The latest version of Shopify i.e. Shopify plus has a lot of features for businesses to offer. Explore the reasons that ensure it is time to upgrade to Shopify Plus.
Comparing Various Components of Shopify vs Shopify Plus
As your online store grows, you may start considering the advantages of upgrading to Shopify Plus. While Basic Shopify is an excellent platform for setting up an ecommerce store, there comes a point in your ecommerce journey where you may feel limited by its features. here we have discussed Shopify vs Shopify Plus which is best.
Enter Shopify Plus, the ultimate platform for scaling ecommerce businesses. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools tailored for fast-growing brands, helping them achieve their revenue goals and efficiently manage their online stores.
Despite its $2,000 per month price tag, you might still be wondering if upgrading to Shopify Plus is truly worth it compared to Shopify. In this article, we’ll delve into some key benefits of Shopify Plus to assist you in making an informed decision.
What is Shopify Plus?
Shopify was originally designed for small to medium businesses looking to establish their direct-to-consumer presence. However, as your customer base and order volume grow, surpassing £1 million, your business’s complexity may outgrow the standard Shopify offering. This is where Shopify Plus comes in.
But what exactly is Shopify Plus? As businesses expand, so does their complexity, and Shopify Plus provides the ultimate flexible solution for store owners to create a customized ecommerce store tailored to their needs. While Shopify Plus offers the same core dashboard and features as Shopify, it also provides access to additional features, integrations, a dedicated merchant success manager, and more.
The capabilities of Shopify Plus are unparalleled compared to other platforms, offering a competitive edge over stores using different platforms. The sales tools and technologies within Shopify Plus help merchants enhance order value and attract a larger volume of buyers.
It’s important to note that while Shopify Plus offers incredible tools and features, such as unlimited access to code, fast execution times, and advanced ecommerce capabilities, it may not be suitable for everyone. Standard Shopify offers more than enough for the majority of small to medium businesses. Feel free to reach out, and our expert Shopify and Shopify Plus Agency team can assist you in determining which option is best suited for your business.
Shopify Vs Shopify Plus
If you’re new to the platform, Shopify is a comprehensive ecommerce solution. The platform empowers businesses to sell online with exceptional order and customer management tools, ensuring customer retention.
Shopify merchants benefit from a vast array of trusted third-party apps available in the Shopify app store, with the platform continually evolving through the contributions of expert technology partners. However, if your brand’s needs exceed those of a small to medium business, standard Shopify functionality may fall short.
Shopify website development company services offer different plans. This includes an enterprise ecommerce solution with additional features and customizations tailored for rapidly growing global brands. Deciding between Shopify and Shopify Plus can be challenging! Check out our article on Shopify Plus vs. Advanced plans for more information.
This article delves into the pricing, features, benefits, and when to upgrade to Shopify Plus as the ideal ecommerce platform for powering your business. Determining when Shopify Plus is the right choice can be tough, but we hope this article provides clarity.
Shopify Plus stands out as a premier enterprise ecommerce platform for top global brands. Join the Shopify Plus community today and take your business to new heights!
Shopify Vs Shopify Consideration
When choosing between Shopify and Shopify Plus, scalability becomes a crucial factor for businesses. Shopify Plus provides enhanced scalability options, enabling businesses to smoothly migrate their websites between different versions or even to other e-commerce platforms. Additionally, Shopify Plus offers a suite of migration and launch manager tools to facilitate this transition seamlessly.
Another significant factor to consider between Shopify and Shopify Plus is the level of customization available. Shopify Plus offers a broader range of customization options, empowering businesses to craft a more personalized shopping experience for their customers. This includes the capability to design custom checkout pages, tailor shopping carts, and incorporate custom scripts into their websites.
Shopify Plus Cost: How Much Does the Services Cost?
It is crucial to carefully consider the ongoing costs and pricing plans when comparing Shopify vs Shopify Plus. Shopify Plus utilizes a pricing model based on the usage of its services, which is measured by the monthly sales volume through the Shopify platform.
This model operates on the principle that as your sales increase, your brand will require more support and server resources, justifying the price tag. The Shopify Plus service begins at $2,000 USD per month until your revenue exceeds $800,000 per month, at which point the pricing transitions to a percentage (0.25%) of your monthly revenue. For instance, a merchant generating £1 million in sales per month would pay £2,500, while you would need £16 million in monthly sales to reach the maximum price.
In addition to the monthly fee, there is a transaction fee based on the country of the credit card used, typically ranging between 1.6% and 2.3%. However, it is advisable to contact Shopify for the most up-to-date information. Merchants on Shopify Plus receive discounts on transaction fees compared to those on the standard Shopify platform, offering a significant advantage in the long run for high-volume sellers on this plan.
If you opt not to use the Shopify Payments gateway and instead use a third-party payment gateway, transactions will incur an additional 0.5% payment processing fee. Therefore, we recommend that store owners use Shopify Payments if possible, rather than other payment processors. However, it is worth noting that the rates offered by third-party payment methods are highly competitive, so there are still viable options available. Choosing reliable Shopify website development company services will offer more insightful details on the same.
Brief on third-party software and application for Shopify Plus
While Shopify offers a wide range of free apps, many of the feature-rich enterprise-level tools do come with a monthly fee. However, it’s important to note that some apps can actually pay for themselves. This may happen through increased sales, particularly those related to loyalty programs, reviews, subscription payments, and upselling.
The cost of these apps can vary widely, ranging from a few pounds to thousands of pounds per month. With Shopify Plus, due to its increased flexibility, your development team may be able to build custom tools and features from scratch, reducing the need for third-party apps and saving you money on monthly fees. When considering your overall monthly costs, it’s important to factor in potential spending on apps.
Note on Maintenance, Security and Servers
Shopify hosts all ecommerce stores on their own powerful servers. This practice eliminates the need for experts to manage server-related tasks like maintenance, security, and upgrades. All of this comes packed with Shopify website development company services.
Shopify’s servers are robust and include a content delivery network (CDN), consisting of servers worldwide that deliver your website to customers at lightning speed. This network allows Shopify to offer unlimited bandwidth and support over 10,000 transactions per minute.
This stands in contrast to platforms like Magento or WordPress, where merchants are responsible for managing their own servers. This may prove to be a costly and unreliable practice. With Shopify Plus, staff and partners can focus more on business operations such as planning, reporting, shipping, marketing, and researching industry trends, helping them achieve their strategic objectives more effectively.
Other Key Features of Shopify Vs Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus offers exclusive features that simplify the decision-making process for merchants seeking more advanced functionalities. One such feature is the bulk account inviter, unique to Shopify Plus and not available in the regular version.
This feature enables businesses to invite multiple users to their account simultaneously, streamlining management for large organizations or groups. Additionally, Shopify Plus allows merchants to utilize Shopify Scripts for storefront customization and task automation.
These scripts enable businesses to create custom promotions, optimize shipping processes, and more. Another exclusive feature of Shopify Plus is the wholesale channel, which enables businesses to create a separate storefront for wholesale customers, complete with custom pricing, minimum order quantities, and other tailored features.
Moreover, Shopify Plus customers enjoy early access to new features and beta programs not yet available to standard Shopify customers. These additional features demonstrate that Shopify Plus is a more advanced platform compared to Shopify, making the higher cost worthwhile for larger and more complex businesses.
When to Upgrade to Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus may not be suitable for every business. However, the standard Shopify packages often meet and exceed the needs of most brands. When comparing Shopify vs Shopify Plus, it’s crucial to consider the specific tools and features you might require that are not achievable with standard Shopify.
Typically, as ecommerce businesses grow, they reach a point where a bespoke solution is needed to efficiently manage customer demands. In our experience, this is often around the £750,000 annual turnover mark. However, revenue alone should not be the sole factor in choosing the Shopify Plus platform.
The decision should be based on whether the functionality required for daily operations can be achieved most efficiently with Shopify Plus. Shopify and Shopify Plus provide an exceptionally fast ecommerce solution without compromising quality.
To illustrate, while a legacy enterprise website might take 12 to 18 months to build, the average time with Shopify is just 90 days. We can help you determine if you need the Plus platform or if we can develop a solution that doesn’t require the significant monthly investment.
In essence, Shopify Plus is the solution for merchants experiencing unexpected exponential growth and seeking to scale without significant investments of time, money, or resources. Let’s delve into the features of Shopify Plus to highlight the differences
A Note on Features of Shopify Plus
Outstanding Support
Shopify Plus enhances the standard Shopify offering with advanced ecommerce features. All Shopify Plus customers receive a dedicated account manager as part of the merchant success program, along with priority 24/7 live chat, phone, and email customer support. This level of support provides invaluable advice and peace of mind for your business. Additionally, resources such as Shopify Plus Academy offer tips and guidance to help merchants maximize their store’s potential.
Automate and Schedule
When comparing Shopify and Shopify Plus, it’s important to note the access to Shopify-Plus-exclusive apps like Flow and Launchpad. Shopify Flow is an ecommerce automation platform that enables you to automate various tasks. The potential applications are vast; for example, you can automate the creation of a support ticket upon receiving a negative review or send an SMS with a discount code after a customer’s second order.
Selling B2B Through Wholesale Channel
Wholesaling your products becomes effortless with Shopify Plus’s specialized ‘Wholesale Channel.’ You can provide dedicated accounts for your wholesale customers, granting them access to a password-protected view of your store. This feature includes tiered quantity prices, order quantity thresholds, unique product visibility for different customers, and even unique payment gateways tailored to specific customers. This enables you to offer your wholesale customers a streamlined, user-friendly method to order your products.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, the choice between Shopify and Shopify Plus hinges on your business’s unique needs, growth trajectory, and budget. For small to medium-sized businesses with modest requirements, standard Shopify provides a robust and cost-effective solution to launch and manage an online store.
It offers a user-friendly interface, essential ecommerce features, and access to a vast app ecosystem. However, as your business scales and demands more advanced functionality, Shopify Plus emerges as a compelling option.
Shopify Plus offers a wealth of features tailored for high-growth and enterprise-level businesses, including advanced customisation options, scalability to handle large volumes of traffic and transactions, and dedicated Shopify maintenance support to address your unique challenges.
While Shopify Plus comes with a higher price tag, the investment can pay off in terms of increased revenue, improved efficiency, and a more tailored ecommerce experience for your customers. Ultimately, the decision between Shopify and Shopify Plus depends on your current needs and future aspirations, and careful consideration of these factors will help you make the right choice for your business.
