What is this new app “Shop” by Shopify and why should you care as an Amazon seller?
Well, to start off, this company is a huge competitor for Amazon which means we should probably remind ourselves about the saying, “Stay close to your friends but closer with your enemies”. Why is that relevant? Because this platform has the potential to be an extraordinary resource as a marketing supplement to expand your business, boost your profit, and bring in more consumers. Shop helps you to work smarter, not harder. As sellers, it’s essential to know the right resources to leverage and Shop definitely has lots of potential.
What Is Shop?
According to Shopify, “Shop is a powerful mobile space that serves spam-free recommendations, just for Shopify stores. This built-in feed makes it easy for customers to browse the latest and filter by location, all while prompting repeat business for you” (Shopify.Com)
The goal of Shop is to help consumers keep finding products that they love and help sellers grow their business in the most efficient and profitable way. This is huge. This is also why we should care.
According to Prime Guidance Sr. Consultant, Sprigley Allen, a highly experienced internet marketer & growth hacker, he mentions that “in essence, Shop gives amazing feedback in regards to when your packages are arriving, provides great pictures, and even shows you a map that specifically tells you exactly where your product is which is so powerful, different, and definitely useful to consumers”
One great feature to Shop is the fact that it shows you every order for Amazon and any other interactions that you’ve had with Amazon stores. Then, when you click on the brands you have ordered from previously, you can instantly be taken to their shops which is the equivalent to an Amazon storefront.
Shop by Shopify shows you your latest purchases and recommends products from the storefront based on what you previously purchased. Shopify Shop customizes recommendations for each individual consumer based on what someone has bought in their past from their favorite shops and product brands.
According to TechCrunch.Com, “the additions include Shopify Balance, which Chief Product Officer Craig Milled described as an attempt to rethink the bank account in a way that’s better suited to a business’ needs. ‘The traditional products offered by banks were created in a world that’s very different,’ Miller said. ‘We went back to first principles of how they should be designed.'”
So Shopify Balance is a merchant account with no fees and no minimum balances. Miller said that ‘initially,’ the only funds in the account will come from Shopify payments – merchants won’t be able to deposit additional money, but they will be able to log in, track cash flow and pay bills. The account comes with a debit card (virtual or physical), and Shopify said it will also offer cashback rewards and discounts on expenses like shipping and marketing” (TechCrunch).
Why is Shops Great For Amazon Sellers?
Well, it’s important to note that Shops competes with Amazon through their practical shops functionality that is specially designed by them. This is something that is unique to this particular app that Amazon doesn’t offer their consumers.
Sprigley Allen mentions, “Shopify is proactively helping vendors to cross-sell, up-sell, and to continuity sell. Amazon doesn’t do that for us too much so this is extremely handy.”
Although it may take time for Shopify to ramp up their Shop app, it is a big step forward and Shopify stores immediately benefit from this without additional effort. We believe that this is simply one more reason to leverage Shopify for your e-commerce website.
We have long been a believer that Amazon sellers need to diversify their sales channels, and having your own e-commerce website is expected by customers these days. Not only does Shopify make e-commerce easy, but their integrations with key marketplaces and now their Shop app, make it a compelling platform for many sellers.
A huge key factor that will help is paying attention to where consumers are being drawn too. Follow them and they’ll end up following you in the end. People are following this platform, so you should too! That’s why you should care about the new app Shop by Shopify!
Author | Claudia Yates, Marketing Specialist
