What is Shopify? Complete Guide
Shopify is a leading cloud-based eCommerce platform that enables businesses to create, customize, and manage online stores without requiring technical expertise. Founded in 2006 in Ottawa, Canada, Shopify now powers over 4 million online stores worldwide and processes hundreds of billions of dollars in gross merchandise volume annually. The platform provides everything needed to sell online, in-store, and across social media channels, including website hosting, payment processing, inventory management, and marketing tools.
Why It Matters
Shopify matters because it has fundamentally lowered the barrier to starting and scaling an eCommerce business. Before platforms like Shopify, launching an online store required significant investment in custom web development, server infrastructure, and payment gateway integration. Shopify handles all of this complexity through a subscription model, allowing entrepreneurs and established businesses alike to focus on products and marketing rather than technology infrastructure.
Key Features
Core capabilities and components you should know about.
Drag-and-Drop Store Builder
Build a professional-looking online store using customizable themes and a visual editor without writing any code, with full control over layout, colors, and branding.
Shopify Payments
Built-in payment processing that accepts credit cards, digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and local payment methods with no third-party gateway required.
Multi-Channel Selling
Sell across your online store, Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and in-person with Shopify POS, all managed from a single dashboard.
App Ecosystem
Access over 8,000 apps in the Shopify App Store for email marketing, SEO, accounting, dropshipping, subscription management, and virtually any other eCommerce need.
Shipping & Fulfillment
Integrated shipping with discounted carrier rates, automatic label printing, order tracking, and fulfillment service integrations to streamline delivery logistics.
Analytics & Reporting
Built-in dashboards for sales, traffic, customer behavior, and product performance with exportable reports and integration with Google Analytics for deeper insights.
How It Works
Shopify works as a fully hosted SaaS platform — you sign up, choose a theme, add your products, configure payments and shipping, and launch your store. Everything runs on Shopify's infrastructure so you never deal with servers, security patches, or uptime management. When a customer places an order, Shopify processes the payment, updates inventory, sends confirmation emails, and routes the order to your fulfillment workflow. The platform scales automatically to handle traffic spikes during sales events without any intervention.
Key Benefits
Launch an online store in hours without any technical knowledge or developer resources
Handles all infrastructure, security, and PCI compliance so you focus purely on your business
Scales seamlessly from your first sale to millions in revenue without platform migrations
Massive app ecosystem lets you add any functionality without custom development
Built-in multi-channel selling lets you reach customers wherever they shop
Common Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Shopify cost?
Shopify offers several plans: Basic at 39 dollars per month, Shopify at 105 dollars per month, and Advanced at 399 dollars per month, plus Shopify Plus for enterprise starting at 2,300 dollars per month. Each plan includes hosting and an SSL certificate. Transaction fees apply if you use a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments.
Can I use Shopify with my existing ERP?
Yes. Shopify integrates with popular ERP systems like Odoo, SAP, and NetSuite through pre-built connectors or custom API integrations. ECOSIRE specializes in Shopify-to-Odoo integrations that synchronize orders, inventory, customers, and financial data between both platforms in real time.
Is Shopify good for SEO?
Shopify provides solid SEO foundations including customizable title tags, meta descriptions, URL handles, image alt text, and automatic sitemap generation. However, some limitations exist around URL structure and certain technical SEO aspects. Most businesses can achieve strong organic rankings on Shopify with proper optimization practices.
Can I sell internationally on Shopify?
Yes. Shopify Markets allows you to sell in multiple countries with localized currencies, languages, duties and import taxes, and local payment methods. Shopify handles currency conversion and can display prices in the visitor's local currency automatically based on their location.
What is the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus is the enterprise tier designed for high-volume merchants. It offers advanced features like checkout customization with Shopify Functions, unlimited staff accounts, dedicated support, automation tools (Shopify Flow), B2B capabilities, and the ability to handle flash sales with massive traffic spikes.
Related Topics
Complete Guide to Starting a Shopify Store
Starting a Shopify store is the process of creating, configuring, and launching an online eCommerce business on the Shopify platform. This journey covers everything from signing up for an account and choosing a design theme to adding products, configuring payment processing, setting up shipping rules, and implementing marketing strategies to drive traffic and sales. Shopify makes it possible for anyone to launch a professional online store without web development skills, but success requires strategic decisions about branding, product presentation, pricing, and customer experience.
What is eCommerce Integration?
eCommerce integration is the process of connecting your online store with back-end business systems like ERP, CRM, accounting, inventory management, and fulfillment platforms so that data flows automatically between them. Rather than manually transferring orders, inventory levels, customer information, and financial data between disconnected systems, integration creates a seamless data bridge that synchronizes information in real time or near real time. This connectivity is typically achieved through APIs, middleware platforms, or pre-built connectors.
What is Multi-Channel Selling?
Multi-channel selling is the practice of listing and selling products across multiple sales channels simultaneously, including your own website, online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, social media platforms, physical retail stores, and wholesale distribution. The goal is to meet customers wherever they prefer to shop, maximizing reach and revenue by maintaining a consistent brand presence across all channels. Effective multi-channel selling requires centralized management of inventory, pricing, orders, and customer data to maintain operational efficiency.
Need Help Building Your Shopify Store?
ECOSIRE provides expert implementation, training, and ongoing support. Get a free consultation today.