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Shopify

What is Shopify?

In the world of eCommerce, Shopify is perhaps the most popular name. It is an eCommerce platform that you can utilize to create an online store. Shopify allows you to sell things both online and offline. You can build your own shopping website for online sales or sell in person via Shopify POS.

The best part? Shopify offers a 14-day free trial through which you can familiarize yourself with the platform before you commit! You can start by building your own online store, get in touch with some Shopify apps, and even sell a few things - all on the 14-day trial. 

What Does Shopify Do?

Essentially, Shopify provides you with all the resources and the online space you need to get started with your online business. Put simply, to create the perfect shopping experience for your customers, you have to have the right mechanisms in place that will allow you to showcase products, accept payments, engage with customers, and do other similar things. 

To help you, Shopify gives you all these features in a neat little package! 

In short, Shopify allows you to turn your eCommerce dreams into reality. 

Shopify Features 

To understand Shopify better, let’s have a look at a few features it has to offer. 

  • Web Builder with Easy Drag and Drop options
  • Mobile Commerce Compatibility
  • 100+ payment gateways
  • Multiple Languages
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Automated Calculation of shipping charges
  • Reminders to Customers
  • Calculation of Taxes
  • Manage from anywhere
  • Customer Profiles, Accounts, and groups
  • Email Templates
  • Fulfillment Centres
  • Dropshipping
  • Supports Best SEO Practices
  • Automated sitemap.xml
  • Social Media Integration
  • Sell on Facebook
  • Free 256-bit SSL certificate
  • Level- 1 PCI compliant
  • Help Center
  • Online Discussion Groups
  • Access to Experts
  • Access to eCommerce University


Pros of Shopify

So, why is Shopify so amazing, and why are so many businesses so keen on using it as their way to eCommerce? It is obvious because it offers a lot of advantages. These include:

  • Shopify is easy to set up and use. 
  • Shopify offers an aesthetic online store. 
  • Shopify allows some very savvy app integrations. 
  • Shopify is very secure and reliable. 
  • Shopify offers excellent loading speed. 
  • Shopify comes equipped with powerful marketing tools.
  • Shopify has the right mobile responsiveness. 
  • Shopify offers round-the-clock customer support.
  • Shopify offers easy payments. 
  • Shopify is SEO-friendly.


Cons of Shopify

Like all the platforms out there, Shopify isn’t wholly perfect either. It has some drawbacks. Before deciding whether or not Shopify is for you, consider the following as well: 

  • The URL structure Shopify uses is not ideal for SEO.
  • The multi-language store on Shopify is not a standard feature.
  • Shopify Payments is not available everywhere. However, if you don’t use it, Shopify charges a transaction fee on top of the payment processor fee. 
  • Creating non-eCommerce content on Shopify can be a hassle.


Shopify Alternatives

In case the drawbacks mentioned above make Shopify a less than ideal option for you, you can always check out these alternatives:

  • BigCommerce
  • WooCommerce
  • Magento
  • PinnacleCart
  • Shift4Shop
  • Wix


The Bottom Line

Shopify can be an extremely innovative platform for online merchants that are just starting it. However, certain elements to it might limit it from being the perfect solution for you. In that case, don’t hesitate to check out one of the alternatives we have mentioned! Given the sheer volume of eCommerce platforms present in the market today, you can easily find the one that is right for you.