We wouldn’t be writing this blog if eCommerce remained as straightforward as it was around a decade ago. However, technology has allowed eCommerce to grow, prosper, and evolve, just like every other aspect of the digital world. As a result, ECommerce has become integral to everyone’s lives in the last couple of years. Considering that, we must discuss one of the platforms that have fueled its development so far and helped eCommerce players succeed.
Shopify is the name! Founded in 2006, Shopify has steadily risen to become one of the most famous and widely used eCommerce platforms. The platform powered over 2,200 million active websites (counting) in 2022, many of which belong to global companies.
Using Shopify, eCommerce players can easily set up their websites and start selling online. Online stores can be customized with product prices, taxes, and payment methods. It is therefore viewed as a comprehensive eCommerce platform by the eCommerce sector.
Why is Shopify such a popular eCommerce platform? What makes Shopify one of the best eCommerce platforms, or why is Shopify leading in eCommerce? Here are some of the most significant benefits that makes Shopify unique.
What makes Shopify unique?
1. Scaleability:
The Shopify platform is both powerful and user-friendly. So whether you run a small or large online store, it’s easy to scale.
2. Secure Checkout:
A secure checkout page is essential for e-commerce since transactions are involved. It is Shopify’s responsibility to ensure smooth transactions for all its stores, so it does not allow anyone to modify its checkout features.
3. Easy Backend:
The Shopify backend is one of the easiest to use. It is easy to learn and get used to by a store administrator.
4. Theme:
A theme gives a store a unique look and feel, and Shopify offers thousands of themes.
5. Payment Gateways:
Shopify offers multiple payment gateway options, including PayPal, Amazon Pay, etc., that allow payments to be made with debit and credit cards and deposited directly into the store owner’s bank account. By default, Shopify supports all the popular payment gateways.
6. Enhanced eCommerce:
In Shopify, you can easily access Google analytics advanced eCommerce features that help analyze user behavior, buying cycles, and exits from the purchase funnel. Shopify includes this feature by default.
7. DoorShipping:
Shopify also offers a dropshipping option that requires no inventory.
8. Multi-Sale Channel:
Shopify offers online stores, Facebook shops, and Pinterest stores to sell products.
As a starting point for your E-commerce business, Shopify is a great option.
Pros and Cons of Shopify eCommerce
Shopify's Advantages
Pros: Easy to use and simple to start
Online selling is made easy with Shopify. Select a template and add your products. Neither coding nor design experience is required. It’s ideal for startups that need to get up and run quickly. To sell products online, Shopify is a great platform.
Pros: A variety of features are available to you
The default features of Shopify include the ability to easily add products, manage inventory, set up shipping, and create discount codes. As a result, it is almost always possible to find what you’re looking for when it comes to adding functionality to your store. Furthermore, Shopify stores offer more advanced features, such as wholesale and B2B integration, for those with more specific needs.
Pros: Various Shopify payment options
PayPal, Stripe, and Shopify Payments are some payment processors available on Shopify. The payment process for your customer’s orders will be as simple as possible. If you simplify the checkout process, you can generate more sales. One of the most crucial Shopify advantages is the availability of a wide range of payment processors.
Pros: A wide selection of Shopify themes
There are a ton of themes available on Shopify from which to choose. It would help if you didn’t have trouble finding themes matching your business and products. Your store’s appearance will play a significant role in retaining your audience’s attention. Merchants and their customers experience online stores differently depending on the theme. You can build fast, flexible themes at scale using Liquid, Shopify’s theme templating language, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JSON.
Disadvantages of Shopify
Cons: Limited Design Customization Options
Despite Shopify’s wide selection of themes, customization options are limited. As a result, changing the look and feel of your store requires the help of a designer.
Potential customers may be discouraged from engaging with your brand if your website is poorly designed.
Consequently, they may never return to your website and visit a competitor’s instead. In addition to affecting your search engine optimization, a poorly designed Shopify website can also affect your company’s search engine ranking. Because Shopify is less SEO-friendly than WordPress, you should hire an SEO expert. Even just for assistance with your initial content strategy and technical SEO.
Cons: Shopify Processing Fees
Shopify charges a transaction fee for every sale you make. This fee is required to use third-party payment gateways instead of Shopify payments. You could be caught off guard if you need help understanding how much you’re paying for Shopify fees.
Cons: No Email Hosting Access
Shopify’s plans do not include email hosting. Your store will need an email address from another provider if you wish to create one. You must have this expense in your overall budget, even if it’s a straightforward process. Using a service like Google email hosting, you can host an email account with @yourdomain for about $10 per month.
Cons: Migration challenges
It is common for Shopify users to migrate to other platforms. It is important to note, nevertheless, that many users say making such a modification could make migration more difficult in several ways. First, part of your saved data may be lost when migrating from Shopify. You can only export your website as a CSV file. Shopify, among others, still suffers from this problem.
Don’t Ignore the Shopify Pros and Cons
Business owners of all sizes can benefit from Shopify’s online business platform. As long as you can use the service to meet your needs, it’s an excellent option for people who want to sell online.
Final Lines
Overall, Shopify is an excellent platform for both established and new businesses. Providing online store owners with the flexibility, security, efficiency, support, and return on investment they need, Shopify ticks all the boxes to assist them in operating their businesses.
