Ultimate Shopify Ecommerce Review

Shopify Ecommerce Step by step

Many ask us which e-commerce platform is best suited for a company that has just started an online store. The short answer is that Shopify offers all the features you need, but stay updated for a more detailed Shopify review below ...

Shopify is packed with tools to launch a website within minutes, plus you do not have to worry about self-management or buying a third-party domain name. In that sense, it can be called the perfect out-of-the-box solution, built with pricing plans that cater to small startup stores as well as stores that sell millions of dollars in sales.

No time to read? Here is a brief summary of what Shopify has to offer and why it may be the platform you should use when starting an e-commerce business:

⭐ Shopify review: Summary:

Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on the web , and also one that is the easiest to use while giving you all the features you will ever need.

As soon as you register, you will have access to the complete set of tools required to build and then manage an e-commerce website . Shopify lets you customize your design, create a product catalog, set prices, payment methods, taxes and then even add extra features via installable extensions.

With Shopifykan you sell almost everything you want - physical products / deliverable goods, digital products, services and you can also create a dropshipping operation.

ShopifyThe most popular payment plan is $ 29 / month and there is a 14-day free trial .

Shopify review: What are the pros and cons?

Click for pros and cons:

What are the benefits of Shopify? 👍

• Shopify is very easy to use and does not require any technical skills from the user.
• Shopify is ready for anything you can throw at it . You can sell deliverable goods, digital products, services, anything.
• Shopify gives you a large selection of store designers . They all look modern, beautiful and are optimized to maximize sales.
• If all you want to do is sell products on social media, like Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, you can do it with the cheap Shopify Lite plan at $ 9 / month .
• You can sell your products through several channels, not just through the online store. Shopify even allows you to integrate their system into your existing store and brick.
• Shopify is completely worth it . You do not have to worry about server-related problems or maintenance at all.
• There is customer support around the clock.
• Shopify gives you mobile apps for iOS and Android - so you can manage your store when you're on the go.
• No transaction fees if you use Shopify Payments - Shopifyegen payment module .
• There are more than 2000 apps and plugins available in the Shopify app Store . This means you can integrate your Shopify store with countless third-party services and add new functionality at the click of a button.
• Shopify dares very well , which means that regardless of the size of your store, Shopify will be able to handle it .
• Good warehousing module if you happen to sell deliverable goods.
• Good if you want to do dropshipping .
• There is a 14-day free trial.

What are the disadvantages of Shopify? 👎

• If you want your customers to be able to submit reviews and ratings of your products, these features are paid extra via supplements.
• You do not have exactly full control over your store. Your store hosts servers owned by Shopify . This means that if they decide to take down your store at any time, they can do so. Most likely will not happen if you do not break any of the license agreements.
• Professional reporting is only available on higher level Shopify plans .
• There are additional payment processing fees above the standard credit card processing levels if you do not use the Shopifyegna payment module .
• Even if it is there, the blog module does not have the friendliest user interface and you may find it challenging to create nice blog content regularly.

👉 Click here to go to Shopify

Shopify Review: Table of Contents:

Why choose? Shopify? How does Shopify Work? 🤔

Shopify was founded in 2006 by Tobias Lütke (CEO of the Year in Canada), Scott Lake and Daniel Weinand.

Since its launch, the platform has grown rapidly from a small player to one of (if not the ) leading e-commerce solutions alongside BigCommerce , Volusion , Magento or WooCommerce .

The company currently operates more than 1,750,000 2021 XNUMX online resellers (October XNUMX).

It must be clear that there is a reason why Shopify has become so popular and had its position in the market for more than a decade.

Perhaps the biggest advantage is that Shopify offers a good balance between user-friendliness and functionality .

On the one hand, Shopify is incredibly friendly even for beginners who have not used an e-commerce store before. And on the other hand, it provides all the features that an entrepreneur may need. Also, you do not need to take a web development or coding class.

That said, more advanced users will have access to CSS and HTML files, and can upgrade their Shopify Plan to get more robust features as their store grows.

All in all, it is a beautifully designed e-commerce platform with lots of themes that look modern and elegant but also simple and minimal if that is what you are looking for.

If you're curious, some of the more notable brands that use Shopify include : General Electric, Amnesty International, Tesla Motors, Encyclopedia Britannica, Foo Fighters, GitHub and many , many , many more .

📹 Here is a video review of Shopify created by our colleague Joe.

Shopify videorecension:

Try Shopify risk free for 14 days

Shopify Pricing explained 💰

Shopify pricing can be a bit confusing at first .

The most important thing to know is that there are two components that add to your final Shopify bill:

1. The fee on the Shopify system itself.
2. Payment management fees that are a percentage of your revenue.

To make this clearer, we have put together a Shopify calculator , which you can use to calculate how much you will spend each month exactly - based on your income.

But before you figure it out , consider the following factors:

Four main Shopify plans:

There are four main columns in the calculator. Each column corresponds to a specific usage plan for Shopify . Each plan has its specific characteristics and limitations, hence the price differences. We discuss these plans further down in the review. If you are not sure which one to choose, read below.

Shopify offers five pricing plans . The most popular Shopify Plan among new online stores is Basic Shopify at $ 29 / month . It comes with all the features a new store owner would need and enables reasonable growth before you need to upgrade. Speaking of upgrades, the next plan up - simply called " Shopify " - is $ 79 / month and provides a great platform for the growth and expansion of your business.

In addition, you have the opportunity to try a free, 14-day trial before committing to anything.

What is also worth pointing out is that Shopify is not only your "online store system", but you can also use the Shopify tool in your actual company or store for bricks and mortar . Shopify makes available its POS (point of sale) packages that allow you to set things up quickly and add to your offline sales in the main Shopify system. Having everything in one place really makes it a lot easier to do business.

How Much Does Shopify Cost?

Here is a summary of Shopify plans currently available and the most important details about them:

Here are the main differences between Shopify plans. ⤵️

Shopify Lite: $ 9 / month

Shopify Lite

Shopify Lite - $ 9 / month. On this plan, you only get a personal Shopify "Buy" button, which you can use on places like Facebook, Pinterest, other social media or your own website or blog.

What you do not get , however, is the functionality of the online store. Let me emphasize this again because it is quite crucial. with Shopify Lite, you actually do not get an online store - just a buy button.

This lack of functionality is why we did not include this plan in the calculator above.

Shopify Lite comes with POS integration, fraud analysis, manual order creation and delivery codes A staff account is provided. Credit card fees are 2.9% + 30 ¢ per transaction.

Here is our review of the Shopify Lite Plan specifically.

Basic Shopify: $ 29 / month

Basic Shopify

Basic Shopify - $ 29 / month. Comes with a fully functional online store module. Credit card processing is 2.9% + 30 ¢.

You get 24/7 support, fraud analysis, manual order entry, discount codes, a website and blog module and a free SSL certificate. Two staff accounts are provided.

'Shopify': $ 79 / month

Shopify

Shopify - $ 79 / month. Everything from the previous plan is included. Credit card fees are slightly lower by 2.6% + 30 ¢.

You can also issue gift cards, there are professional reports and abandoned carriage recovery. Five staff accounts are provided.

Advanced Open water Shopify: $ 299 / month

Advanced Open water Shopify

Advanced Open water Shopify - $ 299 / month. Everything from the previous plan is included. Credit card fees are 2.4% + 30 ¢.

You get an advanced report builder and supplier in real time. 15 staff accounts are provided.

Shopify Plus: from $ 2,000 XNUMX / month

Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus - starts at $ 2,000 / month. This is the Shopify company's plan, and as you would imagine, it is not what most business owners need when they think of launching a Shopify Store. Credit card fees are 2.15% + 30 ¢.

Shopify Plus comes with advanced business features that we will only focus briefly on in this Shopify review.

All plans allow for an unlimited number of products, unlimited file storage, shipping label printing and a retail package if needed.

Want to fast-forward to what specific features each Shopify plan comes with? ⏩ Click here

Shopify Review: General Shopify Features Available in All Plans 🧰

I've tested a lot of e-commerce platforms before , and I have to admit, Shopify has the most thoughtful features I've encountered. Almost everything you need to run your own online store is taken care of by a distinct feature.

Let's first discuss the general features that come with all Shopify plans and then go into detail about what unique features you get with each pricing.

What are Shopify's most important features?

If you spend a lot of time browsing through Shopify reviews or checking out the top rated CRM and website builders online, you will notice that Shopify has many features to offer.

The question is, which are the most important ones you should pay attention to?

We have scoured through many Shopify reviews from leading online companies , and tested the software itself to come up with this list of the most crucial components on Shopify:

• Abandoned cart recovery : The average online customer reporting rate today is around 68.81%. This means that about 7 out of every ten customers leave your store without buying anything. Fortunately, Shopify offers automated email triggers and other tools to help with recovery cart.
• Automatic delivery calculation: Shipping products to customers worldwide? Do not worry about calculating the complicated shipping fees - just let Shopify do the hard work for you! The real-time shipping service calculates the exact shipping cost for specific products based on their weight and the customer's location.
• Shopify POS : You can take payments for your Shopify store either online or offline, thanks to Shopify's sales system. Read our Shopify POS review for more info.
• Customer profiles : Make sure you always have the best information about your target audience with customized user profiles. This is great for when you want to segment your marketing and sales campaigns.
• Simple discount codes : Sales and discounts can help increase revenue. Shopify provides a fantastic "Bulk Discounts" solution that allows you to generate discount codes for free shipping, percentages and dollar amounts.
• Social media integration : If you have a large social following, you can recreate your Shopify e-commerce website on Facebook via the "shop" tab. Let people buy directly from you without having to go to your site.
• Let Shopify Filling Services help: Shopify offers dropshipping solutions so you can avoid the time-consuming aspects of running a store, such as shipping, packaging and handling.
• Shopify Experts : As we have mentioned elsewhere in our Shopify review, you can access experts for further guidance and support in design, programming, marketing and more. This guarantees that you always get the most out of your online store.

If all these features are not enough to get excited , there are also things like hundreds of professional themes, a complete blog platform, unique domain names and SSL certificates, 70 payment ports to choose from, marketing and SEO support and more.

The main advantage of Shopify Features

This is it:

It does not matter if you plan to run your store completely online or from a brick and mortar, there is something for everyone.

The reason Shopify succeeds in achieving such a strong set of features is that they either have a built-in tool or let you install it via an app.

For example, taxes and shipping are included in the Shopify interface. But for many of the themes, you still need to find a free app for social media buttons. Both options work, and you often do not have to pay any extra money when choosing an app.

The company has one of the most complete instrument panels or control panels I have seen . All tasks, from processing orders to managing inventory, can be done in an easy to understand way.

The platform also has an interface called Shopify Partners , where developers can play with new websites without having to open free trials every time. It's like a sandbox interface.

You can install new themes, customize entire websites and easily transfer from a Shopify Partner website to a launched website. Not only that, but you get a commission for each client you bring on board Shopify .

Going forward, the reports in Shopify are my favorite among all e-commerce platforms . They are organized, clean and simple, with options such as looking at sales per billing address, sales per traffic reference and gross sales by product title.

If you want to sell your products in a real retail store, you can choose Shopify POS . This includes everything you need to sell your products offline, both on the software side and the hardware side. The software includes an iPad app, which makes selling your retail products much easier.

With the app, you can use the credit card reader to swipe the customer's card in place. You can even buy additional hardware from the company, such as a cash register, a receipt printer, and a barcode scanner.

Also, Shopify offers a mobile app with which users can:

• respond to claims for recovery directly in the app
• review all stock changes made to their products in the last 30 days
• fulfill things

Shopify also offers one of the largest App stores of all e-commerce solutions ; they provide hundreds of free and paid apps that will enhance your store (most paid apps will ask you to pay a monthly fee). These have been divided into different categories such as marketing , sales, social media, shipping and customer service.

Thanks to their formidable content management system (CMS) you can create additional pages as well as pages through which your customers can easily contact you.

In addition, Shopify makes it easy to run your own blog, as everything is managed from a single dashboard .

Keep in mind that the entire Shopify Feature set is difficult to go through in a single episode, but it's worth mentioning that each of Shopify's themes available in their theme store is responsive with mobile-ready checkouts .

You now have the option of responsive check-out , which means that your website automatically adapts to the size of the customer's screen, whether it is via a tablet or smartphone. Together with direct integration on Facebook and Pinterest, gift cards, discount codes and a decent customer profile, the company has pretty much perfect the built-in features.

In general, if you need a feature that is only available in the app store, you can always try it and go to another option if it does not work on your site.

Shopify Review: Inventory Management Features

Inventory management is an important part of running your store, and Shopify has you covered in this area as well. When you are ready to add stock to your store, simply press the Products tab in the sidebar of the dashboard. You will then automatically be taken to the following page:

As you can see in the picture above, everything from the product title to description and price can be customized. In addition, you can give each product a distinct SKU as well as a barcode.

Transfers, inventory, collections and gift cards are also seen as tabs in this area. I like the Inventory tab because it contains all the items in your store, all organized in a clean and manageable list. The product page also offers several options for things like SEO, shipping and images that users will see when they land on this product page.

Also, Shopify now offers embedded Oberlo integration if you want to go the dropshipping route .

Shopify Review: SEO and Marketing Features

If you have a great store but your customers can not find it, chances are you will be very disappointed with the sales figures. Shopify offers fantastic features for both SEO and marketing. Thanks to the built-in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) function, your website will be easily found on all major search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo.

The cool thing is that even though the SEO settings are automated, you can go to each product page and customize your own target keywords, URLs and more.

If you really want to further customize your store, the interface offers customizable title, title, and meta tags. Also, the URLs are all SEO friendly . Shopify has partnered with Google to sometimes give you advertising money for a new AdWords account as well. I certainly would not base my decision on which e-commerce platform gives me money to market on Google, but I guess that's a nice bonus.

The gift cards are extremely user-friendly, and you do not have to go out to find a third-party app for better gift card features .

It depends on your payment plan, but once you have activated everything, it enables gift card codes at checkout.

To increase your marketing, Shopify created a discount code coupon generator to market your products on various social networks.

Along with sales options on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest , your marketing game is in good hands with Shopify . Shopify has also introduced product labeling on Instagram , which allows you to link directly to your product page.

Finally, the email collection form is quite simple. It really does the job and integrates with the major email options, but many e-commerce stores tend to look to the app store to find a more suitable extension.

👉 Read this post if you want to learn more about which is the best e-shop builder for SEO .

Shopify Payments

Traditionally, if you wanted to accept payments , you would have to use a third party payment processor like Rand , PayPal , or others who would charge a certain fee per transaction. Shopify has created its own payment processor called Shopify Payments (Powered by Stripe). If you choose to sign up for this program, all transaction fees will be increased.

We previously covered credit card fees in the price range, but it is worth noting that you have the opportunity to integrate with over 70 different payment ports . These include accepting payments from credit cards, Google Checkout , PayPal , and many more.

The gates all have their own transaction fees . As these can be a bit confusing, I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with them before registering, as otherwise you may be surprised at how much you have to pay.

In short, Shopify has one of the largest lists of supported payment gateways out there. This does not mean that you will use them all, but it does open up more opportunities for people from all over the world. It also gives you a chance to research which of the payment ports will work for your particular business.

There are a number of reasons why people choose Shopify Payments however it also has setbacks. Below we explore them a little more:

The benefits of Shopify payments:

• Shopify Transaction Fees - While you can expect to experience transaction fees when using Shopify Payments, you do not have to pay the extra 0.5% -2% transaction fees for other payment methods.
• Shopify integration - Shopify Payments are available immediately and do not need to be integrated in your store separately, so you can start accepting payments immediately.
• Shopify security - the payment service from Shopify is very secure and detects fraudulent transactions. You have the options in your coffers to add a verification system by address and value to ensure that the payments are genuine.
• Saved customer information - when customers visit your e-commerce website , they can save their delivery and billing information for later. When they return, all that information is already there, which in turn leads to a higher conversion rate.
• Shopify fees - you are rewarded with lower transaction fees depending on the sales volume you generate.

Disadvantages of Shopify payments:

• recovery - if your customers submit too many refunds then Shopify may withhold money from you, or worse, block your account.
• Suspicious Activity - If suspicious activity has been noted in your account, again, Shopify may withhold payments from you. These can then be escalated and you may not get your money for a while while waiting for a dispute.
• Availability - The Shopify payment option is not available in all countries, but is available in 15 countries around the world (including US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom or Singapore). You can see the complete list of countries here. In addition to public availability, you can refuse to use the service if your business is considered "high risk". Shopify also has the right to terminate your service without notice.

In the end, the pros definitely consider the disadvantages and using Shopify Payments will reduce your overall operating costs.

In May 2018, GDP came into force and introduced new rules for how companies need to handle personal data about their European customers.

This regulation has made things really problematic for many companies around the world. (1) The rules were not so clear and (2) the fines were extreme - even up to EUR 20 million or 4% of annual global turnover. For most companies, such a sanction means bankruptcy.

Shopify but got really ready and did a fantastic job of protecting its users and customers. In short, at this point, all business in progress Shopify have the tools required for their operation to comply with the regulations.

Specifically, here's what Shopify has in place:

• They updated their terms of use to include a data protection add-on , which explains how Shopify handles your European customers' information
• Shopify updated its privacy policy to clearly state what rights individuals have under the law and how data is processed
• The information has changed regarding how cookies are stored in your store
• Created a free privacy policy generator that you can add to your store
• Modified marketing opt-in that allows you to have it unchecked for your Shopify store
• Produced a 16-page white paper on how Shopify will approach the legal requirements

The app store interface has also been updated to show what specific customer information is held by individual apps that you have installed in your store.

( Shopify recommends that you talk to a data protection lawyer so that you are aware of how this will affect your specific business .)

Shopify has also developed a way where you can request that the details of an individual customer can be removed from all your apps. That option is in your customer's privacy area. It looks like this:

Shopify vs mobil e-handel

What's good about Shopify is that you can also manage a lot of your operations from the mobile app.

Some of the tasks you can do via the Shopify mobile app include:

• Take and upload product photos
• Edit product information such as pricing
• Add products to the store
• Fulfill orders and offer refunds
• Buy and print shipping labels
• Get conversion statistics
• See live sales information and see real-time traffic
• Receive order messages (see below)
• Contact the members of your team

The app is available for both iPhone and Android.

The fact that you can fulfill orders is a great option for events or trade fairs that you attend. The Shopify app is also integrated with third-party marketplaces such as Amazon , eBay and etsy so that users can effectively manage their sales and inventory across multiple platforms.

Shopify Review: Unique features in each of Shopify Plans ⭐

Let's now explore each of Shopify's plans and their features a little deeper. ⤵️

Shopify Lite

At just $ 9 a month , Shopify Lite is perhaps one of the cheapest options available to people who want to sell online. But the price is so low because it does not give you a standalone website for online stores.

In a nutshell what Shopify Lite Plan offers are:

• Access to Shopify interface where you can create new products and set their details (price, description, colors, sizes, etc.)
• A buy button that you can place anywhere on the web - on your own website outside Shopify, on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or anywhere else
• Use Shopify system to manage incoming orders, manage your sales, set orders to execute and do everything else required when selling products online
• Use Shopify system to sell in person during events or when you are on the go

Embed products on your website with Shopify Lite

The way Shopify Lite works is that it allows you to create products in Shopify UI and set individual duplicate purchase buttons for them. You can then take the Buy Buttons and publish them anywhere on the web.

The actual publishing part takes place via a fast code code.

When you set up your buttons, you get to customize how they look, sizes, colors, images used together, etc. Then when you're done, Shopify gives you a code code that you can post on any website. The code looks like this:

This code allows you to view a picture, price and description of your product. There is no limit to single products, so you can add as many products as you want.

If you already have a blog page, for example on WordPress, then Shopify Lite lets you display your products on that site .

When you want to use a Buy button on a social media platform like Facebook, you also get a special embed code for it. Talks about which:

Selling on Facebook With Shopify Lite

If you already have a good following on Facebook and are not so interested in creating a separate online store, then Shopify Lite is a good option for you .

The tools are easy to use - you can quickly create a new Buy button and use it on your Facebook page.

You can also chat with your customers by having Shopify send your messages to Facebook Messenger (Sales Channels). Customers can even buy your products directly from the chat window.

Live chat can be especially effective when selling to a younger demographic. Data indicate that 71% of buyers between the ages of 16-24 require quick responses via live chat / messenger apps when shopping.

Sells digital products with Shopify Lite

One of the many great things about Shopify is that it allows you to sell digital products as well. Think of things like e-books, audiobooks, guides, courses, media files, etc.

You can do that with Shopify Lite. You can set up digital products in much the same way as you would set up regular products and then get a buy button for them.

Digital goods are usually sold via Shopify's own app for digital download , but there are also some fantastic third-party suppliers that you can use alternatively. These include Download , Send Owl and Sky Pilot .

However, it is worth mentioning here that you can not sell digital products on Facebook.

Use Shopify Lite for Inventory Management

As we mentioned earlier, Shopify Lite gives you the ability to process payments and manage your inventory if you sell your goods in a physical store.

Shopify Lite gives you access to the Shopify admin area so you can create orders manually when needed . You can also accept credit card payments and Shopify will update your stock automatically.

Other things to know about Shopify Lite

Shopify Lite is the only plan that does not offer customer support by phone. What you get is email and chat support.

Dropshipping is available on the Shopify Lite Plan . To get started, you need to install a third-party app from the Shopify app store . The most popular Shopify Dropshipping apps are Oberlo (read our Oberlo review ), Printful (read our Printful review ) and Spocket (read our Spocket review ).

Is Shopify Lite Suitable for Me?

Shopify Lite is perfect for companies like:

• want to add e-commerce to an existing blog or website
• want to sell on Facebook
• are happy with just live chat and email support
• need a backend system to manage their inventories and payments
• wants to see how Shopify tools are integrated with their offline store activity
• want to start with a very low budget

Basic Shopify

The next plan up is the Basic Shopify Plan which starts at $ 29 a month . Unlike the Shopify Lite Plan , this one gives you the full power of the Shopify system and allows you to create a standalone online store.

Some of the key features of Basic Shopify :

• Two Shopify staff accounts
• Unlimited number of products
• Unlimited file storage
• 24/7 phone, email and live chat support
• Fraud analysis (detects fraudulent activity on your Shopify account)
• Discount codes you can offer your customers
• A blog module
• Abandoned recovery of the cart (contact visitors who have left their details but did not complete the purchase)

Basic Shopify Templates

We will cover the template in more detail in one of the next sections, but it is worth quickly highlighting what is available for each Shopify package .

When you write with the Basic package, you have access to 10 free templates and 50+ paid templates .

The theme shown below is probably the most used on the site - called Brooklyn. Although it is very attractive, it is also kind of overused, so if you want to differentiate yourself from the rest, you can look at other options. The paid themes start at about $ 100 each.

Most free website templates offer the following features:

• header slideshow you can use to highlight your best products
• dynamic product network, which changes based on the number of products displayed
• extendable trolley, which allows visitors to add products to the trolley without leaving the site

Basic Shopify: Blogging

Your Shopify store comes with a built-in blog module. This can be a great tool to help you build your audience and help you generate more traffic to your e-commerce store - which in turn can lead to more sales.

You can publish new posts with this module, add images and other media to them, set tags, categories and even set the SEO parameters for each post.

As I said, the module's functionality is limited compared to solutions such as Wordpress - which are primarily intended for running blogs. This is understandable, as Shopify focuses primarily on the online store component.

Basic Shopify: Abandoned cart recovery

Abandoned cart recovery allows you to identify people who add products to their carts but do not complete the purchase . Previously, this feature was only available on the higher plans, but now users of Basic Shopify can use it as well.

Shopify allows you to send emails by hand to people who have abandoned their carts , or you can choose a more automated option where Shopify sends them on your behalf.

The abandoned checkout screen then tracks which visitors completed their purchase after receiving an abandoned cart message from Shopify.

This is a great tool to help you generate sales without additional marketing costs, and it's one of the most important things that makes Shopify the largest e-commerce platform for many people. This feature is usually not what Shopify competition offers in this price range.

Basic Shopify: Fraud analysis

The fraud analysis from Shopify helps you identify any fraudulent activity on your account, which would otherwise lead to recovery or cause other problems.

Shopify provides indicators of whether an order can be fraudulent. The indicators can include:

• ACP checks - has the credit card passed these?
• Did the customer give the correct CVV code from the back of the card?
• Does the IP address of the order previously have fraudulent activity?
• Did the person who ordered one or more cards try?

Other things to know about basic Shopify

Basic Shopify has only limited the point of sale Abilities. It's good to sell in person at pop-ups or markets, but if you want to use Shopify on your primary store, you may want to choose one of Shopify's higher level packages.

Is Basic Shopify Suitable for Me?

Basic Shopify is great for sellers who:

• do not have a huge budget or start
• want to build a fully functioning online store
• wants to handle all its orders, sales, packages in an easy-to-use interface
• have the ambition to start blogging and want to build a community around their store
• wants the opportunity to recycle abandoned wagons and generate extra sales that way
• value 24/7 telephone support

Shopify

The next plan is the one simply called Shopify Plan , which starts at $ 79 per month .

This plan has all the functions in the Basic Plan, but also includes:

• gift cards
• professional reporting
• full sales function
• lower credit card fees and transaction fees

Shopify Point of Sale

At Shopify level, you get full functionality for the Shopify POS system.

This gives you access to:

• register shifts
• the use of hardware including barcode scanners, receipt printers and freight label printers
• staff pin so that each member has a secure and unique login
• add third-party software to POS systems (Including Shopify POS )
• the ability to configure up to five store premises

You now have the opportunity Shopify POS system is designed for both individual salespeople at pop-ups, events and trade fairs, as well as the experienced salesperson who has his own store and several employees.

There are many defining functions in the POS system:

• Payments - Shopify POS allows you to offer store credit instead of repaying the customer with the payment method they used. Combined with the gift card function, you can accept both the store and online.
• Advanced check -out - Attach notes to orders and keep track of special requests. Customize your receipts so you can market your brand, your online store, opening hours and promotions. In addition, tax is calculated automatically based on your location.
• Discounts - Coupon codes that you have created online can also be used in the store. Create specific discounts in the store and run reports to see how well they have performed.
• Shopify Store Management - View all previous orders placed online or in the store, which can be categorized by customer, product or date. Save time on your accounting by integrating Shopify POS systems with Quickbooks or Xero .
• Customer Management - Create customer profiles and analyze their shopping habits as well as contact information and location. Collect email addresses in the store to use for your email marketing.
• Products - Track your inventory across your physical and online channels so you stay on top of your inventory. For retail , you can also offer wholesale prices and loyalty programs .
• hardware - Download the Shopify POS app on your Apple or Android device. All hardware included is free and comes with a 30-day return policy .
• Analytics - View, analyze and export sales reports by location, a specific employee or customer. Export product reports to see what is being sold and what is not.
• Mobile - Find your customer profiles on your mobile and contact them directly via the app. Add products via the app and also take new product photos.

Shopify Gift Card

Gift cards are great for larger online businesses that are already reputable brands.

Customers can come to your e-commerce website and buy a gift card for a friend or family member. These are great for birthdays and holidays. In addition, you can also give out gift cards as a reward to your customers.

Shopify Professional reporting

When it comes to reporting, all Shopify users can access the primary dashboard where they can see an overview of what's happening in the store. In addition, with the Shopify plan, you get access to the following types of reports :

• Sales reports
• Profit reports
• Customer reports (5 of 7)

Shopify Sales Reports:

Sales reports let you get information about the orders your customers have placed based on channel, time or employee.

These reports can be extremely valuable to your marketing, as they can tell you which areas generate the most sales.

You can also customize your sales reports by adding the following features:

• average order value
• ordered quantity
• returned quantity

The average order value is especially important, as it can inform you where to set your free delivery limit. Let's say your average order is $ 80, then try adding your free shipping to $ 100 and see your average order value increase.

Shopify Profit Reports:

Profit reports calculate the total cost of your products and then calculate your profits.

You can view profit reports based on a number of factors, including:

• product
• SKU number
• POS location
• discounts and refunds

We especially like the profit reports based on discounts and refunds. Let's say you run a campaign and offer a 10% discount on the entire site. The report will inform you of the margin after the discount has been applied.

Shopify Kundrapporter:

The customer reports really dive into your analysis and can give you invaluable insight into your customers' behavior.

The reports contain information on:

• customers over time
• first time vs returning customer sales
• customers per country
• returning customers
• one-time customers

These reports can help you turn these one-time buyers into returning customers. From your dashboard you can see how much they have already used and if they will accept email marketing from you.

Other things to know about the "Shopify" Plan

With the Shopify plan, you can register up to five staff accounts as opposed to just two on the Basic Shopify plan.

Does the Shopify Plan suit me?

You now have the opportunity Shopify Plan is a good choice for the following sellers:

• you have, or expect to start getting high volume sales
• want to start taking advantage of gift cards and discount codes
• requires more in-depth reporting on your customers' buying habits and profits
• have a physical store or a couple of them

Advanced Open water Shopify

The next plan is the Advanced Open water Shopify Plan , which comes in at $ 299 a month .

You get all the features available in iShopify "Plan plus:

• set up up to 15 staff accounts
• advanced report building
• third party estimated shipping rates
• up to eight store locations in the POS module
• lower transaction fees and credit card processing fees

Advanced Open water Shopify Rapportbyggnad

The advanced report builder in Shopify lets you create custom reports and then customize them.

First you have the option to choose the type of report you want to create, and then you can edit and filter the columns in the report. You can also share it with the members of your team.

All your custom reports are then saved in the Reports section of your Shopify dashboard so you can easily access them whenever you want.

Advanced Open water Shopify Estimated shipping prices from third parties

With this function, you can use your transport account to apply estimated shipping prices at checkout.

You also have discounted shipping labels provided by USPS or Canada Post.

You have access to the shipping rates for FedEx, UPS, USPS and Canada Post. Within your delivery management area, you can add a percentage increase to the price calculated to cover packaging costs.

You can decide which services for a particular carrier you want to offer, such as Expedited Parcel, Priority and XpressPost.

Is it Advanced Shopify Am I Planning?

You now have the opportunity Advanced Open water Shopify The plan is very suitable for sellers who:

• process a large number of online transactions
• requires advanced reporting with a special focus on business elements such as profit and margins
• use carriers to ship products and want a discounted rate
• Have a larger team of people working with the store online
• has more store locations

Shopify Plus

Finally, there is Shopify Plus , which is the Shopify company's solution for large companies.

Shopify Plus is a bit separate from Shopify The main offer - you will not find it on the main price page - and it comes with its own focus on original challenges that large companies tend to struggle with. These challenges concern things like security, quality of compliance and API integrations.

The price of Shopify Plus is not set, but rather negotiable on a customer basis - depending on the company's needs. Typically, prices start at around $ 1,500 2,000 - XNUMX XNUMX dollars per month.

You will have a dedicated account manager to help you with the onboarding process, as well as manage your account and offer support during your trip.

Shopify Plus sales of several channels

Shopify Plus lets you integrate 20+ channels into your Enterprise Dashboard, including Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Amazon, eBay and more.

Your customers can also use 100+ payment providers, which helps you generate more sales because no one is left.

Shopify Plus scalability

If you experience spikes in sales at certain times of the year, such as Black Friday or the holiday season, you will be happy to know that Shopify Plus can handle the amount of top traffic you throw at it.

Shopify Plus processes over 10,000 99.98 transactions per minute and has an XNUMX% uptime when you do so.

Shopify Plus integration

If you have your own custom app solution, or if you want one of Shopifydes' technology partners to liven up your idea, then Shopify Plus can help you with that. There are 1,500 XNUMX + professionally built-in apps and plugins.

Is Shopify Plus suitable for me?

Shopify Plus is for companies that meet the following criteria:

• an extremely high sales volume
• have a custom CRM system and need Shopify to talk to it
• wants to automate workflows for the team
• has high sales periods and needs guaranteed uptime and safety
• want an account manager they can talk to when needed

Ultimately, Shopify Plus is not something that many users will ever have to worry about. The three main plans - Basic Shopify, Shopify, Advanced Shopify - will be better suited for 99% of users.

To learn more about this, check out our complete guide on Shopify pricing .

Shopify Review: Ease of use 😌

So how scary is it to go into Shopify for the first time and start working?

Not scary at all - is the answer.

In fact, Shopify is one of the easiest to use e-commerce platforms out there, especially if you are a company that is just getting its e-commerce adventure started.

As soon as you register, you will see a user-friendly dashboard and you will take your hand through all the main steps on your way to configuring your store and making it available to the public.

From June 2017, Shopify revised its backend and even gave it a new color scheme. This was done to improve the user experience by introducing more contrast in the user interface.

In addition to colors and fonts, Shopify added a prominent new search bar to the dashboard , which helps you quickly type in keywords and find what you're looking for without much thought.

For example, you may want to find a particular product or customer. In that case, all you need to do is punch in the right word and Shopify will return everything that matches - whether it is a product, an order, customers, etc.

Adding products to your catalog is also quite simple.

All the necessary fields are there, and everything is nicely laid out on the screen.

It's also easy to set up a new design for your store. The template catalog will be categorized based on niche, purpose, design style and Shopify also lets users know which templates are the most popular. Then it only takes a few clicks to install your theme. (More about Shopify templates in one of the sections below.)

Aside from the theme, you probably want to create some of the key pages on your site by hand - pages like the homepage or the about page.

Shopify lets you do it easily with something called Shopify Sections .

The visual editor offers a variety of content sections that you can insert on your page. For example, you might want to place a slide show, button, and product carousel at the top of the page.

It is all done with the click of a button. After that, you can adjust the order of the sections by dragging and dropping them in place. It is a relatively simple way to completely adjust the look and order of the modules on your site. We like this feature for all levels of experience, but especially beginners .

The same feeling is transferred to other areas of the platform. For example, when you are ready to install new apps and expand your store, you will see that most of them only need a few clicks to be activated.

When it comes to pre-publishing, Shopify gives you the opportunity to test your store before it's published , and the live editor is quite nice to see your changes right after a setting has been adjusted.

The company is pretty hell to make their interface the simplest in the industry. The interesting thing is that they go a fine line, as it is still a platform that can also satisfy those who are more experienced with coding.

I do not really see any beginners or intermediate developers who have problems with Shopify . At the same time, the most advanced developers will be good since Shopify also comes with many features that these types of users require.

Shopify review: Shopify Themes and designs 🎨

One area where Shopify really stands out is themes and designs available. The company offers some of the most professional themes for all e-commerce platforms. At the time of writing, there are eight free themes available and more than 60 paid themes ($ 160- $ 180 each).

There have been more themes in the catalog before, but Shopify decided to clean up the old ones and stick to only modern things that are optimized for modern audiences and search engines.

That being said, each theme is not just "a single theme", but actually comes with a handful of styles included. For example, there is a theme called Icon with four different styles that differ not only in the color scheme but also in how the elements on the page are presented.

There are several collections and industries that are highlighted in the Shopify theme store, so we are pretty sure that you can find something that suits your business model.

Each theme has its unique set of features and capabilities, plus a set of general features that you will find in all Shopify themes.

You can also check out a quick list of other stores that use the same theme:

Finally, there are several user reviews for each theme, so you can always see what others think of the theme and what its strengths and weaknesses are.

Not to mention, each theme has a fully functional demo, so you can research things quite in depth before making a decision.

Can the Shopify Themes get you sales?

My main problem with e-commerce design is how quickly people can check out and get through the shopping cart process.

Shopify themes have both two- and three-step check-outs , and you can also use additional tools for things like social and guest check-outs.

Once you have found the right theme, you can easily customize the look and feel to your heart, simply by opening the template editor and editing your theme until you feel it is exactly what you are looking for. On the other hand, the " Shopify Sections " feature will surely speed up your editing, as it is basically a fairly simple drag-and-drop editor.

Above this, and if you feel confident about such things, you can make your own changes via HTML and CSS.

None of the Shopify themes have Shopify branding . In fact, it will not be so easy to find any traces of the Shopify brand in your online store. This is a wonderful thing for beginners and anyone else who does not want to market the technology behind their online store.

Shopify Review: Security 🔐

Security should be taken very seriously when running an e-commerce website . After all, you will be dealing with credit card information about your customers, their ordering information, your own product information and many more sensitive information.

Shopify knows this and understands the responsibility. Shopify hosts its system on a Level 1 PCI DSS compliant server . In other words, your data and your customers' data are always secure. In addition, all pricing plans (except Lite) offer 128-bit free SSL certificates at no extra cost.

Specifically, Shopify:

• Maintains a secure network
• Protects the cardholder's data
• Maintains a vulnerability management program
• Has strong access control measures
• Monitors and tests their network
• Maintains an information security policy

In addition, although data security is very important for retailers, many also worry that their store is always available. For example, it is reported that just one hour of downtime on Prime Day may have cost Amazon up to $ 100 million in lost sales.

Shopify gives its customers an uptime guarantee of 99.98% and helps you avoid losses due to your store not being available. In addition, Shopify takes care of the backup of your store and gives you access to these backups if needed.

Some other things that are recorded with security include vulnerability management and access control. This allows you to specify which users can access certain content on the back of your store.

Overall, Shopify is very security conscious and always seems to stay up to date on what is happening in the world of online security and implements all best practices.

Shopify Recension: The Shopify App Store 🔌

Shopify has had their app store online for more than ten years now.

There are more than 2000 apps available in total, and they come in all kinds of different shapes, sizes and are divided into a handful of helpful categories.

You will find apps that help you with marketing your store, apps for email, push notifications, SEO, access control, finance and much more.

In 2018, Shopify shifted its focus to a new breed of machine learning algorithms , so that they can give today's users a more intuitive and immersive experience. Therefore, the app store now helps you discover the specific tools that are most likely to appeal to your individual scenario and business model. Practically right?

Basically, the App Store is a collection of premium and free applications designed to expand and enhance your Shopify store functionality.

When we conducted this review, one thing we liked most about the ShopifyApp Store was the fact that you do not have to be a developer to use any of the tools you find there. Everything is plug-and-play.

With that said, if you happen to be comfortable linking to websites under the hood, you can become a Shopify App Merchant yourself and join thousands of other developers already on the market.

Shopify even offers a bunch of extra resources to get you started, including a high-level overview of Shopify's development space and access to Shopify's APIs.

Shopify Review: Customer Service 👐

If you feel that you are struggling to do something with your online store then Shopify has one of the best customer support teams in the industry.

Regardless of which pricing you choose, the company has 24/7 full customer support, which includes telephone support (not on the Lite plan) as well as support for chat and e-mail. Another great form of help offered by Shopify is access to a significant support section directly through their website, including user forums, tutorials and frequently asked questions.

Overall, you have the ability to either talk to a professional or learn about the system yourself. Of course, some people hate waiting on the phone for a Shopify support representative, so we feel that forums, courses and videos are enough for you to find out most things.

A note on the Shopify development request:

When working with an online platform, app or software, it's nice to have access to the developers or at least some kind of feedback system to let them know what Shopify features you want in the future.

With that, we want to see that Shopify developers actually respond to requests with new features that are released on a consistent basis.

We believe this is a type of support because a company that does not listen to customers will eventually lose them.

Shopify thrives in this department considering how they regularly share blog posts about feature requests that they have listened to and implemented.

For example, many e-retailers are concerned that images are slowing down their websites because media is usually the cause of slowness on the website. Well, Shopify responded by optimizing and updating all previously uploaded images, while providing file modification instructions for future image optimization. This not only helps with SEO, but it also speeds up the user interface for all Shopify merchants.

Shopify Review: Frequently Asked Questions 📋

Here are some of the most common questions people have about Shopify:

Should you use Shopify?

It's quick and easy yes .

Shopify is without a doubt the best e-commerce platform out there. When we looked at the 6 best e-commerce systems on the market a while back, Shopify came out on top with a perfect score of 10/10.

You can see that comparison here .

Is Shopify secure?

We've talked about this a little more in depth in one of the sections above. Click here to see the full discussion.

Or here is TL; DR:

Shopify is certified level 1 PCI DSS compatible. In fact, Shopify meets all six categories of PCI standards that include:

• Maintain a secure network
• To maintain a vulnerable management program
• Regular monitoring and test networks
• Protection of the cardholder's data
• Implement strong access control measures
• Maintain an information security policy

In addition, some of the most notable brands out there use Shopify. Do you think they would do it if Shopify was not secure?

Is Shopify safe for customers?

• Yes it is. The same mechanisms that protect salespeople also protect customers.
• Shopify has good fraud detection algorithms that run under the hood, and no transaction data is sent via unencrypted channels.

Can I make money with Shopify?

Absolutely! That's the whole point, right?

Shopify has a lot of success stories and in the end, your success is all up to you. Shopify will not hinder your growth in any way or prevent you from implementing a particular business strategy.

How much does it cost to set up Shopify?

You can find a list of all the pricing packages higher up in the article ( Click here to find out the exact Shopify cost ).

Shortly said:

• If you are just starting out and want to build a simple yet functional online store, continue to "Basic Shopify" which is $ 29 per month.
• If you want to try Shopify tools to sell on social media and third-party websites, you can try "Shopify Lite" for $ 9 per month.

Does Shopify have good SEO?

It really does.

Shopify is a fantastic platform that allows you to take care of the basic SEO parameters of your online store.

You can, among other things:

• add keywords to the product pages
• optimize your website structure
• submit a Sitemap
• hide pages to emphasize your average budget

If you need more SEO features, you can install some of the specialized SEO apps available in the Shopify app store .

How many people use Shopify?

• At the time of writing, there are more than 1,000,000 XNUMX XNUMX (!) Online stores running Shopify.
• This issue includes everything from small craft stores to large brands.
• You can see an exhibition of Shopify stores here .

Does Shopify include web hosting?

Each price package available from Shopify comes with the host included.

You do not have to pay for an external host, and you can even set up Shopify with your existing domain name . Alternatively, you can buy a new domain name through Shopify as well.

In short, Shopify is your one-stop package for building and starting your own e-store - no other third-party solutions required.

Does Shopify host a domain name?

Yes, you can purchase custom domains through Shopify for prices starting at $ 11 per year. Your domain will be configured automatically for you and you retain ownership even if you leave Shopify .

Does Shopify Want to offer inboxes via email?

• Shopify does not offer email inboxes as part of your online store. What you can do, however, is set up an unlimited number of email senders.
• For example, you can create freight forwarders for addresses that [email protected]or [email protected]and direct them to your inboxes in Gmail or elsewhere.

Do I need a business license to sell on Shopify?

According to Shopify reviews we have read and the official documents on the Shopify website, whether or not you need a business license depends on your local regulations and laws.

To cite official documents :

Depending on the type of business you run, you may need a local, county, state, or federal license - or none at all. Where your business is located will determine the type of license you need and where you can get it.

Does Shopify accept PayPal?

• Store owners can accept payments via PayPal through their Shopify warehouses .
• Apart from that, you can also register for Shopify Payments - Shopifyegen payment module, which allows you to sell without additional transaction fees (above the credit card fees).
• Shopify also supports more than 70 different payment ports .

Is Shopify good for beginners?

This will be a matter of personal perspective and opinion for most people. In any case, Shopify is usually seen as a hassle-free and intuitive platform for all types of businesses (from small businesses to large companies).

We talked about this topic in detail in one of the sections above. Click here to read it.

In short, Shopify gives its users a simple interface that makes it easy to add products and then manage sales orders and sales.

Working with the design of your store is also very user-friendly. You can choose from a selection of modern themes and then customize the details as you see fit.

Finally, if you ever need help, there are countless guides and resources available on the Shopify website and across the web to solve every conceivable problem.

How to migrate to Shopify from another e-commerce platform?

With Shopify as one of the most popular e-commerce systems out there, it is often that people decide to abandon their previous e-commerce platforms and move to Shopify.

Shopify is ready to help users with this feature and has a complete guide described in the official documents . You can read it here .

From a bird's eye view , migrating to Shopify is done in 11 steps :

1. Configure your basic administrative settings - The Shopify e-commerce migration system guides you through this process . It is mainly about deciding who should have access to your Shopify services. You also need to add staff accounts so that your teams can also get their own personal login details.
2. Import your store's content and data into Shopify - You can use a Store Migration app to do this. Shopify has a handful of free options to choose from, including Bulk Discounts and Reviews . There are also third-party options in the Shopify app Store .
3. Organize your products after migration - After you migrate, make sure all your information has been transferred to your system correctly by updating product information and checking through your inventory.
4. Make Your Website Look Good - There are many great themes and extras to choose from. Remember to customize your Shopify theme, or ask for help from a Shopify Expert.
5. Set up your domain - If you want to upgrade your domain, you can buy a new one directly from Shopify. Alternatively, there is the option to transfer your existing domain to your Shopify account.
6. Set your shipping
7. Configure your taxes
8. Set up a payment provider
9. Place some test orders
10. Invite your customers to create accounts on your new website
11. Set URL redirects

👉 This guide prepares setting up Google Analytics for your Shopify FIND STORE .

How about Shopify Experts?

An interesting feature you may have noticed when reading Shopify reviews is Shopify Experts .

Shopify Experts is the brand's community of carefully cultivated Shopify ambassadors.

So, what does this mean for you?

Experts are there to help you grow your business with high quality support and services in all areas. The program was originally designed to support and strengthen companies that have partnered with Shopify directly. But anyone can find and use an expert today.

Hiring an expert:

• Visit the Shopify Experts page : You will find potential experts listed by location or specific talent. You do not have to be close to your expert to hire them - you do not have to meet face to face.
• Choose someone with the right talent : There are five categories of Shopify Expert, including store design, store setup, marketing, photography and development. You can also find a small group of experts dedicated to other mini-tasks like setting up your Facebook tracking pixels.
• Check out the profile of your intended Shopify Expert : This usually includes a link to their existing Shopify Store. The profiles also show the expert's minimum project budget. This is how much you need to pay to get the expert to work for you.
• Examine their testimonials : As with most purchasing decisions today, it is always a good idea to check out the opinions of other customers who hired the expert before you.

If you do not find exactly what you are looking for on the Shopify Expert Page, Shopify has also added a "Submit a Job" feature, which can help you automatically match yourself to the right person.

So, if you want to become a Shopify Expert?

Well, you can do that too.

You must be a brand ambassador for Shopify and ensure that you always deliver high quality work to people who request your services. Shopify keeps its experts according to strict standards, so you will be reviewed all the time. You must also ensure that you are always active in the partner community. This means hosting and attending meetings and driving new merchants to Shopify and Shopify Plus environments.

Can I do dropshipping with Shopify?

There are many different ways to sell with Shopify .

One of the most popular? Yep, that's dropshipping .

With dropshipping, you do not have to worry about finding somewhere to store your cargo before sending it out to customers. Instead, you get someone else to do the shipping for you.

Dropshipping is one of the easiest ways to get started in e-commerce .

Shopify offers a selection of dropshipping apps from their marketplace to help you buy and sell items. Many consider Shopify to be the best option for dropshipping.

• Shopify is full of solutions that make it easier for you to manage your dropshipping relationships with suppliers. A common alternative is Oberlo - which is a dedicated dropshipping app designed to work exclusively with Shopify.
• Brimming with excellent features : Shopify comes with everything you need to create a whole e-commerce. In addition to your store builder, you also get solutions for managing your payments, marketing, sales, delivery methods and more.
• Easy to use : Shopify is one of the most user-friendly e-commerce and CRM solutions on the market. It's full of functionality - but it's not overwhelming or challenging to use. If you ever have a problem, you can turn to an expert for help or check out a webinar.
• It's completely extensible : If you want to add some new features to your Shopify solution, there's an entire marketplace dedicated to apps.

We have a whole separate guide on dropshipping with Shopify here .

What are the alternatives to Shopify?

Shopify is incredibly popular for a reason - it's effective.

But if you want to check out what is on the market, you have the right to do so. Here are our picks for the top Shopify options:

• BigCommerce : Simple drag-and-drop editor with beautiful themes.
• WooCommerce : Perfect for WordPress users, but harder to install than Shopify.
• Volusion : Popular for smaller companies.
• 3dcart : A good shopping cart platform, but does not come with the marketing tools that Shopify and Shopify Plus offer.
• BigCartel : An affordable solution with limited features.
• magneto : An open source tool with some of the best reviews on the market - but still has a steep learning curve.
• Wix : One of the simplest website creators online, also lets you build an online store.
• Squarespace: Liknande Wix.
• PrestaShop : Perfect for people with a limited budget, but not as extensive as Shopify.

Here are the top 10 Shopify options for your ready-made reference, with a brief overview of each.

Shopify Review: Conclusion 🏁

Let us answer the main question; Who is the Shopify e-commerce platform built for?

Shopify works for beginners, intermediates and advanced users (those who want to speed up the development process by not spending much time on coding or more complicated processes).

We also like it for entrepreneurs who simply want to introduce an e-commerce component on their existing websites, and especially if what they want to sell are digital goods .

What's good about Shopify is that it's very easy to get started with . You literally just have to sign up, go through a couple of settings panels and your store will be up and running.

What comes afterwards is also just as user-friendly. You can customize your design, add products, set up payment information, even install new features via apps in the Shopify App Store.

We are happy to recommend Shopify to anyone who wants to sell online. In addition, there is a 14-day free trial available , so you do not have to commit until you are sure that Shopify will work for you.

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