Your Shopify questions, answered

Shopify is a good option for small businesses that want to sell online quickly and easily without much tech or coding hassle. However it’s not the cheapest or most flexible option so best suited to brands who are ready to invest for growth potential.

Shopify is best for brands and businesses who;

1. Want an easy-to-use, all-in-one eCommerce platform.

2. Are selling a manageable number of products.

3. Want reliable hosting, payment processing, and templates all in one platform.

4. Are happy paying a monthly fee for convenience and support.

Shopify isn’t the right option for your business if;

1. You have a tight budget and low expected sales (fees add up).

2. You need advanced customisation or a highly unique store. This is possible but will require a professional developer if you’re not familiar with it.

3. You already have a site on something like WordPress + WooCommerce.

Shopify don’t enforce a minimum sales or order quantity to use their platform, anyone can set up a Shopify online store.

However, if you’re only getting 10 orders a month for example, financially it’s very unlikely this is the best option for you. You need to consider whether you’re going to be making a profit whilst paying the monthly plan cost, shopify payments fees and any third party app or developer costs.

These are the points I highlight to my clients when they’re thinking about launching a website on Shopify;

1. Choose the right plan for your current volume and needs (don’t over‑commit to higher tiers you don’t yet need).

2. Factor in all costs: monthly fee + app/add on costs + transaction costs + theme/customisation.

3. Use a theme that works for you and don’t blow budget on a super custom design before sales justify it.

4. Focus strongly on marketing, traffic and conversion (because a good store matters, but traffic + good product + good price matter more).

5. You’ll likely need to use apps from the Shopify App store. Do your research for the best options and make sure you keep track of the costs and return on investment, as they all add up.

It is estimated that there are over 4  million websites powered by Shopify and Shopify Plus globally.

29% of these are Apparel/Fashion brands.

Nearly 15% are Home & Garden brands.

Just over 16% of these brands are Health or Beauty brands.

Shopify is suitable for a variety of brands but Shopify is designed as a platform for product based businesses, selling physical and/or digital products as opposed to service based brands.