If you're looking for a solution to build an online store, Shopify can be a great option. And if your business is on an enterprise level, the Shopify Plus plan gives you even more. It has done a great job with the Shopify Plus features for high volume stores. It's time to end the myth that this popular eCommerce platform is only for small businesses.
We will explore how the offering provides enterprise-grade selling capabilities without the headaches, timeframes or hefty price tags of traditional enterprise applications in this Shopify Plus review.
What is Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus is an enhanced version of the popular eCommerce platform specifically designed for high-volume enterprise brands. It's a fully hosted, SaaS eCommerce platform.
Since the solution is constantly monitored and upgraded to ensure maximum efficiency and robustness, it eliminates the need to run your server or locate a hosting company that can handle your website. It's infinitely more reliable than self-hosted platforms such as WordPress WooCommerce, Magento Enterprise, or SAP Hybrid hosted solutions.
Its main advantage over regular Shopify is that it gives you more control, customisation, and automation for your standard setup, as well as faster speeds, improved search engine optimisation, and better omnichannel services.
While that's great, it's also pricey with a minimum monthly cost of $2,000. Of course, Shopify and Shopify Plus are not the only ways to start selling online. See our WooCommerce article for more alternatives.
Shopify Plus Key Features
1. High scalability and traffic reliability
Website's reliability is one of the most crucial factors for any eCommerce retailer. If the website ever goes down and customers can't make purchases, all the marketing, email flows and conversion tactics mean nothing. So every second of downtime is money down the drain.
Retailers who get massive demand need a platform that won't come crashing down when flash sales or seasonal events create huge traffic spikes – and Shopify Plus is well equipped to handle that.
The platform can handle thousands of transactions per minute, so you can keep your website up and running. There are no transaction fees, no limit to the number of products or bandwidth. You can keep growing your business on Shopify Plus without worrying if the website can handle it.
2. Built with global expansion in mind
Going global means more than just driving traffic from multiple countries to one website. Having storefronts for different countries with the appropriate languages, currencies and payment options available for each helps pave the way to international success.
Shopify Plus currently provides nine identical stores for different languages on top of your original, totalling ten storefronts for one Shopify Plus account. Each storefront has its backend, meaning you can manage content, inventory and orders separately.
If you want to bring all your back-office tasks into one place, a quality Shopify Plus management system is the best way to do it.
3. Full online store customisation
The basic Shopify platform has been criticised for its limited store customisation, with little room for manoeuvre beyond the design or theme you initially settled on. But Shopify Plus was built differently.
Each merchant is unique, so Shopify Plus allows each to have complete customisation control. The dev team have access to full site control through editable CSS files and scripts. You have control over the layout, content and branding. Users can find thousands of professionally built apps to enhance a store's capabilities in the Shopify App Store.
The Shopify Plus platform has a fleet of hand-picked, expert designers, developers and partners who can create custom experiences. Whether a business needs an award-winning design, custom features, or a far-reaching social media plan, Shopify Plus features can provide enterprise merchants with the help they need.
4. Automated workflows and campaigns
eCommerce merchants have a lot on their hands to get done every day. The amount of free time it gives you is one thing that makes Shopify Plus so impressive. Featuring automation capabilities, they aim at cutting hours of repetitive busy work from day-to-day chores so you can focus on other tasks.
The automation section has tools for improving customer service workflow. With these automation tools, you can manage inventory, orders and products. It would take way too much time to segment customers manually, so I like the options for that.
You could set a parameter that anyone who spends over $100 in one month would be labelled a VIP customer automatically. The same can be done for reordering low inventory or assessing the risk level for a potentially fraudulent transaction.
On top of this, you can put marketing campaigns on autopilot with the help of Shopify Plus's Launchpad tool. It's possible to schedule many essential tasks when it comes to product launches and flash sales.
5. Advanced omnichannel capabilities
Shopify Plus sets you up for seamless native social commerce in some virtual channels. It allows enterprise merchants to quickly sell across social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, ensuring maximum product reach.
Also, many users have utilised the Shopify POS system to interact with customers and make sales in-person via pop-up stores.
Shopify Plus accepts over 70 different payment gateways like credit cards, including PayPal and Bitcoin, allowing stores to sell in multiple regions and foreign languages. The ability to meet customers whenever and wherever they are is crucial for any business looking to expand its clientele.
All of this is connected on the back and the front end. Businesses can connect with their existing IT platforms to create a seamless and integrated solution using the Shopify Plus API. That includes any ERP, CRM, and accounting systems, plus other software you might be using.
Shopify Plus Pricing
Shopify Plus pricing can create confusion since they do not have prices listed on their website, and you are encouraged to contact them for a quote. Pricing for Shopify Plus is heavily based on usage and sales. It can be very different for each business, even month to month.
Here's an estimate of what to expect for Shopify Plus pricing:
- Build costs. Most enterprise merchants want something unique to align with their branding and using a pre-designed template isn't an option. A quality third-party design agency can cost between $30,000 and $250,000 or more.
- Licencing costs. The fee is between $2,000 and $40,000 a month. After hitting $800,000 in monthly sales, this will go up to a cap of 16 million.
- Transaction costs. Payment processing fees are added at a rate of 1.6% for each transaction. If using a third-party processor, there's also a 0.15% fee.
This might seem like a lot, but when compared to other solutions, Shopify Plus pricing is relatively cost-effective considering what the platform can do for your business.
Pros & Cons Run-down
Shopify Plus Pros
- Shopify Plus system keeps everything organised for you.
- Shopify Plus saves you a ton of time.
- Shopify Plus Cost is worth what you get.
- Shopify Plus exceeds at exceptional customer service.
- Shopify Plus is incredibly scalable and reliable.
- Shopify Plus is exceptionally customisable.
- Marketing support is excellent.
- Shopify Plus allows you to view and adjust payments on the same screen.
- Shopify Plus is very user friendly.
Shopify Plus Cons
- Content management is limited, even though there are built-in blogging tools.
- The Shopify Language Liquid has some learning curve, but it's relatively not difficult that to learn.
- The pricing is not transparent. They encourage you to contact them for personalised quotes.
When are you ready for Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus features can offer a growing eCommerce business an exciting opportunity. It is easy to start new shops, connect to warehouses and apps internationally. But since it's a pricey commitment, unless you are running many shops or doing a high number of sales, it may not suit your brand.
The first thing you need to consider is that the costs aren't going to cripple your business. Aside from this, If you're hitting about $1M in monthly revenue and global expansion is part of your growth forecast, then Shopify Plus is waiting for you to try it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the transaction fees?
Shopify Plus charges 0.15% per transaction to cover additional security requirements if you use a third-party payment gateway. This fee helps maintain their PCI compliance and the integrity of data.
If you use Shopify Payments, this fee is dismissed. You can also take advantage of up to 18% higher conversion rates when you enable Shop Pay.
What other costs are there?
None, but you should factor a Shopify Plus partner into your budget if you need custom development. Other optional costs are one-time theme purchases, any third-party apps, and tax automation.
How many online stores can I have?
To make your website accessible for global audiences, you can create unlimited online stores to sell in different currencies and languages. Your primary store and nine expansion stores are part of your monthly platform fee, with an additional cost for each different store.
How does the variable fee work?
Standard setup and integrations start at $2,000 a month. The variable fee options are also available for more complex, high volume business structures.
Why is it so expensive?
Pricing for Shopify Plus is based on trading volumes and usage. This seems reasonable since the more active your store is, the more resources and bandwidth it uses. The minimum monthly license fee is $2,000, and the maximum is $40,000.
Is Advanced Shopify the same as Shopify plus?
Both Shopify Plus and Shopify Advanced are platforms for growing eCommerce stores. Shopify plus is a hosted platform designed for big brands that are good for enterprise applications, while Shopify Advanced is designed for smaller and less complicated stores.
Fancy Your Own Shopify Plus Website?
If your enterprise needs professional hands to help create a Shopify Plus eCommerce Website to drive sales, our team at Sphere Agency is here to help you design and develop a one-stop online store that provides you with customer data and insights. See our Shopify Development Service and contact us today!
