Start Smart: The Ultimate Shopify Starter Plan Guide!
By Sonaksh Singh Rawat on
Unlocking E-Commerce Success: Is the Shopify Starter Plan the Golden Key for Your Business?
Is the Shopify Starter Plan Right for Your Business?
For those considering the launch of an online shop, choosing the right ecommerce solution is a critical decision. Shopify stands out as a top option for many business owners, thanks to its variety of pricing plans designed to accommodate businesses of all sizes. Among these, the Shopify Starter Plan frequently emerges as a focal point of discussion due to its affordability.
However, the question of whether this plan is the ideal fit for a particular business remains.
This article takes a closer look at the Shopify Starter Plan, exploring both its benefits and limitations to determine if it aligns with the needs of a business.
Shopify Starter Plan- At a Glance
The Shopify Starter Plan serves as an entry point to the platform’s extensive features, offering affordability with a monthly fee of $29 in addition to standard transaction fees. This plan includes benefits such as a custom storefront, the ability to list an unlimited number of products, and 24/7 support.
However, it is important to note that certain advanced features, such as abandoned cart recovery and the capability to provide gift cards, are reserved for more expensive Shopify plans.
Shopify Starter Plan Features
Explore the Shopify Starter Plan Features:
- Subscription Cost: The Starter Plan is available at an accessible rate of $29 a month, plus additional transaction charges.
- Transaction Fee: Each sale incurs a modest fee of 2.9% plus $0.30, ensuring secure and efficient transaction processing.
- Unlimited Inventory: Merchants have the liberty to list and sell an unlimited number of items.
- Customizable Shopfront: This plan offers the opportunity to customize one’s retail space to reflect the brand’s identity fully.
- Theme Selection: A wide range of themes is available, ready for customization to meet specific brand requirements.
- Integration Capabilities: The Shopify Starter Plan also allows for the integration of unique branding elements, including logos and color schemes.
- 24/7 Support: Support is accessible 24/7 for any queries or issues that may arise.
- Omnichannel Support: Communication with Shopify is facilitated through three convenient channels: live chat, email, or phone.
- Marketing Tools: A variety of marketing tools are provided, including email marketing and social media engagement solutions.
- Analytics: The Shopify Starter Plan provides insightful analytics tools to monitor store performance.
- SEO Tools: Merchants can improve their store’s visibility on search engines with Shopify’s SEO tools.
Features Not Included in the Shopify Starter Plan:
- Gift Cards: The plan does not support the selling of gift cards.
- Abandoned Cart Recovery: The ability to recover abandoned carts is not available.
- Advanced Shipping Features: The use of advanced shipping options is not accommodated.
Benefits of the Shopify Starter Plan
Brands can empower themselves with a robust toolkit through the Shopify Starter Plan, streamlining the launch and expansion of their online stores efficiently.
- User-Friendliness: The Shopify starter plan is renowned for its user-friendly interface, allowing even those without technical knowledge to set up and manage their online stores with ease.
- Building Your Online Shop: This plan provides the necessary tools to create a fully-fledged online store, customizable to reflect the unique style and essence of a brand.
- Endless Inventory: It supports the addition of an unlimited number of products, enabling brands to showcase their complete product range without constraints.
- Round-the-Clock Customer Care: The Shopify Starter Plan provides continuous access to customer service, available at any time through email, chat, or phone, aiming to resolve any issues swiftly.
- Multiple Sales Avenues: Beyond the online store, this Shopify plan enables brands to present their products across a variety of sales channels, ranging from online marketplaces to social media platforms, thus reaching a broader audience.
- Creating Orders by Hand: It offers the flexibility for brands to manually process orders, a beneficial aspect for transactions over the phone or in person.
- Promo Codes Galore: Store owners have the capability to generate and distribute promo codes, a strategy effective in driving sales, enhancing promotional efforts, and rewarding customer loyalty.
- Diverse Payment Solutions: The Shopify Starter Plan provides a range of payment options, including Shopify Payments, credit card transactions, and various external processors, catering to customer preferences.
- Cart Rescue Missions: An automatic email prompt feature is available to encourage shoppers to complete purchases they left in their carts, potentially increasing sales.
- SEO Essentials: The Shopify Starter Plan also comes with basic SEO tools that help improve the store’s visibility in search engine results, attracting more visitors.
- Mobile Commerce: Stores can be optimized for mobile devices, ensuring a seamless shopping experience for customers on the move.
- Complimentary SSL Certificate: A free SSL certificate is provided, protecting customer data and instilling trust among shoppers.
- Inventory Oversight: The Shopify Starter Plan includes inventory management features, allowing brands to monitor stock levels and efficiently manage their inventory.
- Fraud Analysis: An integrated fraud analysis tool helps in identifying and alerting the owner to potentially fraudulent orders.
- Integrated Analytics: Essential reporting and analytics tools are available, offering insights into the store’s performance and assisting in strategic decision-making.
Shopify Starter Plan Review
Shopify’s Starter Plan is presented as the most cost-effective option available, with a starting price of just $29 per month, plus transaction fees. This entry-level package welcomes users with benefits such as a customized storefront, unlimited product inventory, and 24/7 support.
However, it’s important to note that, despite its attractive pricing, the plan does not include all the necessary features found in higher-tier packages, such as abandoned cart recovery and the capability to offer gift cards.
The Starter Plan offers a straightforward and effective solution for entrepreneurs wanting to launch their online stores, providing a platform that eases the complexities of e-commerce. That said, it has its limitations. While the plan is appealing to newcomers, its lack of features and scalability could leave growing businesses wanting more.
Advantages:
- Shopify’s Starter plan is offered at an affordable rate, making it accessible to a wide range of brands.
- This plan allows brands to list unlimited products, offering vast flexibility in terms of inventory.
- Shopify enables store owners to customize their online stores, ensuring that each store can represent its brand’s values and products effectively.
- There is a 24/7 customer support team available on Shopify, dedicated to resolving any concerns or queries promptly.
- All Shopify plans include customary transaction fees as part of their package.
- The Shopify Starter Plan enhances business workflows by providing features for automation, valuable insights, and tools for crafting customized marketing campaigns.
- The Shopify Starter Plan also provides vital insights that assist brands in making informed decisions to elevate their business.
- Additionally, the Shopify Starter plan comes equipped with robust SEO tools designed to improve the visibility of online stores in search results.
Drawbacks:
- The Shopify Starter Plan encapsulates many essential elements but does not delve into every aspect of the e-commerce world. Importantly, it omits valuable features such as abandoned cart recovery and gift card options.
- For organizations processing a high volume of transactions, the associated transaction fees can become a noteworthy financial burden.
In summary, the Shopify Starter Plan is an excellent option for budding businesses in the early stages of development, especially for those working within tight budgets.
But, for organizations requiring more sophisticated features or expecting a high volume of traffic, considering alternative plans may be more prudent.
Shopify Starter Plan vs Basic
- Both subscription plans are competitively priced at $29 per month.
- Each allows for the creation of an appealing online storefront.
- Users can list an unlimited number of products on both Shopify platforms.
- The platforms facilitate multi-channel sales, broadening the potential customer base.
- The Basic Plans on Shopify uniquely offer tools designed to capture sales that might otherwise be lost through abandoned carts.
- Exceptional customer support is accessible 24/7 with either option.
- Support for mobile commerce is included, optimizing the shopping experience for users on mobile devices.
- A complimentary SSL certificate is provided with each plan to ensure secure transactions.
- The Basic Shopify Plan boasts an array of additional features, representing a significant upgrade from the Starter Plan.
Limitations of the Shopify Starter Plan
The Shopify Starter Plan, also known as the “Basic Shopify” option, is designed as an initial step for those beginning their journey in the e-commerce world.
Although, it’s crucial to be aware that this plan has certain limitations that could be impactful for businesses in need of more advanced functionalities.
- Transaction Costs: Choosing the Shopify starter plan introduces a transaction fee for each sale made through the store, in addition to the usual credit card processing charges. Over time, these fees can add up, and they often exceed those of higher-tier plans. Upgrading may be considered a smart move to reduce or eliminate these extra costs.
- A Cap on Team Access: The Starter Plan limits account access to just two staff members. For businesses with larger teams, this limited access could be restrictive.
- Deluxe Additions: Essential features such as gift cards, detailed analytics, and advanced cart recovery options are not included in the Starter Plan but are available in higher-tier plans.
- Access to Third-Party Calculated Shipping Rates: A notable limitation with the Starter Plan is the unavailability of third-party calculated shipping rates. This could be problematic for those seeking accurate shipping cost estimations for various shipping methods.
- Restricted Design Flexibility: While the Shopify Starter Plan offers a range of themes and templates for customizing an online store, it may not fully satisfy businesses that require extensive customization options.
- Extra Fees for Different Payment Gateways: Using a payment processor other than Shopify Payments may result in additional transaction fees.
- Missing Sophisticated Report Constructor: The inability to generate custom reports tailored to a business’s specific needs is another drawback of the Starter Plan.
- Partial Multilingual Capabilities: The plan provides some level of multilingual support, but full utilization may require external apps or manual translations. More comprehensive language options are available with higher-tier plans.
- No Entry to Advanced Scripting: Advanced scripting for customizing checkout and cart functionalities is not possible with the Starter Plan.
- Absence of Wholesale Channel: Specifically aimed at emerging businesses, the Shopify Starter Plan does not include access to a Wholesale channel, which could be a crucial feature for businesses looking to engage in B2B sales.
How to Decide if the Shopify Starter Plan is Right for Your Business
When deliberating whether the Shopify Starter Plan is the ideal choice for one’s business, several critical factors should be considered.
- Budget considerations: At a monthly rate of $29, along with some transaction fees, the Shopify Starter Plan could be well-suited for businesses attentive to their budget.
- Features on offer: It’s crucial to recognize that the Shopify Starter Plan, though comprehensive, does not include all the features available in other Shopify plans. For businesses aiming for a broader set of functionalities, it might be beneficial to investigate other plans.
- Expected traffic: The Shopify Starter Plan is subject to a bandwidth limitation. Businesses expecting significant web traffic might find it necessary to consider different plan options.
- Growth ambitions: For businesses intending to rapidly expand, selecting a different Shopify plan that provides increased features and greater scalability could be advantageous.
Conclusion
The Shopify Starter Plan is described as an ideal option for emerging businesses that are in their early stages and may not need a complete range of features at the moment. It is also a fit for enterprises looking to manage their operations within a tighter budget.
But it is important to note that the Shopify Starter Plan may not include all the features provided by its more comprehensive counterparts, indicating that an upgrade could become necessary as the business grows.
FAQs
How much does Shopify starter cost?
The Shopify Starter Plan is offered at a monthly fee of $29, as last noted in September 2021. Since the e-commerce landscape is constantly evolving, it’s recommended to check the official Shopify website for the most current pricing to stay informed.
Is Shopify starter plan available in India?
Indeed, it is available in India.
What is the best plan to start with on Shopify?
The “Basic Shopify” plan is often considered the best starting point for new entrants into the digital marketplace using Shopify. This plan includes all the necessary features to launch a thriving online store at an affordable price of $29 per month.
As a business grows, upgrading to premium plans provides access to more advanced features and increased flexibility, designed to support expanding business requirements.
