When you’re in the market for an eCommerce platform that can adequately support and scale your growing online business, the options can be overwhelming. There are so many different platforms to choose from, each with its own unique features, that it’s easy to feel unsure of where to begin. However, one thing you can be quite sure of is that if you pick Shopify as your platform of choice, you’re unlikely to ever regret that decision. Shopify offers online merchants so many benefits to launch, grow and support an online business, which is why it is consistently rated as one of the best eCommerce platforms in the world. So if you’ve ever wondered what makes Shopify so great and why we’ve built an entire agency around this platform, we’re spilling the tea on why Shopify is one of the best platforms for eCommerce.
What is Shopify?
Ever wondered, “How many users does Shopify have?” or “Is Shopify easy to use?” We’re here to answer all your questions! Shopify is one of the most secure cloud-based, all-in-one eCommerce platforms that makes it super easy for businesses to create and manage their own online stores. It was founded back in 2006 and has grown to become one of the most popular eCommerce platforms around. In fact, at last count, over 2 million merchants are using Shopify to help their businesses thrive in the online space.
So, how does Shopify work? It offers merchants built-in features that are essential for building a successful online business including user-friendly templates, email marketing, payment gateways, shipping integrations and much more.
Shopify can also be easily integrated with other sales channels such as Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, Google, Amazon and even eBay, making multi-channel selling a seamless experience for sellers.
Shopify is an excellent choice for businesses looking for a reliable eCommerce platform with powerful features that make it easy to start selling online quickly.
Why Use Shopify? Shopify Benefits for Merchants
Shopify has become one of the most popular eCommerce platforms for entrepreneurs who want to create professional-looking online stores and take their businesses into the digital space. And it’s no wonder! The Shopify advantages are endless but we’ve highlighted the most appealing features down below:
Shopify Pro #1: User-Friendly Interface
Shopify’s user-friendly interface is one of the biggest draw cards for business owners and makes it an especially attractive option for merchants who aren’t exactly tech-savvy.
Shopify offers a simple and easy-to-use dashboard that lets you customise the look and feel of your online store. The intuitive interface allows even those without any technical skills to set up an online store in no time, making it an excellent choice for beginners. We’ve even put together this complete guide for an easy Shopify store setup.
With Shopify's drag-and-drop website builder, you can easily design your storefront by personalising various templates and themes available on the platform. You don't need any coding experience or special skills to use these tools, however, if you need your store to do something special beyond the standard offering, you may need to look into hiring Shopify experts to extend its functionality.
Shopify Pro #2: Easy Payment Processing System
Perhaps one of Shopify’s biggest advantages is its easy-to-use payment processing system. Setting up a payment gateway on your own can be a daunting task but Shopify makes it remarkably easy to start accepting payments ASAP.
Shopify has its own payment gateway called Shopify Payments which allows you to accept payments from customers without having to go through any third-party gateways. You can accept payments via the following methods through Shopify Payments:
If however, you’d prefer to not use Shopify Payments, there are alternatives available such as PayPal and Stripe. All these options make setting up payment gateways more straightforward than ever before.
Some specific payment options for sellers in Europe or the UK include:
Opayo
Authorize.net
Verifone
WorldPay
Klarna
BitPay
You can check which payment partners are supported in your region by checking directly on Shopify’s website.
Moreover, all transactions made through Shopify are secure and safe thanks to their compliance with PCI DSS standards. This means all customer information is protected from fraud and data breaches ensuring peace of mind for both store owners and customers alike.
Shopify Pro #3: Robust Marketing and Sales Tools
Shopify offers an extensive suite of marketing and sales tools that help merchants effectively promote their products, increase traffic and drive conversions. Shopify has built-in SEO features with SEO-friendly URLs, customizable meta tags and automatic sitemap generation, to improve your chances of ranking higher in SERPs.
Another valuable tool is Shopify's abandoned cart recovery feature. This allows you to automatically send follow-up emails to customers who have left items in their cart without completing a purchase to try and coax them back to complete checkout. You can also offer discounts or promotions through these emails as an incentive for customers to return and complete their purchases.
Shopify integrates with various social media platforms such as Facebook Shop and Instagram Shopping to help you expand your reach and sell directly on social media platforms where potential customers are already spending time.
Shopify has a variety of sales channel integrations that allow you to sell on marketplaces like Amazon or eBay. These integrations make it easy for merchants who want to take advantage of new markets without having to manage each marketplace separately.
Shopify Pro #4: Simplified Inventory Management
With Shopify, you can easily manage and track your inventory levels in real-time as well as add new products or services with ease. You can also import and export product data from various sources, such as spreadsheets or other applications.
Furthermore, Shopify enables you to set up automatic alerts when stock levels drop below a certain threshold to ensure that you never run out of stock unexpectedly.
Also, if you have multiple sales channels, such as an online store and a physical location, Shopify's inventory management system can efficiently handle them all, you only need to configure it once.
Having an integrated and reliable inventory management system like the one offered by Shopify eliminates the risk of overselling or underselling your products while ensuring that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.
Shopify Pro #5: Streamlined Customer Management
Shopify offers a comprehensive customer management system that simplifies the process of managing your customer’s orders, returns and refunds in one place. By taking advantage of these features, you can build stronger relationships with your clients and ultimately drive sales for your business.
One significant advantage of Shopify's streamlined customer management is its ability to create and customise customer profiles. You can store all relevant information about each customer, including their contact details, order history, preferences and more in a central database.
Shopify also makes it easy for you to communicate with your customers via email marketing campaigns or newsletters. You can segment your customers based on factors such as purchase history or geographic location so that you can tailor your messages accordingly.
Another useful feature of Shopify's customer management tools is the ability to offer personalised discounts and promotions based on specific criteria such as loyalty points or referral codes. This helps incentivize repeat purchases by rewarding loyal customers.
Shopify Pro #6: An App Store Plus Hundreds of Integrations
Shopify's App Store is a treasure trove of tools and applications that can help streamline your eCommerce business. With hundreds of integrations available, you can customise and extend your store’s functionality to your heart’s content to better meet the needs of your customers.
The App Store has everything from advanced social media integration tools to email marketing software to inventory management systems. There are also countless apps designed specifically for Shopify users, such as product review widgets and abandoned cart recovery programs.
One major advantage of using these integrations is that they allow you to automate many tasks that would otherwise need to be done manually to save you time and avoid human error.
As you grow and evolve, there will always be new apps available to meet your changing needs. Of course, not all apps are created equal - it's important to do some research before committing to a particular integration and when necessary, get help from Shopify development experts to ensure proper implementation.
Shopify Pro #7: Scalability As You Grow
Whether you're just starting out or are an established online seller with a large volume of orders, Shopify can accommodate you wherever you’re at in your journey.
As your business expands, Shopify offers a range of features and tools to help you manage your store more efficiently. This includes advanced inventory management capabilities, automated order processing and custom shipping rates based on weight and destination.
What's more, Shopify also provides seamless integration with third-party fulfilment services like Amazon Fulfilment and ShipBob. This means that as your business grows, you can easily outsource warehousing and shipping operations without having to worry about complex logistics.
In addition to these operational benefits, Shopify has numerous design options that allow businesses to customise their storefronts to reflect their brand identities while keeping up with current trends in web design. And because it's a cloud-based platform hosted on secure servers around the world, even small startups have access to enterprise-level infrastructure typically reserved for larger companies at prohibitive costs.
Shopify Pro #8: Affordable Pricing Tiers
A big Shopify advantage is its affordable pricing tiers. With a range of pricing plans to choose from, you can easily find one that fits your budget and business needs.
Shopify offers three main plans: Basic, Shopify, and Advanced. The Basic plan starts at just $25 per month and includes all the essential features needed to run an online store. This makes it a great option for new businesses or those with limited budgets.
The mid-tier Shopify plan offers additional features such as professional reports, additional staff accounts and more for just $65 per month. This is ideal for growing businesses looking to expand their reach.
For larger enterprises or high-volume stores with complex requirements, the Advanced plan provides advanced features like third-party shipping rates and access to exclusive APIs starting at $399 per month.
For enterprise-level merchants, there is an additional upgrade called Shopify Plus. Shopify Plus benefits include:
Unlimited scalability
Dedicated account manager
Robust API capabilities
Customisable checkout process
Shopify Pro #9: Excellent Support
One of the biggest advantages of using Shopify for your eCommerce business is the excellent support that it offers to its users. Not only does it provide a range of resources and guides to help you get started, but it also has an extensive knowledge base and a community forum where you can ask questions and get advice from other merchants.
In addition to these self-help resources, Shopify also offers 24/7 customer support via phone, email or live chat. This means that no matter what time zone you're in or what issue you're facing, there's always someone available to assist you.
Whether it's a technical problem with your website or simply a question about how to best use one of Shopify's features, their support team is knowledgeable and responsive, cognizant of keeping your shop running smoothly at all times.
Having access to excellent support can make a huge difference when it comes to running an eCommerce business by giving you peace of mind knowing that if anything goes wrong, there are experts available who can help you quickly resolve any issues so your business doesn't suffer.
Closing Thoughts
Shopify is a fantastic platform for businesses of any size, offering numerous benefits and features that make it easy to manage your online store efficiently, scale as you grow and stay ahead in such a competitive space.
If you need help getting your Shopify store running like a well-oiled machine, need to initiate a Shopify migration or want a customised eCommerce solution, we’re your guys and gals! Drop us a mail at hello@vevolmedia.com with your project requirements and let’s get your business booming.