WithinTheFlow

Shopify Review 2021 – Your One Stop Ecommerce Solution

Dilawar Hussain

Today in our Shopify review 2021, we are going to test Shopify and find out how it works, how easy it is to setup, and how anyone can maintain a Shopify store. We will also put it through a rigorous test to see what features it provides, what limitations it enforces, and if it’s a great alternative to top industry players like WooCommerce or even Amazon’s marketplaces.

In our Shopify review, We will also check out and compare all their paid plans to see which one makes the most sense for your business.

What is Shopify and how does it work?

Shopify is a Canadian company that launched its ecommerce platform in the year 2006. Their goal was and still is pretty simple: provide users with a straightforward way to sell their products online and free the sellers from all kinds of technical obstacles.

More than 600,000 entrepreneurs and businesses are on this platform. Also, when you look at the fact that there’s no free option available on Shopify, this is definitely an impressive number since everyone is a paid subscriber. This also makes them one of the top online store builders in the World.

Shopify is one of the most popular ecommerce solution providers out there, It provides entrepreneurs with all the tools and features they need to start their very own online store. It is a one-stop ecommerce solution that offers a store building service right out the box. You don’t need any technical know-how to set up your own store with Shopify as it’s just a couple of clicks.

You are only a few clicks away from creating and publishing your online store with Shopify. It works very simply.

Sign up for an account on Shopify.

You either go for the 14-day free trial or choose a one of the 4 different paid plans. Once done, you need to enter your store information and set it up. All this should only take around 5 mins and you will enter Shopify dashboard. That’s it you have get the admin access of your store.

Shopify Dashboard

Once you enter the Shopify dashboard, on the left side bar you will all the necessary tools and features that is required to customize and setup your online store.

 

It is extremely self-explanatory, you can easily start adding products and descriptions on your store to complete the set up. You don’t need any prior technical knowledge to work with Shopify, it’s as simple as they come.

Even a complete newbie will feel comfortable creating a store with Shopify.

If you’re willing to choose a business name on your own, you can make a creative business name by using business name generator.

 

By clicking on the ‘online store’ option on the bottom, you can quickly customize your store by changing and adding pages as you like.

Shopify Pros and Cons

Here are some of the most positive points of Shopify along with its shortcoming. Check out the Shopify Pros and Cons to see what this platform offers and where it falls flat.

Pros

Cons

Shopify Lite Review

Shopify lite is the cheapest plan available at the cost of $9 per month. It cut down a lot of expenses that come up with setting up an ecommerce store.

The major perk of using Shopify lite is that you do not need to setup an ecommerce store, you can instantly start selling on social media or integrate products with existing website.

If you own websites (for blogging or reviews) and want to sell customize goodies, the Shopify lite will help you to sell from the same website by integrating the products with it.

Shopify Lite for Facebook

Shopify Lite allows you to sell your product directly on Facebook. You don’t even need a fully-functioning website or an online store because you can just use Facebook to directly sell your products.

You can add a “Shop” tab on your Facebook page where customers can buy your products without ever leaving Facebook at all.

This is great for people who have a high engagement Facebook page where they can add a shop section to allow their fans to buy products directly from the page.

Shopify Lite for Instagram

Shopify doesn’t only allow you to sell on your Facebook page, in addition to that, it also lets you sell your products directly on Instagram which is a fairly recent feature,

If you have a high number of followers on Instagram then you can easily monetize those followers buy providing them with clickable products.

Every product image you share can be tagged with a Shopify product link. If an images has multiple products, you can tag all the products in the image so each product directs to its product page.

This way you can promote and sell your Shopify products directly on Instagram. However, not everyone can start selling on Instagram as there are certain requirements you need to meet before Shopify lets you sell on Instagram.

Eligibility requirements for Instagram Sales Channel

Shopify Pricing and Plans

Shopify offers multiple different subscription plans that cater to different types of users. From small businesses to large companies anyone can use Shopify for their online stores.

Here’s a complete breakdown of all the Shopify packages and prices.

Shopify Lite Plan (No Online Store): $9 per month

Basic Shopify Plan: $29 per month

Shopify Plan: $79 per month

Advanced Shopify Plan: $299 per month

Check out this detailed article on Shopify pricing and plans to see how much Shopify costs and what plans are suitable for your needs.

Is Shopify Secure?

Most people often ask, specially all the newcomers if Shopify is secure or not, well, Shopify is absolutely secure. If you are worried about getting your credit card details stolen or anything similar then put your mind at ease.

Shopify is a trusted brand and used by more than 600,000 businesses from all over the World. They take care of all the personal and financial details of their users with utmost security. They strive upon the fact that their user data is absolutely safe and secure.

Core features of shopify

Shopify comes fully-equipped with all the standard features you require for your online business. If you want advanced features then it mostly requires third-party applications that are easily available on the Shopify’s app store.

Also keep in mind that some of these features only come with higher level of Shopify subscriptions. Check out each plan before you purchase.

Checkout

Store Management

Shopify SEO Features & Marketing Tools

Product Management

Web Hosting

Shopify POS

Shopify POS feature allows you to sell anywhere you want and at any time. It works for physical stores where you don’t need to have different bank devices.

All you need is Shopify POS system which comes with simple software and hardware to provide you with an easy and simple solution for accepting payments.

You get all the payment synced to your online Shopify payments account where you can check your overall sales and generate any detailed reports.

Shopify Mobile

There are numerous other features that Shopify offers, check Shopify’s full feature list.

Shopify and GDPR Compliance

What is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the European Union’s new privacy and data protection law that came into effect in May 25 2018.

According to this law, the merchant and the companies, who have the entire consumer’s data, need to take steps to provide a transparency in the matter of usage of that data. This will ensure the better control over data handling and the security that the data is being used responsibly.

Shopify User and GDPR

Under the Shopify and GDPR compliance, the ecommerce platform has to alter some of its internal privacy program, that are,

Shopify Customer and Technical Support

Shopify customer support is available via all the standard channels which include phone, live chat, and email. You can get in touch with them anytime as it’s available 24/7.

There are different phone numbers for people from different countries. Here are the phone numbers for North America, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

Apart from that, there are numerous other ways you can look for answers to your queries. Here are a number of different support options that are available to all Shopify users:

The quality and responsiveness of Shopify customer support varies depending on who you are asking. If you ask someone who faced a disgruntled support rep then they will only have negatives while others might have a completely positive experience.

So, it’s all about who you find. However, whenever we contacted Shopify support for any questions/concerns then we found them highly responsive and helpful. There will always be that one support rep who can’t seem to figure out a way to help you, but that’s very rare of an occurrence.

Shopify Themes

Shopify outshines its competition when it comes to aesthetics. They offer a full-fledged theme store where you can get access to thousands of beautiful themes for your online store.

Shopify offers both paid and free themes so that everyone can try a new look for their online store. All the themes are professional and provide a completely new look for our website.

Themes come with all the standard features that you would require for an online store and some themes even offer advanced features that enhance the overall functionality and experience of your website.

How to pick the best Shopify theme?

This is one of the most popular questions that all the newcomers often have. They are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of themes available on the theme store which leads to frustration and often leaves them undecided on which theme to pick.

Here are a few basic factors that you should keep in mind when choosing the perfect Shopify theme for your store.

Keep these points in mind whenever you are trying to decide on a theme for your store. Also, check out the detailed guide on how to pick the best Shopify theme to make things even easier for yourself.

5 Best Shopify Apps to Get You Started

Apps are also overwhelming at times because new store owners have no idea which apps to choose for their new Shopify store.

This shouldn’t be a problem because there are only a handful of apps that you should be using depending on what type of store you are running. For example, if you have a Shopify dropshipping business then you should have a dropshipping app, cart recovery app, etc.

Here are the 5 Shopify apps that you should use on your store regardless of the niche.

Recart: Recart is a cart recovery tool and offers an intuitive Shopify app that lets you target those potential customers who left your website after adding products to the cart. Send them emails to encourage them into returning and finalizing their purchase with Recart.

Mobile Web Boost: Since mobiles have been one of the major sources of traffic for online stores, it’s only fair that you optimize your store’s mobile experience for maximum sales. This app add intuitive add-to-cart and buy buttons on your store’s mobile site to increase sales.

GrooveJar: GrooverJar is one of the best marketing apps available for Shopify that uses behavioral psychology to encourage your buyers into purchasing from you. It uses interactive pop-ups and customized emails to attract the attention of your potential buyers.

Simple Push: Simple Push is another marketing app that provides you a simple way of sending push notifications to your subscribers, buyers, and visitors. It also lets you set up exit intent pop-ups on your store and the ability to send Facebook chat notifications.

Product Reviews Add-On: This app is a must for any new Shopify store even if you have an old, well-established store then you still need it if you don’t already have it. It sends automatic emails and notifications to your customers so they can provide feedback and ratings on the products they received.

If you are looking for more Shopify apps then checkout this extensive list of Best Shopify apps.

Which Shopify Pricing Plan is Best?

This is another question that varies depending on the niche you are targeting, the type of store you are running, and the magnitude of your online business.

If you are just starting out then the Basic Shopify plan should suffice as it provide you with all the features that you need to run your new business online. However, once you hit it off and the customers start pouring then it’s time to expand and upgrade your subscription to a higher level.

Here’s a detailed analysis on how to choose the right Shopify pricing plan.

Why Shopify?

Apart from being one of the most affordable ecommerce solution out there, Shopify also offers ease-of-use so that everyone can set up shop within minutes. Here are some other factors that should convince you on why Shopify is the best choice for you.

FAQs

Is it better to sell on Amazon or Shopify?

Shopify is an ecommerce platform, and Amazon is a marketplace. Both medium has its benefits. However, Shopify allows you to create your brand with personalize store that gives a lot of freedom on how you want to grow your business without following any restriction and policies.

Is a Shopify store worth it?

Yes, it worth to give a shot to Shopify. It easy to use, the best platform to start dropshipping and one of the most sought after ecommerce platform to enter in the online selling business.

How much does it cost to run a Shopify store?

Shopify basic plan starts at $29/ month that is the only fixed cost of using Shopify other cost are conditional, depends on the Apps you purchase, product, and expenditure on marketing.

How do I compete with other sellers on Shopify?

You are only in the competition when a Shopify seller is selling in the same niche as you are and to outrank the competition you can challenge them with pricing strategy, product offering, upsells and discount.

Conclusion

If you are on the lookout for an all-in-one eCommerce solution, a one-stop shop for your online business needs, then Shopify is a great fit for you.

You should definitely look into Shopify and check if their plans are actually right for you.

There are other alternatives to Shopify even free ones, but if you are looking for something that’s easier to set up, simple to manage, and affordable then Shopify is a clear winner.

If you have any questions, comments, or experience with Shopify – then let us know in the comments below!

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