Would developing a custom store software (if you already had the coding experience) be worth it and make a viable difference when compared against Shopify?
What would the benefits of developing a custom store from scratch be? You can, but what are your arguments for why you should?
Couldn't you just make a WooCommerce/Shopify store and use your skills to create custom solutions when you actually need them?
I feel like it's pointless for anyone to answer this question in its current state, since we don't get any information at all about your store or the products you'll be selling.
- Is it worth giving a store a landing page or is it best to just take the customer straight to the store so they can instantly see what products are available?
For example I'm launching a store where my first product will be sold on a simple landing page. Would I do that for any product? No. It depends on how you're planning to get visitors, how you plan to sell it, the nature of your product and business etc.