The 2023 Guide to Shopify

Let’s start with the basics. Shopify is a powerful online e-commerce platform which enables anyone to set up and customise a website. This website can be used to start, grow, and manage a retail business. The Shopify system brings all of the necessary features to run a business to one place, including payments, marketing, shipping, and customer engagement tools.

Set up can literally take a few minutes and, after adding your products to the site, you can be up and running in no time. Shopify can also be used to expand your existing business via the Shopify point-of-sales (POS) system. This means that if you own a brick-and-mortar or pop-up shop, you can bring together all your in-person sales to be processed through your Shopify account making everything much more streamlined.

While Shopify was originally created as an online e-commerce platform only, today it has expanded to include a number of other types of business models such as classes and workshops, and live streams.

With extensive hands-on experience with e-commerce fulfilment, a chain of trusted courier partners, and impressive facilities, Allegro Logistics can help you achieve a cost-effective, speedy and efficient shipping strategy. We use modern fulfilment software to keep you and your customers updated every step of the way, from stock arrival in our warehouse, to pick and pack then shipping.

It all begins with a phone call! Get in touch today and discuss your e-commerce business with us. Let us help you make customers happy with quick delivery, great customer service and good-looking packages.

As a platform, Shopify helps with the logistics part of your business – including the ways in which you get your physical products to your customer. Fortunately, there are several options that you can choose from that are all designed to benefit your business, with the two most common being 3rd party fulfilment and Shopify Shipping. Let’s take a closer look at them:

Shopify Shipping: This option allows you to tap into low shipping rates that have been pre-negotiated by Shopify to help its users to reduce overall shipping costs. They also offer expert advice in packaging and other logistical support.

3rd-party Fulfilment: 3rd-party Fulfilment is when an external company takes care of the packaging, warehousing, and shipping of all of your orders so that they get to your customer on time. This saves you valuable time and resources that can be better spent elsewhere. You can find out more about the benefits of 3rd-party fulfilment in our handy guide.

If you’re here as a business owner who is struggling with the decision on whether Shopify is the right platform for you, check out some of the most frequently asked questions.

Question: Is Shopify only for setting up online businesses?

Answer: No, it was originally that way when it first started. However, today you can create a Shopify business in a number of different ways including a small, local popup shop in your area or out-of-town trade shows. Just about anywhere you can find customers, you can use Shopify to create and run your own business.

Question: Is there a limit to what you can sell on Spotify?

Answer: The short answer is no, as long as the product or service you are wanting to sell is legal where you live or does not violate the TOS (Terms of Service) of Shopify. This means you can sell physical products, digital products, memberships, event tickets, and even services.

Question: Does Shopify offer a free-to-use plan?

Answer: No, however, there is a free trial period so that you can get an idea of what it has to offer and help determine if the platform would work for your business. After the trial is up you will need to sign up for a paid plan. The pricing ranges from £5 per month for basic, up to £2000 per month for Shopify Plus.

Question: Can a first-time entrepreneur find success with Shopify?

Answer: Yes! You do not need to have any specific knowledge or experience to get started and to be successful with a Shopify account. Also, since everything is cloud-based you don’t have to worry about maintaining anything. Your website is fully customisable and you can get help and support at any time.

Question: Is Shopify available in my country?

Answer: Currently, Shopify has members in 175 countries around the world. So, you would need to check with Shopify to see if your country is eligible.

For almost 20 years, Shopify has been providing an avenue for entrepreneurs to start an online business with very little start-up capital. And now recently, they have expanded their reach into the offline business realm. By leveraging POS technology, businesses can link offline opportunities to their online Shopify account.

On top of this, they have made it possible for you to take advantage of 3rd party fulfilment companies to leverage their warehousing and shipping resources to bolster your sales and product deliveries. All of this has led to Shopify becoming the number one provider in this space on the Internet. If you are looking to start a business yourself, you should certainly take a look at what Shopify has to offer.

Allegro Logistics is a leading fulfilment provider, specialising in helping ambitious e-commerce brands grow and reach new markets.

Our centralised WMS software Mintsoft allows us to successfully integrate with a wide range of popular e-commerce and courier platforms, including Shopify, which enables you to streamline your fulfilment fast.

Our tailored e-commerce solutions are designed to suit the needs of individual customers, whatever their offering. To find out more about how we can help you grow, contact us today.