It is no secret that Ecommerce is on the rise and will likely continue to grow in popularity for some time. The internet offers the opportunity to reach a global audience for a relatively low cost. It is, therefore, no surprise that more start-ups than ever before are setting up their shops online, but what makes them choose Shopify?
Ecommerce platforms enable businesses to sell products and services online. One of the most popular Ecommerce platforms is Shopify. It is used both by individual sellers and internet giants such as Google and Tesla. This article will discuss the rise of Shopify and the reasons for its popularity.
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons Shopify has become so popular with start-ups is due to its origins. In 2004 its founders created it as a solution to a problem they experienced. You could say, “it takes one to know one.” Therefore, their creation had a great advantage in understanding its future users. Lutke, one of the founders, describes how no system he tried was good enough to build his online snowboard store. He was missing flexibility, creativity and a user-friendly experience - attributes he chose to focus on with Shopify.
Shopify has grown into a platform used by a whole ecosystem of businesses.
To understand better why Shopify has succeeded in satisfying their customers, let us analyse how it has focused on cost, user-friendliness, support, mobile optimisation and blogs.
The setup is free of charge. The monthly cost ranges from $29-299/m (depending on features) and the commission rates are 2.4% – 2.9% + 30p. On every plan, there are additional costs for certain features. For example, there are 10 free themes, and the rest are paid-for (they usually cost between $140 and $180).
We all love discounts. It is, therefore, no surprise that the annual and biennial plans and their price reductions are drawing more entrepreneurs to Shopify. Saving up to 20% definitely sounds enticing!
Shopify's founders built their initial product to be simpler, faster, and more user-friendly. Shopify offers a solution that is akin to a point and click interface. This means their customers don’t have to be a programmer to use it, opening the platform’s doors to a wider audience. Looking at Shopify’s reviews, we can quickly observe that how “easy” it is to use is one of its strongest attributes.
The Shopify founders wanted to avoid the self-hosted eCommerce solutions' problems with adjusting “themes”. Shopify offers a simple theme selection and installation feature. Not to mention, many of the themes are available free of charge.
You can also integrate SaaS applications with Shopify. This can increase profits and improve customisation and functionality, adding up to a great user experience.
Shopify expanded its product from just servicing sellers to being helpful to developers and the larger Ecommerce community. Currently, there are over 2000 extensions and plugins to help grow your store.
Due to the fact it’s a global network, open 24/7, you can obtain real-time help at any time of the day should you need it.
Unlike a lot of companies, Shopify is incentivised to help its users become more successful, as the more money shops make, the more successful the platform is.
The trend for looking things up online on our mobile phone is exponentially increasing. The fact that Shopify is very mobile-friendly is a very enticing attribute to entrepreneurs and businesses. Furthermore, another advantage of Shopify is being able to manage your store on the go, due to its mobile-friendly store management system.
“Content is king”, so having a blogging option on the platform is greatly beneficial. This makes it easier to manage more aspects of your business and marketing, as it’s all in one place. It also helps to add SEO value to your page by attracting people interested in topics you choose to cover.
When choosing an Ecommerce platform, many businesses focus on price, performance, ease of use and support. Shopify scores highly in all four areas. As an easy-to-use product with a beginner-friendly design and many options for customisation, Shopify stands start-ups and entrepreneurs in good stead to successfully manage their Ecommerce site and continually make adjustments to improve sales and boost their brand.
Digital Marketing Executive
Wiktoria lives to create, she is a marketing postgraduate who loves social media and content creation. Customer satisfaction and driving engagement is at the heart of her work. She has worked with different clients including fintechs, affiliate marketing agencies and NGOs for over 3 years to grow their brands, as well as provide them with original and creative content. Since joining Blue Frontier, Tori has focused on content creation and social media marketing.
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