Top Takeaways from Shopify Unite
When we attended the Shopify Unite conference in San Francisco, not only did we have a good time, but we learned a lot as well!
Here, we’re sharing our key takeaways.
4 Takeaways From Shopify Unite
1. Partners Are Paramount
Shopify Unite really highlighted how much Shopify cares about their partnerships with agencies (like us), who are experts in implementing the platform and providing marketing support to ecommerce businesses. In fact, that’s what they refer to us as: “Shopify experts.”
Unlike most other store platforms, which compete with their partners in the sale of implementation services, Shopify takes the opposite approach. They focus solely on creating the best ecommerce platform possible and rely on strong partnerships with Shopify experts to implement their software and bring their clients’ stores to life.
2. Shopify Is About Commerce (Not Just Ecommerce)
You might think of Shopify as an ecommerce platform… and it is.
But it’s also much more.
Shopify is a full commerce platform; it’s a multi-channel commerce solution.
Many businesses have both online and offline components, and Shopify allows you to integrate those different points of sale on a single platform. Shopify combines in-store retail with online sales — including sales via social media platforms or third-party sites — in a single system that powers everything.
With this versatility, you can pop a store into your Facebook page to sell directly on Facebook or drop a “buy” button on a third-party website that sends customers directly into the checkout flow with a single click.
By providing a consistent experience across every channel, you improve brand recognition, brand reputation, and customer experience without having to develop custom tools for each new use case. You also get comprehensive, consistent back-end data management and a platform that integrates with your fulfillment and accounting systems to help your entire store run seamlessly.
Shopify functions as the central hub connecting all the spokes of your different sales channels.
3. It’s Not Just for Small- or Medium-Sized Companies
Shopify has a specific offering for enterprise clients: Shopify Plus.
In the past, enterprise companies had to build custom commerce platforms from the ground up. Not only is this time-consuming (perhaps 18 months to complete) and expensive (think millions, not thousands), but it also requires full-time staff to maintain the software.
Infinitely scalable and customizable, Shopify Plus allows enterprise businesses to focus on what they do best and leave the software development to dedicated experts. It’s not only less expensive, but it’s also liberating, freeing up time to concentrate on products and services rather than on keeping custom platforms up and running.
4. Shopify Is Made for Marketing
Shopify’s infrastructure was built to create beautiful, simple, easy-to-use experiences customers love. But don’t let the simplicity fool you.
The Shopify app store offers scores of purpose-made apps and integrations for clients. With these options, you can run almost any marketing campaign you can dream of, whether that’s social campaigns, on-site upsells, abandon cart follow-ups, email marketing, or anything else.
Shopify Unite: Final Thoughts
Our biggest takeaway from Shopify Unite? Shopify is built to give you all the tools you need to convert.
If you’re interested in migrating your store to Shopify or Shopify Plus but worry about the logistics, reach out. They call us Shopify experts for a reason, and we’d love to talk.
