Shopify is one of the, if not the number one e-commerce platform in the world. We are pretty sure you have heard about Shopify from a Youtube ad, or your friends or anywhere else. In simple terms, Shopify is basically like an eCommerce site that you can use to build your store both online and offline. Shopify is somewhat similar to how WordPress is to bloggers. Store owners use to subscribe to Shopify to create an online website for their store.

If you are an offline store owner and want to take your business online, then Shopify has got to be the best choice for you. The platform has its own shopping cart solution to manage, sell and ship your products. To add to that, it also has an easy to use admin panel that enables you to enter store data, add products, and process customer orders. How, have we managed to convince you to start using Shopify for your business?

Well, if yes, then good because you’ve made the right decision to take your store online using Shopify. Especially in times like now, where everything is digitalised, going online is the best way to stay in trend and relevant among your customers. If you are looking for more in-depth information about Shopify in Singapore then you have come to the right place. We have gathered an extensive guide to Shopify in Singapore. So, let’s dive in.

What is Shopify? 

Shopify is an eCommerce platform that store owners can use to convert their business online. It allows you to sell both online with your own website and/or in-person with Shopify POS. The best part is, Shopify is super easy to use that everyone from beginners to eCommerce experts can easily navigate through the system without issues. However, the site is NOT free! You can start off by sign-up for a free 14-day trial of Shopify to test it out for yourself then if you like it you can subscribe to it monthly. 

The pricing plans of Shopify can be confusing as they have too many options for you to pick from. But it is not that confusing if you want the plans better. For most first-time store owners you should start with the Shopify’s Basic plan whereas if you’ve been running your business for quite some time, then you may go for Advanced Shopify or Shopify Plus depending on your business needs. 

Below are detailed explanations of each of Shopify’s plans:

Shopify Plus- Shopify Plus is for larger businesses or businesses looking to scale up their reach. The plan offers advanced reporting features, higher priority customer support, capacity to handle higher order volumes, and more.

Shopify Lite- Shopify Lite is an affordable alternative that allows you to sell products on an existing website. This plan is suitable for those who already have your own website that isn’t hosted on Shopify. This plan will add a ‘Sell’ and ‘Buy’ button without Shopify’s hosting. The plan also allows you to use Messenger chats, sell both online and offline, and send invoices.

Shopify POS-  POS which stands for Point of Sale is an application that allows you to sell products offline. You can sell products at a physical store, trade shows, pop-up shops, or other events in-person using Shopify POS. What sets the plan apart is that you can accept online payments.

How Does Shopify Works?

Like we said earlier, one of the primary reason why Shopify is so popular in Singapore compared to other e-commerce platforms is that it is easy to use. Unlike other platforms that require you to to set up, do coding with Shopify all you need is a few clicks of the mouse and a little typing! In fact, creating a Shopify account is so simple, very similar to creating a Facebook account.

Here is a detailed guide on how to have Shopify in Singapore.

  1. Create Your Account 

The first step of creating your Shopify store is signing up for an account on the platform. To sign up, you first need to visit the Shopify website, click on the ‘Get Started’ button and fill in the registration form. Oh, before creating an account make sure you have a unique name for your store. Otherwise, Shopify will not allow you to purchase the domain. The last of creating your account is providing your name, address and contact information.

  1. Add a Product to Your Shopify Store

After creating an account, the next step is to add products. Once you signed up, you will be redirected to the admin panel of your new site. This is where you can customise your store and add products that your customers will purchase. There will be an ‘Add Product’ button that allows you to add details such as the name, description, price, and more. Make sure, to be as comprehensive as you can and remember to save your products after adding all the information.

  1. Customise Your Shopify Website

This is the fun part where you are allowed you to customise your website by choosing your themes, colours and logos. This is also the most crucial part of this process as you need a unique identity to your website. The Shopify theme store has an abundance of options, both free and paid. You can also make unlimited adjustments by accessing the HTML and CSS elements of the paid themes. If you are new to coding, you can seek assistance from the Shopify Experts page. 

*The Shopify Experts community has several pros who specialise in various design aspects such as fonts, colour schemes, logos, and carousel slides, and so on. 

  1. Set Up Your Domain Name

Once you choose your preferred theme and website design, the next step involves selecting a domain name. A domain name is an address where Internet users can access your website. When click on the ‘add a domain’ button, you will get a prompt asking you to either create a new one or transfer an existing one. You will also need to specify the Shopify payment plan of your choice. If you are uploading an existing name, remember to update your DNS records.

*After activating the domain name, make sure to check if your domain name is working. During this confirmation, make sure that your all sections of your websites are functional, especially the legal information, product details and shipping.

  1. Activate Your Payment Processor

The last step of the process is to activate a payment processor for your online store. To do this you need to click on the Payments tab located on the left side of the dashboard. Here, you can access a variety of platforms such as Authorise.net and Stripe. The most critical thing after choosing your payment processor is identifying the payment gateways to include on your Shopify website.

Some of the factors that affect your choice in this regard are the:

  • transaction fees, 
  • supported cards
  • offsite checkout.

When you choose the option, chose the ones that charge the lowest prices per transaction. This allows you to maximise your profits. Make sure to add supports of all the major card types like Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Though redirecting customers to a secure server to complete the checkout process offers more security, but they are also time-consuming! 

How Much Does Shopify in Singapore Cost?

Like we said earlier, Shopify isn’t free but it is not expensive at the same time! The following is an overview of the different prices of each Shopify plan.

Shopify Lite– Shopify Lite costs $9 monthly and is the cheapest plan on the platform. It offers a personalised ‘buy’ button that you can embed to your social media accounts and website. Its main shortcoming is that it lacks other fundamental features of an e-commerce website.

Shopify Basic– Shopify Basic costs $29 monthly and has similar credit card charges to the Lite. However, unlike its cheaper alternative, it has a fully functional e-commerce platform module.  You will as get continual customer support, fraud analysis, discount codes, a website module, a free SSL certificate, and manual order creation.

Shopify Advanced– Shopify Advanced costs $299 monthly. This plan offers fifteen staff accounts, an advanced report generator, and real-time carrier shipping.

Shopify Plus- Shopify Plus plans start from $2,000 monthly and increase according to the size of the store. It is ideal for established enterprises and charges a credit card fee of 2.15% plus 30 cents for every transaction.

What Can You Sell on Shopify in Singapore? 

Well, you can sell almost everything on Shopify, from fashion to beauty to home and garden. Here are some of the  popular products s you can sell on Shopify in Singapore:

  • Clothing
  • Jewellery
  • Home accessories
  • Travel products
  • Baby or maternity products
  • Bags and luggage
  • Fitness accessories
  • Beauty products
  • Kitchenware
  • Pet products
  • Automotive accessories

Despite, the ‘you can sell all’, Shopify does have some strict guidelines on what you can’t sell, too. Below, are some of the products you cannot sell on Shopify:

  • Certain firearms and their parts
  • Counterfeit or unauthorized goods
  • Gambling products
  • Regulated products or services
  • Adult products
  • Drug paraphernalia
  • Event tickets
  • High-risk businesses such as bankruptcy lawyers, computer technical support, telecommunications equipment, etc.

Why You Need Shopify in Singapore? 

The answer is simple because Shopify is the best platform for online retailers. If you are still sceptical then we suggest you take advantage of the free trial to test it out for yourself to see what all the hype is about. Do take our words on this, Shopify is all about making commerce better for everyone so it might just be the perfect platform for you. Shopify can help your business grow in multiple ways, here are how: 

  1. Shopify Can Create Ads to Run on Other Platforms

Using, Shopify you can run ads on various platforms such as Facebook, Google, and almost any other social network. It is best to do your research and pick the platform where your audience spends the most time. It’s also important to choose a platform where the targeting options are expansive, allowing you to exactly pinpoint the ideal customer. In generally, Facebook and Google are the most popular ad platforms. But ultimately, you want to pick the one that’s best for your niche.

  1. Shopify can Bring More Traffic to Your Website

Shopify is powered with SEO algorithms so it can help bring traffic back to your website. Many online owners then to neglect the importance of doing content marketing for the website to improve their SEO ranking. Remember, business is not just about investing in ads. SEO and content marketing, help you re-target your blog traffic which is proven to have higher conversion rates.

  1. Shopify allows you to Content to Your Social Media 

Here’s a pro-tip, before you launch your website, make sure to have an audience base on your social media platforms. For example, start an Instagram account about 2-3 months before your online store launches and promote your website on your social media site. Once you have launched your website, you can potentially be able to generate some sales with the link in your bio or Story.