When you hear the term “basic,” you might assume it refers to something simplistic or limited.
However, when it comes to Shopify Basic, appearances can be deceiving. Its benefits go far beyond the initial stages of your business, providing long-term value and empowering your online store’s growth.
In this article, I’ll share my experience with Shopify’s Basic plan and delve into why this particular plan isn’t as it seems.
So, let’s get started, shall we?
Shopify Basic Plan Overview
Shopify Basic is one of the pricing plans offered by Shopify, a popular eCommerce platform known for its user-friendly interface and powerful features.
With its intuitive website builder, robust eCommerce functionalities, and secure payment gateways, Shopify Basic provides an ideal foundation for your online store.
Who Is Shopify Basic Plan For?
Shopify Basic is ideal for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses that are just getting started with their online store. It provides all the essential tools and functionalities required to set up and manage a successful eCommerce website.
If your revenue is less than $20,000 you should most likely go with the Shopify Basic plan.
Whether you’re selling physical products, digital downloads, or services, Shopify Basic offers the flexibility and ease of use to meet your needs.
How much is basic Shopify a month?
The standard monthly price for Shopify Basic is $29 USD per month. However, the price might be slightly different if your from other regions outside of USA.
Shopify Basic Plan Features – Deep Dive
Let’s talk about all the great features you can get with Shopify Basic – as you’ll read through, you’ll find out it’s not as basic as the name implies.
Online Store
With Shopify Basic, you have access to a fully functional online store builder. The platform provides a wide range of professionally designed themes to choose from.
You can easily customize the look and feel of your website using Shopify’s built-in theme editor, which requires no coding knowledge.
This allows you to create a visually appealing and personalized online store that helps bring out the true spirit of your brand.
Blog
In addition to your online store, Shopify Basic also includes a built-in blogging engine. This feature enables you to create and manage a blog directly within your Shopify store.
Blogging is a powerful tool for content marketing and improving search engine optimization (SEO).
By regularly publishing high-quality blog posts, you can drive more traffic to your store and engage with your target audience.
Two Staff Accounts
Shopify Basic allows you to grant access to two staff accounts.
This is particularly useful if you have team members or employees who need to access and manage different aspects of your online store.
Each staff account can have different permission levels, ensuring that you maintain control over your store’s operations.
SSL certificates
Security is paramount when running an online store, and Shopify Basic has you covered. The plan includes SSL certificates, which encrypt the communication between your store and your customers.
This ensures that all data transmitted during the transaction process remains secure and protected.
By displaying the HTTPS padlock in the browser’s address bar, you establish trust with your customers and provide a safe shopping experience.
Reports
Shopify Basic provides a range of reports and analytics tools to help you understand and improve your store’s performance.
Here are some of the key reports available:
Analytics Page
The Analytics page provides an overview of your store’s performance, including sales, traffic, and conversion rates. It gives you valuable insights into your customers’ behavior and helps you identify areas for improvement.
Finances Reports
The Finances Reports offer a comprehensive view of your store’s financial transactions, including sales, refunds, and taxes. This enables you to track your revenue and expenses, making it easier to manage your finances.
Product Analytics
Product Analytics provides detailed information about your products’ performance, such as the number of views, add-to-cart rates, and sales. This data can help you identify your best-selling products and optimize your inventory accordingly.
Live View
The Live View report allows you to monitor your store’s real-time activity, including visitors, active carts, and recent purchases. This provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and helps you make data-driven decisions.
Acquisition Reports
Acquisition Reports show you how customers are finding your store, whether through search engines, social media, or referrals. This information helps you evaluate the success of your marketing efforts and optimize your customer acquisition strategies.
Inventory Reports
Inventory Reports give you an overview of your stock levels, allowing you to track your inventory and avoid stockouts or overstocking. This ensures smooth order fulfillment and customer satisfaction.
Behavior Reports
Behavior Reports provide insights into how customers navigate and interact with your store. You can see which pages they visit, how long they stay, and whether they complete a purchase. Understanding customer behavior can help you improve your website’s usability and optimize the customer journey.
Marketing Reports
Marketing Reports track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, including email marketing, social media ads, and other promotional activities. By analyzing the performance of your marketing efforts, you can refine your strategies and maximize your return on investment (ROI).
International Commerce
Shopify Basic allows you to expand your business internationally with ease. With the ability to use Shopify Markets, you can manage multiple stores across different countries from a single dashboard. This simplifies your cross-border operations and allows you to reach a global customer base.
Shopify Basic Plan Fees
It’s important to note that Shopify Basic charges a transaction fee of 2% for each sale made on external payment gateways.
However, if you use Shopify Payments as your payment gateway, you can eliminate transaction costs altogether.
Shopify Payments provides a seamless and secure payment processing solution that integrates seamlessly with your online store.
If you could like to know more about Shopify Fees, check out our Shopify Fee Calculator here!
Benefits of Shopify Basic plan
Let’s explore some of the key advantages of choosing the Shopify Basic plan:
- Easy-to-Use Website Builder: Create a professional-looking online store without coding knowledge using the drag-and-drop website builder.
- Secure and Reliable Platform: Shopify handles web hosting, security, and maintenance, ensuring your store is always available and protected.
- Comprehensive Analytics: Get valuable insights into your store’s performance with sales reports and customer behavior data.
- Inventory Management: Easily manage your inventory, receive low stock alerts, and organize products efficiently.
- Marketing and SEO Features: Optimize your store for search engines and use built-in marketing tools to promote your products.
- App Integrations: Extend your store’s capabilities with a wide range of apps for email marketing, inventory management, and more.
- Responsive Customer Support: Access support via live chat, email, and phone to get assistance with any questions or technical issues.
Disadvantages Of Shopify Basic Plan
The drawbacks aren’t particularly significant, as you still get most of the core features of Shopify with the plan. Here they are:
- Transaction Fees: Shopify Basic charges a fee of 2% for each sale made through external payment gateways, which can impact your profit margins. Still, using Shopify Payments can eliminate these fees.
- Limited Advanced Features: Compared to higher-tier plans, Shopify Basic has certain limitations in terms of scalability and advanced functionalities. If you anticipate rapid growth or require more advanced features, you might need to upgrade to a higher plan.
Where To Purchase Shopify Basic Plan From? Shopify Basic Plan Discount
If you normally go through the Shopify website you will have only 3 day free trial. However, if you go through the link below you get the longest Shopify trial as well as an annual discount!
Click here to get the longest available free Shopify Trial Today! (No one else has any trial longer than this btw.)
FAQs
How many stores can you have on Shopify Basic plan?
With the Shopify Basic plan, you can have one online store. If you need multiple stores, you may need to consider upgrading to a higher-tier plan like Shopify.
Can I change my Shopify Basic plan anytime?
Yes, you can. Shopify allows you to upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time. Simply navigate to the Shopify admin dashboard and select the plan that suits your current requirements.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the Shopify Basic plan is more than worth trying out. While it may have some limitations and flaws, it offers a balanced yet affordable experience.
With the Shopify Basic plan, you can enjoy all the features that make Shopify what it is. Moreover, when it comes to scaling your business, upgrading the plan is just a couple of clicks away and offers a seamless transition.
So, what’s stopping you now? Give it a go!
Related: Shopify Vs Shopify Plus
