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Blogs

Eye on FileMaker

A Conversation About '2 Factor Authentication'

[ Edit: 3/16/2016 - With the help of some other people, we have been able to recover, or recreate some of the original images from original thread. ] Security is always a big topic when it involves data, or people, or possessions. Recently, over on the FileMaker Community, there was a very beneficial discussion regarding security. Unfortunately, that discussion was the victim of a necessary action...and was deleted. It was deleted, because the discussion was tied to a video that, as was det

1 Comment
7,028 views

Josh Ormond
February 8, 201610 yr

Proof+Geist

Karbon Webinar – Getting Started

Free webinar introducing Karbon our free application framework for building ambitious custom business applications. If you are interested in using the FileMaker Workplace Innovation Platform at a high level you'll probably want to see what we have cooked up. The post Karbon Webinar – Getting Started appeared first on Geist Interactive. View the full article

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11,442 views

Todd Geist
August 30, 20187 yr

Proof+Geist

HTTP Request: I don’t know how, but it works

In the past year and a half here at Geist Interactive, I’ve been tasked with some development work that involves connecting to various APIs. I’ve written modules for clients that get definitions, other forms, synonyms and antonyms, hypernyms and hyponyms of a term from the client’s internal dictionary and such public dictionaries such as Oxford […] The post HTTP Request: I don’t know how, but it works appeared first on Geist Interactive. View the full article

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12,266 views

Todd Geist
November 8, 20196 yr

DB Services Blog

DB Services Named to Inc. 5000 List

For the first time, DB Services has been ranked #3494 on the annual Inc. 5000 list, which ranks the country’s “fastest-growing innovators” based on overall revenue growth over a three-year period. The Inc. 5000 list has brought attention to America’s growing private businesses since 1982. DB Services now joins the ranks of other Inc. 5000 list alumni such as Facebook, Zappos, Pandora, and others. DB Services is top ranked FileMaker Platinum Business Alliance Partner on the 2019 Inc. 5000 li

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10,898 views

dbservices in Company News
September 13, 20196 yr

DB Services Blog

Google Charts In FileMaker

FileMaker offers many different options for charting, but if you need a chart that is not available in FileMaker, you should consider using Google Charts. Google Charts is a free Javascript framework that can be used in conjunction with web viewers in FileMaker to extend your charting capabilities: https://dbservices.com/articles/google-charts-in-filemaker/ dbservices.com

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2,122 views

dbservices in FileMaker Integrations
February 21, 20188 yr

The Philosophy of FileMaker

Transactional Processing

Record locking in a multi-user scenario is easy to control on a single record. Just use the Open Record/Request script step and test for an error 301. If the error occurs, stop the script and present a dialog telling the user they can't run that script right now. If no error occurs, the current user now has control of the record and it can be freely modified by a script. However, if your script loops through records or uses the Replace Field Contents script step, the difficulty controlling recor

0 Comments
928 views

John Mark Osborne
September 8, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

Render Found Set as JSON Object

Demo file: found-set-to-json-object.zip (40MB; requires FM 18 or later) [Author’s note: the demo file is a work in progress. Modify it as you see fit.] Today we’re going to compare various methods one might consider employing to render an arbitrary found set as a JSON object. The demo consists of a table of US customers… Continue reading Render Found Set as JSON Object View the full article

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1,014 views

Kevin Frank
September 7, 20205 yr

fmcloud.fm

Web Direct And The Browser Back Button

The post Web Direct And The Browser Back Button appeared first on fmcloud.fm. View the full article

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507 views

fabriceN
September 4, 20205 yr

1-more-blog

WebDirect et bouton retour…

WebDirect a été introduit par Claris à partir de la version 13 de FileMaker et à su évoluer avec le temps en apportant son lot d’améliorations et d’optimisations jusqu’à aujourd’hui. Cette technologie permet d’utiliser vos applications FileMaker depuis un navigateur web via le réseau internet. Claris prenant soin d’apporter une expérience utilisateur très proche de […] Cet article WebDirect et bouton retour… est apparu en premier sur 1-more-thing. View the full article

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1,803 views

fabriceN
September 4, 20205 yr

1-more-blog

WebDirect et bouton retour…

0 Comments
1,167 views

fabriceN
September 4, 20205 yr

FileMaker Magazine

Killer Keywords

In many situations, you'd think the easiest solution would be the best. Saving time and getting the job done quickly. This, however, just isn't the case if you're going to allow users to use a simple text field for managing keywords or tags. A tagging system relies on making it easy for the user, but it may not be so easy to implement itself. Here are a few questions you might be faced with. What happens when one user enters "devloper" on record 1 and another user enters the correctly spelled "

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749 views

FileMaker Magazine
September 2, 20205 yr

1-more-blog

FIleMaker 19 : Obtenir une liste d’identifiants avec Exécuter FileMaker Data API

[ATTENTION: cette video en Anglais est réservée aux geeks :). Elle n’explique pas les détails de la technique. Elle n’est là que pour partager une idée, pas du code prêt à l’emploi] Une de mes fonctionnalités favorites de FileMaker 19 est la nouvelle instruction de script, non documentée, Exécuter FileMaker Data API. Comme je […] Cet article FIleMaker 19 : Obtenir une liste d’identifiants avec Exécuter FileMaker Data API est apparu en premier sur 1-more-thing. View the full article

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1,774 views

fabriceN
August 27, 20205 yr

1-more-blog

FIleMaker 19 : Obtenir une liste d’identifiants avec Exécuter FileMaker Data API

0 Comments
1,161 views

fabriceN
August 27, 20205 yr

FileMaker Magazine

Error Handling & Logging - Updated

When talking about logging, error handling and writing clean code it's never quite as exciting as working on the key features of your solution. Adding in the "cool" stuff and simply making things work is way more fun. Yet, one of the main things you rely on when developing is information from users and from your software itself. If you don't capture any of that helpful information, then you're essentially developing in the dark. You'll get obscure support requests like "It doesn't work." which

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864 views

FileMaker Magazine
August 27, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

Currency Exchange Rates Welcome back for another exciting round of JSON exploration. Last time we discussed a JSON-related bug fix in FM 19, as well as a free package tracking service that returns results in JSON format. Today we’re going to look at a free currency conversion service. Demo file: json-exchange-rates.zip I threw together this… Continue reading JSON Currency Exchange Rates View the full article

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714 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

Currency Exchange Rates Welcome back for another exciting round of JSON exploration. Last time we discussed a JSON-related bug fix in FM 19, as well as a free package tracking service that returns results in JSON format. Today we’re going to look at a free currency exchange rate service. Demo file: json-exchange-rates.zip I threw together… Continue reading JSON Currency Exchange Rates View the full article

0 Comments
647 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

Currency Exchange Rates Welcome back for another exciting round of JSON exploration. Last time we discussed a JSON-related bug fix in FM 19, as well as a free package tracking service that returns results in JSON format. Today we’re going to look at a free currency exchange rate service. Demo file: json-exchange-rates.zip I threw together… Continue reading JSON Currency Exchange Rates View the full article

0 Comments
661 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

Welcome back for another exciting round of JSON exploration. Last time we discussed a JSON-related bug fix in FM 19, as well as a free package tracking service that returns results in JSON format. Today we’re going to look at a free currency exchange rate service. Demo file: json-exchange-rates.zip I threw together this FileMaker front… Continue reading JSON Currency Exchange Rates View the full article

0 Comments
624 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

0 Comments
659 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

0 Comments
646 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

0 Comments
674 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

0 Comments
786 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

0 Comments
645 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

0 Comments
676 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

0 Comments
636 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

0 Comments
678 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

0 Comments
637 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

FileMaker Hacks

JSON Currency Exchange Rates

0 Comments
754 views

Kevin Frank
August 25, 20205 yr

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Total Blogs 34
Total Entries 2,686

eXcelisys' Blog

A blog by eXcelisys in Affiliate Blogs

147 Entries
16 Comments
59120 Views

Shopify vs. WordPress for Your Webstore

Latest entry by eXcelisys, Tuesday at 01:24 PM1 day

Shopify vs. WordPress: Which is Best for Your Online Storefront?

By Michael Suhrbier,
eXcelisys Web App Developer

Ever ask a developer this prickly question – Shopify or WordPress?

In answering, most will discuss these online storefront platforms as if they’re standing in the power tools aisle comparing battery-powered drills vs. corded drills, arguing over performance, convenience and cost.

But our developers ask a different question – sure, we will discuss features with you but we will also talk to you about sovereignty. As in, once you build the garage, do you want to own it or will renting meet your needs?

With Shopify, you are essentially renting space inside someone else’s platform and you have to play by their rules … but for that you sure do get a lot of built-in bells and whistles. With WordPress, you own the land, the building and the keys … but with great power comes great responsibility, and here it all falls on you.

When discussing e-commerce platforms with clients, this is the part of the equation we take a lot of time with. People need to know what they’re getting into, both for the short-term and long haul.

Think about it: choosing an e-commerce platform shouldn’t just be about what gets you spinning the fastest out of the box. You need to consider long-term control, flexibility and ownership. Do you want your business to be truly cordless and free to move, or permanently tethered to someone else’s outlet? That’s essentially the difference between using WordPress (with the WooCommerce plugin) and Shopify. If you want to compare the two platforms from the perspective of “The Merchant’s Choice vs. The Creator’s Choice,” check out this comparison.

Shopify or WordPress: 5 Critical Considerations

1. Platform Risk: “The Poof Factor”

One significant risk with an SaaS (Software as a Service) platform like Shopify is Terms of Service (ToS) vulnerability. Because you are on a “tech giant’s stack,” you are subject to its rules and interpretation of your business.

The Shopify Risk: We have seen instances of “de-banking” where a Shopify payments account has been suspended or a store shuttered overnight due to perceived ToS violations. If Shopify decides your products or business practices no longer align with its policies, your storefront can vanish instantly.
The WordPress Solution: With WordPress, you own the “dirt” your house is built on. If a hosting provider or a payment processor like PayPal threatens to seize funds over policy changes (similar to the PayPal misinformation fine controversy), you can simply migrate your files to a new host or switch to a different payment gateway. You have bulkheads; if one part of the ship leaks, the whole business doesn’t sink.

2. Technical Debt and “Liquid” Literacy

There is a hidden cost to Shopify’s proprietary nature: skill portability.

Shopify uses an open-source templating language called Liquid. While it simplifies coding for its specific environment, that skill is non-transferable. If your team spends time mastering Liquid, that skill can only be used for Shopify.
In contrast, WordPress is built on the web’s foundational languages: PHP, CSS and HTML. The “learned ability” gained on WordPress builds a skill set that works across the entire internet, not just within one company’s ecosystem.

3. Beyond the “Typical Storefront”

The Hybrid Model: Many modern businesses are hybrids, offering physical products, digital services and SaaS (Software as a Service) components.
The Flexibility Gap: Built to handle retail, Shopify struggles with complex SaaS billing and intricate service-based architecture while WordPress, designed as a general-purpose Content Management System (CMS), can be molded into anything.

If you want to add a community forum, a subscription platform, a specialized workflow or a bespoke product builder, WordPress can handle this without any hiccups. With Shopify you may discover your customizations are beyond the scope of the platform’s approved framework

4. Security and Isolation

Do you want to be part of a community or would you rather go it alone?

On Shopify, you are part of a massive, centralized infrastructure. If one tenant (i.e., Shopify client) consumes excessive resources and demand spikes, problems can ripple across the entire system. Your business might be running smoothly, but if there’s a platform-wide outage, security issue or resource strain elsewhere, the network could leave your storefront sitting in the dark alongside everyone else.
WordPress allows for siloed security. You can choose your own server architecture, implement custom firewalls and create specific security bulkheads that are unique to your business, rather than relying on a shared “stack.”

5. Scaling: Ease vs. eXpense

It is important to give credit where it’s due: Shopify handles scaling (both vertical and horizontal) with incredible ease. Its backend is intuitive, making it an eXcellent choice for non-tech-savvy teams. However, as our developers note, this convenience is “relatively easy, though expensive.” In other words, you pay a premium for Shopify to handle the “what-ifs.”

Choose WordPress If …	Choose Shopify If …
You want complete ownership and sovereignty over your platform	You’re fine “renting” retail space & following the rules of the landlord (so to speak)
SEO and content marketing drive customer acquisition	Social commerce is important (you rely on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and influencer marketing to drive sales)
Your business eXtends beyond traditional e-commerce	You primarily sell physical products
You are comfortable managing technology or hiring developers to do it	Your team is non-technical and you want hosting, security and updates managed for you
You may eXpand beyond traditional e-commerce	You prefer convenience over customization
Long-term flexibility is important	You want to launch quickly

Shopify or WordPress?

Choosing between Shopify and WordPress isn’t really about picking the best or cheapest or quickest-to-launch platform. It’s about deciding what kind of business you want to build and how much control you want over its future.

Choose Shopify if you need to go fast, have a non-technical team and are comfortable with the trade-off of “renting” your platform in exchange for simplicity and managed scaling. If you want to focus on products, marketing and sales instead of maintaining behind-the-scenes infrastructure, Shopify would be a great choice.
Choose WordPress if you are planning to grow beyond a simple store, require total control and customization over your data, and want to ensure that no single tech giant can “poof” your hard work out of existence.

In the end, the smartest platform choice is the one that still fits five years from now, not just five days from now.

Even though we lean toward the flexibility of WordPress, we work in both worlds and can bridge the gap between the two, whether that means building custom Shopify integrations to bypass platform limitations or hardening WordPress sites for enterprise-level security.

THE TAKEAWAY: Don’t just pick a platform for today; pick the one that won’t have you “mistaken” about your ownership tomorrow.

Not sure which path to take? Our solution consultants and developers can help you choose the platform that fits your business today and grows with you tomorrow. Let’s talk!

**Shopify and WordPress are trademarks of their respective owners. This independent review is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Shopify Inc. or the WordPress Foundation.

The post Shopify vs. WordPress for Your Webstore appeared first on eXcelisys.

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