Shopify

E-commerce is rapidly taking the place of traditional brick-and-mortar locations.

Running an e-commerce store allows you to save money on the operational costs of a business while reaching a massive audience on the internet.

If you’re looking for an e-commerce platform to help you run your store, Shopify is a great option.

This Shopify review will look at the features, prices, and pros and cons of using Shopify to help you decide if it’s the right platform.

What Is Shopify?

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that helps people sell products online.

The company specializes in online stores and online sales systems.

Shopify offers users everything they need to set up and operate their online store, including a customizable platform, payment processing, shipping, and customer management tools.

Shopify’s platform is easy to use, even if you don’t have any technical skills.

The company offers a wide range of themes and templates, so you can create a store that looks professional and matches your brand.

Shopify also has an App store with over 2,000 apps that can help you add extra features to your stores, such as live chat, email marketing, and social media integration.

Shopify History

Shopify was founded in 2004 by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake.

The three entrepreneurs were trying to sell snowboarding equipment online and were frustrated by the limitations of existing e-commerce platforms.

They decided to build their platform, and Shopify was born.

Today, Shopify is a publicly-traded company with over 1,000 employees.

The company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and has offices in Toronto, Montreal, San Francisco, New York, and Tallinn, Estonia.

Pros and Cons of Shopify

Shopify is one of the world’s most popular e-commerce platforms and has many great features.

However, it is not perfect for everyone.

How Much Does Shopify Cost?  

Shopify offers three different plans: Basic Shopify, Shopify, Advanced Shopify, and Shopify Plus.

• Basic Shopify: $19/month
• Shopify: $49/month
• Advanced Shopify: $299/month
• Shopify Plus: $2,000/month

Discounts are available, and Shopify offers a 14-day free trial.

There is no lifetime plan available.

Is Shopify Worth the Cost?

Shopify costs are worth it if you are serious about running an online store.

The platform is easy to use and offers a wide range of features, themes, and apps.

However, if you are just starting, you may want to consider a less expensive platform.

Shopify offers great features that all online businesses can use.

The platform is easy to use, so you can quickly and easily build your website.

All the Shopify plans include access to an excellent app store that you can use to customize your website.

Shopify also has outstanding customer service.

The customer service team is available 24/7, so you can reach them anytime.

The team can help you with any questions you might have about building your website and help you solve any problems that come up.

The marketing tools are one of the most significant value adds that Shopify gives you.

Many other e-commerce websites that are cheaper than Shopify lack these marketing tools.

Shopify’s marketing tools can help you take your online business to the next level.

Shopify is a great e-commerce platform for businesses of all sizes.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use platform with plenty of features and options, Shopify is worth the cost.

The Problem Shopify Solves

The biggest problem that Shopify solves is that it gives you everything you need to run a successful online store in one place.

Shopify is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution for e-commerce businesses.

In short, Shopify gives you everything you need to create a website in one place.

With Shopify, you don’t need to worry about finding a separate hosting company, website builder, payment processor, and all the other tools necessary for running an online store.

Shopify takes care of all of that for you.

Shopify also efficiently manages your inventory, orders, and customers.

You can access all of this information from one central dashboard, making it much easier to run your business and keep track of everything going on.

Shopify also offers a wide range of features, including a built-in blog, abandoned cart recovery, and support for multiple languages.

You can also use Shopify to create a subscription service, an online marketplace, or a wholesale store.

Why Would Somebody Want to Use Shopify?

Somebody would want to use Shopify because it is an excellent online business platform.

It is easy to use and has a wide range of features.

Shopify is also a good choice if you are looking for a platform that can grow with your business.

The platform offers three different plans, so you can start with the basic plan and upgrade as your business grows.

Who Is Shopify Best For?

Shopify is best for business owners who want to specialize in running an e-commerce store.

Why Shopify Is Best for E-Commerce Businesses

Shopify is an excellent platform for e-commerce businesses because it is easy to use and has everything you need to run a successful online store.

The software is designed specifically for running e-commerce stores.

As a result, it has features that many other providers lack.

For example, Shopify offers a built-in blog, abandoned cart recovery, and support for multiple languages.

Shopify is also a good choice for businesses looking for a platform to grow with them.

Who Should NOT Use Shopify?

You should not use Shopify if you are interested in running a blog or an online business that is not focused on e-commerce.

Why Bloggers Should Not Use Shopify

Bloggers should not use Shopify because the software is not designed to build a blog.

While you can use Shopify to create a blog, it lacks many essential features for bloggers.

For example, Shopify does not offer a built-in blogging platform.

You need to use a different blogging platform, such as WordPress, and then integrate it with Shopify.

Using a separate service for your blog can be time-consuming and complicated.

Additionally, Shopify’s themes are not designed for blogs.

Your blog would not have the same professional look and feel as a Shopify store.

What to Think About Before Buying Shopify

Before you buy Shopify, there are a few things you should think about.

Are You Going to Start a Dropshipping Business?

If you are interested in starting a dropshipping business, Shopify is a good choice.

The platform has built-in tools to help you source products, manage inventory, and fulfill orders.

What Shopify Plan Is Suitable for Your Needs?

Shopify offers three plans: Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify.

You should avoid spending money on the more expensive Shopify plans if you do not need the features included in the bigger plans.

Do You Already Have an Existing Business, or Are You Starting From Scratch?

If you already have an existing business, a platform like Shopify might be more accessible because Shopify can help you with tasks like setting up your payment gateway and shipping rates.

What Is Your Budget, and How Much Can You Invest in an E-Commerce Store?

Shopify is a good choice for businesses of all budgets.

You can start with the Basic Shopify plan and take advantage of the 14-day free trial.

However, you should carefully consider how much money you will invest because running an e-commerce store is a serious commitment.

Are You Planning on Using a Free or Paid Shopify Theme?

Shopify offers both free and paid themes.

If you want a professional-looking store, you should consider spending money on a paid theme.

Paid themes cost around $140-180, but they are worth the investment because they can help you make a good impression on your customers.

Look at Your Competitors; What Are They Using to Run Their E-Commerce Stores?

Before committing to Shopify, you should look at what your competitors use.

Your niche might need specific features that Shopify may or may not have.

It is best to be sure of this before committing to anything long-term.

Features and Benefits of Shopify

There is a lot to love about Shopify.

I’ve broken down some of the best features and benefits of Shopify.

1. SEO Optimization

Shopify is built with SEO in mind.

The platform includes features to help you optimize your website and product pages for search engines.

Additionally, Shopify’s themes are SEO-friendly.

For example, you can customize your website’s title and meta tags to maximize your exposure to search engines.

Additionally, Shopify allows you to design custom landing pages for your marketing campaigns.

This feature is one that few of Shopify’s competitors offer.

2. High-Quality E-Commerce Features

One of the ways that Shopify separates itself from its competition is the high-quality e-commerce features it provides its users.

Other website building services don’t offer these because they target a general audience.

For example, Shopify offers an abandoned cart recovery feature to help you recover lost sales.

This feature sends automatic reminders to customers who have items in their shopping cart but have not completed the purchase.

Shopify’s abandoned cart feature functions similarly to the ones that huge online stores like Amazon use.

This feature is an advanced feature that can dramatically improve your sales.

3. Appealing Themes for Your Online Store

Shopify prides itself on providing its users with beautiful and functional themes for its online stores.

Shopify’s themes allow you to design and build a gorgeous online store quickly.

Shopify’s themes are responsive and will adjust to fit any screen size.

Mobile-friendly themes are important because more and more people are using mobile devices to shop online.

Additionally, Shopify’s themes have several built-in features to help you run your e-commerce business.

For example, many Shopify themes include features like social media integration and support for multiple languages.

4. Safe and Secure

If you are running an e-commerce store, security must be in your mind.

Not only do you have to handle your customer’s banking information, but your information is also at risk.

Fortunately, Shopify is a very safe and secure platform.

The company takes security seriously and has implemented several features to protect both your information and your customers’ information.

For example, Shopify uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to encrypt your customer’s credit card information.

This feature is crucial because it protects your customers’ information from being intercepted by hackers.

Additionally, Shopify stores all of your data on a secure server, which means your data will be safe.

5. Uptime and Loading Speed

Your online store is only valuable if it is accessible and can be opened quickly.

Studies show that users will click away within three seconds if a website isn’t loading.

You don’t have to worry about this with Shopify.

The company promises that its servers will be up and running 99.9% of the time.

Additionally, Shopify’s servers are some of the fastest in the industry.

Fast servers are critical because your website’s loading speed directly impacts your conversion rate.

A fast website will result in more sales, while a slow website will result in lost sales.

6. Ease of Payment

The payment gateway is one of the most critical aspects of an e-commerce store.

You can have a beautiful website and excellent products, but if your customers can’t safely and securely make payments, your store will not run.

Shopify makes it easy for you to accept payments from your customers.

The platform integrates with many payment processors, allowing you to find the perfect payment gateway for your business.

Additionally, Shopify offers its payment gateway, Shopify Payments.

This gateway is integrated with Shopify’s platform, which makes it easy to set up and use.

Shopify Payments is available in many countries, which makes it an excellent option for businesses that sell internationally.

Finally, you can accept payments in multiple currencies, a feature that few services provide.

7. Mobile Friendly

Web browsing and online shopping are rapidly moving towards mobile devices.

Over 50% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices.

This trend will only continue, which is why it is so essential for your online store to be mobile-friendly.

Fortunately, Shopify’s themes are all designed to be responsive and look great on mobile devices.

8. App Store

Depending on the type of products you are selling and the website you want to build, you may need 3rd party apps to make your dream website a reality.

App integration is another area in that Shopify shines.

Shopify has an app store with over 2,000 apps.

The app store size means you can find an app for almost anything you want to add to your website.

Some of the most popular app categories include:

• accounting
• marketing
• shipping
• social media

The app store is a great way to add powerful features to your website without hiring a developer.

It will allow you to customize your website based on your desires and customer needs.

Shopify Customer Service

Lastly, we have to talk about Shopify’s customer service.

When running an online business, you will inevitably need customer service.

Whether it’s a technical issue or a billing question, you will need to be able to get in touch with someone who can help.

Shopify’s customer service is excellent.

The company has a team of knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives who are always willing to help.

Shopify’s customer service is available to its users 24/7.

You can contact Shopify’s customer service team via phone, email, or live chat.

Additionally, the company has an extensive knowledge base that you can use to find answers to your questions.

Overall, Shopify is an excellent platform for running an e-commerce store.

The company offers a wide range of features, excellent customer service, and a user-friendly interface.

Why Should You Trust Us?

This Shopify review is based on hours of research.

We looked at Shopify’s features, pricing, and customer service to see if it is a good platform for running an online store and spent a great deal of time comparing Shopify’s services with its competitors.

Additionally, we took advantage of Shopify’s 14-day free trial to familiarize ourselves with the platform.

We created a shop and explored the various features that Shopify offers its users.

We believe this comprehensive Shopify review will give you the information you need to decide if Shopify is the right platform for your business.

What Shopify Users are Saying

I’ve been using the Shopify platform for my and my client’s businesses for seven years. I’ve seen a lot of improvements since then. I had my own amazing support experience.

JJ – 6/23/22

I’ve created multiple stores for people and my shop and have had no problems. They have been updating the company for all the years I’ve been present.

Dave R. – 5/23/20

I have been using it for a while. I have made outstanding projects, and the whole thing is good.

Eva W. – 1/25/22

Shopify Alternatives

Shopify is not the only service providing e-commerce solutions for businesses.

There are a wide variety of competitors that offer similar services.

You may find one of these alternatives more suitable based on your specific needs.

1. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is another e-commerce platform offering a wide range of business features.

One of the main advantages of BigCommerce is the built-in sales features that don’t require a 3rd party app.

BigCommerce doesn’t charge transaction fees on any of its plans, allowing users to keep more money from each sale.

BigCommerce is best for established or fast-growing businesses focused on sales features and not as interested in built-in themes.

2. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is another e-commerce solution that built a wide following.

WooCommerce is an open-source platform that is much more customizable than Shopify.

The WooCommerce app store has over 55,000 apps you integrate into your website.

WooCommerce is best for a business that values customization over everything else.

You can create a one-of-a-kind online store using WooCommerce.

3. Magento

Magneto takes a different approach to e-commerce solutions.

Instead of offering monthly plans, Magneto is open-source.

So you are responsible for your hosting and themes.

Magneto provides e-commerce software, but you have to do everything else.

Magneto is best for businesses that want to customize every aspect of their e-commerce website and are comfortable with coding and web hosting.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are some frequently asked questions about using Shopify.

Wrapping Up

Shopify is a great e-commerce platform offering users everything they need to set up and operate online stores.

The platform is easy to use, has a wide range of features, and is secure.

Some key features that separate Shopify from its competitors are the built-in app store, payment gateway available in multiple currencies, and beautiful themes.

Users can utilize these features to create a beautiful and responsible website for their online store.

Additionally, Shopify offers users SEO optimization and excellent customer support.

Shopify is a great choice for businesses setting up an online store.

You can check out their website here if you want to use Shopify to build your online store.

Don’t forget that new users get a 14-day free trial.

By Brett Helling

Brett has been starting, growing, and monetizing websites since 2014. While in college, he began to learn about digital marketing. After graduating, he continued to build a diverse portfolio of websites while working a full time job. After years of building the portfolio on the side, he made the jump to run his websites full time.