Shopify is an all-in-one platform that offers top-notch features for your e-commerce website. But what if it got an upgrade? Here’s what you should know about switching to Shopify Plus.

As you expand your e-commerce business, your systems and operations will get more complex.

From optimising your website to upgrading your inventory management on Shopify… you’ve sure got your work cut out for you.

The good news is you don’t have to make all these changes and improvements by yourself.

By upgrading to Shopify Plus, you’ll get access to advanced features that will support the growth of your e-commerce brand.

But how can you tell if your business is ready to take this next step?

This article will show you five signs that you’re ready to upgrade to Shopify Plus. But first, let’s talk about what exactly makes this platform different from the basic version of Shopify.

Shopify vs Shopify Plus

Shopify is highly known for its wide array of capabilities, attractive themes, and top-notch support.

Shopify Plus shares most of these key features. But it also offers higher-level services that let you overcome the challenges that come with growing your brand.

See, for small and medium e-commerce brands, Shopify is the best choice due to its low cost and effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Shopify Plus is ideal for enterprise-level businesses that are making between $1 million and $500 million in revenue. Because of the scale and growth level of these businesses, Shopify Plus offers a more powerful platform to handle their demand.

Here are a few points of comparison between the two platforms:

  • Pricing

Shopify costs around $29-$299 per month. Shopify Plus, on the other hand, has a $2,000+ price point.

  • Support

One of the key features of Shopify is its 24/7 live support. Shopify Plus offers the same but with the added advantage of an expert consultant assisting you with your concerns.

  • Tax

Shopify has a built-in tax engine that doesn’t let you remit sales taxes straight from the platform. With Shopify Plus, you get access to this service through its top-notch Avalara AvaTax system.

  • Themes

You’re free to self-customise your themes on Shopify using the Liquid software. But with Shopify Plus, you have more space to customise through Launch Manager. To add, Shopify Plus offers a Script Editor feature that lets you personalize your checkout page.

  • Languages 

With Shopify, you get access to 5 languages that you can use on your website. With Shopify Plus, you get access to 20.

When to Upgrade to Shopify Plus

Now that you know some of the main differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus…

Let’s take a look at five things that tell you when you should get the upgrade for your e-commerce brand.

#1: Making $1M+ in revenue

When your annual income exceeds $1 million…

It’s time to convert to Shopify Plus.

As mentioned earlier, the Shopify Plus platform is built to be scalable. This allows you to similarly expand your online store as your revenue increases.

Shopify Plus is also better for you in terms of prices, as well as being more sensible from a growth viewpoint. Here’s why:

For e-commerce brands making less than $800,000 in monthly revenue, Shopify Plus’ base price starts at $2,000/month.

If you only make $300,000 every month, $2,000 becomes merely 1% of your total income.

What’s more, the platform’s extra features are worth the money. This is because they allow you to scale quickly and produce a great return on investment.

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#2: Targeting an international audience

Every online store should aim to expand its exposure and tap into a global market.

This is because more than 1.8 billion people will become consumers by 2025. And that will amount to a $30 trillion yearly expenditure!

Shopify Plus includes all the capabilities you require if you want to increase the number of customers you serve.

In fact, you can build up to nine identical online stores with different languages and currencies at no additional cost.

By doing so, you’ll be able to increase sales by adapting to wherever your clients are.

#3: Looking for a customized checkout option

Shopify Plus includes a number of options that make it easy to personalise your checkout process. That’s why upgrading to the platform is the best option if you want to upgrade your checkout page for customers.

With the premium version, you can customize the checkout page’s appearance, delivery choices, and payment methods.

This works great if you’re looking to tap into a new market with customer’s who have different payment preferences.

#4: Staff is outgrowing their staff accounts

As your e-commerce business expands, so will your team.

With the basic version of Shopify, you can host up to 15 staff accounts. This is already a great feature for an e-commerce business who’s just starting out.

But ultimately, your staff size will surpass that number as you grow and deal with stronger demand.

The good news is that Shopify Plus offers an endless number of staff accounts. As you operate your store on the platform, you won’t need to be concerned about the expansion of your team members.

#5: Cutting back on repetitive tasks

You might find that you have less free time as your e-commerce business expands. When dealing with repetitive work like order administration or deliver, it can be hard to concentrate on your business.

Luckily, Shopify Plus includes a number of tools that automate routine tasks. This way, you can focus on more important aspects of your business.

These automation features include:

  • Launchpad

Launchpad streamlines your front-end operations. These include advertising campaigns and product launches.

While saving you time, this feature also aids Shopify Plus in getting ready for any promotional event.

For example, you can pick particular products to include in your upcoming sale. Or decide on a collection discount that will take effect when a sale begins. You also get access to themes that help your advertising feel more branded.

  • Shopify Flow

Flow is a Shopify Plus automation tool that allows stores to automate tasks through workflows. You can use it to manage order management, buyer experience, and promotions.

It also integrates with your preferred applications like Asana and Trello. This makes it easier to manage your workflows with team members.

The Shopify Plus Advantage

Hitting $1 million in revenue is an achievement that e-commerce businesses should be proud of.

The thing is, reaching this milestone comes with a new set of problems. It’s best to be prepared to face the brand-new challenges that comes with that growth.

With Shopify Plus, you’ll get access to features that could support your plans to scale. From targeting a more global market to customising your checkout and payment options…

Shopify Plus has all the features you need to make these happen.

Now, if you want to upgrade to Shopify Plus but don’t know how, GMS can help you out.

Feel free to schedule a free consult with one of our GMS experts to learn more.