Shopify’s Advantages and Drawbacks to Consider

Are you weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of Shopify for your e-commerce website? It’s no wonder it’s a consideration for many new and existing businesses given the success stories from users.

It was predicted that eCommerce sales would generate almost $900 billion by 2021. It’s easy to see that eCommerce can be lucrative in a variety of situations.

To reach your target customers, you will need to sell products online using the right platform. But, is Shopify the best platform?

Shopify allows users to set up their own online shops. Shopify offers many features and functions as well as an easy-to-use interface. It is a great option for anyone who wants to sell products online. There are pros and cons to Shopify.

Let’s look at all that Shopify has to offer, including its advantages and disadvantages. We hope that by the end of this article you can make an informed decision around Shopify’s suitability for your online store.

Advantages of Shopify

Shopify is an ecommerce platform that allows entrepreneurs to sell their products online or in-person. In fact, Shopify has helped many entrepreneurs grow their businesses since 2006. Shopify has become the most widely used ecommerce platform worldwide, with more than 500,000 merchants using the platform to power their shops.

This is why many online businesses have chosen to use the platform.

Shopify makes it easy to get started

Shopify is easy to use. You only need to create an account, select a template and then add your products.

It doesn’t require any design or coding experience. It’s perfect for people who just want to get their business started as fast as possible.

Access to a wide range of features

Shopify’s default features make it easy to add products, manage inventory, set up shipping and create discount codes. You will find what you are looking for in Shopify’s default features.

Shopify offers advanced features to meet the needs of those with more complex requirements, such as B2B or wholesale integration.

It’s user-friendly

Shopify is well-known for its user-friendly platform. Easy navigation is a key feature of eCommerce platforms that is often crucial. This has led to many success stories and made the company a trusted name. For example, you can fulfil your orders with one simple click of a button.

This makes it an excellent option for people who are just starting to sell online.

Easy access to many payment processors

Shopify lets you use a variety of payment processors including Stripe, PayPal, and Shopify Payments. This makes it easier for your customers to pay for their orders.

You will make more sales if the checkout process is simple. One of the most important Shopify advantages to remember is access to many payment processors.

There are many themes available

Shopify has many beautiful themes you can choose from to build your store. It is likely that you will find a theme that matches your brand and products. You can also purchase Shopify themes through Envato Market, so you aren’t just limited to Shopify’s gallery of themes either.

Your store’s appearance will have a major impact on how you keep your customers’ attention. Therefore, choosing the best theme that aligns to your brand is key in this instance.

Shopify’s Disadvantages

Shopify has its advantages, but there are also some drawbacks. We have listed some of the downsides of Shopify. The most notable is the lack of customization and design options.

Shopify design customisation is limited

Shopify offers a variety of themes but you can only customize your design. You will need to hire a designer if you are looking to make major changes to your store’s look and feel.

This will depend on the complexity of your online store. However, if you need to hire a designer for your online store, make sure you use professional e-commerce website designers to customise the finer detail of your Shopify website.

Potential customers might be discouraged from visiting your site if it is poorly designed. This could lead to potential customers visiting a competitor’s website and then abandoning your brand.

Poorly designed Shopify websites can also impact your search engine optimization. This is something that you must not overlook for your business. You should hire an SEO expert, even if they are just to help you with technical SEO and your initial content strategy. This will ensure that your business has the best chance of success.

Shopify can be expensive

To use the service, you will need to pay a monthly subscription fee. You can also pay premium features that you wish to use. Whilst the monthly fee at first glance seems realistic, you need to also consider additional monthly fees for other integrated tools such as email marketing, automated reviews etc.

If handled properly, this should not be a problem as you can make more money by purchasing additional features. It is an investment in the future of your eCommerce business.

Transaction fees and payment processing

Shopify charges a transaction charge for every sale you make. This is a transaction fee you must pay to use Shopify.

This fee will vary depending on which plan you choose. However, these fees can surprise you if you don’t fully understand what you are paying.

Email hosting is not easily available for you

Shopify doesn’t offer email hosting. If you wish to create an email address for your shop, you will need to look elsewhere.

This is an easy process but it’s still something you should consider when budgeting. Hosting an email address with @yourdomain will cost you around $10 per month for services like Google email hosting. Shopify won’t cover every expense.

You do not have access to marketing automation

Shopify doesn’t offer marketing automation tools in their plans. If you wish to automate your marketing tasks, Shopify does not offer this service.

When scaling your business, automation is one of the most valuable tools you have. Even though the platform doesn’t offer marketing automation, it is worth using.

You Should Not Neglect the Shopify Pros and Con’s

Shopify is an easy-to-use platform that offers a variety of features. This platform is a great choice for anyone who wants to sell products online. It also has a lot of potential if you use it correctly.

So that you make the best decision for your online business, keep these Shopify pros and cons in mind.

Find out more about our services. Get in touch with Comet Digital today to learn more about what we have to offer and more pointedly, how we can set up your Shopify store.