Shopfiy Review 2021
With so many e-commerce development solutions available, it can be difficult to choose the best one for your company. Shopify is a well-known and prominent name in the world of e-commerce, but you might be wondering if it’s the best option for your business.
Shopify is a cloud-based ecommerce platform that lets you create your own online store with almost no technical skills required. Shopify works for both big and small enterprises, allowing them to achieve great success. More than 3 million companies use Shopify, and when put to the test against their rivals, they outperform in many areas.
Shopify was created to help anybody create their own, personalized online store. There are hundreds of pre-installed features and applications that allow you to sell on your website, in marketplaces, and on social media.
What’s on This Page
Shopify
4.5/5
- No technical skills required
- Many payment options
- Super customer support
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a web app that helps you create online stores. Whether you’re a small business or you’ve been in the game for a while, Shopify makes it easy for you to access your customers. To get started all you need is a computer, an internet connection, and a product, and you’re off to the races.
Shopify’s themes and apps make it simple for you to customize your store, no technical skills are required. That said, if you are tech-savvy and have the skills to code your own store, Shopify has the capability to allow you to do that.
While Shopify comes out on top as one of the better platforms for bigger businesses, Shopify has proven to be a powerful platform for any sized store, and since the platform is extremely scalable, it grows with your growing business.
Shopify is the perfect choice for customers who are looking for a reliable, all-in-one solution. While it has a lot of features, flexibility, and a good user experience, the price point might be a little steep for you if you’re just starting out.
How does Shopify Work?
Shopify is a completely hosted solution which means that you don’t need to download or install anything, all you have to do is access the platform through a web browser. You have access to all the features by paying a monthly subscription, so no matter where you are – if you’re connected to the internet – you have access to your store.
Shopify provides tools like templates, a blog, marketing tools, and a payment processor to make your online selling journey easier. It also allows you to customize your store more extensively as your business grows by adding apps and custom code.
Shopify Pros and Cons
Pros
- Better for larger stores
- Multi-platform selling
- Function and Flexibility
- Over 100 payment options
Cons
- Expensive
- Learning Curve
- High Transaction Fees
How do you build a Shopify store?
Building a Shopify store is straight forward. After setting up an account with an email address and password, Shopify will calculate your tax rate based on your address. Once you set up your account, the platform will even create a customized URL for your store, so even if you don’t have your own domain yet, you can still get up and running.
Next, you’ll see your dashboard, this is where all your sales happen. You can easily view information about orders, inventory, and your customers. Depending on your needs you can customize this view by adding third-party apps for features like recurring billing or loyalty programs.
Shopify’s app store has most of the plug-ins you’ll need for success including features for sales on social media, accounting, and tools that will give you access to other sellers. Buyer beware though, some of these features can be quite expensive so be sure to carefully check what customization is costing you.
Our Rating Process
It’s important to know what you’re getting into, so we did the heavy lifting for you. We tested out Shopify and compared it against its competitors. We evaluated Shopify’s features, price, user experience, and customer support, and gave them each a score out of 5, so when you’re ready to choose the best online store builder, you have the right information to decide.
Features – 4/5
Known as the one-stop-shop for your one-stop shop, Shopify provides 10 free ecommerce templates that you can use. When compared to their competitors this might seem small, but each is fully responsive. If you want to dish out a bit of cash you can browse the paid-for templates which go for anywhere between $150 and $350.
From the platform, you can manage a variety of sales channels including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and your online store.
One frustrating part to getting your store up and running is uploading product images. Shopify does not crop product images to a uniform ratio, so if you upload photos that are not the same exact size they will start to affect your store design.
Shopify has thought about your store’s scalability and offers POS hardware and options. They let you sell in physical locations using an iOS or Android device. They offer barcode readers, tills, and receipt printers.
Price – 4/5
Depending on your needs, Shopify’s pricing may be high. The good thing here though is that there is a 14-day free trial available, so if after 2 weeks you don’t think the platform is worth the money you can walk away and continue your search for an online store builder.
Be sure to check the features associated with your plan because of the vary. For example, the ‘lite’ plan, which comes in at $9 per month (it’s not listed in the price chart below) does not let you create a standalone store, rather it’s best used for inventory management or selling on social media. This feature allows you to add a ‘buy button’ that can be embedded on external websites.
If you need professional reporting, this is only available on the $79+ plans. Further transaction fees get lower as you climb the price tiers. Be sure to really understand your needs and the plans available to see if Shopify is truly the right price point for your business.
User Experience – 5/5
When it comes to online stores it’s not only about the user experience for you and your team, but we also need to think about your customers. Is it easy to find products and pay for them? This will ultimately weigh on the success of your company.
By default, Shopify allows you to use its own payment system, Shopify Payments or PayPal Express at checkout. If you’d like to use something else, you have the option of integrating over 70 other payment gateways in your store. Many of the payment gateways charge additional transaction fees, but if you use Shopify Payments, the transaction fees get waived. They also allow integrations for alternative currencies and cryptocurrencies.
For you and your team, there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to setting up your store, especially if you’ve never set one up before. If you put in the time to understand your dashboard though, you’ll get the hang of it in no time. The dashboard is customizable, and you are able to see all of your store’s key metrics at a glance.
Customer Support – 5/5
Shopify is known for its excellent customer service. They offer round-the-clock phone and chat support, so you’re never left feeling helpless. If you have a frequently asked question or common issue there is an extensive discussion forum and information available online. Since the platform supports millions of businesses, the information available about Shopify and their online stores is plentiful.
Package Comparison
Product Details
Basic Shopify
Shopify
Advanced Shopify
Price per month
$29
$79
$299
Online Store
Yes
Yes
Yes
Unlimited Products
Yes
Yes
Yes
Staff Accounts
2
5
15
24/7 Support
Yes
Yes
Yes
Sales Channels
Yes
Yes
Yes
Inventory Locations
Up to 4
Up to 5
Up to 8
Technical / Product Details
Product Details
Specs
Supported languages
100+ languages supported through Weglot app
Compability
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari for MacOS, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Apple Safari for iOS, Google Chrome for Android
Supported countries
Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States
Customer support
24/7 Phone and Chat, Knowledge Bank, Email
Apps
Shopify App Store
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shopify worth it for a small business?
Shopify can be a good fit for a small business, depending on the business’ needs. Shopify is a one-stop-shop and provides the frontend and all the security and software you need to get started. This is a huge help for small business owners who might not have the time or know-how to deal with these technical aspects. Shopify is also integrated with Facebook, Instagram and Google shopping, making it easy to access more customers and execute on your digital marketing strategy.
Can you really make money on Shopify?
Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on the market, and there are several ways to make money with the platform. The first is obvious, you can sell goods and services from Shopify, but there are a few other ways to monetize the platform. You can start a dropshipping business and outsource the fulfillment and shipping of orders made through the site. You can join the Shopify affiliate marketing program which lets you earn money on every successful referral made from your account. And you can monetize your social media by adding a ‘buy now’ button to your Instagram and Facebook posts.