Shopify is one of the best eCommerce platforms that enables anyone to set up an online store without requiring any technical knowledge. Apart from selling from your own eCommerce website, it also allows you to sell on social media sites and marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
It also offers point-on-sales software, Shopify POS, that enables you to sell from offline or brick-and-mortar stores.
Shopify is a subscription-based platform with primarily three pricing plans, starting at $29/month. All plans support a standard online store with complete access to its built-in tools and integration compatibility. It also offers a Starter plan at just $5/month that allows selling products through social media, email, SMS, WhatsApp, and anywhere else you might want to share a link to a product without creating a website.
You should also know that Shopify offers a 3-day free trial without requiring card detail. And, after that, you can enjoy it for three months at just $1/month.
How does Shopify work?
Shopify can help you quickly create a robust online store for any eCommerce business model– within hours, if not days. It is simple to use and takes care of all the technical hassle of running an eCommerce website by providing proper product management, inventory, checkout, and shipping system.
Since Shopify is a self-hosted platform, you don’t have to worry about upgrading or maintaining web servers. It takes optimal security measures to protect your and your customer’s data. So you don’t have to spend sleepless nights thinking about your website security.
The best part of using Shopify is that it allows selling almost every type of product and service, including –
- Physical products
- Digital products, such as e-books, music files, and digital gift cards
- Dropship items
- Online appointment booking
- Subscription boxes and memberships
- Online courses, tutorials, workshops, and webinars
- Tickets & passes for events, local tours, and attractions
- Rentals products
- Donations and fundraisers
With Shopify, the sky is the limit to what you can sell and grow your business. However, it doesn’t allow certain kinds of products and services, such as –
- Investment, credit, money, or legal services.
- Virtual currency services.
- Adult content.
- Gambling.
- Drug paraphernalia.
- Psychic services.
And more… Check the complete list of products prohibited on Shopify.
If your product idea is not on the prohibited list, Shopify is perfect for you else you can consider its alternatives.
If you have high growth plans and are concerned about scalability, Shopify is unbeatable with its enterprise product, Shopify Plus. It provides advanced features and customization capabilities that Shopify doesn’t offer. It is perfect for online stores with high traffic and sales volume.
- Further Reading: Shopify vs Shopify Plus
Going ahead, Shopify has an App Store from where you can install required apps to your store with just a click. There you will find apps for almost every feature, including 3rd-party apps for seamless integration. You can check our list of the best Shopify apps for our top recommendations.
Overall, Shopify is an all-in-one eCommerce website builder that helps small businesses to sell online and reach more customers worldwide. It also provides warehousing locations and shipping services at the lowest possible cost.
To dive deeper into its features and functionalities, you should read our detailed Shopify review.
Need help with setting up your Shopify store? You can follow our step-by-step tutorial to create a Shopify store.