Do you know that Shopify commands the largest market share in the US? This robust eCommerce platform currently hosts about a third of online websites. This accounts for 25% of all online stores, or more than 1.91 million. On a global scale, Shopify takes up 19% of the market share in over 175 countries.
Yet, we can expect the numbers to rise because it takes the top spot as one of the fastest-growing digital store builders. Indeed, over the past six years, it has been gaining ground on other competitors like Bigcommerce, Magento, OpenCart, and PrestaShop.
The reason for the success of Shopify is easy to see. It has everything you need to launch and grow your online business. Other advantages include the fact that it is simple to use and scalable.
And it doesn’t stop there. Shopify taps into a vast ecosystem of services and apps. The advantage of this is the ability to customize your online store as you wish. Please note that it is always a good idea to get a Shopify web developer to help set up your store. You get the benefit of their expertise to create a fantastic, unique website.
Our article looks at upgrades you need to make to your Shopify store. The online space is quite competitive. Anything you can do to increase the functionality and user experience is worth considering.
So, get ready for some pretty good Shopify website designs and upgrades you can implement.
1. Your Theme Matters in Your Shopify Website Design
If you talk to any Shopify web design agency, they will tell you one thing: Your store theme is one of the most critical Shopify website design aspects. The reason is simple, the theme affects
the experience, look, and functionality. The lack of interest could be due to the theme you have.
So, that is one of the upgrades you can run to improve your online store.
Shopify has tons of themes you can pick from, which in itself can cause confusion. So, start with clarity on several factors, including:-
- What kind of experience or feeling do you want customers to have in your eCommerce store?
- What are some of the must-have features you want
- How would you like the product or service display to be
- What is the overall budget for the theme upgrade?
- What do competitor stores look like, etc.?
Your Shopify web developer can help you pick a theme that is attractive, functional, and optimized for page speed.
2. Update Your Shopify Store with the Latest Releases
Do you have speed or functionality issues on your Shopify e-commerce store? If yes, it may be time to update your Shopify store. One of the most recent releases is Shopify OS 2.0. The upgrade came onto the market in June 2021. What you get is a basketful of major updates that are excellent for editing, building, and customizing your store. Beyond that are speed optimization and better options for personalizing customer experiences.
Take advantage of such updates to keep your themes fresh. Other than access to the latest features, you also enjoy code and bug updates. The latter is especially important because you don’t want a store malfunction to affect the running of your business. Further, with recent installations, it becomes easier for Shopify website development companies to support you.
3. Increase the Level of Interaction and Personalization
Think of your typical browsing habits. How much time do you give to the sites you visit? The answer for many people would be “not much time.” That means your Shopify website design must consider some factors.
The first is that you need to capture the elusive audience’s attention. Remember, online visitors have a lot of content to interact with. It is only those online stores that manage to capture their interest and attention that get any notice.
The second fact to consider is the level of personalization you offer each customer. This simple act shows that you care about them and value them in a special way. Look at simple tactics like product recommendations based on past shopping behavior or prompt and tailored responses to customer inquiries.
The thinking is quite simple, really. Customers should get the same experience in your online store as they would in a physical one.
As we stated, it helps to work with a Shopify web design company. A lot goes into increasing levels of personalization or interactiveness. The Shopify design agency will undertake proper market and audience research before giving its recommendations. These could come in the form of the following:-
- Installing relevant software to take care of tactics like personalized email campaigns.
- The use of interactive chatbots to manage customer queries. AI chatbots increase the level of personalization by learning customer behavior. They can then recommend products, thus making them a powerful marketing tool.
- Proper ad targeting based on customer behavior. It helps do away with the annoying pop-up ads that can interfere with the browsing experience.
4. Install the Right Apps
Remember we talked about scalability and customization as key Shopify benefits. All that and more are possible with app upgrades on your Shopify website designs. You have your pick of over 10,000 apps in the Shopify ecosystem.
So, start by determining what your needs are. Do you, for instance, want to step up your social media marketing? Or are you interested in data analysis or better logistical operations?
Shopify has a whole list of e-commerce store apps you should consider in 2023, including:-
- Shopify Email for campaign management and email list building
- ReConvert Upsell and Cross Sell or increase average order values and cart sizes. Simply use the drag-and-drop feature to customize landing pages.
- BetterReplay to get a better understanding of customer interactions on your site. The insights will let you know what could be the reason behind the low conversions.
- Advoz for social media advertising. You will need a weekly ad budget and a Facebook business account to use this app.
- Gatsby for micro-influencer marketing. The as uses AI and onsite integrations to help you pick the best influencers. You can also track and measure influencer engagement to better streamline your marketing activities.
- Enquire Lab for post-purchase surveys, thus more impactful campaigns and strategies.
As we said, start with an understanding of what you need in your e-commerce store. There is no point in downloading apps you will not use. As you know, too many apps or plugins can interfere with page speeds, thus impacting the user experience.
Also, some apps have a cost associated with them. It helps to be aware of how much you will spend on having the apps as part of your Shopify web design.
Finally, and we will keep reiterating this point, do seek the services of a web design company. This step is critical if you need to learn how to use this robust e-commerce website builder.
Final Thoughts
Shopify is a robust platform that offers tons of functionalities to e-commerce owners. But you must keep up with upgrades to ensure optimal performance.
One of the strongest recommendations we can make is to work with a Shopify web design company. You get the benefit of their expertise. Also, it avoids the hassle of the process and the likelihood of making mistakes.
Any downtime can have a serious impact on the business. As you know, online consumers have a lot of choices. In the blink of an eye, all your customers could be gone. Consider it an investment in your eCommerce business to work with professional Shopify website designers.
