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Shopify Plus: The Ultimate Guide for Business Owners

The Ultimate guide to

Business owners always have a keen eye on the tools available to them. As the ecommerce market has evolved, owners are on the lookout for platforms that can give them an advantage.

The competitive landscape demands it.

They want platforms that:

  • Offer a great return on investment
  • Offer the latest features
  • Offer scalability
  • Are easy/intuitive to use
  • Will streamline their operations in various ways

Shopify Plus has emerged as a leading contender that ticks all these boxes for B2B and DTC businesses alike.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore what Shopify Plus is, its key features, pricing, and onboarding process. We will also compare it with standard Shopify to help you decide if upgrading to Shopify Plus is the right move for your business.

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What Is Shopify Plus and Who Is It For?

 

Shopify Plus is designed for high-growth, high-volume businesses. A long-term player in the ecommerce space, it builds on Shopify’s stellar reputation. The ‘Plus’ offering specialises in offering both B2B and DTC operations in one unified platform. This combination simplifies the management of wholesale and retail channels.

Shopify Plus offers a strong and scalable infrastructure that can handle large amounts of traffic and transactions. This, essentially, is what makes it an upgrade, ideal for businesses that have outgrown other ecommerce solutions (like standard Shopify).

The platform is particularly suited for:

  • Larger retailers
  • Wholesalers
  • Wholesalers who also do retail on one site
  • Brands with an international presence (multi-regional)
  • Companies with multiple websites

There are two types of Shopify Plus customers: mid-market customers, typically in the $2 million to $15 million turnover bracket, and enterprise customers, in the $15 million+ bracket.

For businesses transacting more than $10 million yearly online and in-store (through POS), Shopify Plus becomes cost-effective due to better transaction rates.

We’ll discuss more about whether it’s ‘worth’ upgrading to Shopify Plus for all businesses later.

Shopify vs. Shopify Plus Comparison

Shopify is a fantastic platform for small to medium-sized businesses. However, it has limitations, particularly for companies experiencing growth. Shopify Plus provides advanced features and benefits that cater to these larger enterprises. Here are the key differences:

  • Support, security and resources – Shopify Plus provides dedicated support, including a Launch Manager and a 90-day onboarding team, followed by a dedicated account manager. This level of support ensures a smooth transition and ongoing assistance, which is not available with standard Shopify plans. The platform offers enterprise-grade security features that protect all data. This is a crucial, undervalued feature that protects customer trust in your business.
  • Customisation and automation – Shopify Plus offers extensive customisation options, and you have an ecosystem of over 8,000 apps to integrate. You also benefit from advanced automation tools like Shopify Flow. Shopify Flow allows businesses to automate workflows; think of things that streamline operations, like automated invoices.
  • Scalability – Shopify Plus is designed to handle high volumes of traffic and transactions. This makes it ideal for rapidly growing businesses. It also provides more server resources. This, in turn, ensures a better user experience.
  • Transaction rates – Shopify Plus offers competitive transaction rates for both online and POS sales, which can be negotiated at the contract stage and are typically better than 1.4%.

Shopify Plus Key Features

 

Shopify Plus provides a suite of features designed to enhance both DTC and B2B operations. Here’s a breakdown of its key features:

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Features

  • Custom wholesale experiences – Personalised product selections for different customer groups, boosting satisfaction and sales.
  • Custom pricing – Unique pricing structures for different customers or order quantities, encouraging bulk purchases and loyalty.
  • Personalised storefronts – Customised online storefronts for each buyer, improving customer retention and conversion rates.
  • Flexible payment terms – Various payment options and terms are available to accommodate diverse preferences and improve cash flow.
  • Self-serve portal – An online portal where customers can manage accounts, place orders, and track shipments independently, reducing the workload on sales and support teams.

B2B Features

  • Company profiles – Represent multiple buyers and locations with unique permission levels and payment terms.
  • Customer-specific catalogues – Assign product catalogues to specific buyers or locations for a curated experience.
  • Quantity rules – Set customer-specific conditional rules for products and variants, including minimums and maximums, case packs, and increments.
  • Volume pricing – Implement quantity price breaks to encourage larger orders.
  • Store personalisation – Optimise the experience for B2B customers by surfacing relevant content to the right audience.
  • Headless storefronts – Gain complete control over the buyer experience with Shopify APIs and developer tools.
  • Custom B2B solutions – Build the solution your business needs with a suite of B2B APIs and compatible apps.
  • Workflow automation – Automate repetitive tasks with Shopify Flow, including support for companies and company locations.
  • Sales rep permissions – Add sales reps as staff in the admin with specific permissions to manage assigned customers and place orders on their behalf.
  • PO numbers – Capture PO numbers on orders and at checkout, visible in the admin and within customer accounts.
  • Flexible payment options – Offer terms and invoicing capabilities to streamline the order process.
  • Easy reordering – Allow buyers to reorder past purchases from their customer account.

Additionally, Shopify Plus supports up to 10 stores in multiple countries with multi-currency support. This facilitates a truly global ecommerce solution.

Shopify Plus Pricing

 

As of August 2024, Shopify Plus is priced at USD $2,500 per month (~AUD $3,818) on a one-year agreement or USD $2,300 per month (~AUD $3,515) on a three-year contract.

This includes competitive transaction rates for both online and POS sales, which can be negotiated and are typically better than 1.4%. A free POS subscription is also included, subject to certain limits.

Onboarding Process

 

The Shopify Plus onboarding process is designed to be seamless and supportive.

Businesses can utilise a Shopify Developer account at no charge until the site is ready to go live.

Once ready, the site is upgraded to Plus before launching. During the first 90 days post-launch, businesses receive access to a dedicated onboarding team to help with any questions.

After this period, a dedicated account manager is available for ongoing support.

Is It Worth Upgrading to Shopify Plus?

 

Upgrading to Shopify Plus can be a significant investment, but it offers substantial benefits, particularly in terms of scalability and support.

If your business is experiencing or predicting rapid growth, the enhanced infrastructure and dedicated support services can be invaluable. The platform’s agility, allowing businesses to launch quickly and stay competitive, is another critical advantage that can be a difference-maker in the current ecommerce landscape.

So, in answer to the question, you should follow it up with a series of other considerations related to growth trajectory, how complex your operations are, and whether you need high levels of customisation:

  • What are my projections?
  • Do I manage multiple storefronts? International sales? Large wholesale accounts?
  • Do I offer extensive customisation and personalised experiences for different customer segments?

In sum, whether upgrading is worth it will rely on a careful analysis of where your business is at and where it’s heading. Certainly, Shopify Plus offers several features that will help in taking your business to the next level.

Are There Any Limitations to Shopify Plus?

 

There are a few elements to highlight that some may see as limitations:

  • We already alluded to cost. Shopify Plus can be a significant investment for smaller businesses. In truth, it might not be worth it for your specific circumstance. Expert advice can help you weigh this up.
  • If you are super tech-savvy, you may be frustrated by the limited back-end customisation. While there are plenty of opportunities for front-end customisation, Shopify Plus lacks on the back-end compared to tools like Magento. This may limit businesses that need extensive back-end customisation.
  • The app ecosystem can become a limitation, and not just if you see choice as overwhelming rather than freeing. Businesses may need to rely on third-party apps, which can add to the overall cost and complexity of managing the platform. This dependency on external apps can sometimes lead to integration challenges and require additional maintenance.

Summing Up

 

Shopify Plus is a powerful eCommerce platform, a market leader for B2B and DTC businesses alike. Its extensive features, scalability, and ease of use particularly make it an ideal choice for businesses looking to facilitate growth through an improved customer experience.

The cost is high. Yet, the benefits of upgrading can far outweigh the investment, particularly for businesses with complex needs.

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, contact Donohue Consultancy today to find out how we can help you implement and optimise Shopify Plus for your unique needs.

Our team of experts will guide you through the process and help you maximise your ecommerce business potential.

Rabiul
Rabiul