Shopify for E-commerce Websites

Let's take a closer look at Shopify and why I believe it is the best platform for e-commerce businesses. Especially those selling multiple types of products.

Shopify unifies all e-commerce on a single platform. Think SIMPLE and this is 100% the case once you set up your products and categories in Shopify. Create once and multiply as needed.

Let me dive deeper by taking a look at a website I designed for Winston's Collection. Winston's Collection offers a variety of items including Unique Lacquered & Vintage Furniture, Gorgeous Rugs, Customizable Bags, Towels & Accessories and Mahjong Game Sets.

Perhaps the #1 reason I prefer Shopify is for the ability to create product page specific templates. With the variety of items including some that can be personalized, Winston's Collection would be much more complex to manage if on another design platform.

For each product category, I designed one product specific page template. For example, personalized accessories require various fields and options at checkout vs. Furniture & Rugs and both have different shipping policies. Once these templates are created, it is easy to go in and add additional products. By selecting the correct product template, the information added to each product page will populate and show the correct shipping and return policy for that item.

Other Reasons Why Shopify is my #1:

1. Connect and sell on social media.

In addition to being able to connect to brick-and-mortar locations and pop-up shops, Shopify can also be easily integrated with Social Media platforms. For example, you can connect your storefront to your Instagram Business Account and sell directly from that platform.

See how this works over on Winston's Collection Instagram and give them a follow if you like gorgeous furniture and accessories!

2. Shopify is cloud-based & hosted.

Business owners have the ability to connect anywhere and anytime from any compatible device. This also means that Shopify will handle software and server upgrades including all site maintenance. Once the site is up and running, it is essentially on autopilot without the need to update plug-ins a la Wordpress.

3. Shopify takes a layered approach.

My former banker heart loves this...cash flow is king when running a business. Shopify's core product is affordable and allows you to set up shop rather quickly. The jumping off point is robust with the ability to layer on features and applications as you grow.

Every business is unique and Shopify recognizes this and has offerings that easily address the individual needs of the business owner. Shopify is built to scale with the business.

4. Theme code is open and accessible.

This is more geared at website designers and developers, but it is important to mention. Shopify code can be directly modified. This means a designer/developer can go in and modify the code for a semi-custom website or write it altogether for a completely custom website.

How does this benefit the shop owner? The shop owner can have a unique website that stands out from competitors driving more business your way!

5. Easy to collaborate with team members.

Whether this is the business owner adding a website designer to collaborate on the design and/or to help manage the site or a team owned e-commerce store, Shopify makes it easy to add collaborators to the site. It is easy to set permission levels accordingly to protect your vital information like financials for both staff and collaborators.

I always encourage business owners to do their research or hire someone to do it for you. If you are unsure which platform is best for you, please reach out as I take a consultative approach and could absolutely point you in the right direction.

Are you a Shopify user? If so, I would love to read in the comments why you chose Shopify for your website platform.