Do you know about “Shopify”, which has been fully launched in Japan since 2017 and is currently the most used
e-commerce
platform in the world? The number of people using it has increased due to its simplicity and high functionality, and it is now used in over 1.7 million stores in 175 countries around the world. It is expanding significantly in Japan, and building an e-commerce site with Shopify is becoming a trend.
In this article, we will explain in detail the features and benefits of Shopify, which is used in a variety of businesses, and who should use it. If you want to create an e-commerce site but are curious about Shopify, please read this article and try using Shopify for your business.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a Canadian e-commerce site creation service founded in 2004 that allows anyone to open a full-fledged online shop. Although it is simple, it is highly functional and easy to use, and in just 10 years since its establishment, it has become the service that boasts the world’s No. 1 market share among e-commerce sites. Shopify has been in full swing in Japan since 2017, and many companies are using it. Rather than opening a store in an e-commerce mall with a unified image, companies that want to have their own e-commerce site and communicate their products to their heart’s content are all using Shopify.
Shopify design and features
The reason why Shopify is used by so many people is that it has many designs and features that are easy to use.
Shopify offers over 100 template designs, both free and paid, and you can easily create an e-commerce site with a stylish design by choosing from the templates. When creating an e-commerce site, you need to be particular about the design so that the product will sell better, such as a design that matches the product or a design with trendy colors, but with Shopify you can easily set a stylish design by using templates. It looks like this.
Shopify is also superior in terms of functionality. Shopify has three basic plans, and each plan has different features such as the number of accounts you can open. Even the cheapest basic plan comes with customer support via phone, email, and chat. Product inventory management, blog functionality, support for cross-border e-commerce, and confirmation of site inflow data can be used without any problems, and it is fully equipped with functions. If you go to the Standard Plan or Premium Plan, which is a plan higher than the Basic Plan, you will be able to perform more advanced site data analysis such as sales analysis of new and repeat customers, customer analysis by country, etc., and gift card function. You can set even more advanced features, such as adding a gift card to purchased items.
Shopify pricing
Since Shopify has no initial cost, the costs include monthly fees, payment fees, and transaction fees. As mentioned above, Shopify has three main plans, and the monthly fees vary depending on the plan. Upgrades and downgrades are possible at any time. You may want to consider changing plans depending on the scale of your e-commerce site.
Basic plan…25USD
Standard plan…69USD
Premium plan…299USD
There is also a higher-level plan called “Shopify Plus.” This plan is expensive at 2000 USD per month, but it is recommended for large companies and e-commerce sites with a large transaction volume. It has a wealth of very useful functions for stores that want to automate order processing, shipping instructions, and inventory adjustments, so please consider it.
5 benefits of using Shopify
From here, we will explain the benefits of using Shopify.
You can operate an EC site at low cost
As mentioned above, Shopify has no initial cost and can be operated with only a monthly usage fee. The cheapest basic plan costs about 3,500 yen per month (as of August 2022), so it can be implemented at a very low cost. In addition, Shopify has the lowest payment fees, and considering long-term operation, low payment fees are an advantage. It can be introduced at a low cost, and you can change plans at any time, so it is a good idea to start small with a basic plan and upgrade the plan as your scale grows.
Highly scalable
You can open an e-commerce site using only the basic functions of Shopify, but you can add even more functions by using the Shopify app, which is an extension. Shopify has over 7,000 apps, and each app is highly expandable as it is possible to add many functions such as adding translation functions, SNS linkage, delivery arrangements, and adding subscription functions. It is.
You can easily build and update your site
Shopify has multiple free and paid design templates, so you can easily create a site design without any programming knowledge such as
HTML
or
CSS
. Additionally, each site has its own management screen, so you can easily check inventory, delivery management, sales management, etc. If you link the smartphone app, you can easily manage it from your smartphone. You can easily build and update sites with Shopify even if you don’t have much knowledge about building or updating sites.
Can also be sold overseas
Shopify also supports international shipping, multiple languages, and currencies, making it possible to open an e-commerce site for overseas. If you create an EC site for the domestic market, you can also create an EC site for overseas markets with some customization. A big advantage of Shopify is that it can be used not only in the domestic market, but also in overseas markets, which are expanding day by day.
Also supports external collaboration such as SNS
Shopify also supports external collaboration with various SNS. By collaborating with various SNS such as Instagram and LINE to sell products, you can expand your sales channels and expect further increase in sales. It is predicted that there will be more opportunities for external collaboration, not just SNS, so we can expect further expansion of sales channels.
Shopify concerns
Although there are many benefits to using Shopify, there are also some concerns. Make full use of Shopify by understanding not only its benefits but also its concerns.
Not fully compatible with Japanese
Although most of the functions have been made available in Japanese since it was fully launched in Japan, there may still be some English explanations, so it is not fully Japanese compatible. . In addition, many Shopify apps created by overseas developers have English explanations, so English proficiency may be required to install them.
There are cases where knowledge of HTML, CSS, etc. is required.
Shopify provides templates with highly designed designs, and you can easily set up the design even without programming knowledge. However, if you want to create a more professional e-commerce site or add higher functionality, knowledge of HTML, CSS, etc. may be required. You don’t need specialized knowledge for basic design and functionality, but if you acquire knowledge of HTML, CSS, etc., you can create an e-commerce site that is easy to sell and can help expand your business. I highly recommend that you wear one.
Who should use Shopify?
Shopify has both advantages and concerns, but that said, Shopify can be used to expand your business as it allows you to use a highly functional e-commerce site at a low cost. From here, we will explain the user group for which we recommend introducing Shopify.
Create an EC site and start your business
Shopify is highly recommended for those who want to start a business using an e-commerce site. As mentioned above, Shopify has no initial cost and can be operated with only a monthly usage fee, so it is a good idea to use it for small businesses that are running an e-commerce site at first. You can easily operate a high-performance e-commerce site at a low cost.
When starting an e-commerce business, instead of building your own e-commerce site, you can also open a store on a mall-type e-commerce site such as Rakuten or Amazon. Mall-type e-commerce has a good reputation, and it is possible to use that name recognition to attract customers, but if there are many competitors, you will have to compare prices. Since users can easily check the prices of many products in mall-type e-commerce, they will compare prices, and there is a risk that price competition will become more intense. Also, since mall-type EC designs are standardized, it may be difficult to express the characteristics of your company’s products.
If you build your own e-commerce site, you can freely combine designs and functions, making it easier to express the characteristics of your products. In terms of attracting customers, you will need to do it yourself, but let’s aim to build an EC site that takes advantage of the freedom.
I want to sell overseas
Shopify is characterized by its strong ability to expand overseas. Shopify supports approximately 20 languages, and supports shipping arrangements, payment methods, and tax rates in each country around the world, making it extremely easy to sell overseas. We also support currencies from all over the world and payment methods such as PayPal, which is popular overseas, making it easy to sell overseas. Surprisingly, Japanese products are highly trusted by people overseas, and a surprising number of foreigners are browsing and purchasing e-commerce sites from overseas.
summary
Nowadays, it is common for companies to create their own e-commerce sites and sell products on their own e-commerce sites, and the e-commerce business will continue to expand in the future. In such a situation, Shopify, which allows you to easily build highly functional e-commerce sites, is sure to be used by even more people and companies. By using Shopify, your business may expand not only domestically but also internationally. If you are thinking of starting an e-commerce business, please use Shopify to express the appeal of your products to your heart’s content on your e-commerce site.