Shopify & Ecommerce Ramblings

A blog about building and extending awesome Shopify stores

Hope Is Not A Tactic - Take Action!

Hope Is Not A Tactic - Take Action!

by Ross Allchorn 3 min read

While hope can be a valuable motivator, relying on it as a strategy for success can be dangerous. Without action, hope can quickly turn into wishful thinking or even complacency. It is not enough to simply hope for a better future - we must actively work to create it.

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Why migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify?

Why migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify?

by Ross Allchorn 3 min read

There are several reasons why people are migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify. One of the biggest reasons is ease of use and simplicity.

Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface and streamlined setup process, making it much easier for non-technical users to get started with their online store compared to WooCommerce, which can be more complex and require technical know-how.

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Compass choosing the right Shopify Plan directions - image by AbsolutVision on Unsplash

Choosing the right Shopify plan for your store

by Gabi Falanga 4 min read

The five Shopify plans offer various features and levels of flexibility. The lower tier plans are basic and suitable for low-income entry level stores. Meanwhile, the highest offering, Shopify Plus, is ideal for high-income enterprise level stores with numerous transactions. Merchants can upgrade their plan as their requirements change. We discuss the different options and how to decide what’s best for you.

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How to take your Shopify store from Zero ($0) to Hero ($500 000+)…

How to take your Shopify store from Zero ($0) to Hero ($500 000+)…

by Daniel Connor 3 min read

If you’re beginning your ecommerce journey, one of the biggest buzz phrases you’ll stumble across is… “CONVERSION OPTIMIZATION” (Insert dramatic echo here) “Conversion? Is this a cult?”

No no, a conversion is when a user completes any one of your website’s goals, from email sign-ups, to leaving a review, and that grand unicorn in the sky… making a purchase. Optimization is doing everything you can to ensure those conversions are made.

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Aurora colours of the ShopFoundation Demo Store

The ShopFoundation Demo Store…

by Daniel Connor 3 min read

a Shopify Store with no code, no mess, no fuss!
"It's the best demo store in the world," said us.
This blog post is about a Shopify Store with no code, no mess, and no fuss. We built it using the exact model, tricks of the trade, and best-of-breed tools of the trade, that we intend to use on all the online stores we’ll build through our ShopFoundation offering. It’s called ShopFoundation because the whole model is about using our experience to build you a future proof online store on a solid foundation.

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Customer reviews, the secret weapon to boosting your conversions

Customer reviews, the secret weapon to boosting your conversions

by Ross Allchorn 6 min read

Customer reviews are a valuable asset to any online store for a number of reasons (which we will be discussing); but so many stores don’t leverage them properly, or are too afraid to open themselves up to the possibility of bad reviews. We’d like to run through why reviews are absolutely crucial to your online store, how to get them, and what to do with them - the good and the bad ones.

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Ecommerce in the metaverse… MetaCommerce?

Ecommerce in the metaverse… MetaCommerce?

by Daniel Connor 4 min read

The Facebook company is now called "Meta" and they are creating the metaverse. One thing’s for sure: Wherever consumers are… online, offline, or in the metaverse, there will be commerce. MetaCommerce WILL be a thing. It kind of already is.

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Shopify Ecommerce Store Teardown #1 - Kincaid's is Music

Shopify Ecommerce Store Teardown #1 - Kincaid's is Music

by Ross Allchorn 1 min read

Kincaid's is Music was the winner of our survey competition held in late 2021 and with so many musos on our team, their story really "resonated" (huh, see what I did there?) with us.

One of the prizes was a teardown video by me and also $300 credit with TaskHusky. The video is on the other side of the jump, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it.

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The pandemic’s effects on ecommerce - survey results + video teardown

The pandemic’s effects on ecommerce - survey results + video teardown

by Daniel Connor 4 min read

Teardown a store, dissect a pandemic… break an egg.
You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. So that’s what this article is about. We’re going to dissect our ‘pandemic’s effects on ecommerce’ survey and do a video teardown of our winner’s online store.

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Powerful BFCM optimization on a budget

Powerful BFCM optimization on a budget

by Gabi Falanga 3 min read

ShopCreatify is offering Shopify merchants the chance to beef up their stores in time for (BFCM).There are a bunch of small enhancements we can do for you that will have massive gains. With a starting investment of around $6,000 we will scope your store to identify what will have the most impact in the available time and discuss how to implement it. Read on to get an idea of what we might land up working on with you.

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Our quick turnaround enhancements for BFCM

Our quick turnaround enhancements for BFCM

by Gabi Falanga 6 min read

We advise against tackling a project as big and complicated as a redesign so close to BFCM. However, there are several ‘smaller’ improvements we can make to your site  within a relatively short period of time to turn it into a big, mean, earning machine for BFCM. These tactics will lure new customers to your store for the big event, will make the most of existing customers, and will encourage shoppers to make the most of your fantastic deals.

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Shopify: Balancing automation with humanized digital connections

Shopify: Balancing automation with humanized digital connections

by Gabi Falanga 4 min read

We recently caught up with Shopify’s Hain Joubert who told us about exciting new Shopify features, gave sage advice for merchants, and discussed how the global pandemic has changed ecommerce, probably forever. Joubert was eager to reveal improvements and changes that are underway at Shopify. The platform’s fulfilment network is being revamped with better software and features that give merchants more control and flexibility in managing their orders. 

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What is a good conversion rate for my online sales?

What is a good conversion rate for my online sales?

by Jess Henson 3 min read

Every online business wants to go big. There's lots of competition. The conversion rate is a powerful way to beat it and build your business. But what is a good conversion rate and how do you improve on it? Remember that a conversion rate keeps rising with strategic, consistent, and incremental changes. Learn more about conversion rates, how to work them out and how to improve them on your online store.

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“Should I use Shopify or Magento?”

“Should I use Shopify or Magento?”

by Daniel Connor 3 min read

Merchants looking to grow business online have a number of ecommerce platforms to choose from. Two of the most popular ecommerce platforms are Shopify and Magento. So, should you choose Shopify, or Magento?

Short Answer: There’s no best or worst platform. It’s about which ecommerce platform is best for YOUR business. And we’ve done the groundwork to help you decide…

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Use subscriptions to retain customers and improve revenue

Use subscriptions to retain customers and improve revenue

by Gabi Falanga 3 min read

There are many benefits to offering subscriptions in your ecommerce store. It provides financial and inventory predictability to your business and helps retain customers. Shoppers benefit from the convenience of repeat orders along with discounted products and services.

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Troubleshooting a low conversion rate

Troubleshooting a low conversion rate

by Gabi Falanga 4 min read

Your store might have a lot of traffic, but that’s no use if it isn’t converting into sales. There are many reasons this might be happening. We take a look at how to diagnose conversion rate issues and what some of the most common problems are. There are various tools you can use to figure out why your store isn’t converting and once you’ve established what the problems are, you can make changes yourself or employ conversion rate optimization specialists to assist you.

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Foldabox redesign creates front and back-end magic

Foldabox redesign creates front and back-end magic

by Gabi Falanga 6 min read

Redesigning a site takes a lot of work. Hines and Quintin Schnehage, the redesign project leader from ShopCreatify, both stressed how important it is to do it for the right reasons. A main goal of this redesign was to make the site more intuitive for customers. It aimed to answer their questions before they even asked them. 

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Keeping customers post-Covid

Keeping customers post-Covid

by Gabi Falanga 5 min read

Online shopping exploded during the coronavirus pandemic as customers started shopping online more. Some stores reported unheard of increases in business. The vaccine rollout in the US might see the return of some semblance of normality. So what will merchants do to retain new customers from the past year? We look at ways to sustain this growth and make sure that short-term customers become long-term ones.

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Foldabox can’t contain itself

Foldabox can’t contain itself

by Gabi Falanga 9 min read

A luxury gift box ecommerce store Foldabox has almosttripled its business during the coronavirus pandemic. The store, with a UK and a USA site, has modest beginnings. Nicole Hines, the founder and managing director, launched the company in 2005.

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Give your store love and boost sales

Give your store love and boost sales

by Gabi Falanga 5 min read

Identifying the pain points on your Shopify site is crucial. Use this time to reflect on areas that hurt business, and what you need to do to fix them. Be in a good position to keep those increased sales numbers!

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Adapting ecommerce to cater for customer needs ahead of BFCM

Adapting ecommerce to cater for customer needs ahead of BFCM

by Ross Allchorn 6 min read

Handle with care

Customers are online more than ever, yet facing financial hardship at the same time.  Adapt your store to reflect these developments, and make it easier for your customers to complete a purchase.

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