What is Shopify? Get Answers to Shopify Questions Here! You’ve probably heard the name at least once. There’s a good chance you may have seen it in magazine ads, on TV commercials, and/or someone in your circle of friends may be talking about it. But what exactly is Shopify, and how does it work? Learn all about Shopify here, including answers to common questions that help start-up entrepreneurs understand everything about this effective eCommerce software.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a commerce platform that allows anyone to sell their products online. It includes a storefront, a range of professional-looking themes to customise your store, dozens of apps for additional functionality, and a payment system to take care of all transactions. Shopify is cloud-based software that operates on a monthly subscription model.
Understanding Shopify’s commerce platform
Layer 1: Shopify’s core product
This is what you get as soon as you buy any Shopify plan. It includes everything you need to turn your idea into a business and start selling: templates for the look and feel of your store, tools to sell in multiple places online and in-person, integrated payment processing, the best-converting checkout on the internet, SEO and marketing tools—these are all part of Shopify’s core product. This is the foundation upon which our other products and applications are built.
Layer 2: Shopify’s additional products and services
Every independent business is unique. And as businesses grow, their needs evolve accordingly. That’s why we offer our customers powerful upgrades to help them grow their business on our platform. These products and services are exclusive to Shopify customers from easier access to capital to accelerated payments options. They are designed to help independent business owners have a leg up in the market.
Layer 3: Apps built by trusted partners
Shopify’s App Store has thousands of apps and features built by third-party developers to customise your store without ever once touching the code. Anything you can dream up, there’s an app that can help make it a reality. You’ll find the most cutting-edge tools to grow your business in the App Store, whether it’s the latest SMS app or the hottest new social media network’s ad tools.
But Why Choose Shopify Over Other E-commerce Platforms?
Making a decision is essential when it comes to your e-commerce business. However, when it comes to your e-commerce platform, you should know that it takes the right e-commerce platform to create traction. If you have any doubt about whether it’s the right platform for your e-commerce website, I encourage you to look at this resource. You don’t have to run your own eCommerce store to sell your products through Amazon. Instead, you can sell directly from your Facebook page or via other platforms like Shopify.
What is Shopify Dropshipping?
Dropshipping is the process of selling an item you don’t have in stock by purchasing it from a wholesaler or your supplier directly. You’re selling a product you don’t have in stock. Your supplier has it. When you sell your item, you make a commission on the sale without needing to keep inventory. So how does Shopify Dropshipping work? The Shopify app allows you to add an option to buy your products from your supplier. Your customers go to your website and purchase the product through the Shopify app. The Shopify app automatically sends the order to your supplier. Your supplier then sends the order to you. You send the order to your customer and ship it. You’ll get a commission for each sale.
Here’s a list of advantages for using Shopify
1. Ease of setting up and navigation
Shopify is the best eCommerce platform for creating an amazing online shopping experience. You’ll be able to host your own website using your domain name. A good online shop builder has everything needed to build a powerful and profitable online shop. It’s super easy to use, so you don’t have to worry about much.
2. Integrated with third-party eCommerce tools
This is the perfect eCommerce platform for a small-scale business. You can add any number of products to your shop, manage all of your inventory and get ready to scale up and outsell the competition.
3. Store template options for great aesthetics
You don’t need to buy a theme from ThemeForest. You can quickly and easily customise any of the many ready-made Shopify themes. They’re the most affordable option when it comes to starting an online store, as you can get started with no investment required. In addition, they offer free store templates to get you started. You can also have your store professionally designed, which will make it look a lot better and help it stand out from your competition.
4. Allows for easy payments
Among the many advantages of the Shopify payments platform is that the system is integrated with a variety of payment gateways, making it easier for the vendor or the merchant to receive payments.
5. Easily accessible
Your store can be accessed from anywhere in the world that has internet access. You can be updated with your store’s progress from any internet-connected device. You can sell on the web, on social media, on mobile devices, through online marketplaces and even on physical stores of your choosing. In addition, the Shopify platform will upgrade itself automatically, without downtime for you, when there’s a sudden increase in traffic to your site, so you don’t have to worry about your site crashing if you have a spike in traffic.
6. Great customer support
Shopify offers a friendly environment to new sellers and beginners who encounter technical issues as they have a helpful customer service team. Customer service is a crucial part of any eCommerce business, and their service is available via a live chat service.
7. Reliable security measures
With all security concerns handled, the rest is up to the merchant. Shopify’s databases are fully protected so that your customers’ personal information is always safe.
8. Marketing tools for eCommerce
You have a wonderful store built with the best tools for SEO, helping you rank high on search engines like Google. The platform includes analytical tools that will help you understand your customers, which can then be used to create more targeted advertising campaigns. In addition, with social media integration tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, and others, you can market your products on different social media sites.
How to use Shopify?
Shopify is a platform that allows people to sell online or through apps and sites. Shopify sells software, themes, apps, and other products that help you set up and manage your eCommerce site. But, first, let’s break it down for you. The e-commerce platform that’s most widely known today is Shopify, which offers a full suite of features and capabilities that makes it easy and affordable to start selling online.
This theme is designed to be easy to create for users of all technical abilities. Adding products is quick and simple. Finally, the platform offers security features, caching, and web hosting, so business owners don’t need to worry about managing these important yet somewhat technical considerations.
This is a good place for a small-time entrepreneur to start as an e-commerce merchant, but it will require patience.
Shopify lets you sell your eCommerce products in multiple languages. It also offers free tools for integrating eCommerce into other parts of your business, such as your social media presence, email marketing, web pages, and more.
Step by Step Guide to Setting up a Shopify Account
The process is fairly simple. You need to:
1. Go to Shopify’s website and make an account
To start your own store, click on the Get Started button. Choose a unique name for your store. Fill in all the necessary details and then submit your application. You can find out whether it’s been approved or not within a few minutes. To ensure a successful launch for your Shopify store, you’ll need to complete the following Shopify fields.
2. Adding products to your store
Physical / Digital products / Services: These are the physical or digital products/services that you will offer in your Shopify Store and require the following info:
a. Product Description
Write your product title here, and describe what your products or services do to improve people’s lives. Then, tell your prospective customers why they should buy your products and services. Make sure to use conversational text to describe your products. Your customers will love reading the description, and they’ll know that they’ll be able to read it easily. You can upload additional photos and videos if they are related to your products. You can provide gifs of your products as well.
b. Product Price
This is the amount that your customers will pay for the products you are selling in your store. Make sure you factor in the cost of the item, the value you think it will add to your business and the amount of time it will take to ship it before you decide whether it is worth it.
c. Product Inventory
Shopify has its own inventory management system that lets you track your stocks on hand and informs you and your customers when a product is sold out.
d. Product Shipping
This is where all your shipping information will be displayed. This includes shipping costs, taxes, customs fees (if any), and handling details.
3. Customising my Shopify Store
Your online storefront should leave a lasting impression on your site visitors. It’s not just a great way to drive sales right now, but it’s also a great way to encourage immediate purchases as well as future purchases of your product. You should consider creating an About page, contact page, FAQs, and a purchasing policy page. After you’ve read this book, you should: Whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional, choosing a theme is a good idea. There are free themes at the Theme Store and paid themes available. Make sure to choose the right theme for your online store based on your brand, desired functionality, and budget.
a. Optimise your home page
Add, remove or rearrange the sections that make up your main page. You must focus on your product’s benefits and make it easy for site visitors to purchase your products and create long-term loyalty. Also, be sure to make sure that your website’s design is optimised for desktop and mobile browsing and is in line with your brand. Your navigation should be organised in an intuitive way for users.
When designing your website, it’s also essential to understand how your site’s structure affects its functionality. A hierarchy of pages and products is the key to building an eCommerce business that sells many products. You need to prioritise the most important content at the top of your page and then add it to your main navigation menu. Your goal is to make the navigation experience as easy as possible for your target customers. This means organising your books in subjects, sub-subjects, and categories. If you have a wide selection of products to sell, a search bar can come in handy so that customers can easily find the item they are looking for.
b. Store Branding
You can go to Theme Settings to edit all pertinent details about your online store. For example, you’ll be able to change the colours of your theme and select your logo. Make sure your Shopify online store is set up to give the best experience for customers. You’ll be surprised at the results of this simple change. This depends on the products you’re selling, but generally, you don’t want to charge extra shipping costs. If your goal is to ship everything for free and get rid of your excess inventory, then this may not be the right option for you. You can choose to change your goals at any time.
4. Set up your Domain
You can purchase your domain directly through Shopify or a separate domain provider.
5. Set up Shopify Payment
If you’re going to sell items online, there’s one thing you need to do before you go the life, and that’s to make sure you have a safe way to collect payments.
a. Shopify Payments 1 – PayPal
PayPal works with Shopify Payments. As a result, shop owners get paid faster than other payment options, while customers can pay from mobile devices or computers. It is a popular online payment solution. You can use their free service to accept payments from your Shopify Store customers.
b. Shopify Payments 2 – Apple Pay
With Apple Pay, you can accept payments from customers via your choice’s online platform, including Shopify.
7. Using APIs to link into other fulfillment services
An API is a collection of functions that allows developers to easily program applications with the functionality of an application, whether they are web-based or not. With the API integrations in Shopify Plus, merchants can now update their customers’ information, including their addresses, and create a custom field and update them. When you calculate shipping and taxes, it’s easier for merchants to manage these items.
Do you need help setting up your Shopify Account?
At Ubique Digital Solutions, we partnered with Shopify to maintain the proper workflow process of our client’s online store. If you want to learn more about how we make it work and bring success to our clients, don’t hesitate to reach out. Contact us now!
FAQs
Q: What does Shopify cost?
Shopify is a little more expensive than some of the other managed solutions out there, but it is a great value. The company’s plans start at $29 a month for a basic plan that includes a Shopify website and your first month of a Shopify plan.
Q: In what countries can I use Shopify?
You can open a Shopify store in any country where Shopify has the local infrastructure, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. What payment methods can I accept on my Shopify store?
Q: What can I sell on Shopify?
Here are some things you can sell on Shopify: physical products, services, memberships, consultations, digital products, digital gift cards, rentals, installations and quotes, events tickets, and many more.
Q: Where can I sell with Shopify?
Shopify’s platform is available in over 30 countries and supports multiple currencies.
Q: Can you sell any product on Shopify?
Q: How to set up an online store in Shopify?
Shopify is a cloud-based eCommerce platform where business owners can set up their online store to sell physical or digital products worldwide. Think of Shopify as a storefront where customers can browse products and buy them right away, and you, as the business owner, get paid for every product sold through the storefront.
