Here’s a truth most designers and tech educators won’t tell you: You don’t need the perfect Showit shop setup to start making money.
In fact, chasing “perfect” is what slows down most entrepreneurs from launching at all.
I get it — the allure of a custom WooCommerce Showit shop, all automated, perfectly on-brand, and built to scale? That dream is very real (and achievable!).
But the path to get there? It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing leap.
Let me break this down: you don’t need the “perfect” ecommerce setup to start making money — just the path of least resistance.
I started with Shopify Lite (get it for $1/mo), integrating basic shop buttons into my Showit site. (and I have tutorial for setting up Shopify right here!)
(If you’re wondering about a full Shopify shop vs a shop in Showit, this is for you)
Then I moved to Thrivecart when I could afford the lifetime deal.
Only then did I upgrade to WooCommerce when I wanted more automation and control over the shop experience directly inside Showit.
And I say this as someone who literally builds Showit shops and digital product ecosystems for a living:
Every single person I know eventually moves platforms when they want to make more money from their shop.
So if you’re wondering how to set up a shop on Showit without tech overwhelm — this one’s for you.
Here’s what we need to unlearn: the idea that it doesn’t count unless you start with a fully integrated WooCommerce or fancy shop setup.
Spoiler alert: it absolutely counts.
You can start simple. You can start small. And you can start with what works now.
Because tools are just that — tools. The real engine behind your Showit shop is your customer journey, your offer, and how you nurture the relationship before, during, and after checkout.
You might think you need a feature-rich shop from day one, but in reality, that approach can delay your profits.
I’ve worked with clients through this exact situation — they feel paralyzed because they believe they need a comprehensive WooCommerce store before selling. Meanwhile, they’re leaving money on the table every single day they wait.
Instead, what if you focused on Average Cart Value (ACV) as your first growth lever?
A streamlined checkout process with strategic upsells can dramatically increase your revenue without needing a full ecommerce platform.
This is where I want you to shift your thinking. Consider what happens when you focus on getting paid first, then reinvesting that income into a platform upgrade later.
Your future shop goals don’t need to delay your current shop revenue.
Thrivecart is the MVP for anyone looking to launch a Showit template shop or sell digital products on Showit.
Low maintenance? Yes. Low cost? Yup (especially if you grab the lifetime license). High leverage? Also yes.
You can:
When paired with a simple Showit sales page, you’ve got a fully functioning shop that feels custom and conversion-ready — without the tech stress.
Want to talk profitability? Thrivecart’s ACV potential is chef’s kiss. Even with just one main product and an add-on, you can 2x your earnings per sale.
Is it perfect? No.
But it gets the job done really well for a lot longer than most people expect.
Thrivecart doesn’t have customer account pages or extensive automation capabilities. There’s no built-in product browsing experience like a traditional store. But here’s the thing — for most businesses just starting their digital product journey, these aren’t dealbreakers.
They’re nice-to-haves that often don’t justify the extra complexity and time investment of a full WooCommerce build.
The point here is that Thrivecart lets you start monetizing FAST while you build out your more comprehensive ecosystem.
WooCommerce is what I call “the upgrade.”
Everyone moves to WooCommerce when they want to make more from their shop — not just to say they have a fancy platform.
The transition usually happens organically.
Woo isn’t harder — it’s just more upfront work.
You’ll need a bit more dev support (hello, custom CSS and PHP if you want to get fancy). And you’ll spend more time customizing the experience.
But the payoff? 100000% worth it.
WooCommerce advantages are significant when you’re ready:
It’s a shop that can scale. It behaves more like a blog: plug-and-play product additions, integrated search, filters, categories, promos, customer accounts… it’s built to run while you’re not glued to your inbox.
These are the tools I come back to again and again in client builds because they immediately increase profit potential and help automate the backend of your store.
Other WooCommerce add-ons like FacetWP and Better Recurring Coupons are great too, but you can scale into those. Start lean and grow smart.
Let me be super clear:
If you’re in a season of low capacity, early testing, or you’re just trying to get paid for something that works — Thrivecart is your best friend.
Let the shop evolve with your business.
Your future self can absolutely migrate to Woo. Redirects exist. URLs can be mapped. Your audience will follow you if your offers deliver.
What you need is momentum, not a perfect stack.
The foundations you build now don’t go to waste — they set you up for smarter growth later.
The most successful digital entrepreneurs focus on progress, not perfection. They match their tech stack to their business reality, not some imaginary “ideal” state.
Make money. Then expand. That’s the real secret.
Whether you’re using Thrivecart, WooCommerce, Shopify Lite, or sticky notes and a Stripe link — you’re doing the thing.
And that deserves to be celebrated.
Start with what feels easy.
Get paid.
Then invest in what’s next.
Because the best platform for your Showit shop is the one that gets you launched.
Need a comparison between all the tools to start a shop? This article is for you.
Check out my WooCommerce Unleashed course for step-by-step guidance on building your dream WooCommerce and Showit shop when you’re ready, or book a Shop Strategy Session to create your personalized ecommerce roadmap.
Your shop should grow with you. You’ve got this.
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@penguindesigning
I'm Ingrid, welcome! I'm a branding designer + Showit Design Partner, doggy mamma, and tea drinker.
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I’m a designer with a magic touch for monetizing websites. I’m also a tea-lover, dog momma, Ravenclaw, INFP and 2w3 (for all you personality-test nerds like me).
I’ve also been called a Showit website expert (been with them since 2013), and a sucker for understanding customer journeys, brand psychology, and consumer and sales psychology. My clients have some pretty cool results after working together, things like doubled shop conversions, booked-out services in weeks, and increased monthly revenue, among other cheer-worthy celebrations.
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