Seen Shopify has put its fees up overnight? What do we think?

[10Yetis]

Have everyone seen that Shopify put all of its prices up overnight. Only a few media outlets have reported it so far.

What are everyone's thoughts on it. Poor timing against a back drop of supplier costs rising and alike.

With the government reporting that so many people are shifting from full time employment to trying to start their own biz, you would think that Shopify could absorb the cost increases via the increase in new customers opening new online stores on its platform.

 

[Annoying Donkey]

Well, we all have to make a profit... Costs have gone up for everyone...

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Another reason to not use them!

 

[Mark T Jones]

Have everyone seen that Shopify put all of its prices up overnight. Only a few media outlets have reported it so far.

What are everyone's thoughts on it. Poor timing against a back drop of supplier costs rising and alike.

With the government reporting that so many people are shifting from full time employment to trying to start their own biz, you would think that Shopify could absorb the cost increases via the increase in new customers opening new online stores on its platform.

I don't know the answer, but potentially it may be a deliberately move to detract hoards of micro traders towards larger vendors?

 

[10Yetis]

Another reason to not use them!

who do you use? WooCommerce? Just being nosey

 

[Ozzy]

This is just another cost going up, and I would like to think (and to be fair I do envisage the case) they too are seeing rising costs to cover.
I made the decision (for me wife) to use WooCommerce because I could, I had the skills to be able to set it up for her so it didn't cost her anything except listening to me moan when something didn't quite look right or work. Not everyone will be the same, and if I wasn't able to setup a free opensource web shop for her then services like Shopify may have been her best option.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

who do you use? WooCommerce?

Funny enough, I do, but know there are many other options!

Shopify is a great option for people who know nothing about these things and don't want to learn - they just want a shop. I have major reservations in a platform where, if they went pop tomorrow, my business would disappear. It's about have greater control of your future.

Sadly, in this and may other areas, startups/small businesses either don't think of these things or don't care (until it is too late).

 

[thetiger2015]

Sadly, in this and may other areas, startups/small businesses either don't think of these things or don't care (until it is too late).

Technology is a barrier to entry for small micro businesses and startups. If you're just testing your product idea out and have about £500 invested in it, you're going to use Shopify. The learning curve is tiny, you can drag and drop everything and if it doesn't work out, you can just close your account.

WooCommerce and some of the others are just too much hard work for part time or small businesses. We used it for 2 years and it was just a mess. Plugins have to be updated all the time, it works out really expensive if you factor in the developer time and hosting and repairing things that just break for no reason at all. Also, if you start customising WP, it becomes something that nobody else will touch. Install the wrong plugin and your whole website goes blank and you get database error messages coming up, so you have to use a backup and then you're just wasting time...

The Shopify price increase was a shock, as there was no mention of this a few weeks ago, they seem to have just done it straight away, which is bad going but I don't see any viable alternative. I've tried a few out but the closest is probably SquareSpace if you have a small catalogue of products. I'd say SquareSpace has a better aesthetic using their free themes but the ecommerce bit is missing loads of functionality.

 

[AlanJ1]

Shopify is a great option for people who know nothing about these things and don't want to learn - they just want a shop. I have major reservations in a platform where, if they went pop tomorrow, my business would disappear. It's about have greater control of your future.

Shopify has a hell of a lot more advantages than being for "people who know nothing about these things."

We are mega underway on moving from Magento 2 to Shopify + and would not fit myself in that bracket. (Same with the thousands of other major major retailers on the platform).

I don't get the hate on Shopify on this forum. (I understand the point of them going bust) but outside of that I fail to see any negatives they have. (And I really hope site speed doesn't get mentioned as this can easily be sorted).

 

[Clodbuster]

A massive 68% increase but pay for a years subscription before April and you get a reduced price set for the year.
In the email I received.
"Switch from monthly to yearly terms to keep your current monthly price before new prices take effect on April 23, 2023."

 

[Annoying Donkey]

"... new prices take effect on April 23, 2023."

Not quite overnight then...

 

[Clodbuster]

Not quite overnight then...

True - they have given you warning for existing customers. If you begin today you pay the new price

 

[NWH]

I don't know the answer, but potentially it may be a deliberately move to detract hoards of micro traders towards larger vendors?

Your point is well made, Mike. I can imagine the surge of new micro sellers is going through the roof right now.

 

[Uwe (Invoiceberry)]

When switching, always consider the switching costs and the opportunity costs. Might be cheaper to use WooCommerce, but how many hours will it take you to learn about it, to make the switch and what happens if something goes wrong?

Platforms such as Shopify often got you by the b*lls... Then again, I do love the simplicity of Shopify and I think it really depends on your business size. I think for most e-commerce entrepreneurs, it's the perfect solution. Price increase surprised me a bit, especially with our own Shopify app in the Shopify marketplace, it affects me personally. Let's see what happens going forward. I would have loved some more/earlier communication.