There are a wealth of ecommerce platforms, like Shopify, which are designed to make it easy for entrepreneurs to launch and run their own online store. If you’re an entrepreneur who is already running a successful ecommerce business, however, then you may feel that the current platforms don’t offer you the necessary features to continue growing your store. Shopify, one of the most popular ecommerce platforms in the world, recently launched Shopify Plus, which is an enterprise ecommerce platform that is specifically aimed at successful ecommerce businesses.
If you’re already finding success with your own ecommerce business then you may be thinking about making the switch to Shopify Plus, but it’s critical that you fully understand the platform before you make any major decisions. In this article we’ll explain everything that you need to know about Shopify Plus so you can make the right decision for your ecommerce business.
What is Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus is a white-glove ecommerce platform which has been created and optimized to cater for successful ecommerce businesses which are experiencing high levels of growth and generating a high volume of traffic.
Much like Shopify’s core product, Shopify Plus is a hosted SaaS (Software as a Service) ecommerce platform. This terminology may seem confusing, but it simply means that you’ll be able to use Shopify Plus’ software to run your store and host your ecommerce website as a combined package.
As Shopify Plus costs more than the most expensive core Shopify pricing plan, Shopify Advanced, it’s critical that you’re aware of the features which are available to you, so you can assess if this service is worthwhile.
What New Features Are Available With Shopify Plus?
It’s essential that ecommerce entrepreneurs who are considering using Shopify Plus understand the features, and benefits, which they’ll be able to take advantage of. You may find that some of these features are more appealing than others, depending on the type of ecommerce store which you’re running, but generally speaking the additional features which you’ll gain with Shopify Plus are extremely valuable.
We’ve broken down the unique features which are available with Shopify Plus below:
Launch Management
One of the most valuable features which is available to Shopify Plus users is called ‘Launch Management’. The Launch Management feature will provide your ecommerce business with your own dedicated project manager. This will add your store in a variety of different ways, and will certainly help your store prosper. Whether you want to accelerate your store’s growth to new levels, or you want to branch out and add some new products to your inventory, your project manager will be there to help you out. They’ll help you come up with a plan to reach your goals, and advise you on the best way to execute upon your plans.
Merchant Success Management
This is one of Shopify Plus’ most useful features. When you’re signed up to Shopify Plus you’ll have access to a personal merchant success manager, who will act as your ecommerce business’ partner in crime. It’s their personal goal to make sure that your ecommerce business grows even faster. They’re also there to help with any questions that you have– if you’d ever like to know something about ecommerce, or any clarification about a process, they’re the experts who are there to help.
Solutions Engineers
When your ecommerce business is using Shopify Plus you’ll gain access to a wide network of Shopify’s in-house solution engineers. It’s a solution engineer’s job to ensure that your ecommerce store is tailor-made to fit your needs. They’re perfect for redesigning and modifying your ecommerce store, and will be able to help you out with helpful tips for the best layout for your products. You can present your ideas to your personal solution engineers and they’ll help with the execution.
Flash Sales Support
Shopify Plus is built specifically to ensure that your ecommerce store can handle a high volume of traffic at all times. This means that you’ll never need to worry about your store going down if you launch a flash sale– your business will be in safe hands. When you’ve signed up to Shopify Plus you’ll also receive anti-bot protection. This means that your ecommerce store will be protected from pesky botters who are trying to crash your shop. If you’re already running a successful store then you don’t want to risk any bad publicity about your store being unstable, so these features are essential.
How Much Does Shopify Plus Cost?
Now that we’ve given you an overview of the additional features which you’ll gain access to when you switch from your existing ecommerce platform to Shopify Plus, it’s time to discuss Shopify Plus’ pricing plan. As Shopify Plus is aimed at businesses which are already successful and are experiencing a high rate of growth, their pricing plans are more expensive than those of Shopify’s core product.
As a reminder, here are the pricing plans for Shopify’s core product:
- Shopify Basic – $39 / month
- Shopify Standard – $105 / month
- Advanced Shopify – $399 / month
Unlike Shopify’s core product, Shopify Plus’ pricing plans don’t follow a fixed structure. Shopify Plus does have a base cost of $2000 per month, which is quite a large increase from Shopify Advanced– the most expensive pricing plan available. Shopify Plus pricing plans are flexible, and are created specifically for your own ecommerce business. As these pricing plans are created with your store in mind, however, you may find that you’ll be paying more than $2000 per month. This is dependent on the amount of revenue which your store is earning, your store’s rate of growth, and the level of traffic which you’re generating. Ultimately the pricing plans which Shopify decide upon are appropriate for the amount of resources which they’ll need to commit to ensure that your ecommerce business is run to it’s full potential.
Is Shopify Plus Worth It For My Business?
We’ve now covered Shopify Plus’ main features and the amount of funds which you’ll need to spend to gain access to them– it’s time to evaluate if Shopify Plus is the right option for your ecommerce business.
Take some time to think about the Shopify Plus features which are most valuable to your ecommerce store. Be critical and really assess the value which your ecommerce business will gain if you decide to move forward with Shopify Plus. How often will you be able to make use of Flash Sales Support? Do you truly need a dedicated project manager to help grow your store? If all of Shopify Plus’ features sound like they’re essential for helping your ecommerce business move forward then Shopify Plus might be a perfect fit for your business.
It’s critical that you’re aware of the financial impact which using Shopify Plus will have on your ecommerce business. It’s quite a large difference in fees between the core Shopify pricing plans, so you’ll need to assess if the benefits are worth the extra money. Take the time to think about how you’d be able to spend the funds if you didn’t use Shopify Plus. Would your store benefit more from a larger budget for PPC campaigns? Would you see a higher level of growth if you used the money for Instagram Influencer campaigns? These are the types of questions that you need to ask yourself when you’re thinking about switching to Shopify Plus– they’ll help you make the right decision for your ecommerce business.
Making Your Decision
You’ve now got an overview of all the essential points which ecommerce entrepreneurs should consider when they’re thinking about using Shopify Plus for their business. Shopify Plus isn’t the perfect fit for all successful ecommerce stores, but if you’re running a prosperous business then you may benefit greatly from making the switch.
If you have any other questions related to Shopify Plus, or ecommerce in general, then feel free to ask us in the comments section below.
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Is there anything else you’d like to know more about and wish was included in this article?