APR. 26, 2021
Unsplash / Roberto Cortese
Shopify makes a name for itself as one of the leading e-commerce platforms in today’s digital marketplace. As a user-friendly and reliable software, Shopify makes it easier than ever for online businesses to sell their products, create a digital storefront, and design the e-commerce website of their dreams.
5 Core Differences That Set Shopify Plus Apart From Shopify
A few years after Shopify established itself as an asset to e-commerce businesses, the platform created Shopify Plus. While both Shopify and Shopify Plus give businesses the opportunity to create a customized e-commerce storefront, Shopify Plus’s additional features can take an online business to the next level of professionalism.
Wondering if an upgrade to Shopify Plus is the right business move? Here are 5 of the most pressing differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus to keep in mind:
#1: Shopify Plus Has Built-In Training Opportunities
No matter how successful an e-commerce business might be, there is always room for further learning and development. Shopify Plus understands this need by offering an exclusive Shopify Plus Academy, a group of courses aimed at improving all aspects of the online business journey. This includes exciting topics related to paid advertising, business expansion, remarketing, personalization, and more.
#2: Shopify Plus Has More Personalization Features
To create an online experience that is completely unique to a business style and consumer needs, Shopify Plus is there to help. While Shopify offers a level of customization through its features, it cannot compete with Shopify Plus’s exciting personalization methods.
Personalization features exclusive to Shopify Plus include:
- A customized customer checkout experience
- 100 themes to pick from
- Certified app integrations and channels
- Extra API Integrations such as a gift card resource, multipass login, and user resource
#3: Shopify Plus Supports Expansion Opportunities
The beauty of Shopify Plus is that it gives businesses a lot of wiggle room for growing and expanding as they see fit. With the added resources that Shopify Plus offers, the easier it is for businesses to grow with their account. Some of the best features that support growth and development include:
- Multiple Storefront Management: Unlike Shopify, Shopify Plus grants access to multiple storefronts under one shared, organizational level account with the help of the Shopify Organization Admin. Furthermore, its option to sell on an entirely separate wholesale channel is a paramount feature for businesses interested in simultaneously growing both B2C and B2B storefronts.
- Unlimited Staff Accounts: A traditional Shopify account allows a finite number of staff members to manage and access the backend of the store. On the other hand, Shopify Plus gives as many team members an account as a business pleases.
Whether it’s a change to the team size, storefront, or even the type of business model, rest assured Spotify Plus can help businesses scale up with ease.
#4: Shopify Plus Connects Businesses To The Right People
While both platforms have ample support with 24/7 customer service, community forums, and a help center, Shopify Plus takes the additional step of connecting merchants with the people and partners that can help their business grow and thrive.
This is found through:
- A Launch Engineer: Shopify Plus designates a launch engineer to help businesses have a seamless and stress-free launch. A few of the many technical tasks that a launch engineer takes on include data migration, domain and URL structure, theme selection, and more.
- Exclusive Shopify Plus Service Partners: Whether it’s for improving SEO, marketing strategy, website UX design, or something else, Shopify Plus contains exclusive ties with companies that can be hired to assist merchants with a variety of e-commerce needs.
- A Thriving Facebook Community: Shopify Plus merchants can network, bond, and swap ideas with fellow online business owners on the private Shopify Plus Community Facebook group.
#5: Shopify Plus Warrants A Higher Price Point
While Shopify has three defined monthly price points to choose from, a Shopify Plus membership is more individualized. This is because an account can significantly vary in price depending on the level of personalization and the number of extra applications and partnerships utilized. For these reasons, a traditional Shopify account is a better option for those with smaller and more concrete budgets just beginning their online business endeavors.
Who Is The Best Candidate For Shopify Plus?
At the end of the day, Shopify Plus, though quite valuable, is not always necessary for small e-commerce brands. Shopify plus is an ideal platform for brands that fall within these parameters:
- Brands looking to manage multiple e-commerce storefronts at once
- Larger-scale enterprise businesses with big teams
- Businesses with future growth and expansion goals
- Businesses with higher budgets and financial security
Elevate Your Shopify Plus Store Today
All in all, if Shopify Plus is indeed the best fit for a storefront’s needs, working with a capable Shopify Plus Agency gives businesses the best chance at maintaining a high-quality online storefront!
