Every year, dozens of e-commerce stores open in the Canary Islands that never sell a thing. It’s not a platform problem or a design problem — it’s that the store gets built like a shop window, without thinking about what actually turns a visit into a sale. Here’s what actually matters, no fluff.
Why now makes sense
E-commerce in Spain generated €114.8 billion in 2025, up 20.6% on the previous year, according to the latest data from the CNMC (Spain’s national markets and competition regulator) — and the growth has held up quarter after quarter. In the Canary Islands, microbusinesses (fewer than 10 employees) already outpace the national average in both online sales (14% vs. 9%) and online purchases (24% vs. 22%), according to data from the Government of the Canary Islands. The demand is there; what most Canary Islands businesses are missing is a store that lives up to it.
WooCommerce or Shopify: the decision that shapes everything else
| WooCommerce (WordPress) | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Hosting only (~€10-20/month) | From €29/month, rises with sales |
| Data ownership | Full — it’s your server | Limited, you depend on their platform |
| Customisation | Full, no design limits | Limited to themes and paid apps |
| Sales commissions | None (except payment gateway) | None on higher plans, yes on basic ones |
| Learning curve | Moderate, but you’re in control | Low at first, but harder to leave later |
For businesses in the Canary Islands selling over the medium-to-long term, WooCommerce is usually the more cost-effective option: no growing monthly fee, and no dependency on a foreign platform that can change its terms whenever it wants.
What makes a store sell from month one
Having a store “set up” isn’t the same as having a store that sells. What makes the difference:
- Real product photos, not stock images — people buy what they see, and generic photos breed distrust.
- Payment methods people here actually use: card, Bizum and PayPal at a minimum. Skip Bizum and you’re quietly losing sales in the Canary Islands.
- Short checkout: every extra step between “add to cart” and “pay” is a chance for the customer to leave.
- Mobile-first: most online purchases in Spain now happen on mobile — if the store isn’t built for that, it shows in the sales.
- Visible trust signals: a clear shipping policy, a real contact phone number, customer reviews.
The shipping problem almost nobody explains properly
If you’re selling from the Canary Islands, shipping isn’t a detail — it’s where most sales fall apart. A shipment to mainland Spain goes through different customs processes than one between islands, and if your store doesn’t make this clear before the customer pays, you’ll generate abandoned carts from last-minute surprises. The bare minimum: shipping prices by zone (island, rest of the Canary Islands, mainland) visible before checkout, and realistic — not generic — delivery times.
How much it costs and how long it takes
At The Simple Web Studio, an e-commerce store with an unlimited product catalogue, your own management dashboard, payment gateways (card, Bizum, PayPal, bank transfer) and inter-island and mainland shipping set up starts from €1,800, with a process of around 4 weeks from start to finish. Before you commit to anything, we build a free, no-obligation visual prototype so you can see what your store would look like before deciding.
How we do it at The Simple Web Studio
We don’t use generic templates — we design the store around how your real customers shop, not around what’s quickest to put together. And if you also need people to find you on Google before they ever reach your store, that’s how we work on SEO alongside it.
Shall we begin? Message me on WhatsApp at +34 613 09 41 47 or start your project.
