As the world’s leading eCommerce platform, Shopify has attracted businesses of all sizes and markets, from niche sellers to globally-known brand names — so it’s not difficult to see that Shopify is the best choice for any online retailer. But what about Shopify Plus? Offering everything, from exclusive apps and resources to in-depth customisation and analytics, the Shopify Plus package is a great investment for those looking to grow their customer base and drive sales up. With the announcement of this summer’s Shopify Editions, Shopify Plus is looking like an even better option than before. Online retailers have been flocking to the upgraded package in droves with over 5000 brands to date signing up — but is it right for your business? And is the difference between Shopify vs Shopify Plus really that big?

Well for starters, the support options available to Shopify Plus users are a giant step up from run-of-the-mill Shopify. While the regular plan offers access to Shopify Experts and customer support via live chat, phone call, or email, Shopify Plus features can personalise your support options. This ensures the best service for your business. A Launch Engineer and a Merchant Success Manager will be assigned to guide you through store set-up until launch day, ensuring the entire process goes off without a hitch. You’ll also have access to a detailed analytics dashboard where you’ll be able to track store trends, customer rates, and many more unique insights into your clientele. Shopify Plus also gives you the support needed to handle large spikes in online traffic due to product launches or holiday shopping, making sure your customers receive stellar service at all times. The upgrade is almost essential for those looking for the help they need to expand their business.

Do you feel like you want to do more for your store? Shopify Plus offers more control over every aspect of your online business, opening up the stage for you to make your store everything you want it to be. Shopify Scripts, exclusive to Shopify Plus clients, gives you the ability to customise shipping methods, change payment options, and more — but the original Shopify requires separate apps, and more effort, to do this. The Plus plan also features B2B Channels, a great new way to reach customers who are looking to buy in bulk. You can create an entire separate storefront, password-protected, where your clients can bulk-purchase your products. You’ll be able to send invoices, track orders, and access existing product data, giving you even more control over the ins and outs of your business. These options aren’t available to regular Shopify clients.

Shopify Plus can inject flexibility into several different aspects of your online business. Whilst standard Shopify benefits allow for certain levels of customisation to their existing templates and themes, Shopify Plus frees up so much more. You’ll be given access to Shopify Liquid, their theme language, as well as backend/code editing. Build your site exactly the way you want it, with no restrictions. Need help? Add as many members of your team to your Shopify Plus Dashboard as you like! The basic Shopify plan imposes limits on how many staff accounts can be added, but with Shopify Plus, staff accounts are unlimited. You’ll also gain access to other permission settings and features.

The real distinguishing factor between Shopify and Shopify Plus is that Shopify Plus is most suitable if you are planning on going global with your online strategy. The main feature is the ability to build out fully customisable storefronts. This means having different territories see different content, pricing, payment options, offers, currencies and a lot more customisability essentially. Personalisation is key to breaking into new territories, if the consumer sees the business making an effort then this will catch attention and create a link.

Shopify Plus allows 10 additional clone stores on top of your source store. This means you can have 11 storefronts running under one Shopify organisation, which all sit in your Shopify dashboard but all have their own backend. This comes with more backend and admin work, and a lot of the time developing duplicate features and design elements. Below is a basic graphic showing how typically clients break up their storefronts.

One of the biggest benefits of upgrading to Shopify Plus is access to Shopify’s specially-developed app system. Alongside exclusive access to apps including Shopify Flow, Launchpad, and Script Editor, a Shopify Plus plan allows you to build your own apps, enabling you to engage customers in bigger and better ways. They also offer access to the Merchant Success Program, which will teach you how to get the most out of apps. The regular Shopify plan does not include access to most of these features, so if you’re focusing on expansion via apps, then Shopify Plus is a must.

So, by now we’ve established that Shopify Plus is a big step up. But what about pricing? Well, essentially you’ll be getting what you pay for — the Shopify Plus pricing plan is based upon the volume of sales your business gets, as that determines how much extra support your business will need. Upgrading to Plus isn’t for small fry — we only recommend the expansion if you’re already planning to develop your business in a big way, internationally more than likely. If you’re ready to take your brand global, then the Shopify Plus benefits are worth the price bump. If you’re ready to make the leap to Shopify Plus, you’re in luck! We’re a Shopify agency — contact us today to talk about it.