There are many e-commerce platforms that small and medium-sized businesses can use to set up their online stores — so why go with Shopify? Several benefits make Shopify a leader in the industry. When selecting which e-commerce platform to go with, consider these advantages of Shopify.
No coding required
If you’re new to web development, creating an online store can seem daunting. This is an area where Shopify shines. You can create an online store without any coding background. You don’t need to know how to create a website or have any prior experience, as Shopify is intuitive and user-friendly. Setup is easy, and the administrative user interface is straightforward.
If you have any questions about online store coding, you can always refer to Shopify’s detailed documentation and video guides. “Shopify is quick and easy to set up and use. It’s mobile-friendly, and it has powerful SEO tools,” says Melanie Bedwell, e-commerce manager for OLIPOP. “If you have a product to sell, Shopify makes it intuitive to do so.”
Customizable themes
Web themes make it easy to create the site you want, including the layout, graphics, colors, fonts, images, and background. On the Shopify Theme Store, you can choose from over 100 free and premium web themes categorized by industry and collection.
If you want more options, hundreds of third-party themes are available from other sites. With some coding knowledge, you can customize any theme to make it work for your business.
No selling fees
Shopify’s pricing structure includes a monthly subscription fee, but you don’t need to pay any special fees to sell your products — no matter what or how much you sell. If you use Shopify Payments, you won’t have to pay any transaction fees. However, there are payment processing fees if you go with a third-party payment gateway.
App ecosystem
If you want to add functionality to your Shopify store beyond what’s included with the platform, there is a massive app ecosystem.
“Shopify provides turnkey access to an extensive collection of tools that help businesses reach customers and maximize sales,” says Kurt Ellis, president of GLF E-Commerce Fulfillment. “This includes a robust library of built-in features, like customer analytics, SEO tools, and easy integrations with third-party sales and marketing apps.”
In the Shopify App Store, you’ll find apps for everything from landing page builders and loyalty programs to analytics and product review integrations. No matter what you want to do, there’s an app for it. Some apps are completely free to use, while there’s a charge for others.
“As a Shopify App Developer, I’m pretty confident saying that 99 percent of the merchants’ needs have been satisfied with what is available on the Shopify App Store,” says Dan Doughty, founder of Dripshipper, a private-label coffee drop-shipping business.
Fraud analysis
When dealing with online sales, there’s a high potential for fraud. For example, a customer may order with a fraudulent credit card. Shopify has a Fraud Analysis feature to protect your business and help avoid such issues.
Depending on the Shopify plan you have, you can get support for identifying fraud indicators, support from third-party fraud apps, and recommendations on avoiding fraud. These features can help businesses prevent debilitating chargeback costs.
Multichannel sales
While Shopify is primarily an e-commerce platform, that doesn’t mean merchants are limited to online sales. “If you have retail, online, and wholesale sales channels, Shopify can handle all of those,” says Doughty.
“This is important because it can tie all your sales together and help streamline your business. You can add in-person POS, marketplace channels like Amazon and Walmart, wholesale customers with special pricing, and your online store. All of this is under one platform, so you can easily manage it.”
To keep your records complete across those channels, you’ll also want to know how to import orders into Shopify from outside sources.
24-7 customer support
Being a business owner doesn’t mean you have to do everything alone. Shopify offers 24-7 customer support, so you can get a helping hand whenever you have an issue.
You’ll receive near-instant replies to your most pressing questions via phone, web chat, or email. Plus, if you like to figure things out for yourself, you can also rely on the Shopify Help Center or Shopify Guides, where you can find commonly asked questions and answers.
Now that you know why using Shopify is so advantageous for business owners, it’s time to look at how you can start selling on Shopify.
Send Comment: