Why I Started My E-commerce Store With Shopify
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E-commerce has become a vital aspect of modern-day life. Online space is equivalent to the brick-and-mortar shops on the main street when my parents were young. The rise of online shopping has led to an increase in the demand for reliable, secure, and user-friendly e-commerce platforms to provide the services in need.
Shopify is who I chose to start my online e-commerce journey with, and though it's an ongoing rollercoaster of learning as I go, I would absolutely recommend Shopify to anyone getting their feet wet with the idea of expanding to online sales. There are a variety of practical and personal reasons why I chose to work with Shopify, and I hope after reading this blog, you will have more insights to make the best decision for yourself.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a cloud-based e-commerce platform that empowers individuals and businesses to establish and manage online stores effortlessly. It was established in 2006 by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake in Canada. With Shopify, merchants can vend their products and services on the Internet through an intuitive website builder, an inventory management system, and an integrated payment gateway. This platform offers a comprehensive solution for online sales.
Initially, If you lack web-design experience as I do, the learning curve might appear intimidating, and the task may seem overwhelming. I realized that creating the website I envisioned would require a significant amount of time since I was unaware of the distinction between a "collection" and a "page." However, if you're in the same boat, don't worry! I didn't have a dial-up home computer until high school, but even then, I could leverage Shopify to establish my online store and gallery. Trust me, if I could accomplish it, you can achieve your goals too.
Why is Shopify Useful?
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User-friendly Interface: Shopify has a very intuitive and user-friendly interface that allows anyone to create an online store quickly and easily, regardless of their technical expertise. Just like learning how to walk, talk, or drive a car, at first, the experience was uncomfortable, but once I got past the first few "What did I get myself into's", I began to utilize Shopify's collection of information, forums, and resources to learn. As with anything, the more time I put into learning and experimenting, the more my store began to come together and I became comfortable and even excited to continue creating my online business.
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Comprehensive E-commerce Features: Shopify offers a comprehensive suite of e-commerce features, including product management, order management, inventory management, payment gateway integration, and shipping management.
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Customizable Templates: Shopify offers a wide range of customizable templates that can be used to create an online store that fits the merchant's brand and style. I recommend sticking with a simple straightforward layout and start experimenting. As you get comfortable, if you don't like how the Theme blends with your Brand, you can change and find one that works for you. I watch YouTube videos on themes and how to adjust and customize my store, even though I still don't fully grasp the ins and outs, I was able to create a cohesive e-commerce Shopify shop.
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Security: Shopify is a highly secure platform that uses SSL encryption to protect sensitive customer data and transactions. Make sure you use 2-step verification for your stores, and read their security agreement to make sure you're using their tools to your benefit.
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Mobile Optimization: Shopify is optimized for mobile devices, making it easy for customers to shop from their mobile phones. Always flip back and forth between your laptop/desktop and your mobile device. While working on my laptop, I would regularly go outside and view my Shopify store from my cell phone, and make notes on how certain photos, words, pages, and products would appear to make adjustments and edits along the way especially if you're like me and using CANVA for designing key features and components.
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Integration with Third-party Apps: Shopify integrates with a wide range of third-party apps, such as Mailchimp, Quickbooks, and Google Analytics, making it easy for merchants to manage their business operations. There are tons of great Apps that help run your online store more efficiently and help drive your business to success. If you're looking to start an online dropshipping store offering designs on merchandise and products PRINTIFY is a great print-on-demand company that offers a variety of products to offer your clients with your personalized brand and designs
Shopify's unique features include:
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Multi-channel Selling: Shopify allows merchants to sell their products on multiple channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon. They make integration seamless and almost seem like magic. There is a ton of free resources to help navigate the process.
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Point of Sale: Shopify offers a point-of-sale system that allows merchants to sell their products in physical locations, such as retail stores or pop-up shops. I absolutely love this feature for when I do Pop-Up-Shops for my chainsaw carvings. It's perfect for art fairs, selling at shows, venues, and on the road.
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Abandoned Cart Recovery: Shopify offers an abandoned cart recovery feature that sends automated emails to customers who abandon their shopping carts, encouraging them to complete their purchases.
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Shopify Experts: Shopify has a network of certified experts who can help merchants with everything from store setup to custom app development. Any time I've had to reach out for help, they have always been kind and helpful.
For all these reasons and more, it is why I chose Shopify to create https://jessalice.com/ and it's through my experience that I feel Shopify is an excellent choice for anyone looking to set up an online store. With tenacity and determination, will swill conquer any task and goal.
The willingness to learn, experiment, adapt, and change to your experience level will allow for a smooth journey. It took me 2 years to complete my first online store, 2 months to build my 2nd, and 2 weeks to build my 3rd (simple) Shopify store. As with anything, "Where there's a will, there's a way". Don't give up, if you google your questions, watch videos, and find public forums, you will have everything at your fingertips to build a beautiful online business.
Happy creating and wishing you infinite success!
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