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Shopify - What is it?
Shopify was founded in 2006 by German expat Tobias Lütke as an online shop for snowboarding equipment in Canada. He decided to license the software to other retailers. Over time, Shopify transformed into a powerful and diverse e-commerce platform. Today, Shopify powers more than 4.8 million online stores in 174 countries and is one of the leading e-commerce platforms, especially for D2C brands.
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Why is Shopify so popular?
As a cloud-based e-commerce platform, Shopify enables sellers to create and manage their own online store without having to worry about hosting or technical infrastructure. Shopify handles all setup and maintenance work itself.
The platform is also characterized by its intuitive handling. Thanks to an intuitive modular system, you can easily build your own online shop and add products using drag & drop. You don't need any coding knowledge to do this, as the entire shop creation and management process is done with just a few clicks.
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Flexible & independent shop system
This gives you complete independence with your shop and eliminates the need for costly collaboration with external agencies. However, thanks to code access, you can expand your shop specifically according to your needs.
Merchants particularly value this combination of flexibility and high adaptability, allowing them to accurately capture their brand identity with Shopify and reflect it in their online store.
What can Shopify do? - Features at a glance
Shopify naturally fulfills the basic functions of a store system, including creating and managing products, presenting your catalog on a customizable website, processing payments and orders, and communicating with customers.
Nevertheless, Shopify offers unique features that distinguish it from other platforms. These include, above all, the wide range of extensions available through the largest ecosystem of apps in e-commerce. This allows you to effectively implement even advanced features such as email marketing, loyalty programs, customer support, or returns management.
Shopify includes everything you need to run a professional and effective online business. You can find a detailed overview of the platform's advantages and potential weaknesses in our detailed analysis.
Shopify - These are the experiences
Shopify is not without reason considered one of the most popular online store systems worldwide for international brands, including Pepsi, Fenty Beauty, and Gymshark. However, its focus is no longer solely on North America. In German-speaking countries, Shopify is considered the fastest-growing e-commerce software.
Both popular brands such as Hey Marly, SNOCKS, TEVEO and Everdrop, as well as established traditional companies such as Krombacher and Sennheiser report on their positive experiences and are successfully scaling their online business with Shopify.
There are now 80,000 German Shopify stores alone. Which other German brands rely on Shopify? What do their online shops look like? Our top 26 of the most popular Shopify stores in Germany demonstrates what's possible with the platform.
Shopify is also becoming increasingly popular in Switzerland, with over 17,000 active online shops. What are Swiss retailers' experiences with the shop system, and what are some relevant examples? Read more in our article.
Shopify's popularity is also growing in Austria. Which well-known brands from the region use the software as the basis for their online shops? Find out about the top 10 brands in our overview.
Is Shopify worth it?
Shopify offers its features at different plans. You pay a fixed monthly fee that covers server and operating costs for your online store. There are also variable transaction fees that vary depending on the payment provider.
In our experience, Shopify offers good value for money. Unlike other providers, the e-commerce platform includes a variety of powerful, integrated features, such as POS and multichannel integrations. Even the cheapest pricing plan covers all the essentials you need to successfully launch your online store.
Which Shopify plan is most beneficial for you, and what are the exact differences? Our detailed guide to Shopify costs answers these questions.
What is Shopify Plus?
Are you looking for a e-commerce platform that meets even the most complex enterprise requirements? As the premium version of Shopify, Shopify Plus is aimed at the largest brands and can handle even immense order and sales volumes. You can find everything you need to know about the differences, benefits, and costs in our Shopify Plus guide.
What payment methods does Shopify offer?
Shopify integrates its own payment gateway, Shopify Payments, allowing customers to centrally offer all the payment methods they need: credit card, Klarna invoice, SOFORTÜberweisung, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and many more. By adding local payment methods, you can even cater to international customers and improve their purchasing experience.
You can find out more details about Shopify Payments, its benefits, and how to set it up in our guide.
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Shopify provider comparison
To the shop system comparisonChoosing the right shop system is one of the most crucial factors for success in online retail. Which e-commerce platform is best for you? Our comprehensive provider comparison simplifies your decision. We compare Shopify, Shopware, Magento, Strato, and WooCommerce, among others. What are the individual weaknesses of the platforms? Find out which shop system meets your requirements.
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Want to switch to Shopify?
How we perform shop migrationsA seamless migration to Shopify requires structured organization and expertise. We therefore recommend working with specialists.
At tante-e, we have experience in over 200 successful e-commerce projects and have already completed numerous migrations to Shopify. We would be happy to support you with your online store.