Following the pandemic and shutdowns across the country, retail made a monumental shift to ecommerce. More and more companies are switching to an ecommerce model over a traditional brick-and-mortar model, and there’s no sign it’s slowing down.
Selling products online can be difficult, however. Ecommerce owners have to balance a lot of tasks, including order fulfillment, multichannel advertising, managing inventory, and responding to customers.
Along with these tasks, owners have to build an aesthetically pleasing, engaging, and intuitive storefront that provides customers with everything they need to make a purchase decision. Several platforms are available to support ecommerce, but one of the top on the market is Shopify. This platform is cost-effective, simple for new business owners, and suitable for any industry.
Shopify has numerous packages to support ecommerce owners at every stage of their business, starting with the basic plan. Once the business grows, however, ecommerce owners need more functionality to support manageable growth and profitability. Shopify Plus is the top-tier plan that offers virtually everything an owner needs, from customizable checkout to unlimited staff accounts.
Ecommerce businesses will continue to grow, so it’s important to manage it effectively. Switching to Shopify Plus, hiring more people, and adding automation features can go a long way toward manageable growth, but you can make the most of your Shopify Plus plan with a Shopify Plus development company.
Armed with a team of experts, you can streamline your business processes, manage growth, and handle high-volume sales to support your business as it expands. Consider how a Shopify Plus development company can set you up for success.
What is Shopify Plus?
Most people in ecommerce use or are familiar with Shopify. The platform is a top choice for many ecommerce owners and takes a lot of the stress, intimidation, and risk out of opening an ecommerce store. Over a million businesses are on Shopify and sell products in domestic and international markets.
The starting point is typically the basic Shopify plan, which offers a few staff accounts, a few stores, and some helpful features. From there, you can upgrade to the main Shopify plan, which adds features like adaptable international pricing, lower credit card rates and transaction fees, and professional reports.
While the main Shopify plan has plenty for most businesses, once your business scales, you may need more than this plan offers. That’s where Shopify Plus comes in. This plan includes everything in the previous Shopify plans, as well as exclusive features.
Shopify Plus has a hefty subscription fee, however, so it’s important to make the switch only when you’re ready. In addition, many business owners upgrade to Shopify Plus and gain access to a wealth of features that they don’t use. Whether it’s because they don’t know how or they’re not sure how these features can be incorporated into the business model, it’s a waste to pay the subscription fee and waste all its offerings.
The solution? A Shopify Plus development company. These experts can ensure you make the most of your Shopify Plus plan and all its features to support your business’s continued growth and profitability.
5 Great Reasons to Hire a Shopify Plus Development Company
1. Developers Can Build a Totally Unique Site
Your brand matters and should be reflected in every aspect of your business, from your social media communications to the copy and color scheme of your site. When you think of well-known brand websites, such as eBay and Amazon, they’re recognizable because of their colors, layout, and design, even if the name or logo don’t show up anywhere.
Ideally, this is what your site should have – a layout and color scheme that’s unique to your brand and distinct from other marketplaces or stores. Over time, this will pay off in brand recognition and site traffic.
Shopify has plenty of themes to choose from, and Shopify Plus allows you to make small changes to customize them. Other store owners have the same option, however, so you could end up with a similar store to a competitor.
A Shopify developer can handle this for you. These experts can take an out-of-the-box theme and customize it to your needs. As web developers, they can also ensure that your site follows the current trends in development, design, and user experience (UX). The result is a unique site that’s engaging and convenient for customers and totally aligned with your brand.
2. Developers Can Design Your Site into a Funnel for Successful Sales
You may have some development skills yourself, but nothing beats what you get with an expert. Shopify Plus development companies focus only on development, so you can have confidence in their knowledge and expertise on the platform.
Along with designing an impressive site visually, a professional developer can ensure your site is maximized to convert visitors. Shopify Plus developers have the skills to expand on the features by adding the right JS, CSS, or HTML into Liquid. Some of these capabilities include:
- Customizing the checkout to reflect your brand, provide a better customer experience, and offer discounts or promotions to VIP customers
- Streamlining the search and filter algorithm to make items easier to find on the product pages, which may lead to a higher conversion rate
- Writing code to integrate third-party apps and software into your ecommerce store, such as an app to share product descriptions on social media or an email marketing software solution
- Optimizing every aspect of your ecommerce store, including loading speeds, images, search engine visibility, and more
In addition, Shopify Plus developers can recommend the best apps for your particular store and needs. Shopify offers a wide variety of app options, but not all of them are the quality or compatibility you need for your store.
3. Developers Can Take on the Burden for You
Ecommerce owners have a lot on their plate. Even with a team, there’s still so much to take care of, including logistics and marketing. When you try to do it all yourself, you could end up with subpar work that takes a toll on your business.
A Shopify Plus development company can handle all the web development and design tasks for you, leaving you to focus on your business. With the technical work handled, you’re free to put all your attention and effort into product research and development, customer communications, marketing and promotions, and order fulfillment.
4. Developers Can Bridge Skill Gaps
As mentioned, Shopify Plus has a wealth of features, functionality, and customization options to enhance your store, including the coveted checkout customization features. All of these features are intended to support your business growth and provide the type of experience customers expect.
While some features are straightforward and beginner-friendly, others take some technical knowledge. For example, some business owners don’t know how to code or run a site’s backend, which eliminates a lot of the features with Shopify Plus.
Shopify Plus development companies bridge the skills gap to help you get your money’s worth out of the plan. You’ll not only have the benefits of website development, but store customization, app building and integration, improved customer experience, and more.
5. Developers Offer a Range of Capabilities to Enhance Your Business
Beyond strict web development, a development company offers a range of other services to handle all your site’s needs.
Here’s a full list of what Shopify Plus development companies bring to the table:
- Shipping and fulfillment automation
- App development and integration
- Website customization
- Headless commerce
- Marketing automation
- Ecommerce strategy
- Security and risk management
- User experience development
- Business and web consulting
- Paid social
- Accessibility
- Site management
- UX and site audit
How to Choose a Shopify Plus Development Company
Is a Shopify Plus development company sounding like exactly what you need for your ecommerce business? It’s a great choice, but it’s vital to consider all the options for your partnership and find the best company for your industry and goals.
Most importantly, make sure the company is exclusive to the Shopify platform. Many development companies may have Shopify knowledge, but if you’re getting help for Shopify Plus to make the most of its features, it’s important to choose a company that has knowledge and expertise with the platform.
You should also check the company’s portfolio. Shopify Plus isn’t a cheap subscription plan, so don’t put its success in the hands of an inexperienced developer. Ideally, find a Shopify Plus development company that boasts a successful record of Shopify work.
Before you sign with a Shopify Plus development company, check reviews and testimonials to see the overall opinion of the company with its customers. Many of them likely went to the development company to get help with similar things as you, so you can get a good idea of whether a development company is right for you.
Communication is also an important consideration. You’ll be working closely with the development company to optimize and customize your site, so it’s vital that you’re on the same page. You may also need help after the changes are live, and a reputable developer will offer support to address any technical problems.
Leverage Shopify Plus with a Development Company
Shopify Plus is a powerhouse for ecommerce business, but it’s only a set of tools that you need know-how to wield. Instead of struggling and getting frustrated, sign on with a Shopify Plus development company that can optimize your site for conversions, craft a unique site, and handle the technical burden for you.
Author Bio: Sean Richards
Sean Richards is the VP of Strategy & Partnerships for Vincit. Prior to Vincit, Richards provided business development, digital marketing strategy and partnership development at several reputable companies and marketing agencies in both California and Arizona. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Design Management from Arizona State University.
