With a varied selection of ecommerce platforms available to business owners, our clients often ask us which is the best ecommerce platform for them.

Every client project has its own specific needs but here are some thoughts on why we enjoy working with Shopify.

1. Quick to Launch

   
   Shopify enables you to get up and running more quickly than would be the case with other ecommerce solutions. There are no hosting accounts to be signed up to, no server set-ups, no software installs or SSL certs to be purchased as you would have with, for example, a WooCommerce approach.

   To start your free Shopify trial, feel free to use our affiliate link...

2. User-Friendly

   
   As web developers, we use other site interfaces frequently and we would consider the Shopify admin interface to be more user-friendly and more intuitive for store owners themselves compared to other ecommerce platforms – which have often been built with web developers in mind rather than store owners.

3. Less Tech Worries

   
   As an experienced web design agency, we’ve seen situations over the years where site owners have suffered website issues ranging from poor performance all the way up to their site being hacked.

   This has generally been down to the site owners not being aware or not having the know-how to maintain and update software being used by their site and their host server.

   As Shopify is a hosted solution, there are no software, plugin or server updates to worry about as Shopify take care of all of this for their store owners.

   This allows you to focus all your efforts on driving traffic to your site and generating sales rather than having to worry about technical issues.

4. Less Security Concerns

   
   With an eCommerce store, you will be handling sensitive customer data which means site security is a key factor in choosing an ecommerce solution.

   Shopify takes care of PCI compliance, SSL cert installs and renewals as well as all server security which means you don’t have to be concerned about your site being hacked and customer data being stolen.

   Choosing Shopify allows you to rely on them to ensure your site is fast, secure and always online.

   No need to chase developers or hosting companies when trouble strikes.

5. Ongoing Customer Support

   
   If you build a store using a platform like WooCommerce, you will be primarily dependant on your web developer for any future support. If your developer is a freelancer, then there is some likelihood that they will move on to another role leaving you without support you can turn to when needed.

   With Shopify as your ecommerce platform provider, you can rely on THEIR customer support. Shopify provide 24/7 customer support with swift response times meansing you are neven left vulnerable. Support is available via phone, email and web chat and there is extensive documentation in the Shopify Help Centre plus a range of advanced Shopify University guides.

   And as you would expect from such a popular platform, there are also a large number of community forums and Facebook Groups filled with people dealing with the *same concerns as you.

   *How do I get more sales?!?! 😉

6. Mobile ready

   
   As you would expect from a leading ecommerce provider, Shopify ensure all their themes are fully mobile responsive meaning your store looks great on all devices and your customers can shop freely wherever they are.

   Shopify comes with free iPhone and Android apps which allow you to be alerted to new orders and generally manage your store on the go.

7. Additional Functionality

   
   Shopify’s app store provides site owners with every type of functionality that you might wish to add to your store. Functionality such as customer reviews, packing slips, shipping labels, loyalty programmes, customer wishlists, accounting software and social media integrations and much more.

   With over 6,000 apps covering 12 major categories, it means there is likely to be an app available for whatever functionality you require.

8. A Trusted Solution

   
   Some of the world’s largest ecommerce stores are hosted by Shopify. Brands such as Gymshark, with 5.7M followers on Instagram and one of the most famous fitness brands in the world, use Shopify for their ecommerce presence.

   Indeed, our own inhouse Designer Irish online store, www.markesheehan.com, is built on the Shopify platform so we don’t recommend anything we’re not happy to use ourselves!

9. Abandoned Carts

   
   We’ve all been on ecommerce sites and added products to our shopping cart but not necessarily purchased there and then.

   Maybe we intended to browse the store further before returning to checkout. Maybe we have an account on the store and know that if we come back again in the future, those items will still be there.

   Whatever the reason, abandoned carts are a fact of ecommer life.

   Happily, Shopify provides an abandoned cart recovery service which can track and email these potential customers and hopefully allow you to convert them into buyers – one of the best steps to implement to generate more sales revenue.

10. Shopify Payments

    
    With some ecommerce platforms, you will to create your own merchant account with a payment processor such as PayPal or Stripe.

    As Shopify has its own integrated payment gateway, powered by Stripe, it means one less logistical item for you to handle when setting up your store.

    Using Shopify Payments will also reduce your overall credit card processing charges as you will not incur any 3rd party transaction fees plus you will benefit from lower credit card fees.