Ecommerce, as in “selling goods online” is all part of the daily humm for many internet marketers. However, building a website to sell products from has greater appeal than you might imagine.
That is why I decided to create this Shopify review because it allowed me to take a closer look at one of the most popular eCommerce solutions on the internet.
It also gave me the chance to evaluate a service that I know will appeal to a large percentage of our Work From Home Watchdog visitors who might be looking to take the business leap online.
Consider for a minute when business owners talk about “branching out online”.
What they really mean is they want an online version for their offline store, or in other words…they want to be able to put their entire product catalog online.
Now whilst this may sound simple enough, in reality, if you were to build an eCommerce website that displays your products at their best.
You would need the skills of a coder to custom design a framework that would display items with a varying degree of search terms, that are still very easy to navigate.
Plus the overall look of the site would have to be tested and tweaked to ensure that all images displayed as you liked and the layout was uniform.
In essence, a coder’s nightmare that could cost you thousands. That’s even before you have any products uploaded to the site!
So you see, there is a definite place in the market for affordable, great-looking, and easy-to-use eCommerce software.
With so many on the market, the Shopify online store builder is considered by many to be a market leader in this industry, so let’s dive in and see what all the fuss is about.
Shopify Review: What Exactly Can You Build?
What’s pretty cool with Shopify is that you can set up an online store in literally just a few minutes. Your user interface within the website is so simple to use, anyone could do it (I really do mean anyone!)
You pick your template, you customize it, then with the click of the mouse, your eCommerce website is live on the integrated Shopify hosting.
A Few Of The Shopify Store Features
In the store admin area, you can easily add new stock items, re-organize your products into categories or collections, create blog posts, manage all your content pages, and much more.
Accepting payment from over 50 sources on your shopify.com SSL certificate secured website takes the headache out of setting up payment centres too, as well as reassuring your customers that they can buy with complete confidence.
Standing out from the crowd with a Shopify store is made a lot easier with the ability to add coupon codes, live chat, plus the ability to accept product reviews.
All shopify.com stores are fully mobile-ready and Shopify even has its own iPhone app connecting you with mobile eCommerce from the word go.
I’ve already mentioned the hosting available at Shopify, but I just want to make it clear that it’s not an add-on…it’s included in the monthly fee.
Also worth a mention is that there is nothing to set up, as soon as you choose your Shopify store name and add a product the site is live on the Internet with just the click of another button.
Emails are forwarded to any Gmail account you like via domain name integration with Google apps, so unlimited emails are available.
There is also a Shopify wiki, forums, tech support, and also a Shopify blog, where you can learn more about how to tweak your store design SEO and such. The community is active and new store designs are shared all the time.
The Cost Of Running A Shopify Store
The pricing plan at Shopify is very reasonable and there are packages to suit everyone. Considering the hosting is included, a $29 per month starter package seems a bit of a steal! However, that wasn’t the best part about the pricing for me…
The FREE 30-day trial really tipped the scales. There is no credit card needed for the sign-up and launching of your store.
So the plan…
Take the free Shopify 30 day trial, pick one of the 100’s templates, customize it to suit your needs, and don’t forget the apps. Tell a few customers about your new website and start making money with your eCommerce store before it has cost you a penny.
Only at the end of your 30-day trial are you asked to pick a plan and submit your first monthly payment.. win/win we call that :-)
Shopify eCommerce store software, now I understand why it’s the market leader… simplicity, dependability and they really look after their customers.
Tony – WFHW
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