Shopify has a broad feature set, with more capabilities available for pricier plans. Some businesses will get more out of certain Shopify features than others. Exploring them will give you a better sense of what plan you might need.
In this article, we will start with the most robust, high-end of the plans – enterprise-grade Shopify Plus features – and work our way through Advanced Shopify, Shopify, and Basic Shopify, down to the free Shopify Lite plan – and more.
Enterprise eCommerce: Top Shopify Plus Features
If your business grows, you will start to outgrow the standard Shopify plans. When that happens, it’s time to consider Shopify Plus.
Here are the key features of Shopify Plus:
- Free access for all of your locations to Shopify POS Pro
- Capability to build a different, fully secured wholesale store
- Management of all your stores through the Shopify organization admin
- The ability to create 9 expansion stores that can be used for different physical locations, international growth, and similar functions
- Specially crafted Shopify apps that are intended to meet the needs of fast-growing companies
- Tailored checkout via the checkout.liquid file
Advanced Shopify Features
Keep in mind that as we move down the lines of the plans in this article, each plan includes all the features of those below it (since we are moving in descending order into the lower-priced plans). Advanced Shopify comes with lower transaction fees and credit card rates than either of the three below plans, along with the following
- Calculated carrier shipping – Customers are able to choose from one-day, express, and standard shipping at the time they order from you. Whatever their choice, they get an accurate rate from a third-party shipper. You can get reduced Postal Service rates by adding a Shopify Shipping plan.
- Advanced customer reporting – You can get specific reports for customers who are strongly loyal, as well as ones that are at risk.
- Custom report builder – You are able to generate your own reports and customize default ones. You can track your sales according to referral sources using the advanced features.
Core Shopify Features
The Shopify features list for the Shopify plan includes these highlights:
- Reduced costs – Lower credit card transaction fees and rates than you get with the two below plans.
- Profit reports – The professional reports feature allows you to see how much profit you have generated, track your revenue, and review seasonal product sales.
- Customer reports – These five different types of reports deserve their own attention. They offer insight into purchasing habits and how customers use your store.
Basic Shopify Features
Down a level from the Shopify plan is the Basic Shopify plan, which includes:
- Online store – You can create and showcase products within your own website. You are able to manage customer details, orders, and products via the Shopify admin.
- Theme editor – Without having to get into the code, make changes to your page layout, colors, and fonts.
- SSL certificate – You get an SSL certificate so that your site can securely process customer information.
Shopify Lite Features
The Shopify features list includes these capabilities for all plans, including Shopify Lite:
- Buy Button – This enables you to sell through a blog or website with an embeddable “Buy Button.”
- POS – You get FREE access to Shopify POS Lite, allowing you to sell through the POS app at pop-ups and trade shows (possibly paired with a card reader).
- Finances report – Understand and analyze the money coming through Shopify.
POS Lite vs. POS Pro Essential
Here is a look at the top features for the two versions of the Shopify POS system.
Basics on Shopify POS Lite – recommended by Shopify for mobile sales:
- Ability to process credit cards in person: The rate starts as low as 2.4 percent + $0.00.
Additional key features: This version of the platform includes customer profiles, product management, and order management.
Basics on Shopify POS Pro – recommended by Shopify for permanent physical stores:
- Ability to process credit cards in person: Again, the rate starts as low as 2.4 percent + $0.00.
- Additional key features: Beyond those three highlighted features you get with Lite, you access the following (among others):
- In-store analytics
- Omnichannel selling capabilities (see next section)
- Unlimited staff
Leveraging Omnichannel Selling Features via Shopify POS
If you have brick-and-mortar locations, your Shopify eCommerce store and retail POS system will be tightly integrated. This integration is powerful because it allows for omnichannel selling features (see the previous section):
- Site & store inventory sync
- Unified physical & online promotions
- Unified physical & online loyalty programs
- Store pickup of online purchase
- Store return/exchange of online purchase
- Customer shipment of in-store purchase
Getting The Most Out Of Shopify
Remember, time saved is money saved by using professional eCommerce services. If you work with a Shopify developer, you can access services such as the following, all of which help you get the most out of Shopify
- Assistance with onboarding and data migration
- Shopify admin and online store setup
- Shopify theme customization
- Shopify app setup
- Shopify web design
- Custom Shopify development
- Custom Shopify app development
- UI/UX consulting/upgrades
