Any successful business that uses Shopify as its eCommerce platform will inevitably face the same decision. As you achieve more and, thus, need more, when should you upgrade to Shopify Plus? This guide, based on GenovaWebArt’s case studies and experience, will give you prime information on why the upgrade is worth it and when it’s time to make the leap.
GenovaWebArt has spent over a decade helping eCommerce clients and directing them to new opportunities. With a variety of brands reaching a wider audience thanks to GenovaWebArt, we’re always happy to help more. So, without further ado, let’s talk about what Shopify Plus is, when it’s necessary, and how it can benefit your company.
Understanding Shopify Plus
So, you already know what Shopify is - a powerful, popular platform for eCommerce; different Shopify pricing plans, no need to get into it. Now, what is Shopify Plus? This premium tier of Shopify’s services sticks out from the rest instantly, with a price tag that starts at $2,000 a month. That comes with a note: if the percentage that Shopify would get from your transactions is above that level, it will only collect that sum.
However, pricing isn’t the draw of Plus, features are. So, let’s talk about what you get with the Shopify upgrade. First is the checkout extensibility. Shopify is quite customizable in its own right, but Plus really lets developers retool the UI and UX of the checkout. This helps set your store apart from competitors and tailor it to your brand and target audience.
Next, there’s the app creation. Shopify’s ecosystem thrives on custom apps, and Plus lets you build in advanced personalization, customize routing logic, and rely on algorithms to change the experience each of your customers has. Couple this with the ability to run Shopify features for B2B and DTC sales, and you’re really catering your services to the clients.
Then, we have to mention Shopify Audiences. This data-powered suite provides you with customer lists for more precise targeting. You also get the chance to see and analyze data from similar stores, helping you adjust your strategy accordingly. Finally, Audiences uses algorithms to analyze customer behaviors and cut the cost of customer acquisition.
Lastly, here are some killer features, not grouped into categories:
- Automate promotional campaigns
- Schedule drops of new products
- Rely on better tech with a fivefold increase in API calls
- Expand your brand with up to nine region- and language-specific stores
- Priority support from Shopify
As you can tell, Plus offers quite a lot, and upgrading brings substantial changes. But this was a list of what Shopify Plus can do; now it’s time to discuss why a company needs it.
Why Do You Need Shopify Plus?
Traditionally, some Shopify online stores don’t aim for the largest market share. Then, those who need to choose Plus are the exact opposite. These are businesses that seek growth, new audiences, and more room to personalize and improve their commerce sites.
We’ll use Shopify’s own example to highlight when Plus is needed with some hard data. Jungalow, a home goods store, was doing just fine. But “fine” was not enough for Justina Blakeney, its ambitious owner. She opted to switch to Plus and received the following:
- 61% more sales
- 12% higher conversion rate
- 26.5% more return customers
This was all thanks to the insightful data from Plus, as well as the marketing campaigns and their site optimization. As a result, the cost of Shopify Plus was more than covered with this successful transformation.
However, Jungalow became a success story because it knew how to change the Shopify plan in a timely manner. Here are some of the factors you can look out for to make the same decision:
- High sales volume and traffic
- Complex business needs (subscriptions, wholesale, etc.)
- International expansion plans
- Desire for advanced customization and development
- Omnichannel retail strategy
Basically, if your business has a steady and robust income and you’re looking to do more than just basic product sales, you need to at least consider going to Plus.
Benefits of Upgrading to Shopify Plus
Here, we’ll list the Shopify Plus benefits, and its unique positives that you simply can’t get with other plans. In fact, once you’ve read these, you should hopefully start asking, “How do I upgrade to Shopify Plus?” So, the following benefit categories can be expected:
- Scalability and performance
- Enterprise features
- Priority support
The importance of the first one is quite clear. Having the ability to scale up your resource use and optimize the website’s performance will improve your customers’ experience. With more ability to experiment with resource-intensive features such as AI-powered chatbots, ChatGPT and visualization, you can positively distinguish your store.
Second, enterprise features include access to more API calls and powerful customization. The former guarantees that you can collect data and provide a steady service with no issues whatsoever. The latter is vital in establishing your brand identity, modernizing parts of your site, and simply becoming a better place for shopping.
As for priority support, it’s quite self-explanatory. Having the ability to get answers on any error or bug that you encounter is good, but being able to get them fast is invaluable. This is especially relevant for high-traffic days like holidays and sales periods like Black Friday. Investing in proper support means having a more reliable service.
How Can GenovaWebArt Assist You?
With the moving parts involved in deciding to upgrade, the transition to Shopify Plus can be tough. You need to account for a variety of factors, as well as actually invest in custom development to make the most of this new plan. That’s where you can rely on GenovaWebArt. In our time on the market since 2012, we’ve worked with plenty of Shopify Plus users and helped them become better.
In fact, 90% of our clients are using Plus, with half of those making the switch thanks to our consultations and investment into their growth. For example, the Kit & Kin store was looking to reach new audiences and reinvent its look. Our team created a new custom theme for the brand, applying to a row of extension stores, also made by us.
As a result, Kit & Kin has kept growing and expanding, with GenovaWebArt providing support and maintenance. This same success came to Early Rider, a bike store that requested custom app development. GenovaWebArt established a loyalty program and crafted an inventory synchronization mechanism to make work easier for Early Rider staff.
These two businesses are just some of the examples of our extensive collaborations. If you want to develop your online presence and increase sales, get professional advice on whether Shopify Plus is the right move for you. Schedule a consultation now, and we’ll tell you how to upgrade to Shopify Plus, as well as draw up a plan for the transition.
