Shopify Continues to See Growth in Popularity Among Online Entrepreneurs
As the freelance economy continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, ecommerce sites such as Shopify are becoming more popular among entrepreneurs keen on generating income online. Shopify is basically a cloud-based platform that provides a full ecommerce store setup within a fraction of the time it would take to create a similar store using other software options such as Wix and WooCommerce.
Shopify was launched in 2004 and has since then grown to become a staple for more than 270,000 online storefronts generating sales worth over $14 billion in 150 countries worldwide. Top brands in diverse industries from Budweiser to Foo Fighters are currently using Shopify as the most effective ecommerce solution for reaching their targeted markets. No wonder that Shopify is currently ranked among top e-commerce names such as Amazon, AliExpress, and eBay.
Shopify has been widely reviewed by leading publications. Carefully reading a detailed review will help you to understand the platform better before you attempt to build your first store,including the platform's store building templates, its pricing plans, available tools that you can use to build your web-based store, and much more.
Top Choice for Online SMEs and big Brands
Shopify targets primarily the small and medium business sector, providing fast out-of-the-box solutions for setting up online stores. Its key selling point is no doubt the easy-to-use platform which allows even the least tech-savvy individual to create a unique online store complete with all the necessary retail and marketing tools. Shopify stores have a handy dashboard from where users can quickly add products, customize the look and feel of their e-commerce site, and do much more with ease. Migrating from another platform is easily achieved during sign up. The system gives you a link to import all the products from your former store to Shopify with a single mouse click. Beyond the online SMEs, Shopify further caters to high-end businesses in a premium service known as Shopify Plus. The Plus service targets large clients and companies.
Integration with other e-commerce models
Shopify has of late introduced a number of plugins and useful add-ons that provide users with a myriad of marketing tools and features. Last April, the company bought a marketing assistant tool known as Kit CRM. The tool is designed to assist businesses using the Shopify platform in managing their online presence more effectively via SMS messaging and interactive social media content.
Besides KIT CRM, Shopify store owners can now engage with clients more effectively in what is known as "conversational commerce." This follows the recent launch of Shopify Facebook Messenger which is expected to create more brand awareness of the e-commerce platform. Shopify has also incorporated the use of podcasts to enhance its brand awareness efforts. Its latest audio podcast dedicated to entrepreneurs is called TGIM which is basically short for "Thank God It's Monday". The podcast provides an interactive platform where entrepreneurs share stories about transforming simple ideas into successful start-ups.
Shopify's popularity among online entrepreneurs is, at the moment, unstoppable. Its popular appeal in the e-commerce crowd is most definitely due to ease of setting up online stores, a bountiful of merchant solutions, and diverse social media integration options. Many entrepreneurs see the platform as a bridge that brings together different products from different merchants into one complete package.
