Even if you are already operating an eCommerce business or are planning to build one, Shopify is a great solution. You should still consider its advantages and disadvantages to determine if it is the right platform for your online business.
Ø Why do business on Shopify?
There are a lot of great things about Shopify, including the fact that it’s one of the best eCommerce platforms on the market today. You can sell products directly on your website, and sell them across a variety of marketplaces and social media.
Shopify has hundreds of built-in features and a lot of apps. There are a lot of different ways to sell products and services.
Anyone can start a Shopify business, whether they’re a first-time seller or a large corporation like Harry’s Razors (yes, Harry’s Razors is one of Shopify’s satisfied customers). All you need is a goal, something to sell, and an internet connection, and you can have an online store up and running in a matter of days.
Ø Shopify pros
No need for technical knowledge
The goal of a Shopify company is to make you more money without you having to deal with technological issues and other burdensome administrative tasks.
Shopify has several substantial advantages that other eCommerce platforms do not, including assistance with managing technological demands, a user-friendly interface, and access to many helpful features. Shopify is a powerfully hosted platform that handles all of your transaction processing needs.
Beautiful theme designs
Because Shopify’s storefront themes are so beautiful and well-designed, Shopify’s website design has a significant advantage over other platforms. This helps retain customers, which is important for Shopify’s merchants.
You can pick and choose from a range of Shopify theme designs. Industry-specific themes are available, including Art & Photography, Food & Beverage, Jewelry & Accessories, Furniture, and much more. You can also filter themes and choose whether or not they are responsive or mobile-only. Paid themes are also available in free or paid versions.
Easy to use Shopify apps
Because Shopify’s plugins are so strong, Shopify’s platform is one of its most valuable. Shopify has over 1,200 apps that can help you automate your work, freeing you up to prepare for other important matters instead of marketing or growing sales.
You can use Shopify’s apps to assist you with accounting, customer service, reporting, inventory, shipping, and so forth. These devices will assist you in scaling your enterprise. What Shopify apps offer are important pieces of information. Your accounting process will be simpler and more efficient with Shopify apps.
Always available support
Shopify has an extremely attentive support team. You can contact them via live chat, or via email and phone. Four different phone numbers are available in your region to accommodate your call, it is a big benefit that other eCommerce platforms do not offer.
Useful marketing tools
You will receive marketing tools that will increase your SEO rankings, share on social media, and automate other things with Shopify.
Ø Shopify cons
Just like any other eCommerce platform, Shopify also has a few drawbacks. Shopify also has a steep learning curve to getting up and running. You have to set up your store, create an account with your customers, and then learn how to use the platform. This can be a lot of work if you’re just starting out.
Shopify’s pricing model is not very transparent. You don’t know what fees Shopify charges until you start using the platform. This can be a big problem if you’re just starting out and don’t want to know what fees you’ll be paying before you start using the platform. Here are some of the most common problems with this platform.
Less flexible
If you want more functionality for your Shopify business, you may consider some of Shopify’s competitors, such as Magento or WordPress, because they are self-hosted platforms that are complicated to work with, but also more flexible with theme customization and managing larger operations.
Extensive customization is difficult
You must pay a one-time fee of $10 to use any of the ten free templates. You must have at least one of the free templates in order to use any of the other themes. You may not customize Shopify’s Liquid code using Shopify unless you know it. If you want extensive customization, you must understand Shopify’s Liquid code or hire Shopify Development Company.
Pay for apps
With these apps, you will need to pay application fees. However, without these apps, you must manually insert your data into your own software which takes time. You may choose to hire someone, which will cost over $50 to $300 per month, or pay a monthly app subscription.
Post your query to a forum
You may not always be able to get assistance from general support if you have technical issues. You must post your query to a forum in order to get an answer from a developer. The US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia have only supported phone numbers.
Pay for extended SEO features
Although Shopify has over 1,200 apps that can help you automate your work, the AMP feature is only available on Shopify Plus stores if you purchase a paid app. Other extended SEO features (such as customer ratings and reviews) can be used only if you pay for the plugins. It is one of the main reasons, why many people stay away from this eCommerce platform.
Shopify is a massively popular eCommerce platform. It offers free plans, which will give you access to some basic features. If you want to use more advanced features and customize the look of your store, you’ll need to pay for a paid plan. Shopify is great if you have an online store that needs some help getting off the ground.
Shopify has several advantages over other platforms, including a powerful platform that handles all of your transaction processing needs. However, it also has drawbacks such as not being flexible with the customization and not having good customer support if problems arise.