We live in an age of electronic commerce whether you like it or not. More people are doing business online more than ever especially since the Covid-19 pandemic.
One of the most popular e-commerce platforms is Shopify. There are millions of people with stores on Shopify selling everything from clothes to robotics.
The platform handles many of the needs that e-commerce entrepreneurs have making it very easy to run the store. However, running an e-commerce store on Shopify still requires tremendous skill and knowledge.
The following are some tips to help out beginners just starting a Shopify store:
Mobile Design
Shopify has a fantastic website design tool. It is easy to use by simply dragging and dropping various elements.
Unfortunately, many new Shopify store owners forget that the platform has a mobile site design tool alongside the website design tool. The vast majority of users will not continue using your website if they are unable to use the mobile version.
Shopify’s platform will do much to make your site highly accessible on mobile. However, you should double check and do more to ensure that it performs well on every type of device.
Web Hosting
When you create a site your choice of web hosting will be crucial to the functioning of the site. It is especially so with a Shopify e-commerce store.
You should use and stick to Shopify web hosting for the best results. The platform has a considerable content distribution network (CDN) with thousands of servers all over the world.
The hosting service you choose will particularly have an effect on the load speed of your website. Most users will abandon a site with a page load time of more than five seconds.
Shopify Agency
Only you can know exactly what your Shopify needs so it is sensible to be the one to design your store. However, a little help will go a long way when creating a Shopify store.
There are many places you can reach out for help with your Shopify store. One of them is an agency made by Shopify developers. They will give you priceless advice that will help you when starting your store.
You will need help particularly with the technical aspects of using Shopify’s platform’s features. The more you know, the more you will be able to take advantage of the platform.
Domain Name
You will still need a domain name for your Shopify store. A grave mistake that most people make when starting their Shopify store is to choose a free domain name.
Shopify will give you a free domain name but you should change it immediately as it is worthless. Moreover, it will not help you build your brand.
The good news is that a domain name is cheap and will cost you a few bucks a year. You need to build brand authority and a solid domain name will help a lot.
Plugins
The main advantage that Shopify has over other platforms is its wealth of plugins. No other platform even comes close to the level of customization that Shopify offers.
You should take full advantage of the full repertoire of Shopify plugins. One of the best ways to do so is to automate marketing. A great example is email automation.
The social media plugin on Shopify is especially useful. Social media is the greatest tool to use for online marketing.
You should ensure to activate the product review plugin on Shopify as well. The feedback you get from your customers is priceless and will help you improve your store.
You should learn as much about Shopify’s plugins before you start a store on their platform.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization will be crucial when setting up a Shopify store. You should ensure that you learn at least the basics of SEO before starting your store.
The vast majority of traffic to your store will come from search engines. Therefore, the more optimized your site is for search engines, the more traffic your store will get which translates to sales and profits.
Use relevant keywords in your content, optimize images for site speed and create a sitemap for ease of use. There are many other SEO strategies such as use of links that you should learn before starting your site.
The importance of SEO is often understated. The sooner you implement successful SEO strategies, the sooner you store can be successful.
In conclusion, starting a Shopify store is a decision that could affect the rest of your life. If it goes well, you might join the ranks of internet millionaires. Therefore, use the tips above to create a fantastic store that not only offers customer value but is highly profitable.