Shopify - Building a website on the Shopify platform | WEDEV

Shopify has long been synonymous with the world of online commerce. Equipped with a wide range of features and tools, this platform is great for a variety of businesses and merchants, so it's no wonder that it has taken the web by storm in just a few years. Whether you're an enthusiastic entrepreneur just waiting to sell your product online for the first time, or a brick-and-mortar store owner who's considering opening another channel or isn't satisfied with your current virtual store, Shopify definitely has a lot to offer you. It's probably the safest and most appropriate way to enter the ecommerce arena today. And just before you get started, it's important to examine all the options before you and research them in depth - what exactly is this platform, how can you open a store through it, what are its advantages and disadvantages, and how can we ensure that we get the most out of it? In this article, you'll get all the answers.

What is Shopify?

Shopify is a Canadian company founded in 2006 by three partners. Today, the company has over 5,000 employees and more than a million active businesses that trade through it worldwide. Shopify essentially enables the creation of virtual online stores, so-called "ecommerce" based on a monthly subscription fee. What's amazing about this platform is that it appeals to a huge segment of target audiences, from the smallest and most niche stores to giant brands such as Tesla, Unilever, Pepsi, Nestle, and many others. Today, it is the second largest platform in the world after WordPress. As you will understand in a few moments, it offers many advantages and, in general, convenience and ease in setting up and managing online stores. Before we dive into these advantages, let's talk about how you can even open a store on Shopify.

How can I open a store on Shopify?

So we talked about the ease of management of this platform, and it's important to know that the convenience and ease starts at the very first stage. At this point, all you need to do is choose one of the monthly plans it offers, set up the website according to precise steps, which we will detail below, and then simply upload the virtual store to the air. What you need to set up the website are basic things like an email address or a Google or Apple account, and of course a credit card for payment.

What are the benefits of Shopify on eCommerce sites?

The many advantages of this platform boil down to the fact that it is a convenient and easy arena for managing online websites:

Anyone can set up these stores easily and with just a few clicks, all with a simple, perfect design and at quite affordable and fair prices.
Shopify is considered a very important global economic engine in the technological age we live in, with a value of over $300 billion. Just to put it into perspective, in 2020 alone, almost half a billion people around the world shopped at some Shopify store.
Shopify offers the option of online payment processing even without an external vendor. An amazing advantage that keeps the entire service under Shopify without having to rely on third-party vendors, not all of whom are reliable and secure, and many of whom make the entire business more expensive.
Shopify offers its customers no less than 7,000 apps and plugins for website implementation, which allows for the creation of an excellent and unique user experience for each website.
Possibility of building other sections on the site – magazine, blog, and so on, for added value for users and to promote SEO on Google.

Shopify operates in over 170 countries around the world, and most of its stores are in the fashion and clothing sector. The main customers are the Y generation, with more women than men. It is a strong, high-quality, safe, easy-to-use platform, and above all, very intuitive. Thanks to professional setup services and support from an experienced company that knows the platform, anyone can set up a successful Shopify website, a professional and, above all, profitable virtual store.

What are the disadvantages of setting up a website through Shopify?

So yes, Shopify is generally a great platform, but like any platform, it also has some disadvantages that you should be aware of:

Relatively limited design options: While Shopify offers a variety of templates and themes, deep customization often requires coding knowledge. This can be limiting for businesses looking for unique or highly complex designs.
Transaction fees: Unless you choose to use Shopify Payments, you'll be charged transaction fees in addition to your credit card fees. These fees can be a large portion of your profits, especially for businesses with high sales volumes.
Switching to other platforms: Switching to another platform is relatively complex and requires knowledge to avoid data loss. However, very few businesses that run their store on the Shopify platform choose to subsequently switch to another platform.
Price of apps and plugins: So we talked about the huge number of plugins that allow for excellent customization, but you should know that not all of these plugins are free and some are even considered quite expensive.
Limited blog features: Shopify’s blog and magazine options are basic compared to dedicated blogging platforms. If content marketing and SEO are essential to your business, this is something to consider. However, a professional setup and support from an experienced Shopify agency will allow you to overcome this drawback.

But overall, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and in the end, Shopify delivers excellent results. As mentioned, when you build your store professionally and receive the guidance and services of a professional agency, the sky is the limit and you can set up great stores.

What is the price range for setting up a store on Shopify?

One of the biggest advantages is the flexible pricing model that Shopify offers. You can choose from three plans based on your needs and budget constraints:

Basic package: $39 per month or $29 per year. The price includes two store management accounts, an unlimited number of products, the store itself, management of up to 1,000 delivery points, and more.
Shopify Package: Costs $105 per month or $79 annually. The package includes all the basic parameters, management of up to five users, and a variety of other important advanced features.
Advanced Package: Monthly cost of $399 or annual payment of $299. The ultimate package for large businesses that provides a broad management interface for 15 accounts and more.

Shopify offers a 14-day trial period for each of its package types, followed by a convenient cost of $1 per month for three months, so you can really test it out before deciding to commit. Of course, you can cancel your subscription and the service at any time.

What are the steps to setting up a Shopify store?

Have you decided to open a Shopify store yourself? Great! These are the main steps in the process that will allow you to get started and start operating your virtual store:

First step

The first step is simple and easy – registering for the Shopify system. Go to the site and click Start free trial. Then fill in the details and sign up for a 14-day free trial. You can also register through different accounts such as Google and Apple. Then click the Create Store button and just before you start setting up the store, you need to fill in a few more details such as country, mobile number, address, etc., so that the system can calculate tax costs and additional payments. Because of this, you will also be asked at this point about the products you intend to sell. From here we will move on to the store management screen and we can start designing the actual store according to our needs.

Step two

The second step is choosing a theme. The platform offers over 100 ready-made templates that you can change and design according to your wishes. All templates are polished, responsive, and optimized for users on all types of devices. There are also more advanced paid templates, but you can also create great websites with free templates as a base. At each stage, you can click the preview button and get a demo of the themes you like and your future store with them. You can also click on the image of each theme and get important information such as mobile compatibility and user reviews. When you are ready, you can click publish the site and remember that you can always make additional changes if necessary.

Step three

We have reached the main part – adding products to the site. In the toolbar, select this option and start typing the product name and description. It is very important to add a detailed description as much as possible, so that users understand exactly what you are selling them and what they are getting. Make sure that you are clear and precise in the product names you choose and make sure to fill in the parameters that help with promotion, such as name, description and website address that will increase conversion rates. At this stage, you also need to add images of the products and it is very important to add images that are as high quality as possible. It is advisable that they all be of the same size to convey professionalism. After uploading the images of each product, you can play with their order and choose the main image, so you don't have to give it too much thought at first. Make sure that you don't miss the product price, that you check the option to calculate the tax so that the final price appears (otherwise users will see another, higher price plus taxes at the check-in stage), update automatic tracking of items and make sure of other important things.

Step four

At this point, you can add a domain, that is, an address for the Shopify store we built. There are actually two options here, buying a domain directly from Shopify or buying a domain from a third-party provider. To add a domain, go to the settings menu on the left and select the domain selection option. There, we can choose whether we want to purchase a new domain or alternatively use a domain that we already have. As mentioned, if we don't have a domain yet, we can purchase one directly from our control panel on the Shopify platform.

Fifth and final stage

Just a moment and we're done. In order for us to actually start selling, all that's left is to connect our store to some sort of payment system. Again, you can choose Shopify's internal payment system, which has its own advantages and disadvantages, but you don't have to. You can connect to any other payment system, and Shopify supports most major payment systems. You can definitely do some market research and find a convenient payment system that suits you and that you trust, or you can also rely on Shopify's payment system, which isn't bad at all.

What is unique about WeDev ?

As you can quickly understand, Shopify is a wonderful platform and is recommended for anyone interested in setting up a virtual store. It is suitable for small and large businesses, and allows for an excellent personal experience and helps increase conversion rates in an impressive way. With all this, in order for it to actually deliver the result and even though it is so intuitive, it requires in-depth familiarity and attention to detail to get the most out of it. WeDev is one of the oldest and leading Shopify agencies in Israel, helping hundreds of businesses set up and manage Shopify sites. The Elitel store chain, Cinema City chain, Passport Card, The Red Carpet and dozens of other leading Israeli brands are reaping the fruits of success and managing an impressive online arena. What makes WeDev unique is its skilled and professional team of experts in all areas – design, coding, website building, characterization, content creation and promotion, which provides the complete answer and ensures full exploitation of the store’s potential. The WeDev team accompanies you from A to Z, so apart from the information that needs to be shared, there is no need to do anything. You can certainly try and play with the platform during the 14-day trial period, but when you are ready to enter the arena of the big guys and offer the world a virtual store that really sells, it is advisable not to compromise on the professional guidance of the best in the field.

In conclusion

Shopify is one of the world's leading e-commerce platforms, and for good reason, and it seems that here in Israel it has already become a fact on the ground. If you are also looking to set up a store or are unhappy with your current store, we highly recommend learning more about it and its huge potential to increase your revenue. Together with the WeDev team, you can enjoy a store that truly reflects your business, and we will be happy to provide additional information at every stage.