HOW IS SHOPIFY RATED?

Breakdown

Hosting Features: 4.6/5
Marketing and Analytics: 4.8/5
Cost: 4.5/5
Customer Experience: 4.5/5

Overall Rating: 4.6 / 5 (Excellent)

Shopify is truly a one-stop shop for everything an online retailer could need. Hundreds of attractive templates and a step-by-step wizard make it possible to set up a fully functioning site in under an hour, depending on how many products a seller wishes to upload. Shopify also gets high marks on its app store, where it offers thousands of third-party created applications covering everything from product sourcing to social media management and marketing analytics. This provides users with the ability to choose exactly how they want to enhance their plan, instead of being stuck with features they don't need. The site also features tight security features, with SSL encryption, PCI DSS compliance, and fraud analysis to catch suspicious transactions. Although there are customer complaints about Shopify placing holds on their account or freezing funds, it also means that the company takes responsibility for the stores it hosts and, if it detects anything out of the ordinary, it will take action.
However, customer experience is still an issue, with hundreds of complaints against the company at the Better Business Bureau and a poor Trustpilot score (2.4 out of 10). Additionally, although there are several ways to reach the company and there is customer support 24/7, its terms and conditions note that technical support is only available over email.

Overall, however, its versatility, security, and comprehensive list of features deservedly make Shopify the unquestionable leader in eCommerce platforms.

SHOPIFY HOSTING FEATURES

Hosting Features - 4.7 / 5

BigCommerce offers unlimited bandwidth, staff accounts, and file storage. It does not place a limit on the number of products a user can upload either. Along with automated fraud protection, its servers are PCI DSS certified, ensuring that its sites are as well. (PCI DSS - the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard - is the standard every organization that handles credit card information must adhere to.)

Bandwidth: Unlimited

Staff Accounts:

2 to 15

File Storage: Unlimited

Security Features:

  • SSL Protection
  • PCI Compliance
  • Fraud Analysis/Score

Number of Products: Unlimited

Payment Methods Supported:

  • Apple Pay
  • PayPal
  • Amex
  • Mastercard
  • Discover
  • VISA
  • Google Wallet

Responsive Websites: Yes

Search with Filters: Yes

SHOPIFY MARKETING AND ANALYTICS

Marketing and Analytics - 4.8 / 5

You can't get much more versatile or customizable than Shopify. The company has its own app store with thousands of third-party created apps that can enhance your Shopify plan by adding just what you need, instead of paying for extras you'll never use. There are apps for everything from product sourcing to social media management and integration, so you can choose what exactly what works for your particular business.

Sales Channels:

  • Google Shopping
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Amazon

Customer Outreach Tools:

  • Blogging
  • Mobile Storefront
  • Third-Party Apps
  • Social Media Integration
  • Email Marketing

Conversion Tools:

  • Abandoned Cart Saver
  • Product Ratings and Reviews
  • Customer Groups and Segmentation
  • Discounts
  • Gift Cards

SEO Optimization: Yes

SHOPIFY COST

Cost - 4.5 / 5

Shopify has three pricing plans - Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify - with prices ranging from $29 per month to $299. It does not charge commission fees but does charge transaction fees on credit card payments. One of Shopify's strengths is its app store, which lets you choose ways to enhance the plan you choose with exactly the features you need for your particular business. It also has hundreds of professionally designed templates that can help you have a site up and running in less than an hour.

Plan 1: $29

Plan 2: $79

Plan 3: $299

Transaction Fees: Yes

Setup Fees: No

Free Trial: 14 days

Free Templates Available: Yes

SHOPIFY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Customer Experience - 4.5 / 5

Shopify gets an A+ grade from the Better Business Bureau. It has 11 negative reviews and 124 complaints, mostly concerning holds on payment. According to the company's responses to these complaints, it conducts reviews on businesses operating on its platform periodically and, if it finds anything it considers a red flag, it will place a hold or freeze the customer's account. This has resulted in some customer reporting that they experienced delays in collecting payments. The company receives a poor Trustpilot score of 2.4 out of 10 with 89 reviews posted. Many of the complaints involve issues with accounts being frozen and a lack of helpful customer service. Additionally, although the company notes several ways to reach them, please note that technical support is only available by email.

Year Founded: 2004

BBB Rating: A+

Number of BBB Positive Reviews: 3

Number of BBB Negative Reviews: 11

Trustpilot Rating: 2.4 out of 10

Date Collected: 2018-06-27

Customer Service Phone Number: 1-888-746-7439

Customer Service Hours: 24/7

Contact Method

  • Phone
  • Email
  • Chat

Mobile App: Yes

COMPANY PROFILE

Full Name: Shopify eCommerce Website

Company Website: https://shopify.com

Headquarters: 150 Elgin Street, 8th Floor, Ottawa, Canada