As of February 2024, Shopify has around 200,000 stores in the UK, which is about 21% of the UK's e-commerce market share. You have competition folks!
The UK has the second most Shopify merchants after the US, which has around 3 million stores. In the past 10 years I have seen huge developments in Shopify's performance, backend tools and frontend theme customisation capacity. The eCommerce platform is super easy for both pros and beginners and pros to use, and you can apply custom code too.
FYI, Shopify does not cater to personal or portfolio websites. Shopify focusses all of their efforts on eCommerce, nothing else, no distractions, just selling product both physical or digital. You get use of all the tools necessary to sell your wares.
There are many reasons I have used Shopify for my clients for 10+ years.
Platform Features
- Built for E-commerce: Specifically designed for online selling, providing a robust platform tailored for e-commerce.
- Powerful Backend System: Offers detailed analytics and robust that help you to use data to scale your marketing operations.
- Flexible inventory management tools: any seasoned business owner knows that inventory management is crucial, especially when you sell around the world, have distribution centres and stock shops too..
- Robust App Ecosystem: A vast array of apps available for enhancing store functionality. Decorative artist Tess Newall requested an interactive ‘design your own chair service’. For this we needed to work with an app called Easify, which allows you to display options for adding icons, adding text and charging for each extra option.
- Content Management Features: Shopify’s blog feature has never been my favourite, it is basic to say the least. HOWEVER, it works, despite the design retractions. Blogs, for some brands, are key to educating their customers. A blog, just like this one, provides a foundation for one element of the awareness phase in your business’ growth. They are also crucial for deepening your SEO reach. Get those keywords in folks!
- The SHOP app. This is one of my favourite features. A fully branded and rewarding way to shop online at your favourite brands. It makes shopping easy for your customers by storing their payment details on their app making checkout even faster. It offers real-time tracking for all their orders, which I can promise you keeps a customer super duper happy.
Integration and Support
- Easy Integrations: Simple integration with social media platforms like Instagram for setting up Instagram shops. From the Klaviyo newsletter integration to the Smile loyalty app, there are app integrations that will improve your customers’ experiences and ensure customer loyalty.
- Comprehensive Payment Options: Choose from Apple Pay or Google Pay, Venmo or your debit card and so many more to make payment. Simplifies transaction processing with multiple payment methods. The only payment method I recommend you steer clear from is PayPal, the fees are silly.
- Great Support: You do have to probe a lot more than you used to, but the 24/7 access to Shopify experts for assistance when challenges arise is very useful.
- Collaboration with Fulfilment Centres: Seamlessly connect with distributors or fulfilment centres to manage inventory.
Security and Compliance
- Shopify is super secure: end of story. Unless you literally give away your login details it is very difficult to penetrate.
- Security Measures: Built-in fraud analysis tools to flag potentially fraudulent transactions.
- Multi-Language and Multi-Currency Support: Essential features for global commerce, accommodating diverse markets.
Marketing and Sales Tools
- Abandoned Cart Recovery: Keep buyers who got distracted in the loop. Automated follow-up emails for customers who leave items in their carts.
- Integrated Marketing Tools: You can forget Mailchimp and Klaviyo now if you use Shopify. Its built-in marketing platform allows you to create branded newsletters and manage marketing campaigns all from the comfort of your own shop hub.
- Discount and Promotion Management: We are approaching discount season and Shopify makes light work of this. Easy creation of discount codes and promotions to drive sales. There are very straightforward combinations you can work with to make sure the right people have the right codes.
Customer Experience
- Point of Sale Integration: The dream for anyone who sells at events like the Spring Fair or PAD London. Connect your online store to your chosen POS system for seamless inventory management and super fast sales.
- Customer Accounts: These enable your customers to save their information, track orders, and receive personalised recommendations. This is especially pertinent if you have a subscription service, if you sell digital products and your customers need to login in re-download, or you have a loyalty scheme you have running.
- Sales Channel Integration: You may want to sell on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google Shopping and even eBay… Sell across multiple channels, including social media and marketplaces, from a single dashboard. The analytics and inventory management systems come in super handy here.
Analytics and Reporting
- In-Depth Analytics and Reporting: We all love to know what the data is, it helps us to see where we are making tracks and where we need to move the needle. From your AOV to your income that day and where those ca-ching sounds came from Shopify analytics has a customisable report page that provides insights into customer behaviour, profit reports, behaviour reports and sales trends too.
Brand Identity
- Custom Domain Support: Connect custom domains to enhance brand identity and professionalism.
- Upload your brand identity
