Shopify is quickly becoming the go-to platform for online shops, and your new D-Commerce™ business could be next on its docket. But you might be wondering: Is Shopify a good place to sell digital products? Is it worth the hype?

I understand your concern — I’ve been right in your shoes. These days, I host my digital products on Shopify, but I moved there from SquareSpace… and I’ve never looked back. That’s why I want to give my honest, in-depth review on why I recommend that you sell digital products on Shopify. That way, you can make the leap with confidence. 

Here, I’ll go over 3 scenarios where you should consider Shopify for your online shop.

You should consider Shopify if….

Your business is ready to grow on a larger scale.

New businesses are a bit like newborn foals: scrappy, energetic, and just a little wobbly on their feet. Your business is a little vulnerable at this stage, and that’s totally okay! 

But as your business grows, you might find that you’re ready to run instead of just wobble. That’s the difference (in my opinion) between platforms like SquareSpace or WooCommerce and Shopify.

When you enter the Shopify platform, you’re rubbing shoulders with businesses of all sorts — from small and homegrown shops to literal Kardashians. Shopify gives you all the tools you need to scale up your business, one step at a time, all while staying consistent and in control. 

Is Shopify easy to use for first-timers?

I know that, even if you’re ready to start walking instead of wobbling, you still might be worried that a tool like Shopify is too “complicated” for you. I’ll be honest here: the learning curve is a bit steeper than some other applications. I personally started out on SquareSpace, which was super easy to get up and running, as its interface was more new-business friendly. However, as time went on and my business grew, I needed a shop front that scaled with me and I wanted something with a little more firepower. 

That being said, you won’t need a doctorate in computer science to make the most of Shopify. No coding is necessary (unless you really want to go above and beyond). I’m not the most tech-savvy person, and I can still navigate Shopify fairly easily. You just have to put the time in to get familiar with its controls. 

You want an interface with a robust ecosystem.

Your young company needs a well-established shop front to really grow into its potential. It’s like dressing for the job you want, not the job you have (which, in my case, was wearing sweats instead of pantsuits).

This is where Shopify really pulls ahead of the competition. They’ve been on the scene for a while and it shows. Shopify uses creative solutions and actually uses the same checkout style page no matter which shop you’re buying from. This means the format is the same as other bigger shops, which builds trust. Plus, buyers can save information in Shopify’s ShopPay. (As someone who’s used ShopPay, not needing to fill out my address every time is AMAZING.) 

Shopify has put down its roots and this stable foundation gives them the resources and the room to support businesses both great and small. While some platforms are great at showing off their clients in their own little fishbowl, Shopify has created its own vibrant ecosystem. 

Shopify also has many technological advances: it’s quick to load, offers custom options on its theme store, and has incredibly tech-savvy experts at its helm. Shopify has never gone down on me. Not. Once. When a shopping platform performs better than Facebook, you know it’s the real deal.

You want more value from your investment.

At first glance, Shopify does cost a bit more per month than other platforms. The basic plan (as of this writing, in July 2021) starts at $79/month, and they offer different packages all the way up to $299/month — although who actually needs a $299 Shopify package, I will never know. 

This can make a small business owner hesitate, and I would know! I did the same thing. I was spending about $40/month for Squarespace and I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of paying 50% more for the same function. 

However, I reached a turning point in my business where I focused less on the sticker price and more on the value of what I was buying. I realized that my then-platform was not allowing me to get to where I wanted to be with my business and, if $20 a month gave me access to the resources and credibility that I needed to get there, then I would say that’s a pretty sweet deal. 

The best part? Those wonderful people at Shopify want to prove how much they can help you. To do so, Shopify offers a free trial that allows you to test out all of the features. You can test drive your shop on the Shopify site for 14 days to really get acclimated, and if you decide that you love it, you can switch over seamlessly. 

Ready to make the switch?

If you know you want a website that is dedicated to selling products online, I would stick with Shopify. Again, you can start a free trial, get to know the platform, and have your store up and running in no time. 

If you’re ready to scale your shop and use Shopify to really reach new revenue and audiences, you can also check out my Simple Sustained Shop Sales System. This program is all about showing you the keys to digital product success — which I have learned “the hard way” over the last 6+ years.