E-commerce or “online shopping” refers to selling and marketing products and services through electronic communication channels, mainly online marketplaces.
An ecommerce store handles a variety of tasks from collecting customer data to processing transactions to delivering products.
While there are a variety of ecommerce platforms, Shopify has built a reputation for creating beautifully designed stores and delivering exceptional performance.
Why Shopify?
Shopify has built a reputation for creating beautifully designed stores and delivering exceptional performance.
With nearly 1 million websites built on its platform, Shopify is the #3 ranked web host based on speed (global server benchmark tests).
In addition, Shopify is the #1 ranked platform for online marketplaces, E-commerce, and Retail Management.
The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada with offices in Berlin, Sydney, and San Francisco. According to the company, over 900,000 businesses use its platforms to create their web stores and over 300,000 businesses use its online marketplaces to sell their products.
Aside from exceptional performance, the largest reason why Shopify is suitable for e-commerce is because of its numerous features.
Below are three features that set it apart from other platforms.
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Product Variation and Customization
The first feature that makes Shopify suitable for e-commerce is its product variation and customization.
You can use this feature to create unique products that are bound to attract customers.
With Shopify, you can add different styles, colours, and sizes of a product (e.g., small, medium, large) and configure them as you see fit (i.e., SKU’s and attributes).
The more you customize a product, the more you will enjoy the benefits of shopping online.
When customers click to add a product to their shopping cart, they will be presented with several options for the same product.
This helps improve customer decision-making and reduces the chances of them making a wrong choice.
In addition, the ability to see many products at once and compare their features makes it simpler for the customer to find the right fit.
When a customer finds the right product and clicks to buy it, their order is processed and the product is delivered.
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Affiliate Marketing
Shopify makes affiliate marketing easy and efficient. You can use this feature to create an affiliate program where you’ll pay affiliates when someone clicks a button to make a purchase (i.e., sales affiliate program).
You’ll need to set a minimum order value and a commission percentage to get started.
When someone clicks the button to make a purchase and completes the transaction, you’ll pay the affiliate a commission.
The affiliate will then use their own affiliate links (or, if you’re using an affiliate management platform, you’ll provide them with these) to drive traffic to their own websites.
For more information on how to set up an affiliate program with Shopify, click here.
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Online Marketplaces
The final feature that makes Shopify suitable for e-commerce is its online marketplaces.
You can create multiple storefronts (i.e., online marketplaces) in which you’ll sell the same products that are available for purchase in your own store.
This allows you to create mini-communities around your products where customers can engage with other users (i.e., buyers and sellers).
When a customer clicks to purchase a product in one of your online marketplaces, they will be presented with different options for the same product.
This feature makes it simpler for the customer to find the right fit and encourages them to continue exploring your product line.
In addition, when they find a product that they like, they can add it to their cart and then continue exploring more products or check out the products that they’ve already added to their cart.
This feature makes it easier for customers to browse your products and also to find what they’re looking for when they return.
Another great feature of online marketplaces is that you can easily track the performance of each individual storefront.
How to Set Up Shopify?
If you’re looking for an e-commerce solution that is as reliable and secure as possible, you’ve probably considered Shopify.
The platform has been in the news a lot in recent years because it offers some unique features that set it apart from competitors.
We’ve put together this guide to help you understand how you can integrate Shopify into your own business to create an online store that is perfect for your needs.
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Features That Set It Apart
Firstly, Shopify offers some great features that set it apart from other E-commerce platforms. These features make running an online store much easier while maintaining a high level of security.
The first feature that makes Shopify special is custom themes. These are ready-made designs that can be easily applied to your store. There are two types of custom themes: light and dark.
You can choose the colour that you want for your store’s background and change the text color to fit your brand’s identity.
Another great feature is the integration of third-party services. For example, you can easily integrate with WooCommerce to create an online store that sells products from Amazon.
You can use their APIs to connect your Shopify store with other platforms and processes such as banking and shipping.
Security is another key feature of Shopify. The platform offers several high-security options that ensure your customers’ information is kept private and secure. You can use one of two options: digital certificates or IP blacklisting to protect your customers’ personal information from potential hackers.
The certificates are digital documents that identify you as the owner of the website. When a customer submits that information, it is easily identifiable and will not be easily hacked or compromised.
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Setting Up Shopify
If you decide that Shopify is the best e-commerce solution for your business, the next step is to set up your account.
You can do this by clicking on the button that says “Get Started” at the top of the page.
You’ll then be brought to the dashboard where you can enter your payment information, choose a login email, and create a brief description of your store.
From here you can choose the type of store that you want to create; be it a simple online store or a more complex retail store.
You can add varying types of products to your store such as clothing, accessories, etc.
Your store’s name, description, and keywords must be unique and should match those of your website’s content.
Once you’ve entered all of this, you can click on the button that says “Create My Store” to start the process of setting up your store on the Shopify platform.
What Next?
Now that your store is set up and you have a few products listed, it’s time to start marketing your store.
You can put up a simple online store for free, or you can choose paid plans starting at $5 per month. Once you’ve set up a store with a few products, you’ll receive a store email with your login information.
You can use this to access your store or send out emails with new products etc.
You’ll also want to install the Shopify app on your phone or tablet. This mobile app allows you to manage your store from anywhere. You can add new products, edit product information, and take care of any customer inquiries from wherever you go.
Final Takeaway
As we mentioned earlier, Shopify offers a lot of unique features that make it stand out from other e-commerce solutions.
If you’re looking to create a reliable and secure online store, you’ve probably considered Shopify.
While the platform is reliable and offers a wealth of features, it’s not free.
You can set up a basic store for free, but to get everything you need, you’ll have to spend at least $5 per month. Plus, Shopify’s free plan limits you to 1000 products.
If you want to take your business further, you can find numerous paid plans from $5 per month to $25 per month.
These plans offer additional features that you can use to grow your business.
Overall, Shopify is a great option for e-commerce stores, especially when combined with the other two features mentioned above.
The ability to create unique products and configure them as you see fit makes it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for.
The fact that you can create storefronts (i.e., online marketplaces) where customers can engage with other customers and track the performance of each individual storefront is also valuable information for retailers.
If you’re looking to create or improve an eCommerce store, consider using Shopify.
