Shopify FAQ - We clarify frequently asked questions about Shopify and Shopify Plus.

Especially companies that are new to e-commerce or online retailers who want to switch from another store system such as Adobe Commerce (Magento), WooCommerce or Shopware are looking closely at Shopify. Shopify is a cloud-based commerce platform from Canada that is now used by more than two million merchants worldwide.

As one of the first recognized Shopify experts in Germany, with more than 200 managed online stores and as the first official Shopify Plus agency in the DACH region, we have gained a wealth of expertise over the last twelve years. We try to pass this on to others to some extent. That's why we would like to answer the most frequently asked questions about Shopify and Shopify Plus in the following article.

How does Shopify work?

As already mentioned, Shopify is a cloud-based system and a pure SaaS solution. The hosting, operating systems, servers and therefore the entire operational technology of your Shopify store is managed by Shopify itself, which means that you don't have to worry about backups, updates or implementing new versions.

To use Shopify, log in to your browser or Shopify app and access your backend and administration area from there. Here you can add products and categories, place legally relevant information on additional pages and change the design using drag and drop. You can find many free and paid designs as well as Shopify apps for your store in the theme and app stores.

With an uptime of 99.98% and a free SSL certificate, Shopify is a secure solution that won't let you down, even with high traffic volumes.

How much does Shopify cost?

Shopify is available in different plans, whose costs are due per month. The cheapest version is Shopify Starter with 5€ per month. Here you get the possibility to use Shopify without a complete store. Shopify Lite allows you to add an e-commerce functionality on an existing website via buy button or sell on Facebook.

Furthermore, Shopify plans include the Basic plan for 36€ per month plus 2% transaction fee and the Shopify plan with 105€ /month (plus 1% transaction fee). With Shopify Advanced, currently the most comprehensive standard tariff, a monthly payment of 384€ plus 0.6% transaction fee is due.

Those who are confident with Shopify can also save if annual subscriptions are taken directly. There is a 10% discount on the annual plan and 20% on the two-year plan.

Note that a Shopify subscription can currently only be paid for with dollars and you must have a credit card. Of course, you can run your store itself in your country's currency without any problems!

Can I test Shopify before selecting a plan?

Yes, Shopify offers you the option of a 3-day test phase. This allows you to familiarize yourself with the functions and scope of Shopify. Afterwards it costs 1€ for the first month.

Is Shopify cancellable on a monthly basis?

Before you close your Shopify store, you should consider whether you want to back up data from it.

It is possible to export the theme, products, orders, customer lists and invoices.

To delete apps from your admin area:

• Click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

• In the row of apps you want to uninstall, select Uninstall.

Confirm the action in the message displayed by clicking Uninstall again.

To close your store permanently, please follow these steps:

• Access your store as an administrator.

• Navigate to Settings > Plan > Deactivate store.

• Your store can be closed at any time.

Is Shopify good?

Our years of working with Shopify and feedback from numerous merchants and retailers has shown that Shopify is one of the best hosted solutions to quickly build a stylish store that is stable, scalable and easy to manage.

Shopify not only allows its customers to sell digital and physical products through their own online store, but also offers the ability to be active on major marketplaces through interfaces with eBay and Amazon. Sales on Facebook and Instagram as well as in stationary stores through the Shopify POS can also be implemented.

Shopify offers many options and connections, from marketing and payment to shipping, so that merchants can easily start selling online. Shopify supports over 100 payment processes worldwide and is used by large companies such as LFDY or Asphaltgold as well as start-ups and local companies such as CDC Reitsport.

Who is Shopify suitable for?

Thanks to the different plans, Shopify is suitable for any size of business. Since Shopify is easy to set up and use, and requires no technical knowledge, it's also great for e-commerce beginners.

Is Shopify customizable?

Shopify, with its now over 8,000 apps in the Shopify App Store, has a whole range of design options at the ready, allowing you to design your store entirely according to your wishes. Shopify themes are also customizable, so that they match your corporate design and you can optimally build your brand and adapt it to your target group.

However, there is a downer in the checkout, which is only customizable to a limited extent in Shopify's standard plans. Additional fields, logos, information or payment methods cannot be easily inserted here. You only have this option when using Shopify Plus, which we will discuss later in this article.

Besides Shopify's theme editor, where design templates can be customized, there are also other tools to work and code at the code level. Shopify provides Theme Kit, a cross-platform tool for theme development at the local level. In addition, Shopify keeps releasing tools such as the Liquid template language.

Do I need to ship with Shopify itself?

Not mandatory. You can also outsource logistics to a third-party fulfillment service. They prepare and ship incoming orders.

Is Shopify GDPR compliant?

Over the past six years, Shopify has placed great emphasis on providing its customers in Europe, and thus also in the DACH region, with everything they need to create a DSGVO-compliant online store. The protection of personal data has top priority. Shopify has integrated functions that allow merchants to guarantee their customers transparency and control over their data.

However, some measures must be implemented independently by you as a merchant, for example the creation of a complete privacy policy. No matter which system you use, you should always seek the assistance of a lawyer or secure additional advice from experts such as the Händlerbund or the IT-Recht Kanzlei.

What is Shopify Payments?

Shopify Payments is the payment option directly from Shopify. It allows you to offer credit card payment and payment via other popular payment methods without having to negotiate a contract and arrange activation with every single third-party provider. Klarna, Sofortüberweisung, Visa, Mastercard or Apple Pay, for example, can be easily offered with it. Shopify Payments is integrated directly into your Shopify admin area, so all payments can be viewed at a glance.

Is there an enterprise solution from Shopify?

With the previously mentioned Shopify Plus, Shopify has created an omnichannel enterprise platform that allows companies to grow and scale their business. The enterprise version of Shopify can be implemented in a fraction of the time compared to other large enterprise solutions. A support and expert team helps Shopify Plus customers achieve their goals with special service and advice. First and foremost, Shopify Plus gives merchants more leeway when it comes to automation, customization, and online store management.

In addition, Shopify offers enterprise customers another enterprise solution with Commerce Components. Shopify Commerce Components is a modular, scalable solution from Shopify designed specifically for large enterprises and brands. It enables companies to integrate individual commerce building blocks (such as checkout, inventory, product catalog, etc.) into their existing technology infrastructure without having to use the entire Shopify stack.

How much does Shopify Plus cost?

The cost of Shopify Plus is calculated based on a store's monthly revenue and is 0.40%. The price for the Enterprise solution is at least $2,300 per month.

For example, if you make $900,000 in revenue per month, the monthly payment to Shopify is $3.600.

What is the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus?

When it comes to the differences between the standard Shopify plans and Shopify Plus, it can generally be said that Shopify Plus gives merchants and retailers a much greater hand over customizations in their store.

With Shopify Plus, for example, the checkout can be customized, spiked with additional information, logos can be deposited and trust-building statements can be placed.

Another big difference is the personalized support that Shopify Plus customers are entitled to. You'll get a Launch Manager to help you get your store off the ground. After that, you'll be assigned your own Merchant Success Manager to help you run the day-to-day operations in the best possible way and have sustainable success with your online store. Coaching is also available here so you can make important business decisions with verified data.

Of course, with Shopify Plus you also get more e-commerce features like faster store speed and the ability to customize themes, payment methods, or any other aspect of your store down to the last detail with the Script Editor.

How can I integrate FAQ into my Shopify store?

You can add the FAQ as a page to your Shopify store. To do this, follow these steps: In your Shopify admin area, go to your online store. Then click on Add pages and page. Here you can now integrate all FAQ to your online store and then add the page to your footer or header.

Alternatively, you can also use apps from the Shopify App Store to integrate your FAQ into Shopify.

Does Shopify support artificial intelligence?

Yes, Shopify offers its users two AI tools that are directly integrated into the platform: Shopify Sidekick and Shopify Magic. Shopify Magic offers AI-based features that are free and integrated directly into Shopify to simplify commerce and workflows. As an intelligent helper, Sidekick supports Shopify Magic with comprehensive know-how about every aspect of a Shopify store. The assistant helps merchants to work efficiently by providing data-based insights and independently executing actions in the store.

The Shopify App Store also offers a wide range of AI-powered tools.

Can I sell internationally with Shopify?

Yes, Shopify supports international sales with features such as multilingual store fronts, automatic currency conversion and regional tax calculations. With Shopify Markets, you can optimize your store for different countries and integrate local payment methods.

How secure is Shopify for my store?

Shopify is very secure as it is PCI DSS Level-1 certified to ensure secure online transactions. It also offers SSL certificates, fraud protection and regular security updates to protect the data of customers and store owners.

How quickly does Shopify pay out?

Shopify usually pays out merchants quickly, depending on the payment method used and the region. With Paypal, the duration is approx. 2-5 working days. When using third-party providers, the payout time varies depending on the provider.

If you want to check the exact details of your payouts, you can find them in your Shopify admin area under Settings → Payments → Payouts.

What does it cost to have a Shopify Shop built?

The cost of building a Shopify store varies greatly depending on the requirements, the range of functions and the service provider selected. An indication of the costs:

• A simple store costs around €500-2,000.

• For a professional and customized store, you should expect to pay €2,000-50,000, depending on your requirements.

Can Shopify create invoices?

Yes, Shopify can create invoices, but the functionality is limited in the basic version of Shopify. For more detailed or legally compliant invoices (e.g. in accordance with German regulations), additional apps are required, e.g. Sufio or Pathway.

Can Shopify be connected to marketplaces?

Yes, Shopify offers the possibility to connect your store with multiple marketplaces - whether Amazon, eBay or other popular platforms. These integrations make it possible to sell products on different marketplaces and manage orders, inventory management and pricing strategies centrally in Shopify.

The integration of Shopify with different marketplaces is usually done via apps in the Shopify App Store or by using the Shopify API. These apps automatically connect your product data and orders with the respective marketplaces and synchronize all necessary information, such as inventory, prices and orders.

Can you connect Shopify with Etsy?

Yes, Shopify can be connected to Etsy. The integration makes it possible to sell products directly from your Shopify store on Etsy and manage orders centrally. However, Shopify does not offer a native integration for Etsy, but you can use third-party apps.

Can you sell digital products on Shopify?

Yes, you can easily sell digital products on Shopify. Shopify provides all the necessary tools to offer digital products such as e-books, music, software, online courses or digital art. Since digital products do not require physical shipping, you need to configure them as non-shippable items. With apps or integrated functions, digital products can be delivered to customers automatically.

Can you have multiple Shopify stores with one account?

No, you cannot run multiple Shopify stores with a single Shopify account. Each Shopify store is tied to a separate account, which means that a separate account is required for each store. However, there are ways to manage multiple stores efficiently:

• Shopify Plus: For larger companies, Shopify Plus offers centralized management of multiple stores (e.g. for different markets or brands).

• Apps for multi-store management: Tools such as Multify or Shopify Flow (only for Shopify Plus) support the synchronization of stock, orders and customer data.

If you need several stores for different countries or languages, you can also use Shopify Markets instead of separate stores

Does Shopify have an integrated search function?

Yes, Shopify has an integrated search function that is included as standard in all themes. This search function allows customers to find products in a Shopify store quickly and easily. The search bar is usually prominently placed, often in the navigation bar or in the store header.

If you want an intelligent search in the store that dynamically suggests products as you type, we can recommend additional apps such as Klevu.

Is it possible to host a headless application other than Hydrogen?

Yes, it is possible to host a headless application other than Hydrogen on Shopify. Shopify supports the headless commerce approach, where the frontend is separate from the backend. While Hydrogen is Shopify's recommended framework for headless commerce on Shopify, you can also use other technologies to develop your own frontend and integrate with Shopify via APIs.

Does Shopify offer A/B testing features and how powerful are they?

Although this is not a native feature, the world's leading A/B testing platforms such as A/B Tasty and Optimizely offer full integrations with Shopify to support A/B testing. In addition, this functionality could also be supported through custom development on Shopify without having to rely on a third-party platform.