When Should You Use Shopify?

No doubt, Shopify is the most prominent e-commerce store builder and platform with over a 4.68 rating. It’s known for being so simple and giving an effortless way to design an online store to any amateur. One can easily create an e-commerce store to sell products without having any technical knowledge. It comes with an easy drag-and-drop store builder that simplifies the process for owners.

However, it’s not meant for everyone or every business. Before choosing it one must know when to use Shopify in order to get maximum results. So here is a quick guide on when should you use it.

Shopify acts as a boon for:

  • Businesses with online sales

If you want amazing online sales and profits then one must look up to Shopify. It not only comes with an easy-to-use store builder but also offers a lot of features to scale up your business. It has multiple inventory management tools that will help you to manage products across various channels.

  • Businesses with social media sales

If you have a social media sales channel for your business then it can be a great help. Shopify works really well for reputed social media platforms such as FaceBook, Amazon, Pinterest, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, etc. The best part is that the brand has an exclusive collaboration with Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for in-app purchases.

  • If you are into dropshipping

If you want to scale your dropshipping business then Shopify helps you to make connections with multiple dropshippers through plug-and-play options available in the Shopify App Store.

  • The retailers who sell on multiple channels

If you sell products on various online and offline channels then Shopify offers a POS system and e-commerce system that help you to connect with various omnichannel sales, including online purchases, store pickup, etc.

 

When Should You Not Use It?

  • If you have an offline store and looking for an online ordering

If you have a physical store and like to add online features for local sales or pick-up, then it’s better to pick Square Online. It will give you full website features or a single-page site without charging a penny.

  • If you are running a restaurant and looking for an online ordering feature

Here, you should look up to Tock to Go platform which is quite user-friendly and affordable than Shopify.

  • If you are an enterprise business and willing to save transaction fees

Shopify’s payment process is quite sluggish and expensive. If you want to save transaction fees and experience a seamless payment system then pick BigCommerce which has pretty affordable rates. It offers reasonable rates for the PayPal payment system along with low transaction fees.

  • If you don’t want to sell in the first place through your website

If selling is not the main priority for your business then it’s better to pick Squarespace which acts as a complete solution.

In such a case, it’s better to pick Squarespace. Shopify is not seamless for maintaining content. Squarespace is far better due to it’s easy and drag-and-drop page editor.

 

PROS

  • It’s user-friendly
  • It’s quite scalable
  • It offers round-the-clock support
  • It offers instant access to multiple apps, features, and integrations through the Shopify app store

CONS

  • A full e-commerce store costs $29 a month
  • The low stock alert feature is available with a premium plan
  • The shipping calculator also requires a yearly plan
  • Themes are not much customizable
  • The 3rd party integration is costly

 

Pricing and Plans

Shopify offers 4 plans, including:

  • Shopify Lite: It is a basic plan that allows users to add products to their current website/blog, sell products on Facebook or in-person via mobile phone, accept and send invoices, etc. However, one can’t create an online store in this plan.
  • Basic Shopify: It allows you to create an online store, do marketing for your business, do blogging, and sell products on other social media channels.
  • Shopify: It offers all the features of the above-mentioned plans. Also, one gets advanced features such as gift cards, cart recovery, etc.
  • Advanced Shopify: It is meant for the sellers who have a big business with a high volume of sales. It comes with all the advanced features.

Final Thoughts

Shopify makes it easier for starters by offering a 14-day trial version. Just signup with an email address and store name to experience it for free.