Shopify Lite: The Easy Way To Sell from any Website
Are you on the fence about Shopify?
You probably went to the site to check out all the options available. Ah, exciting!
Shopify Basic looks excellent now, doesn’t it? It seems like the right fit, so bring in that credit card!
But if you already have a website running or only want to add a shopping cart to your Facebook page, instead of paying the price for Shopify Basic, why not try out their lite version instead?
You can find the option right below the three main tiers for setting up your store.
Shopify lite is the most affordable option and a great starting point for anyone interested in eCommerce.
What Is Shopify Lite?
In a nutshell, it’s an easy-to-use platform that allows you to add products to any website and turn it into an online store in minutes. It costs $9 per month, and you can try it out for free for 14 days.
Just to be clear, you do not get an eCommerce online store with Shopify Lite. What you get is integration to your existing site.
As the name implies, Shopify Lite is an easier way to build a store. It’s not simply a stripped-down version of the full plan, though — it’s designed from the ground up to be an easy way for people who are new to eCommerce to get started without having to learn how everything works.
It offers access to the Shopify Admin, where you can easily manage your business. The Shopify POS Lite and the Buy Button complement an experience that will prove educational and convenient.
The highlighted features it offers include:
Turn your WordPress site into a store
Or your Tumblr, or your Weebly, or any other site you currently have. Lite offers Buy Buttons, an embeddable checkout button that you can add to your landing page or your blog posts. It allows shoppers to direct purchase from wherever you place the button.
Accept payments with no fuss
Merchants can create orders and accept credit card payments with great flexibility through the Shopify Admin. Shopify streamlines the process and provides other cool features where merchants can easily build and track orders.
Credit cards anywhere
Anywhere means wherever your business takes you. With a convenient Shopify POS software, you can turn any Android or iOS phone or tablet into a point of sale.
Pretty convenient if you are at a carnival, a farmer’s market, or you offer products door-to-door. You enjoy some sweet features, like order history, loyalty programs, email, etc.
Other features
Shopify Lite offers a bevy of features to help start and grow your business. These include educational resources and tips, 24/7 support, and automatic sync.
Should You Use Shopify Lite?
Well, that depends.
Shopify Lite is for people who already have a website, blog, or Facebook page and want to sell something. You do not get a full online store and cannot build a Shopify home for your brand. What you are getting is the option to integrate Shopify with your site.
The plan can advertise on social media and allow your clients to purchase your merch without leaving Facebook. This cuts down the number of steps to make a sale. Plus, you get all the benefits we mentioned above.
How To Use Shopify Lite
When you’re ready to start selling online, even the Lite version can still be confusing when you’re taking the first steps. Thankfully, Shopify offers exhaustive guides to kick-start you nicely and quickly. But if you don’t have the time or the bandwidth, we can help too.
Tailor your store to your audience and add products relevant to your niche. For example, if you’re selling graphic T-shirts, it makes sense to include the ability for customers to upload images and create their custom shirts. If you’re selling goods, you will want to have a shopping cart, checkout process, and a secure way for customers to pay for their purchases.
Take advantage of all the features included with your plan. Then, take some time to explore them and decide how they can best work for your store.
Shopify Basic Vs Shopify Lite
Shopify Lite is a bare-bones version of the service. It’s great for small businesses who need a simple website to build their brand and don’t have a huge inventory or many products to sell. Shopify Lite is easy to manage and doesn’t require much technical skill.
Shopify Basic is designed for merchants with larger eCommerce businesses. If you’re selling a lot of products, want to run special promotions, or need advanced shipping options, then you’ll want to upgrade to the more robust Shopify plan.
We have broken down the main differences between these two plans in our crispy table below:
|
Shopify Lite |
Shopify Basic |
| $9 per month | $29 per month |
| Integrates with an already existing website or social media page | It creates a separate website |
| Sell on Facebook page | Sell on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest |
| No plugins nor app store | Access to more than 2500 apps |
| Appropriate for small businesses | Better for small- to mid-sized merchants |
| One additional staff login | Two additional staff logins |
| Support 24/7 through email and live chat | Support 24/7 through phone, email, and live chat |
You can upgrade from Shopify Lite to Shopify Basic when your business grows. It is super easy to do, and you will not lose any products, work, or data.
Are There Any Cons Of Using Shopify Lite?
The biggest con is that you’re not going to have the same level of access and support as you would with Shopify Basic. So you’ll have to be prepared to do a lot of trial and error work on your own, but you should be ok. If you plan on opening an online store and expanding quickly, however, it’s going to be a very tight squeeze.
Some of the features missing on Shopify Lite include:
- You do not get a complete Shopify eCommerce store
- No inventory tracking
- No Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter integration
- Limited customization options
- No ability to add third-party apps
Let’s pave the road together
Shopify Lite enables you to create an online store without the cost of Shopify Basic and without being overwhelmed by the number of options in the regular Shopify plan.
But that doesn’t mean it won’t give you all the tools you need. There is a reason why Shopify lite is the “lite” version of Shopify, and that is because they want to be sure they give you just enough to make your service effective without giving you so many options that it becomes complicated.
Let us help you harness the power of Shopify. Get in touch for a free consultation, and let’s do this!