6 Little-Known Perks of a Shopify Subscription

It's an all-in-one app.

Shopify is quickly becoming the "everything seller" platform for small business owners. It's one of the best eCommerce platforms for selling things online. Website creation, shipping, money management -- you name it, Shopify does it.

It's popular, too. According to Style Factory, an estimated $1 in $10 from U.S. online sales come from Shopify stores. It offers about a bazillion features to sellers, including a suite of marketing, financing, and design products.

Worry not, business owner. We've done the work and filtered out six little-known perks of a Shopify subscription.

1. Logo maker

Shopify offers a free logo maker called Handshake to small business owners. It's free and integrates nicely with Shopify stores. Much of the heavy-lifting design work is done for you -- customers just answer a series of questions and pick from pre-generated templates.

2. Stock photos

Free photos galore! If you don't want to go through the hassle of taking professional photos, Shopify offers small business owners thousands of free, high-quality images. Small business owners who subscribe to Shopify can easily add photos to their websites.

3. Influencer collaborations

Running your own business and social media hype accounts can be a drag, but Shopify speeds things up. Influencers can apply to work with small businesses, and companies pay when their product sells: a win-win.

Interested in running social media accounts for your business? Check out the best social media management software.

4. Marketing tools

Shopify has built-in marketing tools. For example, Shopify's Google Shopping integration lets you sync your product listings with Google Shopping, so your products appear when people search for them on Google. You can also use Shopify's Discounts tool to create discount codes and run promotional campaigns.

5. Shipping discounts

Shopify offers discounts on shipping rates. For example, shipping a USPS First Class 15-ounce package from Chicago to New York costs $7.90. That same package only costs $6.12 to ship through Shopify, a 22% discount. You can buy and print shipping labels through Shopify.

6. Money management

Small business owners can manage their money directly through Shopify. While Shopify is not a bank, you can make payments through a Shopify balance account. Having everything in one place makes it easier to keep track of finances.

Should you subscribe to Shopify?

For small business owners, Shopify is excellent. Subscribers can make a website and go from there. A basic, feature-rich subscription costs $29 per month. If you're going to take advantage of all Shopify services, then a subscription is worth considering.

Business owners who want to take a more hands-off approach to marketing might consider using platforms like eBay or Etsy instead. These seller platforms bring the buyers to you. Instead of charging a monthly subscription, they take a percentage of all sales.

Shopify plans come with a three-day free trial, so if you're on the fence, you can give it a go without losing money. Some of my favorite stores, like Allbirds, use Shopify. Check it out!