Definición:
Shopify is an e-commerce platform that allows businesses and professionals to create and manage online stores easily and quickly, using a variety of tools and technologies. It offers a comprehensive solution for establishing an online presence without the need for advanced programming skills.
History, origin and evolution of Shopify
Shopify was founded in 2004 by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand and Scott Lake in Ottawa, Canada. Initially, they created an online store to sell snowboards they designed themselves. However, they soon realized that the process of building an online store was complex and required technical skills that not all entrepreneurs possess. For this reason, they decided to develop a platform that would allow anyone to create an ecommerce without programming skills. Thus Shopify was born, and since then it has experienced exponential growth.
- In 2008, they launched the Shopify App Store, an app store that allows merchants to connect their store with various third-party platforms.
- In 2009, Shopify launched Shopify Mobile, a mobile application that allows customers to make online purchases from their phones.
- In 2010, they introduced Shopify POS, an integrated physical point-of-sale system for merchants selling both online and in-person.
- In 2013, Shopify launched Shopify Payments, its own payment gateway, allowing merchants to manage all transactions within the platform.
- In 2015, they introduced Shopify Shipping, making it easier for merchants to ship using rates negotiated by Shopify.
- In 2019, Shopify launched Shopify Fulfillment Network, creating a complete fulfillment infrastructure for merchants using the platform.
Shopify currently hosts more than 1,000,000 online stores in over 175 countries, cementing its position as one of the world’s most popular ecommerce platforms. In 2020, Shopify’s total revenue reached $2.93 billion, an 86% increase over the previous year.
How Shopify works
Shopify is a CMS for eCommerce that allows you to design an online store without programming knowledge. Its interface is flexible and intuitive, making it easy to create and manage your store. To create a Shopify store, first visit https://www.shopify.com/ and register an email address. Then, you fill in a few details, choose a payment plan and select a template. Shopify offers more than 100 templates, both free and paid, organized by business sector. Plus, if you have knowledge of HTML and CSS, Shopify allows for additional customization.
Shopify advantages
Among the advantages of this CMS we can mention:
- Simplicity: Facilitates the creation and management of an online store.
- Dropshipping: Allows you to sell without having products in inventory, integrating dropshipping sites.
- Speed: Includes hosting, ensuring fast page loading.
- Payments: Supports more than 70 currencies, facilitating international sales.
- Security and reliability: Manage sensitive information with secure servers and constant updates.
- Taxes: Automatically manages taxes based on customer location.
- Customer support: Offers support via chat, forums and email, as well as free courses.
- Unlimited products: Allows importing and exporting products from CSV files.
- Order management: Automates order management, sending notifications for each sale.
- Mobile application: Allows you to manage the store from anywhere.
Disadvantages of Shopify
Some of the drawbacks of Shopify are:
- Not open source: Requires subscription to paid plans.
- Limitations in the checkout: Limited customization options.
- Monthly payments: Implies a constant monthly cost.
- Additional fees: Some features, such as paid subscriptions, may involve extra fees.