Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform that allows individuals and businesses to create and manage their online stores. It offers a range of tools and features that make it easy to set up stores, manage inventory, process payments and process shipping, among other services. Here’s a breakdown of how Shopify works:
1. Storage system
Sign up: Users start by signing up for a Shopify account. Based on the size and needs of their business, they can choose a subscription plan.
Domain Name: You can use a Shopify subdomain (e.g., mystore.shopify.com) or link it to a custom domain (e.g., mystore.com).
Theme: Shopify offers customizable themes that allow you to customize the look and feel of your store without requiring any coding skills. You can change the colors, layout, fonts, etc. to match your brand.
2. Production planning
Attachments: Users can easily add a product to their store, including images, descriptions, prices, and variants (e.g., sizes or colors).
Inventory Tracking: Shopify offers inventory management tools to help you track stock levels, set up automatic restock alerts, and monitor product availability.
Collections: Products can be organized into collections, which are groups of products with similar characteristics, such as categories or products.
3. Payment plan
Payment Gateways: Shopify supports multiple payment gateways, including Shopify Payments, PayPal, Stripe, and more. This allows you to accept a variety of payment methods including credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Transaction Fees: There may be transaction fees depending on the selected payment gateway. However, using Shopify Payments can help you avoid some of these fees.
4. Procurement process
Order processing: When a customer makes a purchase, Shopify handles order processing, which includes sending order confirmations, processing payments, and notifying you of products newly ordered
Shipping options: Shopify lets you configure different shipping methods, including flat pricing, weight-based pricing, and real-time shipping pricing. You can also print mailing lists directly from Shopify.
5. Marketing and SEO
SEO Tools: Shopify includes built-in SEO features like customizable metatags, sitemaps, and URL structure to help your store rank better in search engines
Tools Used: Shopify integrates with a variety of marketing tools and platforms, including social media, email marketing services and Google Ads. This allows you to create targeted marketing campaigns to drive traffic to your store.
Discounts and promotions: You can create discount codes, promotions, and gift cards to attract and retain customers.
6. Analysis and Reporting
Analytics Dashboard: Shopify offers an analytics dashboard where you can track key metrics like sales, traffic, customer behavior, and more.
Reports: Detailed reports on sales, customer demographics, productivity, and other metrics are available to help you make data-driven decisions.
7. The App Store
Third-party apps: Shopify has an extensive app store where you can search for third-party apps to extend the functionality of your store. Apps exist for a variety of purposes, including email marketing, product reviews, social media integration, and more.
8. Customer support
24/7 Support: Shopify offers 24/7 customer support via chat, email, and phone, as well as a comprehensive support center that includes guides and tutorials.
How Shopify works in a nutshell
Register and select a plan.
Pick a theme and add your prod to your store