With people flocking towards the use of e-commerce and online stores, it has now become more feasible to launch online stores and web pages. When you are new in the business you need help and guidance in this area specially if you wish to be successful.
E-commerce has become a new trend where people can now shop for products online easily but that doesn’t mean that you end up cutting off ties with the real world because that is where your customers are found. Shopify is one of such platforms that help you start your online stores along with providing you solutions to expand your commerce.
Shopify is a complete commerce platform that helps any business in initiating itself, establishing itself and then expanding. Most importantly, they don’t just aim at e-commerce but also pursues expansion through mobile pages, pop-up shops, social media platforms, and actual shops. The platform works as a service software that allows you to create and manage your business online and you can customize it according to your wishes when you see fit.
Basically, the platform doesn’t aim at interfering with your work but simply provides you with a platform to grow online and otherwise. So all you need is an amazing business idea, an internet connection and a subscription to the
Source: Shopify
Costs
Shopify does provide a free trial to a new startup for 2 weeks after which you can start choosing a price plan that suits and fits your budget. The basic price plan costs $29 per month which includes all the basic necessities required to set up a new business. While the number of products is unlimited for any price plan chosen, there are certain perks that are missing in the basic plan such as gift cards, a limited number of staff accounts, professional reports, advanced report builders and third party shipping calculated rates.
In the basic plan there is a 64% shipping discount along with a printable shipping label. The credit card rates are higher for the basic price plan and additional fees of up to 2% are included. However, considering that a new startup requires little perks, this plan is perfect for businesses looking to start off their online stores.
The price plan costs $79 per month and includes advantages that are needed for a business to start its growth. The Advanced price plan costs up to $299 per month and includes all perks and privileges that a successful and established business requires to scale its online stores. While many might want to jump straight off into the Advanced pricing plan, the thing that you need to keep in mind is that when starting a business off, you need to invest smartly. This is why the basic price plan includes the requirements that a new startup needs, so an online store setting itself up can invest and initiate business while remaining on a low budget.
Source: Shopify-Cost
Any additional costs?
As surprising as it may sound, there are no immediate additional costs when setting up a profile and account. It starts off from a free trial that lasts for 14 days after which you can choose from any of the plans. The set up requires no payment either. The contract with the store lasts for a month unless you opt for an annual or biennial plan.
Most importantly, as a start-up using the platform to support its business, you have the option to step out of the contract at anytime you like without paying anything extra. Moreover, the
This means that you can either upgrade or downgrade your package according to your needs. With such feasibility and flexibility, there is no doubt that this platform should be a viable option for those startups that are seeking to start their online stores.
Source: Shutterstock
Let’s look at more reasons why it’s is a great idea for you to start your online store:
#1. Set up is easy and quick
While you might be thinking that setting up, creating your profile and initiating it will take ages, you are wrong. The set up is fairly simple and easy where there are no technicalities involved. With an interface that is user-friendly, there are little to no problems attached to starting your online store.
One main point is that the platform provides the server and software itself so you don’t need to worry about that aspect and your mind is free to focus on your own business. All you need to do is set it up while your online page and store will be set up according to your customizations through the platform.
If you want to set up an online clothing store, all you need is a list of your products, a profile and the idea of what you want your page to look like. The image below shows the steps involved in setting up a profile and how it takes a mere 15 minutes to do so.
Source: Ecommerce Platforms
#2. Mobile friendly
When setting up an e-commerce business, it is definitely important to make sure that your page is mobile friendly and can be accessed by customers on the go. 49% of people tend to shop online by using their mobile phones which is why this is the right solution.
Since the platform itself is mobile-friendly, it also uses themes that can be are accessible by mobile causing no hindrances for those who wish to shop online using their phones. This aspect is very important for a new online store seeking to establish itself in the market. With a larger number of people shifting to purchasing products through mobile phones, it is necessary that a start-up use this key feature.
Research shows that M-commerce sales, using mobile phones, will account for more than half of the e-commerce sales by the year 2021. The platform provides a free and inbuilt shopping cart for mobile commerce which means that you don’t need to worry about the look of your online page on mobile phones.
Source: My Site On Web
#3. Add your own touch to the page
Your business has many themes to choose from and customize its page accordingly. When a customer opens the page of an online store, the first thing he/she looks at is the theme, colors, imagery and if it is visually appealing then there are higher chances that the customer will make a purchase.
Some themes come free of cost for online stores so businesses are free to choose from the selection offered and can also customize its page whenever it feels the need to. With hundreds of fonts, updates for layouts and navigations along with other details, online store owners get to customize their online pages without additional costs. You get to create your own unique web page to set yourself apart from others in the market. You also have some amazing customizing options which can be seen in the image below.
Source: Shopify-Store
#4. Search Engine Optimization Marketing
Unless you have a strong market for your products, you will soon run out of the online store business. To keep your marketing strong, you need strong SEO and marketing tools so you can sell your products and attract more customers over time.
With increasing competition in the market, there is a need for more exciting marketing ideas that can target the right audience. Since people tend to use more internet to search and purchase goods, using SEO as a marketing tool is highly effective.
The platform already has SEO features that help new businesses to show up in the top ranks when people search for certain products. This means that you don’t need to go the extra mile to search for customers and end up knowing your target audience so you can tailor your products and services accordingly.
Apart from SEO, there are other marketing tools that are made available to new online stores. The application store option within your account gives access to tools like social media integration, email marketing, and product reviews.
Moreover, if online stores wish to give discounts to their customers they have the option to do so. There are features available that allow all online stores to give discount codes to their customers. Gift vouchers can be provided to customers but at a higher level of price plans.
The
Source: China Brands
#5. Multiple features for online stores
Shopify doesn’t just act as a platform for online stores to initiate their businesses but fully supports such businesses by providing them with features that lead to customer retention. Whether you choose to sell multiple products or just one, you can choose to sell from the homepage of the link so closing sales becomes easy to do.
Moreover, online stores can sell both physical as well as digital products which do not require major configuration. This gives new businesses the option to choose from what products they want to sell without causing problems.
The platform is highly supportive of those online stores that sell selective products such as of a specific material or color by providing them with built-in variant support and link product options with 100 variations per product.
Source: Modern Retail
#6. Recovery of abandoned carts
An issue that most online stores tend to face is that of abandoned carts. There are more than two thirds of customers who often choose products to purchase but then leave those in the cart without purchasing them.
This can be problematic but the platform has a recovery service for abandoned checkout carts where such customers are tracked and then contacted through emails. These emails serve the purpose of reminding these potential customers that they abandoned their carts which can also be a great marketing tool showing customers that the stores care about them and look at their preferences.
Source: Shopify-Help-Center
Conclusion
Shopify is seen to be a reliable platform for online stores that wish to start off on a new business venture. It doesn’t just restrict businesses to e-commerce and online shopping but supports them to expand to pop up stores and actual stores.
Moreover, it allows new online stores to start off with basic necessities while giving them the opportunity to grow. Shopify-store is not just a platform that promotes creation of online stores, but it is an entire server which includes everything for the users to give them ease in usage.
All people need is an internet connection and a profile to get started. Looking at the features and options that it provides to new online stores, it can be said that it is a highly supportive commerce platform that boosts growth in businesses.
You can choose your own themes, customize your web pages according to your needs, have a mobile friendly online store for customers and an interface that is user friendly for all. The best part is that you can adjust your price plans and choose the one that suits your budget and give online stores a try for what it’s worth.