How To Set Up Your Shopify Store
Shopify launched in 2004, and since then it has become a powerhouse of the e-commerce world. In fact, there are approximately 500,000 active Shopify stores.
Shopify is arguably one of the best e-commerce platforms around. It is a desirable platform that allows you to have a store up and running in minutes.
Better yet, you don't have to be tech-savvy or a coding wizard to set it up.
So, what does it take to set-up and run a Shopify store? What are the costs involved? Well, keep reading because we are going to cover everything from Shopify pricing plans to domains, apps and additional costs.
SHOPIFY PRICING PLANS
Obviously, it makes sense for us to first discuss all the pricing plans Shopify offers. We will break down each plan, to help you see what plan will work best for you.
Shopify has five plans for you to choose from.
Shopify Lite - $9 a month
Basic Shopify - $29 a month
Shopify - $79 a month
Advanced Shopify - $299
Shopify Plus - $2,000 a month (negotiable)
Shopify Lite
With this plan, you won't get a fully-functioning standalone store. But, if you already have a website that you sell goods or services on, Shopify provides the tools to help with your sales. For example, it allows you to place a "Buy" button on your website, podcast, or even if you sell goods on Facebook.
This plan is good for small businesses, or if you have a few items you regularly sell.
Basic Shopify
The Basic Shopify plan allows you to sell an unlimited amount of products and you get some great perks too. Along with a full-functioning website and blog, all your orders are managed through Shopify.
Additionally, you get fraud analysis tools, free SSL certificate, shipping labels, manual order forms, unlimited file storage, and 24/7 support.
With this plan, you can expand your Shopify store by selling as many products as you like.
Shopify
Although there is quite a jump in pricing, this is the most popular Shopify plan. However, the features offered on this plan allows you to get creative and set a standard that could set you apart from your competitors.
You still get everything you would get in the Basic plan, but these features take it up a notch. Features include a fully customisable website and blog, customer data, accept cards with Shopify payments, gift cards, and abandoned cart recovery. Abandoned card recovery is perhaps one of the main reasons this plan is so popular. It allows you to extract contact information from an abandoned cart, which means, you can redirect an ad/email to the product they left, which may prompt them to buy it then.
If you are planning on scaling up your site quickly, then this is plan would be a great fit.
Advanced Shopify
The best part of this plan is that everything is unlimited. It provides all the features of the cheaper plans, plus so much more. You have the freedom to post as many images and videos you would like to boost your traffic.
You can also easily manage all customers that have abandoned their carts to see if emails have been sent out and why they may have left their cart.
If you would rather have shipping handled by a third-party, then this plan is the best choice for you. At $299, the plan is a little pricey, however, with all the features there is so much potential for you to make the most of Shopify. Making the price worthwhile.
Shopify Plus
Although this plan is set up for large companies with huge teams, it is still worth mentioning. With Shopify Plus, there are no transaction fees and your site is fully hosted. The plan allows you to focus more on marketing and design rather than orders and shipping.
The cost of this is around $2000/month but you will need to contact Shopify to get a quote.
SHOPIFY ADD-ONS
You now know what to expect from each plan and how much it will cost you. But what about other costs related to Shopify?
Domain Through Shopify
There are a number of reasons why buying a domain through Shopify is a good idea. Having a customised domain makes you stand out. More importantly, it makes it easier for your customers to find your store and gives your business credibility. Moreover, having a custom domain helps you to rank higher in search engines with similar keywords.
Domains prices start at $11/year. One cool thing about Shopify domains is that you can keep ownership even if you decide to leave Shopify.
Shopify Themes
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are roughly 500,000 active Shopify stores. While they won't all be direct competition, you need your store to stand out.
To customise your site, it will cost you your time and the price of the theme. On average themes costs between $140-$180. Alternatively, you can hire a developer that will help you customise your site. Although prices vary greatly, be prepared for the possibility of paying a hefty price. You can pay anywhere between $99-$5000! If you go with the latter, get yourself a marketing and branding deal too, there is really no point paying that much just for a theme.
Shopify Apps
Apps are a great way to help you boost or manage your website. There some fantastic free and paid options available. Depending on what you are looking for, there are apps for product reviews, email marketing, print labels, and so on.
Most apps offer free and paid plans. Prices can range from as little as $4.90/month-$99/month with many offering a free trial.
FINAL THOUGHTS
By now, you have a sound idea of what Shopify has to offer. Granted, it is not the cheapest e-commerce solution around, but it definitely is one of the most reliable. If you are serious about investing in and growing your store, then Shopify prices are not so unreasonable.
The features Shopify offer along with 24/7 support can really help you scale up your business. There is so much potential with using Shopify. If you make use of all the features and invest your time in learning everything there is to know about e-commerce, you can take your business to new heights.
