Shopify, a new global online store is now open and available to Malaysians. Shopify is an ecommerce platform that allows individuals and businesses to create online stores.
With hundreds of store templates to choose from, business owners who sign up on the ecommerce platform can swiftly set up their stores and start accepting orders on the very same day.
In a statement, Shopify said that it has integrated with iPay88, a regional payment gateway provider, to process Internet payment in Ringgit and other foreign currencies, either through cash or credit card. The checkout process is simple and secure, due to a 128-bit SSL certificate, an encryption used by large banks around the world. Business owners also have the option of incorporating tax and shipping rates to the checkout process for added convenience.
Shopify also partnered with leading courier services in Malaysia to enable business owners to seamlessly manage their online orders, while enjoying an automated fulfillment and delivery of customer purchases at attractive rates, without the need to develop a customized software.
The ecommerce solution includes Shopify Reports, which provides three important insights – customers’ database, shopping habits and order history – to help store-owners grow their businesses. They can tailor their offerings and engage with their customers to drive repeat purchases and referrals.
In addition, merchants can enhance the functionality of their website by downloading Shopify apps, which gives their stores an edge over other online retail stores. The apps offer marketing capabilities, SEO enhancements, sales trends tracking, inventory management, store integration on Facebook and more.
The platform comes with free, built-in mobile commerce shopping cart features that benefits both merchants and shoppers. For the former, it enables them to manage their online store through a free full-featured mobile app on their iPhones. For the latter, it gives them the flexibility to browse a retail store and make a purchase from their smartphones.
Shopify has four business plans: Starter, Basic, Professional and Unlimited. Business owners can sign up for a 14-day free trial, after which they stand to receive a 10% savings if they register for a one-year plan. Customers on a one-year plan will enjoy free set-up and apps.
Brennan Loh, Head of Business Development at Shopify said: “With Internet users in Malaysia expected to grow to 21 million in 2016, we see an uprising trend in both ecommerce and m-commerce. Many business owners want to have an online store but are discouraged due to the lack of technical know-hows and perceived high costs of starting a store.
“The Shopify ecommerce platform comes with customizable, contemporary design templates, easy-to-integrate rich feature set and industry-leading security, to allow even a novice to launch a visually spectacular, well-designed and user-friendly online store in mere minutes, all for an affordable starting price of RM46 per month!”
Shopify(Malaysia) is now online at www.shopify.my
To date, Shopify currently hosts over 70,000 active online retailers, generating over USD$2 billion worth of sales globally. Some of these retailers include: Amnesty International, General Electric, Tesla Motors, LMFAO, Foo Fighters, Encyclopedia Britannica, Tata Group, Evisu Jeans, DODOcase, Penny Arcade, CrossFit, GitHub, Evernote, and Epic Meal Time.
Shopify was founded in 2006 by two snowboarding enthusiasts who wanted to sell their snowboards online. Shopify has received $22 million in Series A and B funding from Bessemer Venture Partners, FirstMark Capital, Felicis Ventures, and Georgian Partners.