What Is Shopify Plus and What Are Its Advantages?

Shopify‘s standard plans offer great solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. But, Shopify Plus is a specialized plan for large businesses with high sales volume.

Businesses can struggle to decide whether the standard Shopify plans or Shopify Plus are better for them. Here is a quick explanation of Shopify Plus and not to struggle when deciding which one to go with.

Understanding Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus was introduced in 2014 as a more powerful version of the main Shopify platform. It was created specifically for large businesses and organizations, aiming to provide a customizable e-commerce solution that doesn’t require a lot of time, money, or technical development to get started. 

It is essentially designed for large companies that sell a lot online, giving them a way to efficiently manage their sales without the complexities usually associated with enterprise systems.

Right from the start, it’s important to recognize tools like Juphy AI, which seamlessly integrate with Shopify Plus to enhance customer engagement and sales through AI-driven personalization and support, showcasing the platform’s commitment to empowering businesses with cutting-edge technology.

What does this mean in simpler terms?

• While traditional e-commerce software might take anywhere from 8 to 12 months to get up and running, Shopify Plus gets your business online in about 90 days. This speed means you can start selling faster without lengthy delays.
  
• If you’re switching from another platform, the enterprise-level plan has a team of experts to guide you through the migration process. This support helps ensure a smooth transition, reducing the hassle and technical challenges of moving your store.
  
• Once you’re up and running, Shopify Plus doesn’t leave you to figure things out on your own. Its dedicated team provides ongoing strategies and tips to help you meet your business objectives, whether it’s increasing sales or expanding your market reach.
  
• Anytime you have a question or run into a technical issue, Shopify Plus offers 24/7 priority support. This means you get quick answers and solutions, ensuring your store operates smoothly at all times.
  
• The tools included allow for the automation of various business aspects, from sales campaigns to daily tasks. This automation can save you time and effort, allowing you to focus on other important business areas.
  
• For businesses that sell in whole or to other businesses, the Shopify enterprise solution has a built-in solution for managing wholesale orders. This feature makes it easier to handle large orders and maintain relationships with wholesale customers.

How Shopify Plus Differs from Other Shopify Plans

The difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus is primarily the scale and scope of features and support offered, which makes Shopify Plus particularly advantageous for large businesses and organizations. 

• Unlike the standard support available to Shopify users, Shopify Plus customers receive personalized assistance from a Launch Engineer, ensuring a smooth setup or migration process and ongoing support for integrations and partnerships.

• Just because you have your customers’ payment information doesn’t mean a sale will happen. By improving the checkout experience, businesses aim to minimize abandoned carts. With Shopify Plus, businesses can customize their checkout pages. Standard Shopify Plans provide an integrated checkout experience for online stores without additional customization options.
  
• Shopify Plus provides the opportunity to participate in communities. Here, it’s possible to connect with similar businesses. Shopify Plus also has the Shopify Plus Academy for businesses to self-educate and access Shopify partners.
  
• Shopify Plus was developed specifically for large businesses with multiple agents.  For this reason, Shopify Plus users can sell from their e-commerce sites using their account with an unlimited number of staff entries. In standard Shopify packages, this number varies between 2-15.
  
• The Shopify App Store is one of the most prominent features of the platform. This App Store is accessible to both standard Shopify users and Shopify Plus users. In addition, Shopify Plus gives sellers more flexibility when it comes to API integrations. These merchants can use their e-commerce stores with API integrations that are not available to standard Shopify stores.
  
• Shopify Plus users have access to some Shopify apps that are unavailable to standard users. E-commerce automation, Shopify Flow, and Organization Manager are some of these apps.
  
• Shopify Plus has more access and control over the various permissions that agents can use in the admin, including permissions to export reports and permissions to use various apps.

Apart from the differences in terms of capabilities and features, it’s as important to consider factors such as budget, limits, and fees. 

• Cost: While Shopify pricing starts at $24/month and goes up to $299/month for annual payments, Shopify Plus’s costs start at $2,300 per month on a 3-year term or $2,500 for a 1-year term, billed monthly.

• Payment fees: Checkout fees start at 2.9% for Shopify and 0.15% for Shopify Plus.
  
• Sales limits: Sales limits are unlimited for Shopify Plus, while there is a limit of 100,000 for Shopify users.
  
• Contract requirements: Both offer monthly, annual, or biennial contracts.
  
• Best for: While Shopify is great for e-commerce businesses selling any product, with an annual revenue of less than 1 million dollars, Shopify Plus is best for enterprise-level businesses generating more than 1 million dollars in revenue per year.

The Advantages of Shopify Plus

Let’s understand the benefits of Shopify Plus by diving deeper into the details of these factors and determining which ones will make or break your final decision.

Enhanced Customization and Flexibility

Shopify Plus offers a higher level of customization and flexibility compared to standard Shopify plans. 

This advantage is primarily achieved through access to Shopify’s theme language, Liquid, which allows for deeper changes and customizations at the code level. 

This enables businesses to create a more personalized and unique shopping experience for their customers, adjusting the look, feel, and functionality of their online store to meet specific needs. 

In addition, Shopify Plus users can take advantage of more advanced theme customization options, making it easier to implement brand-specific designs and user interfaces. 

For example, for companies with specialized storefronts for different countries, Shopify Plus has the option to redirect to the appropriate store automatically.

This way, large-scale businesses looking to differentiate themselves can achieve unique looks and online shopping experiences.

Advanced API Integrations

Shopify Plus extends the capabilities of Shopify’s API to offer more advanced integrations with third-party apps and services. 

This means that businesses can connect their online stores to a wider range of external systems and software, from advanced inventory management tools to sophisticated customer relationship management (CRM) systems. 

These advanced API resources, including exclusive access to APIs like GiftCard, User, and Multipass, enable Shopify Plus merchants to streamline operations, improve customer experiences, and unlock new functionality. 

This level of integration is essential for large businesses that rely on a complex ecosystem of tools and software to manage their operations.

Superior Support and Dedicated Account Management

One of the standout advantages of Shopify Plus is the level of support and personalized attention that merchants receive. 

Unlike the standard Shopify support, Shopify Plus customers benefit from a dedicated account manager — often referred to as a Launch Manager or Merchant Success Manager — who provides guidance and support throughout the setup process and beyond. 

This dedicated account management ensures that businesses can navigate the complexities of launching or migrating an online store with expert assistance. 

Additionally, Shopify Plus offers 24/7 priority technical support, ensuring that any issues can be promptly addressed. 

This superior level of support is invaluable for large businesses where downtime or technical issues can have a significant financial impact.

Plus, you’ll get access to:

• Roadmap to success where you can learn best practices and get actionable guidance to create a growth plan.
  
• Industry knowledge to gain special access to valuable insights collected through years of experience and hands-on work with thousands of brands in every industry.

• Shopify Plus Community which is a network of high-growth Shopify Plus sellers to share tips, tricks, and resources.

• Shopify Plus Academy, where you can get on-demand courses that target your commerce expertise and support your growth.
  
• Priority Support to get the top-level support you need fast. 

Exclusive Access to New Features

Shopify Plus sellers enjoy early access to new features and tools before they’re released to the wider Shopify community. 

This privilege allows businesses on Shopify Plus to stay ahead of the curve by taking advantage of the latest e-commerce technologies and innovations to enhance their online stores. 

Whether it’s advanced analytics tools, new marketing capabilities, or new customer engagement features, Shopify Plus users are often the first to benefit. 

Unparalleled Scalability

Scalability is the cornerstone of Shopify Plus, designed to meet the rapid growth and changing demands of large online businesses. 

Whether you’re experiencing a surge in traffic during peak sales periods or expanding your product line, Shopify Plus is designed to handle significant volumes of sales, products, and traffic without compromising performance. 

The platform’s architecture ensures that your e-commerce operations can scale seamlessly with your business, supporting expansion into new markets or channels without the need for extensive technical adjustments. 

Shopify Plus offers unlimited growth reliability and capacity for businesses aiming for aggressive growth or with volatile sales cycles.

B2B and Wholesale Functionality

E-commerce is not only about selling to the end-user; you might be a good B2B seller who needs an advanced platform for wholesale. 

Shopify Plus recognizes the unique needs of B2B and wholesale businesses and includes specialized features to streamline these complex sales processes. 

With custom wholesale channels, price list management, and custom storefronts, Shopify Plus makes it easy for sellers to manage and scale their direct-to-consumer sales as well as their B2B and wholesale operations. 

This functionality enables custom shopping experiences for wholesale buyers, including custom pricing, bulk ordering features, and custom catalogs, all managed from the same platform used for B2C sales. 

Enhanced Security Features

Security is essential for any online business, and Shopify Plus provides security features designed to protect both sellers and their customers. 

With encryption for data and transactions, as well as PCI compliance as standard, Shopify Plus ensures that sensitive information is always handled securely. 

It also runs regular security assessments, risk analysis, and monitoring to protect against potential threats. 

With these advanced security measures, businesses can earn the trust of their customers and ensure that their data is protected against evolving online threats. 

Who Should Consider Shopify Plus?

As mentioned, Shopify Plus is more suitable for fast-growing, scaled, or enterprise-level companies, considering both its offerings in terms of features and capabilities and the requirements in terms of costs.

Shopify has actually specified that “Companies can consider upgrading to Shopify Plus when their online sales reach about $80,000 per month, but individual needs may vary.”

Ideal Business Types for Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is designed specifically for businesses that are experiencing rapid growth or have reached an enterprise level in their operations. This advanced platform appeals to companies that need scalable solutions to efficiently manage their expanding online sales. 

Ideal businesses for Shopify Plus include:

• Large-scale e-commerce operations,
• High-volume retailers, 
• Global brands looking to enhance their online presence, 
• and businesses that need to streamline their direct-to-consumer sales as well as their B2B and wholesale channels.

Assessing Your Business Needs for Shopify Plus

Determining whether Shopify Plus is right for your business requires careful consideration of your current and future e-commerce needs. 

Shopify recommends that companies consider switching to Shopify Plus when their monthly online sales approach or exceed approximately $80,000. But the decision should take into account factors beyond sales figures. 

Consider the need for advanced customization, the importance of advanced security features, the potential benefits of dedicated support and account management, and the need for seamless scalability to support future growth. 

Plus, if your business requires complex integrations with other systems or if you want to expand your operations into B2B and wholesale markets, Shopify Plus offers specialized functionality to support these efforts. 

Ultimately, the decision to upgrade to Shopify Plus should be based on a thorough analysis of your business’s specific needs, growth path, and the value that the platform’s advanced features and support can add to your operations.

Integrating Juphy AI with Shopify Plus

Juphy is a ChatGPT-powered chatbot and customer support platform that enables companies to increase their e-commerce performance and boost their website and social media conversions.

Juphy AI integrates with Shopify Plus in a Minute

It offers intelligent automated support, personalized product recommendations, and effortless sales interactions through website chat and social media channels, ensuring a seamless customer experience.

Whether you’re a Shopify or Shopify Plus user, you can integrate Juphy AI into Shopify to improve sales and support at your online store. 

Enhancing Customer Experience on Shopify Plus with Juphy AI

Integrating Juphy AI into Shopify Plus transforms the way businesses interact with their customers. 

Juphy AI provides automated support, ensuring that customer questions are handled immediately and solutions and insights are provided without delay.

This instant responsiveness greatly enhances the customer experience, making customers feel valued and supported at every step of their journey. 

This also comes with chatbot customization, which aligns it with your brand and presents your brand style while providing support to your customers.

Beyond answering queries, Juphy AI personalizes the shopping experience by understanding customer preferences and behaviors, thus personalizing communications and recommendations. 

This level of personalization not only makes shopping more enjoyable for customers but also builds a stronger and more loyal customer base for Shopify Plus sellers.

Leveraging Juphy AI for Improved Sales and Support

Juphy AI’s integration with Shopify Plus offers more than just an enhanced customer service experience; it’s a powerful tool for driving sales. 

By analyzing customer behavior and preferences, Juphy AI provides personalized product recommendations, directly influencing purchase decisions and increasing conversion rates by 5x. 

This ensures that customers receive recommendations that are not only relevant but also timely, making the shopping experience both efficient and enjoyable. 

Plus, whether you’re a Shopify or Shopify Plus user, smooth integration with Shopify means it’s easy to leverage Juphy AI to improve sales and support. 

By integrating JuphyAI with a single click, Shopify Plus sellers can enhance their online sales strategy with advanced AI capabilities. You can start your 14-day free trial and see the difference today!

Conclusion

Shopify is great for all levels of online sellers but Shopify Plus comes with all the advantages for enterprise-level, fast-growing businesses that need more than just an e-commerce platform and online store.

With Shopify Plus, you can have the power to level up your e-commerce business and online store management to save more time, effort and resources to improve your performance. 

Key Takeaways

• Shopify Plus is perfect for large-scale businesses and offers advanced features and support compared to standard Shopify plans.
• It provides a fast setup and migration process, significantly reducing the time to go live compared to traditional e-commerce platforms.
• Dedicated support and account management provide personalized guidance for Shopify Plus sellers.
• Advanced customization options through access to Shopify’s Liquid theme language allow for unique storefront designs.
• Shopify Plus provides extensive API integrations, offering greater flexibility and functionality for complex operations.
• It includes specialized tools for automation, wholesale management, and priority customer support, increasing both sales and operational efficiency.
• Advanced security features and compliance standards protect sellers and customer data.
• Ideal for businesses experiencing rapid growth or with monthly sales around $80,000, looking for scalability and advanced e-commerce capabilities.
• Integrating Juphy AI with Shopify Plus can further improve customer experience and sales through AI-driven support and personalized product recommendations.

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