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Shopify Lite Review: How It Works and When You Should Be Using It
Shopify is one of the biggest website builders out there. In fact, it would not be a reach to say that Shopify is the biggest, at least when it comes to e-commerce. Shopify has more than 218 million active users benefitting from its diverse plans, Basic Shopify, Shopify, Advanced Shopify, Shopify Plus, and Shopify Lite.
In this article, we will focus on Shopify Lite; we will see what's good about this plan and why you should consider it. We will go about doing that by talking about Shopify as a whole, discussing all plans, and comparing other plans to Shopify Lite.
1. What Is Shopify and Who Is It for?
2. Shopify Plans
3. When and Why Should I Use Shopify Lite
4. Should I Use Shopify Lite or Basic Shopify?
What Is Shopify and Who Is It for?
Shopify is a website builder and hosting service through which you can also lease a domain name. Shopify is a great choice for anyone who is looking to start an e-commerce website. It is great for beginners and those who have no coding or designing skills, as it is very simple and easy to use. It also has very affordable prices in exchange for great high-quality services.
Shopify caters to many well-known shops around the world. You might be even surprised to know that these shops started on Shopify. Some of the biggest online shops hosted on Shopify are:
- SkinnyMe Tea
- Beardbrand
- Taylor Stitch
- Haus
- Yoga Rebel
All these shops used Shopify to create their websites and have them hosted. And eventually, they made very big names on the market.
Shopify has three main plans; Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify. However, this is not all; there are two more plans that are usually overlooked when talking about Shopify's plans; Shopify Plus and Shopify Lite.
| Basic Shopify | Shopify | Advanced Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Staff Account | 2 | 5 | 15 |
| Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Products | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| International Domains | NA | Available | Available |
| Additional Languages | NA | Up to 2 | Up to 5 |
| SSL Certificate | Included | Included | Included |
| Price per Month | $29 | $79 | $299 |
Basic Shopify
Basic Shopify is best for anyone who wants to start an e-commerce business while also holding occasional in-person trades. With Basic Shopify, you get a website for your shop with an unlimited number of products that you can sell. You can also sell on multi-channels like Facebook and Instagram. This plan comes with free hosting and a free SSL cert (both usually cost a lot). You can also add a ton of helpful apps to your shop. The credit card rate for this plan is 2.9%.
This plan is for $29 per month.
Start Your Basic Shopify Free Trial
Shopify
This plan works best for shops that sell online or/and in-store. The Shopify plan is $50 more expensive. However, this plan offers better services, as follows:
- Shopify has a lower credit card rate than Basic Shopify - the rate charged for credit card payments is 2.6% (0.3% lower than the Basic Shopify plan).
- Shopify sends you professional reports to help you have a better understanding of your shop.
- This plan includes gift cards. However, gift cards can be added to the Basic Shopify plan by installing an app.
This plan is for $79 per month.
Start Your Shopify 14-Day Free Trial
Advanced Shopify
This plan offers more features for an even lower credit card rate of 2.4%. This plan provides the best shipping conditions and options for the US. It is the only plan that offers real-time carrier shipping; with this option, shipping fees and taxes will be automatically calculated by the third-party shipping carrier. It also has an advanced customizable report builder through which you can choose what to see in the reports you receive.
This plan is for $299 per month.
Start Your Advanced Shopify Free Trial
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus is a plan for those who have big businesses or shops and want to create big sophisticated websites for them. With this plan, your developers will have a lot of options and freedom to control your website. You will also get 24/7 expert support for your shop.
This plan is for $2000 per month.
Start Your Shopify Plus Free Trial
Shopify Lite
Shopify Lite is a plan that you might have never heard of, as it is usually overlooked. This plan comes in handy if you have a shop with a website and you want to start selling over social media platforms like Facebook, as this plan does not offer a website. There is not much to say about this plan's features, as it is not a website building plan; it is merely a way to sell your products on Facebook and Instagram.
This plan is only for $9 per month.
Start Your Shopify Lite Free Trial
When and Why Should I Use Shopify Lite
If you already have a website for your business but decide to start selling your products (or services) on Facebook, Instagram, WordPress, or even in person, Shopify Lite is your way to go.
Shopify Lite is a great option for when your business is still quite small and you are on a low budget.
To further demonstrate, we will use Facebook as an example.
Facebook with Shopify Lite
Shopify Lite offers full Facebook integration; this way, if anyone visits your page on Facebook Messenger, they will see a "Buy" button. They can place orders through it and can even track their orders.
While on your business' page, each post can be a selling opportunity directly and without having to leave Facebook. This integration also gives you a page with a target audience of anyone who likes your brand.
Shopify Lite allows you to add "Buy" buttons and customize them.
Shopify also offers you Point of Sale Apps for direct transactions, where you can accept Debit Card and PayPal payments.
Should I Use Shopify Lite or Basic Shopify?
The answer to this question depends on your business and your needs. To be completely honest, the Shopify Lite plan is very limited. The Basic Shopify plan is much more inclusive; it includes everything the Shopify Lite plan has and much more for $29.