5 Key Shopify platform features essential for eCommerce success

With over 20% of retail purchases expected to occur online in 2023, investing in an ecommerce platform is a must for staying competitive in the ecommerce sector. Shopify is one of the biggest names in the industry and offers a range of features for both small and large enterprises. 

With its comprehensive features and tools, Shopify has played a pivotal role in driving eCommerce success for countless ventures worldwide. In this article, we'll delve into the dynamic world of Shopify, exploring its key features, benefits, and how top-performing stores have leveraged their potential to achieve unparalleled eCommerce achievements.

Top 5 Shopify platform features

Founded in 2006, Shopify has become a comprehensive platform offering easy-to-use tools, built with a focus on helping businesses achieve the best results. It allows users to create stunning online stores quickly and manage their inventory, customers, and more - without requiring coding skills. 

The platform has features that help streamline operations, boost sales, and foster customer loyalty. This includes a comprehensive suite of integrated marketing solutions, insightful analytics, and powerful SEO tools.

1. Shopify's cutting-edge UI design

UI design plays an important role in driving conversions. Shopify is known for its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, providing a modern UI design that allows for easy store navigation, finding and selecting products, and making purchases quickly and easily. 

The platform also offers numerous themes to help users create custom designs tailored to their needs. The platform simplifies the entire process, from setting up your store to managing products, orders, and customers. Even if you're not tech-savvy, Shopify's drag-and-drop features and customizable templates for professional-looking storefront designs.

From graphical UI to voice-controlled UI features like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, Shopify continuously evolves and enhances its UI design to offer an unparalleled user experience.

2. Comprehensive payment solutions

Shopify offers a massive number of payment options, allowing consumers to check out securely and quickly. From traditional gateways like PayPal and Stripe to newer ones such as Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, etc., the platform provides the flexibility of processing payments from all major players.

The platform also offers its own digital wallet service, Shopify Pay, which allows customers to securely store payment details for faster checkout. Furthermore, Shopify supports multiple currencies and languages, ideal for international customers.

Building trust with customers is paramount in eCommerce. 

Shopify provides a range of secure payment gateways, ensuring customer-sensitive information is protected during transactions. Moreover, the platform is PCI DSS compliant, reducing the burden of security compliance on merchants.

3. Shopify's extensive app store add-on

One of Shopify's standout features is its extensive App Store. This marketplace offers many third-party apps and plugins that allow for extra functionalities to your store. Whether it's enhancing marketing efforts, improving customer service, or streamlining inventory management, the App Store has a solution for almost every need. 

With hundreds of apps to choose from, you will surely find the right one for your store. Furthermore, many of these apps offer free versions with basic features and paid premium versions with advanced features. This allows you to start on a low budget and scale up as your store grows.

Inventory management is a critical component of any eCommerce store. Shopify provides various tools in its app store to simplify and automate the process. This includes features such as automatic inventory tracking, low stock alerts, order fulfillment automation, product bundling, etc., helping you stay one step ahead of your competition. 

Along with inventory management tools, Shopify's app store has numerous marketing tools to help you reach more customers. These apps can help you optimize your store's marketing efforts and get the best return on investment from social media ads to email campaigns and data analysis.

4. Comprehensive analytics

If you want to succeed in eCommerce, you must clearly understand your store's performance. Shopify makes it easy to track your key metrics with its powerful analytics tools, giving you actionable insights into customer engagement, sales trends, product performance, and more. 

With the bulk of Shopify plans providing fraud reports as well as order and finance reports, higher-tier plans like Shopify Advanced and Plus offer additional reports, like:

• Acquisition reports

• Marketing reports

• Sales reports

• Inventory reports

• Behavior reports

• Customer reports

• Retail sales reports

• Profit reports

These advanced reports give you the tools to make better decisions regarding marketing strategies and store operations using these insights. For instance, you can identify which products generate the most revenue or where most of your customers come from.

5. Mobile Responsiveness

With mobile eCommerce encompassing 42% of all eCommerce purchases in 2022 alone, having a responsive website is non-negotiable. Shopify's themes are designed to be mobile-responsive, ensuring that your store looks and functions seamlessly across different devices. 

Moreover, Shopify also offers an array of mobile commerce features, such as mobile payment gateways and in-store assortments. With these features, you can easily optimize your website for smartphones and tablets, making it easier for customers to purchase from their preferred devices. This is especially important given that more than half of online buyers shop with multiple devices before making a purchase. 

Benefits of using Shopify for eCommerce

For eCommerce businesses, Shopify is an ideal platform for scaling up operations. With features like a multi-channel sales dashboard and built-in SEO optimization tools, you can maximize your online presence and reach more potential customers. Business owners can benefit from Shopify's expansive library of integrations, allowing them to seamlessly connect with powerful apps and services. Here are some of the most significant benefits that entrepreneurs can expect from Shopify:

• Quick setup: One of the most significant advantages of Shopify is its quick setup process. Thanks to its user-friendly interface and pre-designed templates, you can have a basic store up and running within hours. This is a game-changer for entrepreneurs looking to launch their businesses swiftly.

  
  

• Scalability: Whether you're just starting or experiencing rapid growth, Shopify scales with your business. As your product catalog expands and your customer base grows, Shopify's infrastructure can handle the increased load without compromising performance.

  
  

• SEO-friendly: Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for driving organic traffic to your store. Shopify is designed with SEO best practices in mind, offering features like customizable meta tags, URL structures, and integrated blogging capabilities to help you improve your store's visibility on search engines.

  
  

• 24/7 Customer support: Running an online store means you might encounter technical issues at any time. Shopify provides 24/7 customer support to assist you with any challenges you face. Whether it's troubleshooting or seeking guidance, their support team is readily available.

  
  

• Secure hosting: Hosting your store on Shopify means you don't have to worry about server maintenance, security updates, or backups. The platform takes care of these aspects, allowing you to focus on growing your business instead of managing technical details.

Navigating Shopify's Ecosystem

Shopify is not just a platform; it's an entire ecosystem that offers various avenues for growth and expansion. Here are some aspects of this ecosystem that you should explore:

Shopify App Store

As mentioned earlier, the App Store is a treasure trove of tools and extensions that can enhance your store's functionality. From email marketing and social media integration to analytics and inventory management, there's an app for almost every business need.

Shopify Academy

Shopify Academy provides many educational resources if you're new to eCommerce or want to refine your skills. You can find courses, tutorials, and guides on topics ranging from store setup to digital marketing strategies.

Shopify community & experts

Joining the Shopify Community connects you with fellow entrepreneurs and experts. You can participate in discussions, ask questions, and share your experiences. This is a great way to learn from others and stay updated on industry trends.

Shopify community discussions, forums, and blogs are also great resources for finding information about the Shopify platform. Plenty of helpful guides, tips, and tutorials are available online to help you get up to speed with using the platform. 

If you need assistance with store setup, design, development, or marketing, you can hire Shopify Experts. These are professionals who specialize in various aspects of eCommerce and can help you achieve your goals more effectively.

Inspiring top Shopify stores

To truly understand the power of Shopify, let's take a look at some top-performing stores that have harnessed its features for eCommerce success:

OddBalls: Elevating eCommerce engagement

Founded in 2013, OddBalls is a vibrant and unconventional underwear brand that has made a remarkable impact on the UK clothing industry. What started as a unique way to raise awareness about testicular cancer has transformed into a successful and colorful brand with a strong purpose. 

OddBalls leveraged Wisepops to offer customers a 10% discount code to incentivize purchases. The vibrant and colorful onsite notification aligned seamlessly with the brand's design aesthetic, engaging customers and encouraging them to take advantage of the offer.

Approximately 50% of all orders during the campaign period utilized the discount code, resulting in significant revenue for the brand.

Allbirds: Eco-friendly shoe brand's rapid rise

Founded in 2014, New Zealand's Allbirds has made waves in footwear by crafting wool shoes for comfort and sustainability. Co-founders Tim Brown and Zoey Zwillinger's innovative vision led to swift triumph. 

This sustainable footwear brand has gained worldwide recognition for its comfortable and eco-friendly shoes. Allbirds' Shopify-powered store offers a seamless shopping experience and effectively communicates the brand's values. Focusing on "simplicity in design, confidence in comfort, and made from nature," Allbirds encapsulates its essence. 

Its eco-friendly ethos is evident in minimalistic, nature-inspired footwear and 90% post-consumer recycled cardboard packaging. As a B-Corp, Allbirds's commitment to sustainability shines, amplified by regular donations to environmental causes. Prioritizing both style and conscience, Allbirds continues to soar as a pioneering force in the footwear industry.

Gymshark's remarkable journey to a billion-dollar valuation

Founded by 19-year-old Ben Francis in 2012, Gymshark emerged from humble beginnings as a fitness apparel brand, obtaining a valuation exceeding £1 billion in 2020. With over 900 global employees and a vast social media following of 10 million, Gymshark's impact spans 230 countries. 

Key to their success is the alignment with their fitness-focused audience through events like GYMSHARK66, enhancing visibility and engagement.

Their core values, including authenticity and community building, contribute to a strong brand identity. Gymshark's ascent to success is a testament to connecting with consumers, fostering a genuine community, and upholding its core principles.

Leveraging Shopify's features for eCommerce success 

The Shopify platform offers a wealth of features that are essential for achieving eCommerce success. From its user-friendly interface and extensive App Store to its scalability, security, and SEO-friendly design, Shopify empowers entrepreneurs to build and manage online stores with ease. Navigating the Shopify ecosystem, with resources like the App Store, Academy, and Community, further enriches the experience and fosters growth.

Whether you're just starting your eCommerce journey or seeking to optimize an existing store, Shopify's features provide the tools you need to not only survive but thrive in the competitive world of online retail. 

With its commitment to innovation and support, Shopify continues to be a driving force behind the success of countless eCommerce ventures worldwide. So, take advantage of its features, explore its ecosystem, and embark on a journey toward eCommerce greatness with Shopify at your side.