Let’s get real — eCommerce is doing nothing but rising high. Several studies and projections have estimated that by 2023, eCommerce’s steady rise will peak in the global volume transacted with $6.5 trillion. Yup. That’s not a made-up number.
So let’s get down to business and uncover the basics of Shopify, shall we?
Shopify 101: From a simple idea to the leading eCommerce solution
The year is 2004, and Tobias Lütke — a German youngster, living in Canada — launched an online snowboard shop with partners. Wanting to sell the snowboards online, he decided to build a new eCommerce platform for the site, inspired by the (until then) poor online shopping experience he had with this equipment. The platform they created was very useful, and he saw others could use it, too. Finally, in 2006, Shopify was launched to the world.
Fast forward to today, Shopify is now the #1 tool for eCommerce businesses. It’s available in 175 countries worldwide and the third-largest online retailer in the United States only after Amazon and eBay. Its sales have surpassed $100 billion to date, with peak sales reaching over $1.5 million per minute on Black Friday. And the best thing is, you don’t need to be an expert to use Shopify. It’s incredibly beginner-friendly. Let’s learn how it works.
What does Shopify offer?
Some years ago, setting up your very own online store was a hefty task. Not only did you have to know everything about developing and coding a website, but you also had to have all the know-how to make it run smoothly. But it didn’t end there. You would, of course, be wrapped up with the actual selling process of your business. Just writing this down, we’re stressed out.
You can build your very own Shopify store without stopping to catch a breath. Its highly customizable interface makes it flexible and easy to use, and your user experience is 100% personalized with all its add-ons. It doesn’t matter if you’re a tech pro or an online dummy — you’ll be able to use it and start selling. And that’s what counts.
Not only will it allow you to build your online store by yourself, but it will also let you pick a design that suits all your needs. Also, you can choose a unique domain for your store, add in all your products and details, process all your customers’ orders, calculate shipping as well as tax rates, handle every online payment, run discounts, promotions, and sales, track your inventory… the list is truly endless!
Shopify basically took over every technical issue that could show up when you least expected it and simplified the whole process so you can focus on the things that matter to you!
What about attainability?
This cloud-based choice also has very low startup costs. For very little, you can build and run a basic — but fully functional — eCommerce that you can use to promote, sell and ship your products, and become a digital biz owner without even batting an eyelid!
Besides, Shopify offers a great support system in crucial aspects like offering customer support tools, taking care of any technical issues you might stumble upon, and helping store owners open additional channels. Everything is covered!
What can I sell on Shopify?
The answer? Anything and everything under the sun.
Of course, the site has some prohibitions. You cannot sell pharmaceuticals, supplements, gambling-related products, marijuana, alcohol, or adult content. To be fair, those are pretty standard exclusions for most eCommerce platforms anyway.
But if your business does not belong to any of those categories, you can set up your eCommerce site right now with Shopify. How exciting is that?
Honestly, who doesn’t want a simple interface to be in charge of all the moving, intricate pieces of their eCommerce store? Shopify is *the* option to set up your online store. Even if you don’t have any know-how, they will be able to assist you with any problem that arises. So start now!