When thinking of huge eCommerce giants like Shopify, most people usually remind themselves of common Shopify features like user-friendly interface and stunning templates. However, there's much more to this platform that has made it popular over the years! Let us guide you through the 15 best Shopify features, which include:
4. Customer experience functionalities
8. Dropshipping & Print-on-demand
Top 15 Shopify Features to Scale up Your E-Store
So far, Shopify has impressed with its wide array of features that amaze even experienced users. Still, based on our research, below are the most remarkable ones:
1. Themes & customization
If you are looking to create a professional yet visually stunning storefront, these Shopify features are your best friend. With 213 designs (including 200 paid and 13 free options), the selection covers a very wide range of topics, such as Arts, Books, Pets, Technology, and more. Better yet, you can easily filter/narrow your search by:
- Catalog size (from 1-9 products to 200+ products)
- Desired features (e.g., Quick view, Stock counter, color swatches, etc.)
- Popularity
- Price (high to low or vice versa)
- Recent release
And here's the most impressive part: Shopify theme customization is straightforward. Even those with little to no coding experience will be able to align the themes with their brands in a heartbeat! And, of course, adding custom code is still an option if you want even more control and a truly unique online store experience for your customers. So long story short, Shopify really offers something for everyone.
2. App store
Next on our list is the Shopify App Store, a fantastic resource for online merchants with over 8,000 well-tested, highly-rated apps (costing about $20/month on average). This comprehensive store manages to cover almost every key aspect of an eCommerce business, including:
- Sales channels: to sync and manage products, streamline retail operations and POS
- Find products: to source products via wholesale options, on-demand print, and dropshipping; keep in touch with suppliers.
- Sell products: to increase sales via digital downloads, customizable product features, flexible payment gateways, etc.
- Orders & shipping: to improve order processing with tools for printing invoices and tracking orders
Shop design: to customize your storefront and functionalities - Marketing/conversion: Attract and retain loyal customers using upselling opportunities, positive reviews, product bundles, and effective email marketing
Another highlight is the two key sections, “Popular with Merchants” and “Trends for this month” on the platform dashboard. As their names suggest, both sections display the most popular/widely used apps at the moment; that way, fresh beginners can start purchasing without getting lost in the maze.
(We have also compiled a list of 15+ best Shopify apps for any type of website; check it out!)
3. Inventory management
To run a store smoothly, you need a system that automatically updates your stock levels when you sell, receive, exchange, or return products. Here's where Shopify's Inventory Management feature enters the picture! It eliminates the need for manual updates to save you time and reduce unwanted errors.
Plus, we have great news if your store aims to profit from the U.S.: Shopify Fulfillment Network will handle your inventory distribution across various U.S. warehouses. As a result, you will be able to offer your customers a quick, 2-day delivery at an affordable rate.
And that's not all; the App Store we discussed above also introduces various inventory management applications to choose from. Some outstanding apps you may consider:
- Stocky: Real-time tracking
- Thrive by Shopventory: Automate purchase orders; connect several Shopify accounts.
- ShipHero: Purchasing automation, demand forecasting, etc.
Want to Migrate to Shopify?
If you intend to migrate to Shopify, LitExtension offers a great migration service that helps you transfer your data from the current eCommerce platform to a new one accurately, and painlessly with utmost security.
4. Customer experience functionalities
Customer experience is crucial for any store's success. While many platforms fall short in this area, Shopify proudly stands out with various excellent options and consistent updates. Let's have a look at some outstanding Shopify features:
One-page checkout
One common problem for eCommerce stores is customers abandoning their carts due to the complicated checkout processes.
Shopify platform used to suffer from this issue, too, but it has now switched from a three-page to a one-page checkout. That means your customers can see all the important details, like shipping info, order/product details, and payment options, all at once. They will be more likely to complete their purchases as a result, which translates to significant sales increases for your business.
Discount codes
With the Shopify platform, creating and managing discount codes is very easy. You can set up a percentage or fixed-amount discount and even apply it to specific products or collections. Check out our guide on how to add discount codes on Shopify.
Rewards program
A smooth and quick checkout process will likely satisfy your customers, but it's the extra features like reward programs that turn them into loyal fans. Luckily, Shopify offers plenty of great reward program options that have worked extremely well for many merchants!
You can use Shopify's loyalty programs to give customers benefits or points for making purchases, signing up for newsletters, referring friends, and many more. People can then use these points to get special rewards or discounts (or even free products), which boosts their loyalty to your store and encourages them to contribute to your customer base.
As of this writing, many brands have successfully used these rewards programs to improve customer experience. Here are a few examples:
- Blume: Blume's loyalty program, Blumetopia, lets customers earn “Blume Bucks” by engaging with the brand on Instagram, making purchases, or referring friends.
- LIVELY: This rewards program automatically signs customers up when they create an account. Customers can shop in-store or follow the brands on TikTok to earn points.
- Mirenesse: There are two levels for Mirenesse's Love Rewards program: Gold (costing $18 a month and offers double points and Onyx (free, giving customers one point per dollar spent).
5. Marketing functionalities
Setting up the technical side of your store is just one part of the equation; getting it noticed by a wider audience is another challenge. Thankfully, Shopify excels in this area with a variety of marketing tools and apps that even beginners can leverage.
Email marketing features with ‘Shopify Email’
Managing multiple email marketing campaigns might seem quite daunting. Fortunately, Shopify Email is designed to address that issue; you can create and monitor the campaign(s) straight from your store. Feel free to link the emails directly to your products or design them to match the brand's theme.
Also, according to our research, these Shopify features allow you to send 10,000 emails each month for FREE, no matter which plan you're on (Basic, Shopify, Advanced Shopify, or even Shopify Plus). Only after these 10,000 emails will the platform start to charge a monthly fee – and if you reach 300,000 emails, huge volume discounts will be applied directly to your campaign.
Campaign automation flow with ‘Shopify Flow’
Reaching more potential customers and expanding your campaign's reach is easier than ever, thanks to Shopify Flow. This powerful app automates most parts of your marketing campaigns so you can stay focused on other, more important matters.
Its operational principle is quite straightforward at the end of the day. You set a trigger (an event that starts the workflow), define a condition (to decide if an action should be taken), and the app will then take care of the rest.
Here's a simple example: when customers subscribe to your brand for the first time, Shopify Flow will automatically send them a personalized thank-you letter. You don't even have to lift a finger for that task.
Affiliate campaigns with ‘Shopify Collabs’
Do you know businesses can earn up to $5.20 for every dollar spent on influencer marketing? That's why apps like Shopify Collabs make it easier than ever to take advantage of this opportunity.
Indeed, Shopify Collabs connects brands with high-quality influencers who can promote those branded products to their dedicated followers. Only influencers with at least 1,000 followers can join the Shopify Collabs network, so be confident that you're working with talented individuals with a proven ability to engage and influence! Every dollar you spend will promise significant returns as a result.
Search Optimization Engine (SEO)
Though slightly less mentioned than some other marketing functionalities, the Shopify features for SEO are still worth highlighting.
It allows you to edit the meta titles and descriptions of your store's crucial pages like the homepage, Shopify product page, etc. Not to mention, there are tons of other excellent Shopify SEO features to consider like:
- Sitemap auto-generation
- Auto-redirects
- Mobile-friendliness
- Fast-loading speed
Simply put, you are in full control of your online visibility so that the store appears more attractive to search engines and potential shoppers alike.
6. Shopify POS
Merchants have also given Shopify POS great feedback, as it allows store owners to sell their products conveniently in person. Available for both Android and iOS, Shopify POS integrates smoothly with your account to:
- Track inventory and orders across all retail locations, sales channels, and online stores in real-time
- Manage customer orders from your mobile
- Work with a variety of retail hardware (e.g., receipt printers, card readers, etc., some available for purchase directly from Shopify)
Another great piece of news is that these Shopify features offer unlimited POS logins across all the main Shopify pricing plans – whether you're subscribing to Basic ($25/month), Shopify ($65/month), or Advanced ($39/month). Aside from that, there are two Sell-in-Person (POS) plans to consider:
- Starter: $5 per month, including 1 POS Lite location
- Retail: $89 per month, including 1 POS Pro location.
7. Shopify Shipping
Want to buy and print shipping labels at discounted rates directly from your Shopify admin? You have these built-in Shopify features to help you with that. As Shopify Shipping integrates with various shipping carriers, you can offer your customers multiple shipping options at checkout.
From our experience, here are the main features of Shopify Shipping:
- Discounted shipping rates: Shopify Shipping partners with major shipping carriers to offer you discounted rates on shipping labels. You could save up to 88% on USPS, UPS, and DHL shipping rates.
- Calculated shipping rates: Furthermore, Shopify Shipping can calculate shipping rates for your customers in real-time (based on the weight/ dimensions of their order and shipping destination. You can offer your customers accurate shipping estimates and avoid overcharging or undercharging issues.
- Easy shipping label printing: As briefly mentioned, you can purchase and print shipping labels directly within your Shopify admin.
- Shipping insurance: Last but not least, Shopify Shipping offers shipping insurance to protect your orders from loss or damage in transit.
However, there's one small downside: this shipping solution is only available for merchants in a few countries.
8. Dropshipping & print-on-demand
To clarify, Shopify doesn't inherently support dropshipping and print-on-demand (POD) functionalities within its core platform. Still, it does provide a robust ecosystem through many third-party apps!
Feel free to browse through the Shopify App store until you find an option you like. Let us give you some simple suggestions to get started if you're a beginner:
- If you start a dropshipping store with Shopify, consider using apps like Ali Orders or DSers to quickly import products from AliExpress suppliers and automate your order fulfillment.
- For those who want to launch a Shopify POD store instead, tap into reliable apps like Printify or Printful to set up a print-on-demand business without the headaches.
9. Shopify Payments
The complex process of setting up third-party payment providers has discouraged many people from starting their eCommerce businesses.
But now, Shopify has changed that with its built-in payment option, Shopify Payments; you can start accepting all major payment methods as soon as you create your store.
Here are two main perks to Shopify Payments:
- You won't have to pay third-party transaction fees for orders processed through Shopify Pay, Shop Pay Installments, Shopify Payments, or PayPal Express.
- There are zero transaction fees for manual payment methods like bank transfers, COD, or cash.
So, if you live in countries where Shopify Payments is supported, make sure you won't miss out on these Shopify features!
10. Analytics & reports
To ensure the business operates smoothly, you need to know how your eCommerce store has been performing. Analytics and Reports are powerful Shopify features that allows you to:
- Check out recent activities
- Analyze web performance
- Review transactions
- See visitor behaviors and patterns
The Analytics/Report pages are accessible to everyone, and traffic data will be shown clearly on the Live View page.
Plus, for those who subscribe to Advanced Shopify or Shopify Plus, creating custom reports is totally an option! If you need more specific data or different formats not yet provided on the Shopify dashboard, simply export the data to a spreadsheet or set up external analytics services.
11. Global expansion features
If you want to move your online business globally, make sure you don't miss out on these excellent Shopify features for global expansion:
Multi-languages with separate URLs
First, Shopify's multilingual functionalities allow you to create separate URLs for different regions. A buyer from Italy, for instance, will not have to squint his eyes trying to decipher an English product description. Instead, Shopify automatically presents the website content in Italian right when he lands on it.
These Shopify features can accommodate up to 5 languages (for basic Shopify users) and 20 languages (for Shopify Plus merchants).
Multi-currencies
Currency differences might bring up quite a challenge when engaging in cross-border selling. Fortunately, the Shopify features have addressed this issue; global shoppers can easily view prices, complete orders, and receive refunds in their local currency.
There's no need for manual calculations, as Shopify automatically sets the conversion rate based on real-time foreign exchange rates. You can even pin a fixed rate for each currency if desired! However, note that currency conversion is only available when your business installs Shopify Payments.
Shopify Markets
Multi-currencies and multi-languages aside, the platform also comes equipped with a resourceful Shopify Markets tool.
This robust localization feature lets you tailor distinct shopping experiences for different customer segments from different regions. For instance, you can configure the North American market to cover the United States, Canada, and Mexico, each with its distinct settings.
Shopify sales tax
Needless to say, dealing with taxes can be daunting when conducting business on a global scale, given that different countries impose varying tax rates.
That's why Shopify offers to simplify this process with its location-based tax settings. You have the option to set up Shopify to handle your store's common sales tax calculations automatically or manage them manually.
12. Developer tools
Besides the Shopify features built for non-techie merchants, the platform is also famous for its advanced developer tools that help you create a bespoke eCommerce experience for your customers. Let's have a look:
Shopify Hydrogen
First, we have Shopify Hydrogen, a revolutionary developer tool that offers a React-based framework for building custom, headless storefronts. It facilitates quick loading, responsiveness, and dynamic operations on your e-store.
Shopify Liquid
From our research, many developers have favorable feedback for Shopify Liquid – Shopify's open-source template language. Since Shopify Hydrogen can sometimes be quite complicated, most Shopify merchants choose to tweak Liquid code instead for an easy yet more personalized shopping experience.
Metafield
The next developer tool we're going to discuss is Metafield.
Simply put, Metafield serves as a repository for supplementary information about products, orders, and collections. It gives merchants the chance to:
- Add extended properties like extra details or specifications
- Enhance the online store's offerings
- Enrich customer knowledge about a product or service
For instance, using Metafield, you can instantly add a size chart or care instructions to your Shopify product page.
API
And finally, do not forget the Shopify API (Application Programming Interface), which provides a set of endpoints that expose various functionalities of the Shopify system.
It allows apps or software to retrieve, create, update, or delete data in a Shopify store, which is particularly beneficial for:
- Managing products, orders, customers, and other data using external applications or integrations
- Automating tasks
- Integrating with other software and platforms
- Extending the functionality of your Shopify store beyond the default capabilities.
13. Fraud Analysis
In recent years, fraudulent orders and chargebacks have always been a headache-inducing issue, and many merchants struggle to identify the risks on their own. The platform sees through this problem with its Fraud Analysis Shopify features that help your business:
- Review orders that might seem risky
- Spot and avoid fraudulent activities before shipping anything.
- Provide tools to help you gather and present evidence to dispute a chargeback (if you do get one)
As of this writing, business owners who subscribe to Basic Shopify Plan without Shopify Payments will receive indicators (used to check suspicious orders) and third-party fraud apps.
Meanwhile, those choosing Shopify Plan (or higher with Shopify Payments) will get all the standard analysis features, plus fraud recommendations that classify orders as low, medium, or high risk for fraud-related chargebacks.
14. Staff Permissions
In every team, different members have different responsibilities. Hence, you should tailor their access to your store based on their roles to avoid overwhelming them with unnecessary options. Plus, that way, you can control access to sensitive information and critical functions within your store.
That's the purpose of Shopify's Staff Permissions feature! You can set specific permissions for each account to control what staff members can see and do (though note that these Shopify features are not supported in Basic/Starter plans). Here's a quick breakdown of staff accounts per plan:
- Basic Plan: No accounts
- Shopify Plan: 5 accounts
- Shopify Advanced Plan: 15 accounts
- Shopify Plus Plan: Unlimited accounts
15. Multipass
Anyone running a successful website forum probably knows how frustrating the login process for their members can be. They must sign in to the forum first, then log in the second time to your Shopify store to buy a product!
But now, Multipass, one of the best Shopify features, can save the trouble for store owners who have a Shopify store and a separate website. How so?
- Users can smoothly transition from your website to your Shopify store. They are automatically logged in with the same email they used for the forum.
- If customers don't have an account on your Shopify store yet, Multipass will create one for them instantly.
- There's no need to worry about syncing customer databases – which makes things easier for both you and your members.
What Are Shopify Benefits?
For eCommerce business owners, Shopify offers several significant advantages that can simplify their business operations and boost the store's performance:
Ease of use
Since its release, Shopify features have been known for their user-friendly designs. It provides a clear, step-by-step setup process and an intuitive dashboard for handling products, orders, and customers. That's why even fresh beginners can set up and manage their online stores without deep technical knowledge.
Customizable store design
Another excellent highlight is the variety of customizable themes suitable for different industries and styles (we will return to this feature later). These themes are professionally designed and mobile-responsive, ensuring your store looks great on any device. Better yet, you can personalize your store's design and functionality using Shopify's drag-and-drop editor or by directly editing the code.
Comprehensive eCommerce tools
Many merchants worldwide are impressed that Shopify includes a wide range of tools to help them run their businesses efficiently.
These include inventory management, selling functions, shipping and dropshipping options, global expansion features, and more. The platform also supports multiple payment gateways to encourage customers to complete their purchases.
Scalability
It doesn't matter whether you're starting small or planning to grow; Shopify can scale your business by offering various pricing plans tailored for both small startups and large enterprises. As your store develops over time, you can upgrade your plan to access more advanced features and higher bandwidth.
Key Shopify Features Updated in Summer '24 Edition
This summer, Shopify has integrated Utopia, an open-source visual design tool, into Hydrogen. The result is the new, powerful Hydrogen Visual Editor that lets non-technical merchants sync and edit changes to their GitHub effortlessly.
Utopia-Hydrogen merge aside, there is also a wealth of new features to look forward to:
- Print extension: The new admin Print Extension allows you to print invoices and handle other order fulfillment tasks without leaving the current page.
- Flow template app extension: Developers can attach automation to their apps to speed up most of the store's workflows.
- Coding updates: The platform enhanced JSON parsing for JavaScript and optimized batch execution in order to improve performance checkout processes.
- .dev Assistant: Last but not least, this AI-powered tool helps developers quickly produce GraphQL queries and mutations and reduces build time.
Shopify Features: FAQs
Shopify is a hosted eCommerce platform that allows you to easily launch, run, and scale up your online business. And as we discussed above, here are the eleven major Shopify features:
1. Themes
2. App store
3. Inventory management
4. Selling/Customer experience functionalities
5. Marketing functionalities
6. Shopify POS
7. Shopify shipping
8. Dropshipping & Print-on-demand
9. Shopify payments
10. Analytics & reports
11. Global expansion features
12. Developer tools
13. Fraud analysis
14. Staff permissions
15. Multipass
.
People use this eCommerce platform to build and manage their online stores. It provides tools for creating websites, managing inventory, processing payments, tracking orders, and more.
It offers a wide range of customizable templates, seamless integration with various payment gateways, and robust tools for inventory management, marketing, and analytics. Plus, its user-friendly interface and scalability make Shopify a popular choice for entrepreneurs and established brands alike.
Here are some specific types of businesses that Shopify is well-suited for:
- Dropshipping businesses
- Subscription businesses
- Online retailers selling physical goods
- Online retailers selling digital goods
- Brick-and-mortar stores that want to sell online
- Businesses that want to sell on multiple channels (e.g., website, social media, marketplaces.
Final Words
With its diverse inventory, sales, and marketing functionalities that help merchants quickly launch, manage, and scale up their online businesses, Shopify features are more powerful than you can imagine. Therefore, we hope this article will help you maximize Shopify features, empowering your store's efficiency and performance.
If you're impressed by Shopify, trust LitExtension in your Shopify migration! For years, we have been supporting more than 150,000 customers worldwide with a 99% satisfaction rate.
Remember to check out our Shopify platform and join our engaging Facebook Community to get insider tips and tricks from 15,000+ eCommerce entrepreneurs like you.
Explore more Shopify articles:
- Shopify Reviews: Is Shopify Worth it?
- Shopify Tutorials: All the beginners need to know
- Shopify Competitors All Merchants Should Know About
