Shopify And The Advantages Of Shopify Plus

For people who want to make a global impact with their business, Shopify and Shopify Plus are taking the lead in areas such as language translation, inventory management, multiple currencies, and application support. With hundreds of apps available to us in conjunction with Shopify, it's no wonder that eCommerce brands gravitate towards the platform when looking to increase their international customer base. 

While considering expanding, the first challenge you will need to address is stock management. More customers equally means more stock is required to fulfil their orders. This is fine if you are using a drop shipping method, but if you are the company which holds the products then you will need to ensure your inventory management is up to to the task. 

Helpful programs which integrate with Shopify, such as Veeqo, could be the simple solution. Veeqo is used by well-known brands such as Dove, Harry Potter and even Brewdog beer, so is it right for you? The answer is probably going to be 'yes', because of its flexibility and scope. The software is ideal for omni-channel retailers, you can manage your orders and your inventory at the click of a button. 

What does this mean for your brand? As an example, Harry from Brompton Bikes explains "Veeqo does what it promised – cut our dispatch time from five minutes to two." There are 8 areas of business that the software assists you with, including streamlining accounts, picking, packing and shipping, purchasing, and importantly, reporting. After all, as a flourishing business you'll need to know who's buying your goods! 

With near real-time precision, you can simply open up your dashboard, see all your orders from every sales channel, and monitor their status. The beauty of Veeqo is that when you sell something on one channel, it updates the whole system, meaning that you get an up to date inventory to show your customers, and your staff have an easier job dealing with enquiries as well as the shipping chain. 

So, now you have an idea about how make your stock management and order chain more efficient, how about the other obstacles that could appear when you go global? A secondary consideration will need to be making sure that your customers have an accurate translation of your product titles, descriptions, and other critical information. That's where Shopify has you covered. It supports multi-lingual apps which will seamlessly translate your native language into a range of different options. 

Here at Pear Digital we recommend Weglot. This amazing tool allows you to make your website multilingual in minutes, and it manages all your translations effortlessly – even if they are not using a traditional Western alphabet. In the 21st Century we sometimes take it for granted that most of the world's marketplace can understand English, or at least recognise a photo with a short tag-line underneath. However, if you want the edge on your competitors when expanding to a new territory, connecting with people of a different culture in their own language, shows your willingness to adapt. Weglot could be your ticket to securing a new, dedicated following abroad. 

At this point you may be wondering if you should upgrade your experience by using Shopify Plus. This is a question we come across often, and so we have decided to give you a guideline as to what the advantages are for the 'plus' option. In simple terms Shopify Plus offers the same great features as the original – just with 'more'. Therefore, the 'plus' platform is best suited for larger, demanding B2C transactions. 

An example of a typical business that would benefit from Shopify Plus:

- A large company who is continually growing at a fast speed

- You have a customer base that require up to 10k or more orders to be handled per minute

- You need stable customisations for your site that will enhance the buyer experience

- Your company uses many third party apps or software programs

- You require up-to-the-minute security for peace of mind

- You ideally need unlimited staff accounts (for a large, expanding workforce)

- You have reached the limits of what Shopify can currently do for you

There are so many more advantages when upgrading to Shopify Plus. Here is just a small example; it offers more API integrations. These come in the form of the APIs that facilitate integrations with third-party apps, such as the useful Gift Card payment option. Of course this is very popular around the holiday season, or for customers shopping remotely for a special occasion such as a wedding. 

As we mentioned earlier, reporting and analysis are crucial when moving into a new marketplace, so you may also find the extra in-depth analytics option a huge bonus if you upgrade to Shopify Plus. In the dashboard you can view more information than ever before, and this allows you to target campaigns, create promotions, and drive sales through your best performing channels, as well as improve your underperforming areas. 

In short, Shopify is great for small to medium enterprises; it still has a lot to offer in terms of services and compatibility with apps. If you are looking to dip your toe into the world of global sales you may not require an upgrade. Yet, if you already have a medium to large business which is going to be heading out into the world in full force, Shopify Plus is definitely worth looking into, as it may just give you that edge on your competitors.