What is Shopify

Definition:

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that offers both businesses and professionals the possibility of setting up an online store with a certain ease and in a relatively short time through a series of technologies and tools.

How does shopify work?

It is one of CMS for eCommerce through which we can design our own online store without having to have programming knowledge. The interface it presents is very flexible and the process of generating your own store is very intuitive and effective. But it is not only easy to develop but any action or management you need to perform in it.

To create your online store in Shopify the first thing we have to do is go to their website and add an email. Subsequently, you will have to complete a series of data, choose a payment plan and finally the template you want to use.

The platform has more than 100 templates, both paid and free, to choose from. They are ordered by different business sectors. Also, if you have some knowledge about HTML and CSS, Shopify allows you the possibility to customize it even more.

What are the advantages of shopify?

The advantages of the platform are as follows.

• Simplicity. It presents an easy and simple way not only to generate an online store but to manage it.
• Dropshipping. It offers the possibility of selling without the store having the products it sells in the warehouse. You can buy it from a third party and send it directly to the customer. The platform integrates dropshipping sites.
• Velocity. It’s included with hosting, so there’s no need to worry about your page loading speed.
• Payments. The platform has more than 70 payment currencies, so selling locally in various countries will not be a problem either.
• Safe and reliable. When you have an online store you are handling sensitive information, from personal data to credit cards, so it is essential to have a good server. Shopify takes care of all server maintenance and updates so that the store and shopping cart are available at all times and ensure they load fast.
• Taxation. Shopify automatically handles each country’s state tax issue, based on the location of each of its customers.
• Customer service. They have various means to solve any doubt that arises around the online store at any time (chat, forums, email). It is a key element for any company to have technical support at any time. It also has several free courses to improve the experience and management of the business.
• Unlimited products. Possibility to import and export products from csv files or from an app for importers/exporters of the store.
• Orders. Orders are managed automatically. The platform, every time you make a sale, sends an email or a notification.
• Mobile application. It offers the possibility to manage the online store through the mobile at any time and place. It can be managed from orders, contact customers or manage inventory.

What are the disadvantages of shopify?

However, not all of them are advantages when it comes to using the platform. The biggest drawbacks are the following:

• It is not open source. If you choose to use this platform, you have to pay to access their plans.
• The “Check out” processes can be considered unlimited since it does not allow modification options thanks to it.
• It presents monthly payments. This is a cost that must be faced every month.
• Finally, there are some features such as subscriptions in payments that, if you want to use them, will involve the payment of a commission for them.