First of all, let’s align on what we consider an e-commerce project and what its distinctive features are. If you have ever visited an online shop or a site when you can make a purchase online, then you have an idea of an e-commerce project — it is what we are used to call “webshop.” This online resource is different from an ordinary website, which imposes different requirements to a platform it is run on.
One of the leading e-commerce platforms today Shopify. It allows entrepreneurs to create their own online stores with no dev efforts. The solution is easy to use, so you can establish your own store even if you cannot boast of a strong tech profile. Shopify is just perfect for those who want to launch their own online store without any hassle and large-scale investments.
How to Get Started with Shopify?
The platform has been developed in a way to make things simple and quick for you. The following Shopify guides will explain you the rules of the game here.
- Step 1 — Enter your email address on the official site;
- Step 2 — Enter the password and name of your e-commerce project/ store.
- Step 3 — Click the “Proceed” button, and you will be forwarded to a page with your profile specs;
- Step 4 — Enter personal data (name, address, phone number);
- Step 5 — Pick a payment system. For you to receive payment from people, you need to configure the payment system. You can do that in the “Settings” tab by specifying payment solutions in the “Payment providers” section;
- Step 6 — Accept the policy of the store. The platform automatically generates standard terms, return policy, etc. Check if these correspond to your rules;
- Step 7 — Specify the shipping cost. It is very important that you have predefined delivery rates, and every buyer knows how much the delivery costs;
- Step 8 — Plan the design. The aesthetic component of any online store is of crucial importance. Decide on a theme and logo — choose the one from the full library of options.
Once you are done with the above, you can start uploading goods to your online store and add content to the website.
Any Benefits?
Shopify is backed with a lot of benefits and great features. It is no wonder that more than 20% of e-commerce projects are run on this platform, which are impressive stats. What makes business owners pick this solution?
- It offers a comprehensive package of services. As a rule, a user needs to buy hosting for the site and make custom settings, which requires at least minimal knowledge and background in the tech area. There is no need to do so with Shopify;
- The app is regularly updated with new features and functionalities. They help to solve such problems as facilitation of the conversion of website visitors to customers, increasing the frequency and volume of purchases, and many more. There are currently more than 300 applications choose from, and some of them are free of charge;
- You do not have to pay a bomb for the solution. First of all, Shopify gives its users 2 weeks of trial testing. Thus, you can evaluate whether this platform is suitable for you without paying a dime from the corporate budget. If you approve the service, you will have to pay no more than $29 per month;
- No need to hire a designer — you can use paid and free templates. The platform comes with the pack of both paid and free themes. In your pocket, you have 10 free and unlimited bundle of paid templates (the average price for a theme is $140);
- 24/7 user support will answer all the questions. You can get an answer to your question through chat, email, or phone at any time of the day.
Taking into account the features of the consumer market today, there are many platforms offering the same services as Shopify does. So you will not have a problem with starting your e-commerce project even if you are a new player.