If you're exploring the world of e-commerce, whether you're looking to create a new online store or move your existing site to a more robust platform, the following analysis will be of great help.
Choosing the platform that will host your products can be an insurmountable challenge due to the multitude of options available, right?
How can you know which one is the most suitable for you?
This selection cannot and should not be taken lightly, as it could be a determining factor in the success or failure of your business.
In fact, the ecommerce platform you choose has the potential to make you either love your website or hate it.
Today I want to introduce you to Shopify, the ecommerce platform that has experienced explosive growth in recent years, so you can understand all the great features it has to offer.
THE SHOPIFY UNIVERSE
What is Shopify?
Shopify has catapulted itself to become the most recognized e-commerce platform worldwide with more than 2 million stores distributed across the planet, including 25,000 in Spain and 60,000 throughout Latin America (data as of December 2022).
This wonderful platform was developed in Canada in 2006 by Tobias Lütke, Scott Lake, and Daniel Weinand and is headquartered in Ottawa. Shopify is famous for its ease of use, customization, and security, making it the perfect choice for businesses of any size.
What's truly interesting about its story is the fact that it was conceived by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Tobias Lütke, a snowboarding enthusiast, and his colleagues wanted to set up an online store to sell snowboarding equipment. Frustrated with the technical limitations and shortcomings of the platform they had chosen in 2004, Tobias decided to create his own custom software. Soon, other entrepreneurs began asking how they had achieved this feat, and that's how Shopify was born.
Why is Shopify so important and popular?
1 – Speed and ease of use
Shopify is an intuitive platform that has revolutionized e-commerce by making it accessible to everyone. With Shopify, you can set up your own online store without any advanced programming or web design skills.
This has been a huge revolution because it has removed the barriers that previously existed and prevented many people from entering the world of e-commerce. Now, anyone with a business idea and internet access can launch their online store in no time.
In addition to this ease of use, you don't need to hire a hosting service since Shopify already has built-in hosting. This is an additional process and cost that you save.
2 – Personalization
Shopify templates are some of the best on the market. They offer a variety of free and paid options.
Shopify provides a wide selection of templates that allow you to create an attractive online store that matches your brand's aesthetic. These templates are optimized for conversion, increasing your chances of closing sales.
3 – Easy integration with third parties
The Shopify App Store is simply impressive. It features over 8,000 apps that can expand the functionality of your online store to further personalize it and improve your customers' experience. These apps range from marketing tools to shipping and order tracking solutions.
Here are some examples of interesting apps:
Facebook & Instagram: Connect your online store to these social networks to tag products, sync inventory, and create advertising campaigns to attract new customers and increase sales. Google Channel: Connect your online store to Google to display your products in search results and Google Shopping ads. Judge.me: Display customer reviews and opinions on your online store, increasing trust and credibility in your products. Smile: Develop reward and loyalty programs for your customers by awarding points. Tidio: A live chat tool to communicate with your customers and help them throughout the purchasing process.
4 – 24/7 Customer Support
Shopify offers 24/7 customer support. You'll always have someone ready to help you if you have technical issues or questions about the platform.
Plus, you have a resource center and a community of Shopify users ready to share their experiences and knowledge.
As a bonus, Shopify provides you with a helpful checklist to help you set up your online store.
5 – First-class security
For any online store, security is a crucial concern. Shopify offers optimal security with SSL certificates and fraud protection.
Shopify handles all security and data protection updates, meaning you can rest assured that your customers and your business are protected.
6 – Suitable for businesses of any size
From small shops to large companies with thousands of products, everyone can benefit from Shopify. This means that as your business grows, Shopify can scale with you and provide you with the tools you need to manage a more complex online store.
7 – Integrated and real-time payment processing
You can use Shopify Payments to set up and process payments for your online store, allowing you to receive payments as soon as you launch your store. You can also integrate other payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, and others.
Shopify Payments is a payment gateway integrated with Shopify that allows you to accept a wide variety of payment options, including credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more.
Shopify's fees are very competitive, making it a very attractive option for many sellers. Until May 2023, fees are €0.30 per online transaction, plus a percentage of between 1.6% and 2.1% depending on your plan.
Plus, Shopify offers payment options in multiple languages and currencies, making your international customers feel safe and confident when making a purchase.
How much does it cost to set up a Shopify store?
One of Shopify's attractive features is that it offers a 15-day trial period without requiring you to enter credit card information.
After this period, you can choose one of three pricing plans, which you can configure for monthly or annual payments:
Basic: €36 per month, €27 per year. Shopify: €105 per month, €79 per year. Advanced: €364 per month, €289 per year.
There are also two additional options:
The Starter plan for selling products through messaging apps and social media is designed for entrepreneurs just starting out. It costs €5 per month. The Shopify Plus plan is for large online stores with a high sales volume. It starts at $2,000 per month.
To summarize, your costs would include purchasing a domain, choosing a plan, and depending on your needs, a paid template and any apps you need to add functionality to your store (there are free and paid options).
As mentioned above, Shopify has its own payment provider, Shopify Payments, whose fees may vary as shown in the table above.
5 Shopify store examples to inspire you
To conclude this review, I want to show you some Shopify stores from different industries to inspire you.
Matita Concept is the online store of a client who designs and sells wallpapers, among other things. Elena, the store owner, migrated from Squarespace to Shopify in February 2023, which represented a major change for her business.
Another example is Redcast Heritage, a multi-brand online menswear store specializing in Japanese denim and timeless workwear. If you'd like to learn more about them, you can read this interview.
Oh My Cream is a French online cosmetics store specializing in clean beauty and alternative cosmetics. It has stood out for its elegant and minimalist design, completely aligned with the products it sells.
Pura Vida Bracelets is known for its dedication to ethical and sustainable fashion, and its involvement in charitable and environmental causes.
And finally, Shanty Biscuits, an online shop for artisanal biscuits made in the south of France, in Provence.
In short, having worked with various stores on Shopify has allowed us to verify that it is an all-in-one solution, easy, fast, and convenient for setting up and managing your online store without complications.
Shopify is constantly improving and innovating, and all these updates will be available to you. They do the hard work for you.
One of the main obstacles we've identified is the monthly fee, but we encourage you to do the math. Plus, as we mentioned at the beginning, it's perfect if you want to forget about all the technical issues, store updates, and the need to call a technician frequently.
If you're still unsure which platform to choose, we invite you to read our article on platform comparisons.
Additionally, if you need help setting up your e-commerce business, you can contact us directly and we'll advise you or create your store from scratch, regardless of the platform you choose.