What is Shopify and How Do You Make Money with Shopify?
- Mitchell Stern
- Feb 26, 2022
- 11 min read
Updated: Aug 23, 2022
What is Shopify? In short, Shopify is a full-service eCommerce solutions provider that is simple enough for beginners but that is also powerful enough for professionals.
In this post we'll explore:
The question: "What is Shopify?"
The benefits of using an eCommerce platform like Shopify
The reasons why Shopify is superior to other eCommerce platforms
The possibilities that Shopify enables
Table of Contents
Introduction: What is Shopify?
Shopify is an eCommerce solution built on WordPress (WordPress is another CMS). It is a platform that allows you to create a store, sell your products and accept payment. The beauty of the platform is that you do not need any coding knowledge.
All you need to do is use simple drag and drop tools to make your store look exactly how you want.
When you first create the store, you must enter your email address to use Shopify's payment gateway.
Shopify takes responsibility for the customer's payment security and does not charge transaction fees. This feature makes running your online store a lot simpler, especially if you have a small store and do not have a lot of transactions.
Shopify is quite possibly the best platform for creating and selling online. It is easy to use, has a lot of support, and is a market leader.
Shopify is a platform for entrepreneurs.
It allows you to set up an eCommerce store quickly. It is intuitive and has a lot of built-in features.
Shopify has been a significant part of my life for the last three years. I use it to run my own eCommerce store and for my personal projects.
It is safe to say that it is one of, if not the most, powerful eCommerce platforms out there. Shopify is your ticket to running the store of your dreams. However, like all things with eCommerce, there is a learning curve.
The Benefits of Shopify
Here are ten of the most significant benefits of using a turn-key eCommerce solutions provider like Shopify:
Shopify is the eCommerce Market Leader
Shopify is the leading platform in the industry, and there are a lot of reasons for this.
It is constantly developing and has the newest features that the market requires.
Shopify is also easy to use.
Ample support
Shopify excels at customer care. In addition, there are blogs, videos, forums, podcasts, books, and other resources that will help you learn the platform.
Our own "Complete Shopify Tool Kit" is one such resource; (now available on Amazon)
In general, the support at Shopify is outstanding and they answer questions quickly. There are also a lot of free resources on the Shopify website.
Features galore!
Shopify has a lot of features. The user interface is intuitive, and Shopify regularly updates its front-end with new features.
It is easy to integrate third-party apps, payment gateways, and shipping integrations.
Shopify's themes are high quality and allow you to create a unique store for your business.
Ease of Use
Shopify is straightforward to learn. The dashboard is user-friendly and intuitive, making it ideal for people who may be new to eCommerce.
Affordability
Shopify is affordable. A basic store only costs $9 a month to start, and you can add functionality as you need it.
The fee for the Shopify Plus plan is relatively high. But, you only need the more expensive plans if you have a massive business.
Availability of Templates
Shopify has a lot of free and paid templates. The free templates are high-quality, but the paid templates add a natural professional look to your site.
The templates are reasonably priced, and the support is excellent.
Payment Processing
Shopify has a lot of different payment gateways that make it possible for you to accept payments from your customers.
Support For Third-Party Apps
Shopify has a ton of 3rd party apps. The Shopify app store is easy to navigate and contains over 2,000 different apps.
Some apps allow you to sell products via Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media channels. You can use their apps to source your products from China and then list them on Amazon.
You can accomplish anything and everything that you could ever think to do with your online store through the Shopify app store.
Great Analytics
Shopify has excellent built-in analytics. The platform allows you to track sales, orders, shipping, and a myriad of different sales metrics.
The Shopify Community
The Shopify community is very active on social media. There are a lot of great blog posts, podcasts, videos, and forums to help beginners get their stores up and running.
Ecommerce merchants tend to be very supportive of one another, and there is a lot of help available.
What Can You Build on Shopify?
There are many different ways in which you can customize your Shopify store. These include custom themes, apps, templates, and custom code.
Each allows you to add features and functionality to your store.
Themes
Themes allow you to change the overall look of your store. Shopify provides a large number of free and premium themes.
The free themes provide basic functionality, whereas the premium themes are more detailed and allow you to customize different aspects of your store.
The design features that themes encompass include background, colors, fonts, and the store's layout. Each theme also has a support section where you will find help from the theme's designers.
Templates
Merchants use templates when creating product listings. A template allows you to add specifications to a product.
The specifications can be numbers, text, images, or video.
You can create and edit product pages with templates.
Apps
An application, or "app," is software that you can add to your store, just like adding an app to your phone. An application can enhance the functionality of the store by adding unique features.
You can use Shopify's apps to enhance every aspect of the store.
Custom Code
Shopify makes it easy for novices to add custom code to their stores. In 'Developer Mode,' you can cut and paste different code snippets from Shopify's code library.
Shopify provides the code in their own coding language known as "Shopify Code" and uses this language to develop themes, apps, and other products. You can even build your own themes and apps with Shopify code.
Shopify designed its coding language to be easy to use. The code is quite basic, and the language has enough libraries to make it possible for novice developers to create unique apps, themes, and products.
You can even install Shopify code snippets without any coding knowledge whatsoever; I am living proof of that.
Features of Shopify
Shopify is a mighty e-commerce store builder. You can use it to sell products online. If you are thinking about selling anything online, then Shopify may be the right option.
Let's look at some of the features of Shopify and how they can help you succeed with your e-commerce store.
Payment Processors
Shopify works with a large number of payment processors. This collaboration makes it very easy for you to accept payments from your customers. Some of the payment processors supported are:
Stripe
PayPal
Apple Pay
AliPay
QuickBooks
Authorize.net
Shipping
Shopify has partnered with several shipping providers to provide a seamless user experience.
You can print your shipping labels, send shipping confirmations to your customers automatically, and provide your customers with tracking information; all with the click of a button.
Here is a list of the international carriers that integrate with Shopify:
USPS
FedEx
UPS
DHL
Australia Post
EMS
Royal Mail
Canada Post
Trusted SSL Certificates
SSL Certificates will help your online store appear trustworthy by letting customers know that all of the data stored on your site is encrypted. These days, it is something that your customers expect to see.
Having an SSL Certificate is incredibly important. It ensures that your customers feel safe on your site. If they feel unsafe, they will almost certainly leave and lose a potential sale.
There is no need to worry about installing the certificate yourself; every Shopify store comes standard with an SSL certificate.
Integrations with Accounting Software
Shopify works directly with several different accounting platforms like TurboTax and Quicken, making it easy to create invoices and receipts for your customers automatically.
The Shopify App Store
Shopify is built for eCommerce. The platform allows you to set up a store and sell products quickly and efficiently.
The platform is easy to use and has tons of features to help you set up an online store and start selling in just one day.
Shopify is constantly evolving to help online retailers of all sizes succeed in their business.
Many small apps help round out an eCommerce store and make it better. We have compiled the three best Shopify apps for you.
Discount Coupons
Every online store uses discount coupons. Discount coupons can be anything from a 10% discount to promo codes that take off a set amount.
Having a way for your customers to get discounts on products will help increase your sales. Do you have a seasonal product? Maybe there is a holiday coming up? The sooner your customers know about your discounts, the faster they will use them.
Once you have added the code, your discount will automatically show to your customers who enter that specific code.
Having a way to offer discounts to your customers will increase your sales and your profit margin.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping is something that many eCommerce stores use. Dropshipping is where you sell a product but do not own any stock.
The product comes from the supplier and is shipped directly to your customer.
Dropshipping is advantageous for store owners because they do not need to worry about storing or shipping items since the manufacturer sends the product directly to the customer.
Dropshipping is also advantageous for manufacturers because they can get their products into customers' hands a lot quicker than they would otherwise.
Shopify has a free webinar you can view called "How to Get Started With Dropshipping" that is extremely helpful.
Print-on-demand
Do you have an idea for a T-shirt or a hat? Maybe you're a fitness trainer who wants to print their brand on a pair of exercise pants or a gym bag?
Or perhaps you're a rock band that wants to sell T-shirts to their fans?
The good news is that you don't have to spend a ton of money up-front to buy inventory!
All you need to do is set up a Shopify store and add a Print-on-Demand app.
These apps allow you to upload your own designs and then list your items for sale, even through they don't technically exist yet.
When a customer places an order, the Print-on-Demand company prints your design onto the desired item and ships the item directly to the customer.
To learn more about Print-on-Demand business models, I highly recommend Shopify's free webinar called "How to Quickly Start a Profitable T-Shirt Store."
Invoice Countdown Timers
You can use invoice countdown timers to show customers how much time they have left to an invoice or to show how soon a customer is due for their subsequent payment.
A countdown timer is just a simple timer that will display how much time remains until a specific event. It is a very effective way of letting your customers know when they have to pay. It is also a great way to convey urgency to your customers.
Adding an invoice countdown timer to your site is a straightforward process. Simply go to your store settings and add a timer to the invoice.
It can be hard to know which apps are the right apps for your store. We all use apps on our mobile devices daily. Some apps work well for us, and we have no issues using them. Other apps may not work for us at all.
Is Shopify Right for You?
I get asked this question all the time. I have built Shopify accounts for businesses big and small. Each has completely different requirements, so what advice I can give will depend on your needs. I will outline some of the points I will be looking at when answering this question.
First, you need to decide what type of business you are running.
Brick-and-Mortar
So, you have a shop. It may have started small, and now it has grown into something bigger.
Now, you are thinking: 'Should I start selling my products online?'
You have two options:
Open a Shopify account and run your own website.
Sell your products through somebody else's platform.
Both of these options have their advantages and disadvantages.
Shopify
Shopify is a platform that helps people set up stores. It is extremely easy to use. It comes complete with straightforward drag-and-drop applications, and there is a lot of help available if you get stuck.
Plus, Shopify has a whole host of additional features to help your business grow.
Shopify has a ton of apps that can help store owners get the most out of their stores.
Shopify has a ton of tutorials and guides.
You have access to support via online chat, email, or phone.
Shopify is budget-friendly, especially when compared to similar platforms.
Selling on Marketplaces
Several marketplaces allow you to sell your products on their site. However, each marketplace (Amazon, Walmart, etc.) has its own rules.
Some marketplaces require you to ship the orders yourself. Some marketplaces require you to use a specific payment system.
When selling products online, you need to make sure that your seller account and the products themselves meet the conditions set out by the marketplace.
Shopify's Flexibility
Shopify is well suited to selling products on marketplaces. Shopify allows you to set up stores that take payments from your customers in every form imaginable.
Shopify also makes it easy to write shipping and refund policies necessary for selling on larger marketplaces.
If you have a small store and are looking to make sales online, then selling on marketplaces may be a good option.
Third-Party Sites
Several third-party vendors sell products on Shopify. These third parties are usually more than happy to let you sell their products on your site.
These include Print-on-Demand items and Dropshippers.
The third-party vendor will generally take care of most of the details.
You will still need to set up the store and take payments, but they will ship orders and deal with any returns.
There are some limitations to selling on a 3rd party store. The third-party vendor will likely demand a commission on each sale and you will still need to set up the store and take payments
The third-party vendor will also control the level of customer support you can provide.
You control how much to charge for your products, not the third-party vendor, so you need to ensure that you account for all of your expenses.
Shopify is the Best eCommerce Platform to Grow Your Business Online
Shopify has been my eCommerce platform of choice ever since I started selling stuff online. I have been using it for my business and my client's businesses.
It checks all the boxes regarding ease of use, functionality, and features.
No matter your current situation, if you are looking to grow and make money online, I highly recommend checking out Shopify.
If you are not yet a Shopify merchant, I encourage you to take the plunge.
You are not going to regret it.
Why should you use Shopify?
Speed
One of the things that I love about Shopify is speed. Google makes no secret that they prioritize site speed in determining search results placement.
Shopify's developers are very mindful of site speed.
They are constantly working their magic behind the scenes to help ensure that Shopify merchants get the maximum amount of site traffic. In addition, Shopify is constantly innovating.
They are constantly adding new features, new functionalities, and new templates.
Every time you visit the app store, you will find new features to improve your online store and business.
Ease of use
Shopify is intuitive and easy to use. When I first started selling online, I was very overwhelmed with the different systems available, so I tried them all.
I found that most of them had something I loved and something I hated.
However, as soon as I started using Shopify, I fell in love with it. The admin area is easy to navigate and is very user-friendly.
The intuitive interface makes it easy for you to customize your store.
Customer Support
Shopify has a customer support system that allows you to connect with customer service representatives, email them or chat with them using live chat.
The customer support system works well and is very responsive.
I struggled a little bit with payment processors, and I sent an email to Shopify with the problem. They responded within 48 hours and were able to help resolve the issue.
The Pricing
Shopify charges a monthly fee of $9/month for their basic plan. They also give you 14 days of free access to set up your store.
During this 14-day free trial period, you'll have access to all of the system's features, including customer support.
But more importantly, you also get access to all of the templates and design features. These features will give you the freedom to customize the look of your store and build your brand.
If you are starting in eCommerce or have a small store, this pricing plan is perfect. It is going to give you everything you need to get started.
If you have a larger store, there are more comprehensive plans available.
Conclusion
I know what you are thinking. Shopify is expensive. And while it is true that Shopify can be costly, especially if you have a larger store, it's also true that Shopify is worth the money.
Shopify is worth the money because Shopify will set you up for success.
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