Millions of eCommerce companies from over 170 countries use Shopify for their eCommerce store. The company estimates their merchants represent 10% of all U.S. eCommerce.
Clearly, Shopify is a popular choice for an eCommerce store platform. But, why should you choose to use Shopify over another eCommerce platform, such as Squarespace or BigCommerce?
Read on. We share five benefits of using Shopify for your eCommerce store.
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1. Made for eCommerce
It’s right there in the name. Shopify was designed from the ground up for eCommerce. This makes Shopify stand out from other website building platforms, like WordPress or Wix, which either don’t offer eCommerce or added it later on to attract more customers.
Because Shopify was designed for eCommerce, the entire interface and set-up process is made with eCommerce store owners in mind. That means it’s easy to create product pages, set pricing and shipping rates, and create promotions or discounts.
2. Add-on functionality and theming
The Shopify app store is filled with reliable apps you can use to add a la carte functionality to your online store. Want to implement a customer loyalty program? There’s an app for that. How about email marketing? You got it. What about wishlists, social media galleries, and more? We think you know the answer by now (it’s yes!).
In addition to functionality, the Shopify Theme Store offers over 100 beautiful, professional mobile-ready themes you can choose from to design your online store. Many are even free!
3. Guaranteed uptime and security
When you run an eCommerce business, your operating hours are 24/7. You need to know that your website will be up 24/7, too. Good news: Shopify maintains a 99.99% uptime, so your customers can shop whenever they want.
In addition to its high uptime, Shopify also offers excellent security — a must for any eCommerce store that deals with customer data. All Shopify stores are PCI compliant, so you (and your customers) can trust that their credit and debit card information is safe and sound.
4. Clear, predictable pricing
Shopify’s pricing is easy to understand, competitive, and based on your needs. The Basic plan includes everything you need to create and manage an online store. It costs $39 per month, plus a credit card transaction fee of 2.9% plus 30 cents for every credit card transaction you process online (the fee 2.7% for in-person transactions). If you pay on a yearly basis, you can save 25%.
The Basic plan only includes two staff accounts, making it a good option for new online stores. The other plans include additional reporting features and staff accounts, along with lower credit card transaction fees and steeper shipping discounts. As your store’s traffic and sales volumes grow, you can level up to the other Shopify plans — all the way up to Shopify Plus, the $2,000/month plan designed for high-volume stores.
5. Award-winning customer service
When you manage an eCommerce store, it’s reassuring to know there’s someone you can contact if you ever run into an issue. Thankfully, Shopify offers 24/7 support through online chat, forum, and phone.
There’s also the Shopify Help Center, which offers detailed documentation and FAQ on how to accomplish almost anything you want to do with your eCommerce website.
Ready to get started with Shopify?
Talk to Your Marketing People. We’ve helped our clients design, build, and manage dozens of successful eCommerce storefronts on Shopify.
