Helping you create the best Shopify experience for your customers
Your new Shopify Partner
Shopify is one of the main players in the eCommerce world and is known to be easy to set up and easy to manage. This is great for startups and many small merchants, but for businesses with ambitions to grow to enhance their customers’ shopping experiences and stand out from the crowd, bringing in a Shopify (Plus) development agency can make all the difference.
As a Shopify Partner, we are well placed to create and develop your eCommerce site, integrate the features you need and allow you to make the most out of your eComm business.
Our Shopify developers will seamlessly integrate backend systems with Shopify and Shopify Plus functionality regardless of what level of plan you choose.
Why should I choose Shopify?
Shopify is a great starter platform for any business looking to start up an eCommerce function It is user friendly and easy to set up. It is scalable too (up to a point), so you can stick with it as your business grows, although you might need to switch plans as growth continues.
Pricing options start at £25/month (or less if you choose to pay annually) for which you get excellent customer support and access to a large app ecosystem from which to enhance the functionality of your site (although there may be additional costs associated with using these apps).
Shopify stores are fully hosted, so there’s always technical support on hand to keep your store up and running.
For merchants who are already well established, have large inventories, want multiple storefronts, more powerful Point of Sale, presence in a greater number of countries and/or are experience high volumes of transactions, then even the Shopify Advanced plan may not be quite enough to serve your needs.
In this case, you might want to consider Shopify Plus, their enterprise-level option.
Not sure whether you need Shopify Plus? Take a look at our Shopify vs Shopify Plus comparison below.
Why should I choose DeeperThanBlue as my Shopify development agency?
DeeperThanBlue’s team has been developing eCommerce sites for more than twenty years, so we know what works and what doesn’t. As a Shopify Plus Partner, we are recognised as having the skills and knowledge to implement Shopify stores, and so we can significantly enhance the quality, performance, and success of your eCommerce site, providing you with a competitive edge in the online marketplace.
What are the benefits of Shopify?
User-friendly
Shopify is known to be relatively easy to get started with, without the need for technical knowledge, although more complex sites do require a certain level of skill. Using the intuitive dashboard, users can manage their store and make changes using the drag-and-drop editor.
Scalability
Shopify plans are suitable for businesses from startups to established enterprises. Stores grow with the business, and the flexible Shopify pricing plans allow businesses to select the most appropriate plan for the requirements. Shopify Plus caters for enterprises with more complex eCommerce needs.
Customer experience
Shopify stores incorporate personalisation and tailored shopping experiences based on previous customer behaviour, leading to higher conversion rates and the integrated checkout features reduce cart abandonment rates and provides secure and efficient payments.
Functionality
Shopify boasts a large app ecosystem with more than 7,000+ plugins and 13,000 apps. This vast array of apps allows merchants to extend their store functionality and allows businesses to customise their stores easily.
Secure hosting
Shopify hosts all sites on their cloud infrastructure. This means that there is no technical burden on the merchant to ensure site availability. Furthermore, Shopify provides automatic updates to maintain security standards and improve performance without requiring user intervention.
Business insights
Shopify incorporate built-in analytics tools to help merchants track business metrics such as sales performance and customer behaviour to enable them to make informed decisions. This data can be incorporated into custom reports for sharing with wider stakeholders.
Shopify vs Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus was introduced as an enterprise-level eCommerce solution for businesses who have outgrown the capability of their original Shopify site but wanted to stay with the same vendor. There is no clearly defined cut-off between Shopify and Shopify Plus, but we can help you decide when it would be best for you to make the transition. Interested? Book a call with our team.
In preparation, you might want to look at our Shopify vs Shopify Plus comparison below.
Suitability for your business
Shopify is ideal for startups and small businesses and works really well for medium-sized businesses (with an annual turnover of under £50m), while Shopify Plus is designed for larger enterprises with turnovers greater than £50m.
Shopify pricing plans
Shopify is available on three pricing plans, with Shopify Plus available on a variable subscription basis depending on the complexity of the chosen solution.
Details of the Shopify prices can be found on the Shopify site here, but for convenience, they are shown here:
- Basic: £25 per month
- Shopify: £65 per month
- Advanced: £344 per month
A 25% discount is available on Basic to Advanced plans if you commit to annual payments.
Shopify Plus pricing starts from USD $2,300 per/month on a 3-year term. This is designed for more complex businesses with large inventory, multiple locations, high traffic and transaction volumes, several international markets and a large eCommerce team.
Key features of Shopify
So, you’ve decided to invest in Shopify, but what do you get for your money?
The standard features that you can expect to find on all plans include:
- Mobile responsive website
- Unlimited product listings
- Single page checkout
- Apple Pay, Google Pay and Amazon Pay enabled
- Options for coupons, discounts and gift cards
- Real-time shipping quoted
- Professional reporting tools
- Ability to include blog posts on your site
- Product ratings and reviews
- Site-side HTTPS and dedicated SSL for enhanced security
- Ability to segment your customers into groups
- Ability to include price lists
You will also need to know what features and support you get for the different Shopify Plan levels.
| Basic | Shopify | Advanced | |
Sales Channels |
|||
| Branded online store | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-storefront | Multi-storefronts only available through Shopify Plus | ||
| Inventory locations | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Localised global selling | 3 markets | 3 markets | 3 markets |
| Point of Sale | Yes (Shopify Lite) | Yes (Shopify Lite) | Yes (Shopify Lite) |
| eBay integration | Third-party integration | ||
| Amazon integration | Native integration | ||
| Google Shopping integration | Native integration | ||
| Selling on social media | Native integration | ||
Commercial terms |
|||
| Online British credit card rates | 2% + 25p | 1.7% + 25p | 1.5% + 25p |
| Klarna rates | 4.99% + 30p | 4.99% + 30p | 4.99% + 30p |
| Third-party transaction rates if not using Shopify Payments | 2% | 1% | 0.6% |
| Online revenue limits | No annual sales limits imposed. | ||
| Additional staff accounts | 0 | 5 | 15 |
| Products, file storage and bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Service and support |
|||
| 24/7 live agent support | Live chat | Live chat | Enhanced live chat |
| Express routing, priority support and strategic account management | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| API support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics | Standard analytics | Standard analytics | Custom reports and analytics |
Get more from Shopify Plus
As you would expect from an enterprise level solution, you get much more from Shopify Plus.
For the front end, there are more advanced customisation and flexible design options, with up to 100 themes available, and Shopify offers headless commerce options for those that want to take customisation to the next level.
Shopify Plus merchants can also develop multiple storefronts–up to ten in total–so they can engage with different audiences in different styles, develop stores for sub-brands or undertake global expansion. They can also benefit from omnichannel capabilities by integrating multiple sales channels for a consistent brand presence
In the back end, merchants can have unlimited staff accounts, can access more advanced apps and API integrations, and make use of a wider range of automation tools via Shopify Flow to engage with their customers more efficiently.
Shopify FAQs
How easy is Shopify to use?
Shopify is renowned for its user-friendly interface, making it straightforward for beginners to set up and manage an online store. Its intuitive dashboard and drag-and-drop editor simplify the customisation of storefronts and product management. Even those without technical expertise can navigate Shopify’s features effectively, thanks to its comprehensive documentation and support resources.
How much does Shopify cost?
Shopify offers several pricing tiers: the Basic plan at £25 per month, the standard Shopify plan at £65 per month, and the Advanced plan at £344 per month. Additionally, there’s a Starter plan for $5 per month and the enterprise-level Shopify Plus starting from around $2,300 per month (3 year contract commitment), with exact pricing varying by location and specific business needs.
What payment options are available on Shopify?
Shopify supports over 70 payment gateways, providing flexibility for businesses to offer various payment options to customers. The platform’s native payment system, Shopify Payments, is available in many countries and offers competitive transaction rates starting at 2% +25p per transaction and reducing to 1.5% +25p on the higher Advanced plan. Shopify also integrates with popular payment providers like PayPal, Stripe, and numerous local and international payment methods.
How secure is Shopify?
Shopify prioritises security, offering robust protection for both merchants and customers. The platform is PCI DSS compliant, provides SSL certificates for all stores, and implements fraud analysis tools to detect suspicious activities. Shopify also regularly updates its security measures and offers features like two-factor authentication to enhance account security.
How easy is it to integrate Shopify?
Shopify offers extensive integration capabilities through its app store and API, making it relatively easy to connect with various third-party tools and services. The platform supports seamless integration with numerous applications for accounting, marketing, inventory management, and more. Additionally, Shopify’s well-documented API allows developers to create custom integrations when needed. For the ultimate in integration and more complex requirements, we’d recommend that you look at DeeperThanBlue’s CXOne and CXOne Storefront to give your customers the best all round experience.
Does Shopify have a specific B2B solution?
Shopify offers B2B-specific solutions through its Shopify Plus plan. This enterprise-level plan includes features tailored for B2B commerce, such as custom pricing, bulk ordering capabilities, and company-specific storefronts. Shopify Plus also allows for more advanced customisation and automation, making it suitable for complex B2B operations and high-volume businesses.