Which ecommerce platform will you select for your online storefront? Your choice is as important to sales and customer experience as location is to a brick-and-mortar. You want to choose a platform that meets all your requirements—it must allow you to design and customize your site for your desired look and functionality, plus provide all the features you need to ensure an optimal consumer experience.
Shopify is a popular ecommerce platform choice for multiple reasons—predominantly ease of use. But regardless of your selection, it’s key to take your time making your decision. In most cases, a platform is a considerable investment, and you want to get it right the first time. Your choice can propel your business toward success or be a limiting factor in your site’s performance.
Today, in our Shopify review, we will discuss the pros and cons of the platform. We will also provide a pricing comparison to other leading ecommerce technologies for 2019.
See Also: Shopify Jobs
Shopify: Advantages (Pros)
Any platform consideration should involve a review of advantages, and the following are ways Shopify excels as an ecommerce solution:
Straightforward, end-to-end tool. Shopify is designed to be extremely user-friendly. It’s a hosted “turnkey” platform that makes it easy and fast to set up and run your store. Shopify provides everything you need to get started without the need for additional vendors. Simply select the plan that works best for your business and budget, secure a domain (through Shopify, but you can also choose one on your own), pick a template, add content and sell.
Easy design and customization. The Shopify platform allows you to customize your storefront without design experience. Templates look professional out of the box, and if you desire customizations, the templates are easily upgradable without a design professional. (Of course, if you do decide to rely on design help, you’ll open up your time for other aspects of your ecommerce business.)
Speed. Plain and simple, if it takes your site too long to load pages, your shoppers will abandon their carts and shop someplace else. With Shopify, your customers are treated to lightning fast speed, and the platform allows you to operate on a global level—so you can service consumers worldwide.
Security. Since you’re handling credit card information, it’s critical your platform offers the utmost security. Shopify provides multiple layers of security for both PCI compliance and safe credit card processing. On the back end, Shopify provides hack-proofing that allows you to rest easy your customers, and your site, are protected.
Prompt customer support. If you’re setting up and maintaining your site on your own (or even if you aren’t), it helps to get answers to your questions. Shopify provides fast, accurate customer service through multiple channels (phone, email, and chat), plus a vast library of self-help FAQs.
Decent marketing tools. You can advertise your beautiful online storefront and sell, sell, sell with built-in marketing tools. You’ll gain the essentials through Shopify’s main product package, and can upgrade through the app marketplace. Shopify marketing tools help you become a wiz at Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and campaigns.
Shopify: Disadvantages (Cons)
The drawbacks of this platform should also be weighed into your decision. Consider the following:
“Adds ons” that add up. If your ecommerce needs are super simple, you can get away with a low monthly fee. However, the more you require to soup up your site, the more will get tacked onto your monthly charge. It’s more expensive month-to-month than other platform choices.
Specific customization setup. You want your store to look exactly the way you prefer it to look—after all, it’s the face of your ecommerce business. Shopify templates allow customization, but the pathway to tweak and fully customize pages is unique just to the Shopify platform. If you’re accustomed to customizing your own way, this site may be frustrating.
Subpar blogging software. A huge part of marketing is blogging about your business. And if you plan to employ this technique as part of your marketing plan, the Shopify blogging software isn’t the best.
Steep learning curve. Every platform is a little bit different, but Shopify’s internal jargon can be confusing. In addition, categorization and navigation aren’t always intuitive and take some practice to get used to.
Pricing Comparison 2019
Shopify is available for a monthly subscription fee, with prices starting low for the most basic plan. Then, as you add on customizations, the price increases. You can select from “Basic Shopify,” starting at $29.99/month, “Shopify,” starting at $79.99/month and “Advanced Shopify,” starting at $299/month. You can also select Shopify Lite, the most bare-bones option that allows you to sell on Facebook, or Shopify Plus, an enterprise-level solution best suited for large companies with high sales volumes. The platform also provides s a free 14-day trial before you select a payment option.
Final Thoughts on Shopify
If you prefer to run your business and leave site design, development and maintenance to the professionals, reach out to Jarvis Cole, industry-leading Shopify recruiters. We’ll work with you to find the staff you need to maximize the potential of your ecommerce site. From web developers to project managers and everyone in between, we’ll help you find, place and onboard candidates who match your specifications. To learn more, contact us today!