Millions of businesses have developed an online version of their business as the eCommerce boom unveiled the potential of online retail. Like multiple other platforms, Shopify emerged as a software subscription that allows users to set up online stores, customize them according to their needs and sell products all around the world. Shopify is not limited to online software subscription. Subscribers can have access to physical shops and sell their merchandise by using a POS app (Point of Sales). The best part is being able to manage inventory in online and the physical stores from a single account. However, that only happens when your inventory and stock gets synced on your Shopify merchant account.
That is only the tip of the iceberg. There is much more to Shopify than you just read. Keep reading and and learn how you can sell online via shopify.
Before we proceed into understanding Shopify, you should know that it is not a single product. There is no one definition that can define everything about Shopify. Being much more than just a shopping platform, Shopify is not only a store where you can sell your products. It is a well-known ecommerce platform with millions of sellers from all around the world. With a plethora of options to customize and different APIs to integrate in the online platform, you have quite a lot of options to discover once you setup a shopify store.
One of the best things about a Shopify store is being able to make edits yourself as a developer and enjoy a personalized online presence. You can also use custom themes and get a quick store makeover in less time.
Understanding Shopify’s Platform
A typical online business owner will have to gather a lot of things together to get his online store running. From payment gateways to customer relationship management APIs, getting paid, dispatching products to the customers, everything must be integrated together.
In a Shopify subscription, you do not have to gather any of these. A Shopify subscription comes with all the required plugins and APIs integrated together. From chatbots to payment gateways, social media management, and visitor data acquisition, a wide variety of plugins are already available and installed in Shopify which not only saves a lot of time but also resources.
Think of Shopify as a layer of products which is to be stacked to make a complete store. Let us have a look at different layers of a Shopify store to understand its working dynamics.
The Core Product
The moment you buy the most basic plan for your Shopify store, you get access to a plethora of things that you’re going to need to set the store up. From professional looking templates to multiple online and offline tools, payment processing gateways, and search engine optimization tools, are all part of the basic foundation of Shopify store.
Additional Products (Add-ons)
With every growing day in your business, you need access to upgrades, tools, and other APIs that you did not have in the start. With an easy signup option for powerful upgrades and easy payment plans, you can easily use the best Shopify tools and upgrades to scale your business.
Apps
With tons of apps in the Shopify App store, you can select the app of your choice and need with a special access to a developer’s platform which you can use to hire developers and ask for specifics if needed. The large collection of apps shall suffice for most of the people, but some people do have preferences that can be addressed by the Shopify developers.
Services Shopify Subscription offers
Let’s get into exact details of what you get with a Shopify subscription that gets your store running right after you buy it without any hassle of developing different parts i.e. payments etc.
- Storefront- The moment you buy the subscription you get a full load of work off your shoulders. From getting a hosted online store where you can manage blogs, upload content, make customized themes, and make changes according to your choice. Getting a hosted platform means the 24/7 server backup which keeps your website up and running. There are consistent security updates and patches which keep the store secure and private. All in all, you get everything you need in one package.
- POS- One of the best services offered by Shopify is point of service (POS). You can open an outlet for the product you offer in any place. From selling in-person to brick-and-mortar stores, you can make this option available by simply adding your address and attaching the inventory to the stock.
- Payment Processing- From over 100 payment processing methods and Shopify’s own payment processing methods, you do not have to worry about third parties being involved in payment processing. Moreover, you have access to payments in all 133 currencies.
- Shopify Checkout- You do not need to worry about the sales funnel with the Shopify checkout feature. Whether your sale is from Instagram or any other social media platform, you can easily make a secure payment processing via Shopify’s checkout feature.
- Shipping- You may design the shipping configuration that works best for you, from bulk order fulfillment to preparing USPS SCAN Forms and coordinating pickups with UPS and DHL. Shopify Delivery allows you to provide live order monitoring, speedy shipping, and discounted, pre-negotiated carrier rates if you are in Canada, the United States, or Australia. You may also provide curbside pickup and local delivery.
- Back Office- The business management app helps you track sales and manage your business from just an app. Such convenience makes it easy to have a bird’s eye view of whatever is going on.
- Analytics and Reports- View real-time retail activities, learn about your customers, and assess your company’s success. You will also receive thorough insights and analyses on your business, allowing you to enhance the operations of your store.
- Support- Get 24/7 customer support and tons of blogs on their website which will help to solve majority of the issues.
Marketing on Shopify
The marketing HQ feature makes it easier for you to create marketing campaigns and it also handles SEO of your listings. You can track the effectiveness of your campaigns across all channels from a single dashboard, and you keep complete control over your client data.
The email marketing tools of Shopify makes it easy for you to create professional emails. The tool helps you track the performance so you can easily know what is performing right and what needs to be changed in your marketing strategy.
The conversational marketing option helps you increase brand awareness and turn customers into raving fans. The sales process becomes easier when there is someone to talk to instantly on the website. Therefore, you can multiply your sales with the tools that you have with Shopify subscription.
The Bottom Line
Shopify is a one stop solution to your online business needs. This ecommerce platform is curated for those who are looking for something as a side business and do not have time for a lot of hustle. However, the market size of Shopify is not as large as other ecommerce platforms. Shopify’s pricing is quite considerable and is not a hefty sum which will bankrupt you. The platform size may undermine your sales and will not get you as higher as on the leading ecommerce platforms. However, the razor-sharp competition is also a byproduct of working on other platforms.
Sunvera can help you set up your Shopify store with ease. Contact us today for a free consultation.
