Shopify: is it the right move for my business?
Per usual, Triumph received no financial compensation from Shopify for writing this article. Straight from the heart, baby.
At Triumph, we are no strangers to the world of small business website building. In the digital age, an online presence is essential for any commercial venture, and we’ve had the pleasure of working with myriad clients across multiple platforms. Like many things surrounding your small business, website needs are nuanced. While there are plenty of helpful platforms out there—some of which we’ve written about here—it’s hard to find a one size fits all option. Your Business is unique, you have distinct priorities and value propositions, and with these come equally unique e-commerce needs.
Recently, we received a question from a client looking to promote his new product online. His question was fairly simple, and we believe it will resonate with plenty of other small businesses:
“I’m not looking for anything too terribly complex, just an easy and effective way to sell online. Any recommendations?”
Ah, at Triumph you know we always have recommendations. It’s practically half of what we do (the other half being innovative methods of tomfoolery). For the no-nonsense, save-the-bells-and-whistles, all-I-want-to-do-is-move-product-and-make-money small business, we think we’ve got the site for you. Say hello to your new Canadian best friend: Shopify.
I think I saw Shopify on a Youtube ad one time. What do they do again?
Based in Ontario but currently doing immense business all over the known world, Shopify offers a slightly different user experience than the traditional big names in e-commerce website building.
Shopify might not have the immense customization features of a Wordpress or Squarespace, but, for many consumers, that’s a huge part of it’s charm. Now, please don’t misunderstand us—Shopify is certainly not without it’s features. The platform offers a tremendous catalogue of plugins tailored specifically for sellers. It even has its own “Shopify App Store,” for goodness sake. The store within a store includes everything from product review add-ons, to chat-bot customer service options, and even anti-theft payment applications. While browsing this store, you’ll begin to notice that the vast majority of Shopify plugins focus on one thing: moving more product. Fear not, the e-commerce provider also offers plenty of space to showcase your products and detail your business without bogging you down in unnecessary site-building options. While other website builders allow you the freedom to do, well, just about anything, Shopify sites are clearly constructed to prioritize e-commerce without a lot of unnecessary noise. For many business owners, that’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.
What can I sell on Shopify?
Now when we say “moving more product,” we mean more in spirit than in letter. Your small business does not have to specialize in physical products to succeed on Shopify. The platform allows users to easily and efficiently list digital goodies along with subscriptions and other services—you name it, and Spotify can likely help you sell it (just make sure to keep it legal, friends).
Is Shopify strictly for online-only stores?
Perhaps you currently sell in person but want to add an e-commerce option to your business. Fear not, Shopify also offers point of sale applications to help sync-up your physical and online sales. The same goes for our social media savvy friends, Shopify has several nifty plugins to integrate with social network selling options like Facebook Marketplace and Instagram Store.
Let’s talk price.
Shopify offers three tiers of service: Basic, Shopify, and Advanced. The three options will run you a monthly bill of $29, $79, or $299 respectively. We’re not quite sure who was in charge of naming these features, and why they opted to throw out “medium” or “plus” in favor a titular middle service option, but we are quite sure that these are competitive prices for the industry. When you switch to an annual payment, the margins get even prettier. You can snag the three plans for the monthly price equivalent of $14.44, $39.44, or $147.78 respectively. The main difference in the plan offerings is scale, the size of your business and the complexity of your internal logistics should help dictate which plan suits you best.
God Save the Queen
If you’re looking to drive e-commerce sales without paying for a bunch of stuff you probably won’t need, Shopify might just be your new best friend. Grab your hockey stick and toboggan, this Canuck e-commerce solution packs a punch. Might be worth giving it a try, eh?
As always, feel free to Ask Triumph with any additional questions and consider Supporting the Team.
All views expressed in the article are opinions of the author and should not be misconstrued as professional consulting or legal advice. Users are responsible for verifying all information before taking action, and Triumph Group LLC is not responsible for any outcomes. Pursue subjects at your own risk. Seriously, man. It’s your life.
