How to Know If Shopify Is Right for Your Brand
At Sáasil Ichi Studio, I spend a lot of time helping creative entrepreneurs find the right digital home for their business. For many, their website isn’t just a place to sell, it’s where their story lives, where they invite people into their world, and where trust begins.
Choosing a platform that feels aligned with your values, your workflow, and your future vision is a big deal. I’ve worked with clients on both Squarespace and Shopify, and both platforms have their own unique strengths.
But when it comes to building a shop that can grow and evolve, Shopify consistently stands out as the most flexible, intuitive, and sustainable choice for modern entrepreneurs.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how I introduce Shopify to my clients, why it’s become such an important part of the studio’s toolkit, and how you can decide if it’s the right fit for your brand.
Affiliate Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you sign up or make a purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share tools and platforms I genuinely use and recommend, and Shopify is one I trust for helping small businesses grow beautifully and sustainably.
Why I Recommend Shopify to My Clients
When clients come to me ready to elevate their online presence, whether that means launching a new product, refreshing an existing shop, or expanding their offerings, I always start with the same question:
✨ What kind of experience do you want your audience to have when they visit your site?
Shopify allows that experience to be both beautiful and deeply functional.
It gives you design flexibility without sacrificing performance, and it’s built for creators who value independence. Whether you’re a small-batch artisan, a boutique retailer, a wellness practitioner, or a brand stepping into e-commerce for the first time, Shopify gives you the structure to dream bigger without needing a full tech team behind you.
Here’s what makes Shopify special:
It’s all-in-one: Hosting, checkout, analytics, and inventory all live in one place, no juggling plugins or outside integrations just to make basic features work.
It grows with you: Whether you’re starting small or expanding into new product lines, Shopify can scale without needing to rebuild your site.
It integrates everywhere: Sell through Instagram, TikTok, or in person with Shopify POS all while managing everything from your main dashboard.
It’s user-friendly: You don’t need to be a developer to create something beautiful. The backend is intuitive enough for anyone to learn.
It offers deep customization: For designers like me, this is a dream, you can truly tailor the design to feel like you.
And yes Shopify offers a free trial, which means you can test everything before committing. (This is one of my favourite things to share with clients who are unsure, it takes away the pressure and lets them explore.)
It Brings Your Products and Storytelling Together
I’ve always believed that design and storytelling should work hand in hand; that your website should feel like an extension of your brand’s personality and values.
When I redesigned Vancouver Christmas Ornaments on Squarespace, the focus was on creating a warm, joyful space that reflected their story and seasonal charm. Squarespace offered a clean, intuitive setup that allowed us to highlight their handcrafted ornaments and keep everything feeling approachable and festive.
For Fifth and Frankie, Shopify was the right fit because of its creative flexibility and integrated tools. The goal was to refresh their online presence bringing in new homepage layouts, an Instagram grid view, a journal page, and a streamlined product experience. Shopify allowed all of that to come together seamlessly, balancing design with functionality in a way that felt natural to their brand.
So while Squarespace can be a beautiful choice for brands that prioritize simplicity and storytelling, Shopify becomes the natural choice when you want more design freedom, flexible integrations, and space to evolve your brand experience over time.
Who Shopify Is Best For
Shopify is ideal for:
Entrepreneurs who want to sell both online and in person.
Creators ready to expand into new products or services.
Businesses that want customization options beyond simple templates.
Founders who want to see their brand grow without migrating platforms later.
Anyone who values ease of use and creative control equally.
If you’ve ever felt like your current website limits what you can do (whether that’s setting up a subscription service, adding a blog, or offering digital downloads) Shopify gives you room to move.
It’s especially helpful for businesses with a holistic approach where storytelling, service, and sales blend together.
What It’s Like Working on a Shopify Project at Sáasil Ichi Studio
Every project I take on starts with intention. My process isn’t about templates or quick builds it’s about creating a digital home that feels like you.
When I work with clients on Shopify, I often start by mapping out how they want their site to feel: calm and grounded, playful and bright, luxurious and minimal, or something else entirely. Shopify’s design ecosystem makes that kind of emotional design work possible, while still keeping the user experience simple for customers.
For example:
We can design custom sections that move like your brand: soft animations, editorial layouts, or rich image storytelling.
We can integrate email newsletters, loyalty programs, or blogs directly into your site.
We can create a shop experience that feels personalized, whether that means limited-edition collections or customizable products.
It’s design freedom, without the overwhelm.
Common Questions I Hear From Clients
“Is Shopify better than Squarespace?”
It depends on your goals. Squarespace is beautiful for storytelling, service-based businesses, and simple shops with a small number of products. Shopify is better if you need more control, want to expand, or plan to sell across multiple platforms.
Think of Squarespace as your brand’s first cozy apartment and Shopify as the home you grow into when you want to build something long-term.
“Can I still have a beautiful, minimal site on Shopify?”
Absolutely. Shopify themes have come a long way, and with thoughtful customization, you can create a site that feels every bit as intentional and design-driven as anything built on Squarespace.
“Do I need to hire someone to build it?”
Not necessarily, though having a designer can help you tell your story visually and strategically. That’s where studios like Sáasil Ichil come in. My goal is to build something that looks beautiful, works beautifully, and can be managed by you after launch.
Shopify Success Stories I Love
Some of the most inspiring entrepreneurs I’ve seen grow on Shopify are those who lead with authenticity. They start small, they learn, and they build something that truly reflects who they are.
From artisans to wellness practitioners, Shopify gives them the freedom to evolve without friction.
And if you’ve experienced success on another platform before, like Squarespace, moving to Shopify doesn’t mean starting over, it means leveling up the container for your creativity.
Getting Started: How to Explore Shopify for Yourself
If you’re curious about how Shopify could work for your brand, here’s what I recommend:
Start the free trial
Explore the dashboard, test adding a few products, and play with a theme.Imagine your dream shop
How do you want it to feel? What journey do you want visitors to take?Look for alignment
Do the tools and layout options feel supportive of your goals?Get curious
You can always reach out to a designer (like Sáasil Ichi Studio) for guidance or custom design help when you’re ready.
Exploring the platform firsthand is the best way to understand why so many entrepreneurs choose Shopify and why I recommend it to my clients.
The Takeaway: Build a Brand That Supports You Back
At the end of the day, your website should make your life easier, not harder. It should support your creativity, your workflow, and your energy.
That’s why I recommend Shopify not because it’s trendy, but because it’s stable, adaptable, and empowering for brands who are ready to step into their next phase of growth.
Shopify gives you freedom to design, to tell your story, and to grow in a way that feels aligned with who you are.
And as someone who’s helped many entrepreneurs find that alignment, I can tell you this: the right platform is the one that expands you not the one that boxes you in.
Ready to explore Shopify for your business?
✨ Start your free trial here and see how it feels to build your dream shop.
✨ Or connect with Sáasil Ichi Studio to bring your vision to life with intention, design, and strategy.
