity and CRM
Featured
10 Key Apps For Startups
10 key apps for startups — if you’re starting an online business, here are 10 apps you’re going to need to make a success of it.
May 17, 2022
Chromebook Review — The Key Pros and Cons in 2022
Should you buy a Chromebook? In this Chromebook review, we take a look at the pros and cons of using a computer that runs Chrome OS.
May 12, 2022
Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) — Which is Best?
In this Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace comparison, we explore two leading suites of cloud productivity apps, discuss the pros and cons in depth, and help you work out which one is best for your business.
April 27, 2022
Capsule vs Nimble — Which is the Best CRM?
Capsule vs Nimble – which of these CRM tools is best for a small business? Our comparison review goes through the pros and cons of each product.
January 25, 2022
Nimble CRM Review (2022) — Pros and Cons, Pricing, Features
In this Nimble CRM review, we look at a product which focuses, more than most CRM systems, on social relationships. Is it a good fit for your business?
January 25, 2022
GrowthBar review
GrowthBar
In our GrowthBar review, we take an in-depth look at a tool that aims to provide key SEO functionality at a much lower price point than its competitors. Does it succeed in this goal?
Video reviews and tutorials
Featured
Video: Ahrefs Keyword Research
In this video we show you how to perform simple keyword research with Ahrefs.
May 18, 2022
Video: Ecwid review
Our video review of Ecwid highlights the pros and cons of an ecommerce solution that promises to turn any site into a store.
May 12, 2022
Video: Shopify vs Amazon
Watch our video review of Shopify vs Amazon to discover when and why to use Shopify over Amazon — and vice versa!
May 7, 2022
Video: BigCommerce review
In this BigCommerce video review, we spell out the five key reasons why you might want to use the platform, and the five key reasons why you might want to avoid it.
May 4, 2022
Video: Wix vs Shopify comparison
In this Wix vs Shopify video comparison, Matt Walsh from Style Factory puts two of the web’s leading website building platforms to the test.
May 4, 2022
A look at…BigCommerce
BigCommerce review
BigCommerce aims to provide you with a lot of ecommerce functionality ‘out of the box’ — rather than via expensive apps. How well does this work?
Find out in our BigCommerce review, or check out our BigCommerce vs Shopify shootout to see how it compares with a popular alternative.
Get our latest tips – follow us online.
Email marketing focus: GetResponse
GetResponse review
GetResponse aims to go beyond email marketing by providing ecommerce and webinar features. Does this make it a jack of all trades or master of none? Find out in our GetResponse review.
Our services
Shopify
If you’re looking for a Shopify developer, or simply somebody to assist you in setting up a simple Shopify site, we can help. We provide cost-effective, expert Shopify web design services to clients around the world.
Squarespace
Although it’s undeniably great for putting together a website yourself, there are times when you need to enlist a Squarespace developer to help you customise your site and get it just the way you want it. That’s where we come in.
Google Workspace
We’ll take all the stress out of moving your email, files and calendars across to G Suite, and can provide your team with training on how to get the most out of your new productivity tools. Ongoing support packages are also available.
