WHAT IS SHOPIFY?

At Lillian Purge, we specialise in Ecommerce SEO Services and have developed comprehensive guidance on What is Shopify?.

Shopify is an ecommerce platform that allows businesses to create, customise, and manage their own online shops without needing advanced technical knowledge. Founded in 2006, it has grown into one of the world’s leading ecommerce solutions, powering millions of stores globally. The platform offers a complete suite of tools for building a website, processing payments, managing inventory, fulfilling orders, and tracking performance – all in one place.

At its core, Shopify simplifies the process of selling products online. Instead of hiring developers to code a site from scratch, users can choose a professional template, upload their products, connect a payment gateway, and start selling within hours. This accessibility has made it particularly popular among small and medium-sized businesses, though large brands also use Shopify’s advanced plans and integrations to manage complex operations.

Who is Shopify for?

Shopify caters to a wide range of users, from sole traders and independent creators to growing retailers and large enterprises. It suits anyone looking to sell products online without dealing with complex backend development or separate hosting.

• Start-ups and small businesses benefit from its simplicity and affordability. They can launch quickly, add products easily, and manage orders from one dashboard.

• Growing brands can upgrade their plans to handle higher volumes, multiple locations, and more advanced marketing tools.

• Large companies use Shopify Plus, a high-end version designed for enterprise-level operations with features like dedicated account management, multi-channel selling, and API access for deeper integration.

Shopify also suits businesses that sell across multiple platforms. Through its integrations, merchants can connect their Shopify store with marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, or social channels such as Facebook and Instagram.

How Shopify works

Shopify is a cloud-based system, which means it operates entirely online. You don’t need to install software or manage servers. Once you create an account, you can choose a subscription plan and start building your site using Shopify’s dashboard.

1. Choose a theme – Shopify offers a variety of pre-designed templates for different industries. Each theme can be customised with your own colours, fonts, and layout.

2. Add products – You can upload product images, write descriptions, set prices, and create variants such as sizes or colours.

3. Set up payment and shipping – Shopify integrates with multiple payment gateways, including Shopify Payments, PayPal, and Stripe. You can also configure tax rates and delivery options.

4. Launch your store – Once your products and settings are ready, you can publish your site under a custom domain name and begin selling.

5. Manage and optimise – The platform includes tools for order management, abandoned cart recovery, email marketing, and analytics to track your performance and conversion rates.

Because everything runs from the cloud, Shopify automatically handles hosting, software updates, and security – allowing store owners to focus on marketing and customer experience.

Key features of Shopify

Shopify’s success comes from how well it combines ease of use with powerful features. Some of the most notable include:

• Website builder with drag-and-drop functionality for easy customisation.

• Responsive themes optimised for desktop and mobile devices.

• Integrated payment processing with support for major credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

• Inventory management for tracking stock levels and setting alerts.

• SEO tools that allow users to edit meta titles, descriptions, URLs, and alt tags.

• App store with thousands of plugins for marketing, shipping, customer reviews, loyalty schemes, and accounting.

• Multi-channel selling across social media, marketplaces, and point-of-sale systems.

These tools make Shopify a flexible choice for both beginners and experienced sellers who need scalability without heavy technical requirements.

Shopify pricing and plans

Shopify offers tiered pricing to suit different stages of business growth. The main plans are:

• Basic Shopify – ideal for start-ups or small retailers. It includes essential features for launching an online store.

• Shopify – adds more reporting tools, lower transaction fees, and greater flexibility for growing brands.

• Advanced Shopify – offers advanced reporting, custom shipping rates, and better analytics for data-driven decisions.

• Shopify Plus – a bespoke enterprise-level solution for high-volume stores and international operations.

All plans include hosting, SSL certificates, and support. While there’s a monthly subscription fee, you can trial Shopify free for a limited period to explore its features before committing.

Challenges and drawbacks

Despite its strengths, Shopify isn’t perfect for everyone. There are a few challenges to consider before choosing it:

• Transaction fees apply if you don’t use Shopify Payments as your primary gateway.

• Customisation limits can frustrate advanced developers who want more control over backend code.

• App dependencies mean that many advanced features require third-party plugins, which can increase monthly costs.

• Content management limitations make Shopify less suited to content-heavy sites like news or magazine platforms.

For most ecommerce stores, however, these challenges are outweighed by the platform’s ease of use, reliability, and scalability.

Alternatives and complementary tools

Shopify competes with several other ecommerce platforms, each with its own strengths.

• WooCommerce is ideal for WordPress users who want complete control over design and functionality. It’s open-source and highly customisable but requires separate hosting and maintenance.

• Squarespace and Wix are beginner-friendly website builders with ecommerce features. They are visually strong but less flexible for complex stores.

• BigCommerce offers more built-in tools for advanced sellers but can be harder to use for beginners.

In practice, many businesses use complementary tools alongside Shopify, such as Google Analytics, Klaviyo for email marketing, or Semrush for SEO performance tracking.

Tips for getting the most from Shopify

1. Invest in professional branding – Choose a premium theme and customise it to reflect your brand identity. Consistent visuals build trust and make your store memorable.

2. Optimise for SEO – Add unique product descriptions, optimise metadata, and structure your URLs clearly. Use Shopify’s built-in SEO fields and integrate with Google Search Console.

3. Use high-quality images – Product photography can make or break sales. Clear, detailed images improve conversion rates and reduce returns.

4. Leverage Shopify Apps – Install only the apps that add genuine value. Focus on automation, marketing, and customer retention tools that align with your goals.

5. Simplify checkout – Reduce friction by enabling guest checkout and multiple payment options. Fewer steps lead to higher conversions.

6. Monitor analytics – Regularly review your Shopify dashboard and Google Analytics data to identify trends and refine your marketing efforts.

7. Prioritise mobile users – Over half of ecommerce sales come from mobile devices. Test your site on smartphones to ensure it loads quickly and navigates easily.

8. Automate abandoned cart recovery – Use Shopify’s built-in tools or email integrations to re-engage customers who leave without completing their purchase.

9. Encourage reviews and social proof – Integrate customer feedback apps or Trustpilot widgets to build credibility.

10. Plan for growth – As your store expands, consider upgrading your plan or adding apps to manage logistics, inventory, or multi-location stock.

Expert advice

For long-term success, treat Shopify as part of a wider digital marketing ecosystem rather than a standalone platform. SEO, paid advertising, social media, and email marketing all contribute to performance. Optimise your product pages with structured data, internal linking, and schema markup to improve visibility in Google Shopping and AI-powered results.

Work on building backlinks to your Shopify store through guest articles, influencer collaborations, and directory listings. Combine this with consistent content marketing – blogs, guides, and tutorials – to drive organic traffic.

Finally, maintain your site health by reviewing broken links, removing outdated products, and testing checkout regularly. A technically sound, user-friendly store will always perform better in both rankings and revenue.

Conclusion

Shopify has transformed ecommerce by making it possible for anyone to build and manage a professional online store. Its combination of simplicity, reliability, and scalability makes it a strong choice for UK businesses that want to sell products online without complex setup. By pairing Shopify with a solid SEO strategy, you can create a high-performing, search-friendly store that drives consistent sales growth.

We have also written in depth articles on is shopify worth it and How to add schema markup to Shopify stores as well as our Shopify Hub to give you further guidance.