Emerging technologies such as 5G, cloud-based services, Big Data, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are reshaping the world’s digital economy. Â
Nationally and regionally across Asia the digital landscape is varied, with significant differences in development, investment and regulation. One thing that is consistent, however, is a shortage of the digital talent that will be needed to allow the region to fully embrace these changes. One report predicts the deficit could be 47million by 2030.Â
The situation represents a growing challenge as expectations and salaries for digital professionals are increasing and employees are prioritizing their work-life balance.Â
While ecommerce around the world boomed during the pandemic, businesses looking to consolidate the benefits of their accelerated digital journey must now tackle the skills shortage challenge. In the race to deliver exceptional customer experiences there’s high demand and very limited supply for digital marketers, software engineers, project managers, business analysts, and quality assurance experts.Â
One option is to grow your in-house skills with a bespoke ecommerce team that can learn and grow with your business, acquiring new expertise along the way. It can be an efficient and flexible way to meet the growing demand for digital skills, encouraging collaboration, transparency, and strategic alignment. For employees it also allows them to enhance their own knowledge and career prospects.Â
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Shopify as a solution to your tech crunch challengeÂ
To implement an in-house approach successfully you will need to define your ecommerce objectives and start with a platform that is designed for ease of use and which also has the scope to grow in scale and sophistication as your business expands. To meet this need you will want to consider Shopify. Â
Shopify is a popular online ecommerce platform suitable for businesses of all sizes that want to create and develop an online platform to promote, sell, and ship their products. It’s a subscription-based solution that allows you to build an ecommerce store or sell through your existing website, social media, blogs, emails, and in-person.Â
Shopify options Â
If you don’t yet want or need a full online store, Shopify Lite allows you to start selling on social media, websites built with tools like WordPress or Squarespace, or a third party’s website. You can accept credit card payments or create invoices for wholesale customers, telephone sales, or special orders. You can even use Shopify’s point of sale (POS) app to accept payments in person using your smartphone. Depending on your pricing plan there are transaction fees but Shopify will waive these if you use Shopify Payments.
Larger businesses can use the enterprise-level Shopify Plus for retail, wholesale and global sales. It’s more expensive and, once your sales are over US$800,000 per month, there’s also a monthly fee of 0.25% of your sales volume. It’s still a simple and easy to use option but it provides a path for growth with extensive ecommerce features and almost unlimited capacity for sales. You can also access tools like Shopify Flow for automation and you receive guaranteed priority customer service.
Is it easy to sell on Shopify?Â
You can sell almost any physical or digital products including drop-shipped products although certain things are prohibited such as alcohol, tobacco and e-cigarettes, fireworks, and video game currency or credits.Â
Shopify is a cloud-based solution so you can quickly set up a website without having to worry about hosting, you’ll have your own domain name, an inventory management system, and shipping functionality. Page templates are available that you can customize using a straightforward visual drag-and-drop editor. You can then add your products and launch your website. Your team won’t have to learn code or develop complex decision-making skills to create your store. Shopify’s app store also has over 4,200 apps that can be installed without any coding to extend your functionality.Â
Omnichannel salesÂ
The Shopify POS app allows you to sell in person using your tablet device or smartphone. You don’t need to have an online store as your Shopify Lite plan includes POS. If you want to sell online and in-person you can simply synchronize your store and the POS app and monitor your revenue and stock levels in real-time.Â
Shopify social media integration allows you to add a Shopify buy button on multiple platforms including Facebook and Instagram. Your customers don’t need to leave their favorite platform to make their purchase.
You can also connect Shopify to marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, and Google Shopping by linking your Shopify store with your seller accounts.Â
A solution to grow with your businessÂ
Shopify is built for non-specialist users with a relatively low monthly start-up fee, so it’s cost effective and you don’t need skilled developers to launch and successfully manage your ecommerce sales. Adding products, creating discounts, and processing orders can all be straightforward. You can also style and brand your site with an easy drag-and-drop editing tool for Shopify’s responsive themes. As your business grows, there are more sophisticated premium themes to give you more options. If drop shipping is part of your business model you can use integrations with providers like Spocket and Oberlo. If you encounter any problems you also have access to self-help support and round the clock phone, email and live chat help.Â
When your business is ready to take advantage of some of Shopify’s more advanced features and apps you might find you need some expert advice. These additions can cost a significant amount, so you’ll want to know you’re making the right choice for your business. If you want more specialist ongoing support you might also choose to work with a partner who has an in-depth understanding of your business.Â
Williams Commerce offers a full range of Shopify services including designing and building beautiful sites with user experience in mind, systems integration, and ongoing technical and marketing support.
To discuss how Shopify can help you tackle the tech skills crunch talk to one of our experts today.Â
