From Concept To Commerce: A Deep Dive Into The Ownership Of Shopify

19 January 2024

The app developers placed special emphasis on creating a system that would motivate new sop-owners to open an online store for e-commerce. As a result, PHP programming knowledge is not necessary. One of the few systems that operates in a modular fashion is Shopify.

The customer selects a pre-programmed layout and can add product images and content, as well as make additional changes. Shopify appeared to be gaining traction because of how simple it is to use, particularly for smaller enterprises.

So, who owns Shopify? Let’s find out.

Who Owns Shopify?

The headquarters of Shopify Inc., a multinational e-commerce company based in Canada, are in Ottawa, Ontario. The IT expert Tobias Lütke, who co-founded Shopify with Daniel Weinand and Scott Lake, is the company’s founder.

Their love of snowboarding led them to establish “Snowdevil,” an online store, in 2004. But as a result, they realized that they couldn’t advance rapidly because there wasn’t a suitable software solution. The three of them decided to work together to construct their e-commerce platform.

Other businesses wanted a piece of the new shop system because Snowdevils presented such a polished image. The three partners officially dubbed the e-commerce platform “Shopify” in 2006.

When smartphones first started to gain popularity, Shopify wanted to be ahead of the curve and keep up with the latest innovations. In 2010, Shopify developed an application for the App Store in this manner.

Shop owners can view insights and updates about their stores from this app. Shop owners can now check and prevent potential errors by having constant access to their shop. The owners of Shopify demonstrated to the world in 2010 that there are easy fixes available.

There was a contest to see who could create the best online store and use Shopify most effectively. The Shopify Foundation offered the winners a mentoring program to help launch businesses.

When it comes to answering the question of who owns Shopify, a whole new world opens up. The idea behind empowering shop owners to have an online shop with ease changed the world of business forever.

Success Of Shopify

Shopify’s growth has been exponential over time. If you search on Google “who owns Shopify,” you will find out how big the company is. This is how initiatives like Shopify Plus, which addressed big businesses for the first time, changed the game. As a result, there was heavy criticism of Shopify for the Shopify Payments. There will be additional costs if you do not use PayPal or Klarna payment options.

However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that Shopify provides excellent customer service. In 2019, the e-commerce platform was among the first to set up a live chat feature so that store owners could get free assistance and recommendations.

Payments On Shopify

You can use the built-in Shopify Payments feature or link your own payment processor to Shopify. Shopify charges a transaction fee for each online sale, which can range from 0.5% to 2% of the total charge if you use your own payment processor. If you use Shopify Payments, you are exempt from this fee.

The flat-rate payment processing rates that Shopify Payments offers are based on your subscription plan. Using Shopify’s retail store POS system and mobile POS app, in-person sales are also supported by Shopify Payments.

You can use Shopify’s integrated shipping label printing on any plan if you ship orders. With USPS, UPS, DHL, and other carriers, you’ll get competitively low rates; additionally, your discounts get bigger with higher-tier plans.

Every time you process an order and print a shipping label, shipping costs add up. When charges exceed a certain threshold based on your average shipping volume, your card will have to pay these expenses. On the other hand, there will be shipping costs for your monthly Shopify bill if you only ship a small number of orders each month.

Pros

Overall user-friendliness: Novices in rank can quickly deploy a stunning Shopify store, numerous sales channels, and order processing workflows in the morning, ready for sales by the afternoon.

Competitive monthly fees: Entry-level plans have low monthly fees, while higher-tier plans have competitive rates.

Safe technology: All technical details are taken care of by Shopify’s fully managed platform.

Smooth retail and mobile in-person sales: You can sell in person anywhere with fully integrated mobile and retail store point-of-sale features.

Integrated product sourcing: Utilize Shopify’s integrated dropship and wholesale networks to stock your store with little to no initial outlay of funds.

Integrated email marketing: With just one click, you can increase sales with the help of automated email marketing and abandoned cart alerts.

Limitless growth potential: Shopify hosts some of the largest brands on the internet and is equipped to handle both rapid and steady expansion.

Cost: If money is tight, there are free or incredibly inexpensive alternatives to Shopify that you can use.

Transaction fees: Every credit or debit card sale you make will result in a transaction fee if you choose not to use Shopify Payments.

Cons

The limitations of Shopify themes include their basic design, which makes it difficult to add advanced features and functionality without specialized coding.

Reduced options for search engine optimization (SEO): When it comes to SEO, Shopify online stores are less advanced than WordPress platforms.

Easy-to-use blog tools: In comparison to WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix, Shopify’s blogging features are fairly limited.

Other Costs

The point-of-sale (POS) feature of Shopify facilitates in-person sales for mobile pop-up shops, services, market selling, and even multiple retail locations. Online sales, inventory, customer information, and business reporting are all seamlessly connected to POS-based sales.

Every Shopify plan comes with free POS Lite, or for an additional monthly charge, you can add full retail checkout functionality:

High-end Shopify Themes

Although Shopify offers nine free store themes to its merchants, many sellers choose to use the premium themes that come with more customization options, specialty designs, and additional features. Over 100 premium themes are available in Shopify’s theme store.

Wrapping Up

It’s almost impossible to find an e-commerce platform that matches Shopify’s level of simplicity and smooth integration with sales channels. Shopify’s many selling opportunities and essential business management tools outweigh its few shortcomings.

It includes basic SEO tools, limited store customization options, and simplistic blogging features. There is just no platform that compares to Shopify in terms of ease of use, sales volume, room for expansion, and cost for both new businesses and seasoned retailers.

If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask about who owns Shopify, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!

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Steps For Salesforce Application Development

As an entrepreneur, your customers are the biggest pillar of your business. No matter your industry of domain, area of specialization, or even your business focus, they are the single most valuable asset to your organization and you should treat them as so. Through their valuable feedback, your business can gain a new sense of direction, develop new concepts, as well as bring in more revenue. With that said, as a business owner, simply appreciating your customers isn’t enough. You need to truly understand them to tailor your products and services to meet them at their point of need. And that’s where Salesforce application development comes in. It entails creating integrated customer relationship management solutions that interface businesses with their customers. These CRM platforms also give all the departments in a particular organization a unified view of all the customers and how they interact with various aspects of the business. In this article, we are going to look at what Salesforce is and its uses. While at it, we are also going to delve deeper to see the entire Salesforce application development lifecycle. What Is Salesforce? Simply put, it’s a cloud computing SaaS company that provides customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. Thanks to the company’s cloud technology, businesses are able to better connect with their existing clientele, partners, and potential customers. Over the years, Salesforce software has grown to become the leading marketing and customer behavior tracking solution for both small startups and Fortune 500 companies. As it turns out, customer relationship management is one of the key driving factors for the increasing demand for application development in Salesforce. Recent research from Vonage offered a compelling view of the effects and consequences of poor customer service. In the US alone, the research revealed that an estimated $62 billion is lost annually as a result of bad customer experience. To underwrite this figure, a different report from Huffpost has indicated that 91% of customers won’t hesitate to switch brands once they experience bad customer service. These are mind-blowing figures, especially if a business has no solution to counter the consequences of poor customer experience. However, with Salesforce in place, businesses are able to overcome the problems caused by poor customer service and other business process variables. According to statistics published on Salesforce’s website, companies that are currently using their software have continued to see average increases in multiple areas. For instance, 34% of users have seen an increase in customer satisfaction, with 27% and 32% users seeing an increase in sales revenues and lead conversion respectively. In 2018, Salesforce emerged as the biggest CRM software commanding a total of 19.8% market share of the CRM software market. During the same period, the company was voted as the #1 CRM provider by the International Data Corporation. It shouldn't come as a surprise that companies are willing to pay the highest Salesforce consultant salary just to get wind of this technology. The Benefits of Using Salesforce Given the commendable portfolio of Salesforce, here are areas it can help your business find success. Below I am going to discuss the benefits of using Salesforce. Helps Collect Customer Intel In the prevailing competitive business environment, overlooking data collection can be a fatal and unforgiving mistake. As a business, collecting and collating customer intelligence should be an obsession or the very least treated as a full-time affair, because it can lead to loss of revenue. As such, if you are to improve customer satisfaction and continue remaining competitive, hiring qualified Salesforce developers to build a high-quality CRM tool is inevitable. And with Salesforce, you get an upper hand over your competitors by enjoying tools that help you identify, understand, and solve customer problems. Flexible And Scalable As companies and business needs continue to evolve, the tools of trade must also adapt. For instance, if the structures of your business start to grow, the management software should be able to seamlessly accommodate the changes. Cognizant of this fact, Salesforce CRM comes with multiple functions that allow for scalability right from the initial stages to any future interactions. Helps in Account Planning Having a unified view of customer information allows your teams to independently make plans for various accounts. It also facilitates a more hands-on customer connection approach as well as allows various reps and departments in your organization to modify their plans for optimized results. Salesforce also comes with a to-do items feature, which helps your entire workforce stay organized throughout the day. Along with that, Salesforce also works as an organizational tool. Your team can create calendar reminders specifying the future customer follow-ups or important duties reminders to the upper management, which helps prevent anything from falling through the cracks. If you are in the service-based businesses, Salesforce also gives you insights into the amount of time a particular customer/s has stayed in a particular subscription package. Once this info is established, your team is able to customize marketing materials to match a particular customer niche. Cloud Connectivity Many companies are now gravitating towards software as a service (SaaS), which means software that is available online. Luckily, Salesforce doesn’t need to be installed on a computer as it is cloud-based. This means that you can easily access it everywhere, interface it with other digitized services, and enjoy unlimited storage capacity. And since no maintenance is required, you get to save on a Salesforce developer salary that would have otherwise been paid for this purpose. Facilitates Team Collaboration Poor team communication and collaboration can lead to reduced productivity. On top of a unified view of customer data, Salesforce’s “Chatter” feature allows your team members to easily and regularly communicate work-related information. Additionally, the feature also lets you highlight and prioritize urgent issues that require special attention by inviting different team members to look at them. Salesforce Application Development Lifecycle Software developers spend a lot of time designing, developing, securing, and delivering products that perform better than initially envisioned. As a result, different software development approaches like agile development, waterfall model, and many others have merged. When it comes to cloud-based solutions, the incorporation and implementation of various software development methodologies make it even more complex. Moreover, the Salesforce Development Lifecycle also means that the software is developed, tested, and deployed in a cloud environment. Below, we have laid down 6 steps that clearly illustrate the entire Salesforce Development Lifecycle: Business Requirements Analysis The first step towards a successful custom Salesforce application is to conduct an internal business needs analysis. It entails the development team eliciting the potential customer needs, elaborating them, validating all the assumptions, and devising efficient methodologies to meet these requirements. Business requirements analysis is important as it helps avert potential mistakes as well as make the final product both efficient and compatible with the existing system and security standards. UI/UX Design Another important aspect of Salesforce application development is optimizing the app for user experience. A report by iMPACT indicates that 52% of customers are less likely to conduct business with a brand offering a poor mobile experience. On the other hand, Forbes conservative estimates indicate that intentional and strategic user experience can yield a conversion rate as high as 400%. If these numbers are anything to go by, designing a user-friendly and highly responsive Salesforce application development is absolutely paramount. In order to optimize an app for effective and enjoyable use, developers need to map out the user journey and creatively choreograph user/platform interactions to benefit the end-user. Development Phase The next step in Salesforce application development entails creating developers creating isolated sandboxes. Generally, these distinct sandboxes hold the main production app copy and other supplementary Salesforce configuration information. They are also independent, implying that changes in a single sandbox don’t affect the main Salesforce production enterprise. Individual developers have to clone their branches. To retrieve the metadata from the sandboxes to the IDE, the developers need to use Force.com IDE. Once they have the metadata, they continue coding their assigned app features, performing initial unit testing, and then submit the finished code to the Git repository. If a subsequent developer wants to build on top of this freshly updated branch, they need to clone it to their sandbox and continue developing new features. Once done, they also have to submit their latest development to the repository. With that said, the possibility of multiple developers working on the same branch cant be overlooked. To avoid conflicts, it is important for everyone in the development team to check for possible branch updates before committing. Testing The next step after building a Salesforce application is to ensure that it has an excellent and stable performance. This mainly entails developers carrying out QA activities including unit tests and code reviews. It is also at this stage that functional, performance, and integration testing is conducted within the development process. Lastly, automation tests and debugging are conducted to augment the app’s speedy delivery. Integration During the integration phase, the custom CRM application is interfaced with third-party software like CMS. To facilitate a smooth transition, the development team also conduct hands-on training sessions as well as provides training materials to the client. Launch Once the app is launched for internal use, it is transferred to the client and subjected to their User Acceptance Testing environment (UAT). Once satisfied, the finished product is moved to the production environment and deployed to the end-users. Salesforce Application Development Team Actors During the app development process, different players are involved and handle different aspects of the app. In the Salesforce app development life cycle, the most common actors include: Product Manager: Help finalize business requirements. Release Manager: Help coordinate the app’s release schedule. Software Developer: Handles the main coding and produces the requisite deliverables. Quality Analyst: Tests and confirms the functionality of various app features. Potential money from the Salesforce AppExchange development: After researching the fact this has been seen that Potential money from the salesforce AppExchange development can depend on several other factors. How To Build an App for Salesforce AppExchange? To build your AppExchange app, you must go through the multi-step procedure, which includes compliance, release, ongoing support, and demand app development. Below, I will discuss how to create an App for Salesforce AppExchange. 1st Step: Become the Part of Salesforce Business Partner Community The first and foremost step in becoming a Salesforce AppExchange trade Partner is to join the Salesforce Partner Community. In this case, you must submit the form using AppExchange. After all, the Salesforce Partner Community is the hub of existing AppExchange Partners. 2nd Step: Examine AppExchange Market The next step in building the app is to examine the AppExchange market. AppExchange offers many products and solutions for several products and cloud services in Salesforce. In this case, for optimal outcomes, you must use the curated collections of AppExchange. 3rd Step: Make the First Sketches of Your Product Once you are done researching the existing solutions on AppExchange, you must start defining the unique value proposition of your product. For the outline, you must follow the below-mentioned procedure such as: Firstly, you must understand your target audience. Secondly, ensure you have an idea of business targets. Thirdly, you must follow the types of Salesforce editions you will support. After that, ensure you have an idea of the package type. Next, ensure you have the Salesforce Licenses that you want to use. Lastly, it would help if you ensured the requirements for your AppExchange App security. 4th Step: Define the Type of ISV Partnership and the Type Of Your AppExchange Solution Once you have joined the Salesforce Partner Community, then, you must analyze the existing products, and you can create a rough roadmap. In this case, ensure you have defined the type of ISV partnership, and consequently, you also have built the AppExchange solution. There are seven types of ISV partners in AppExchange. It includes OEM, CDP Cloud Partner, Commerce Cloud Partner, All Other Clouds (paid), All Other Clouds (free), and Technology Partner/Tableau. 5th Step: Choose the Programming Type and Tools to Build Your Salesforce App Recently, Salesforce provided two types of programming languages and two types of tools that you can use. Let’s know what programming tools are used in Salesforce App development. This includes Apex Cloud-based programming language. Next are Lightning components and Visualforce. 6th Step: Build Your Salesforce App Once you can identify the exact type of solution, it must have the programming language, licensing, and packaging, and of course, you must continue with the building procedure. Two ways to do this are using internal sources or outsourcing the dedicated team. If you want to build the SalesForce App using an in-house team, it could be one the most viable and remarkable options. If you don’t have enough resources, ensure you can control the entire product cycle of AppExchange. 7th Step: Test Your Salesforce App If you want to ensure optimal performance, then it must conduct comprehensive end-to-end testing in technological domains. In this case, you must adhere to the development of best business practices, especially for testing. 8th Step: Prepare Your App for the Launch on AppExchange Once you are done testing and finalizing the app, the next step is to prepare by submitting it to the SalesForce AppExchange. In this procedure, it includes creating the managed packages and providing screenshots. 9th Step: Submit Your App for Security Review and Market This Ensure you have submitted your final app by undergoing the security review and then have met the necessary security requirements. Final Thoughts Salesforce CRM is a critical business tool. It helps streamline data analysis and reporting, provides invaluable customer feedback, and aid in formulating better customer service strategies. As a result, businesses are able to align their resources towards creating timely, customer-oriented solutions. With that said, Salesforce application development isn’t a linear process. It entails working with different tools and multiple software development methodologies. And with cloud solutions continuing to capture the imaginations of business owners, the world is yet to see the full potential of CRM Salesforce and the cloud ecosystem as a whole. Read also: Top User Tips For Getting Started With Salesforce CRM And ERP Combination For Business Solutions 5 Things To Take Into Account To Hire Custom Software Development Services

The Business Networking Benefits of Co-working Spaces

The benefits of co-working are numerous. On top of getting to work in some of the most pristine business districts, such as Pudong in Shanghai, the price tag for co-working spaces is much cheaper than conventional leasing. For the price of leasing a co-working space, you get the advantage of world-class internet services, professional-grade office equipment, and administrative staffing. However, co-working spaces not only promote networking among professionals but in many cases, it is the foundation from which many business connections are made. Because of the organizational format of these offices, professionals find themselves seated among some of the most talented people in a diverse array of industries. Check out Servcorp New Zealand’s co-working spaces at coworking to see one example of the way co-working spaces are laid out. Keep reading to learn more about co-working’s networking advantages and how you can utilize these spaces to develop business relationships. The Business Networking Benefits of Co-working Spaces: Referrals: Depending on the size of the co-working space, you can find so many different industries under one roof. For professionals looking for resources, their co-workers become a vast source of referrals. In the end, these resources can save you time and sometimes money. More importantly, referrals can also be a way for you to get your name out there, build up your business’s reputation, and make money for your venture. Mentors: Networking provides you with another opportunity, one to meet mentors. Again, because the co-working space is one that is comprised of professionals from a diverse array of industries you can instantly meet with experienced professionals who can show you the ropes in your own industries. These professionals can also build the foundation of other business connections within your community. Collaboration Opportunities: Of the many networking benefits of co-working, you have the chance to participate in collaborations. In fact, collaborations spring from daily conversations between professionals, whether they are chatting up their ideas at the hot desk or at any of the numerous events held to promote business. These collaborations can help you grow your business and teach you new ways to manage it. Funding: Every business needs a certain amount of funding. When working alone, finding sources of funding is a little more difficult, especially if you are a new business owner. Another extremely important benefit of networking as a part of a co-working environment is that it can help you meet people who can show you how to fund your project. In fact, your co-workers can probably introduce you to alternative methods of finding funding, negating the need for borrowing to fund the business. Source Of Information: More than just referrals, networking in the co-working space provides you with access to a vast amount of information. Not only are your co-workers a great place to find referrals, but they are also a good source of information regarding an amalgam of topics. In fact, in a typical co-working space, you might find a room full of people with a plethora of educational degrees and work experiences. Networking provides you with the opportunity to meet these talented individuals who can also serve as sources of information. Moral Support: From these co-working opportunities, you get the chance to make friends who can also lend an ear when you need to decompress. Whether it is regarding building a business or you having problems with clients, there is nothing like being able to gripe to someone who truly understands the entire problem. In exchange, your networking buddies can offer you good counselor reassurance that everything is going to be fine, even when the situation looks bleak. Networking In The Co-Working Reality: Networking has always been a part of the business landscape. However, co-working is one of those opportunities that encourages those working in close proximity to get to know their neighbors in both an informal and formal setting. More importantly, this office style that promotes social interaction can be the source of more business for you. Read Also : Wise Words From A Good Businessman To Help You Be One Make Your Business Popular Online “Which Backend Keys Makes Social Networking Sites & Apps Works Smoothly?

Courses For Entrepreneurs Are Worth It – Here’s Why

Being a self-proclaimed entrepreneur is hard. At first, you think it’s okay as long as you have a strong drive for success and an indestructible morale. However, as time goes by, you realize that there are simply things that won’t go as you expect no matter how much you will them too. All too often, a determination that borderlines stubbornness is not exactly the trick to getting what you want. More times than not, what you need is to do things the old-fashioned way – putting in lots of time and effort to better yourself in the field of entrepreneurship. Do you know how people always say “learning never stops”? Well, it’s true. It never does. Most of us seem to have this misconception about finishing college. We all tend to think that the end of a course is the end of all scholarly hardships. But let me tell you something: That is hardly the case – ever. Learning doesn’t stop at any one point. It doesn’t stop when you graduate from primary, secondary, or tertiary levels. Heck, it doesn’t even stop after you’ve acquired your Ph.D. You see, the world’s information is vast and ever-evolving. This is why you’ll never reach the end of it. The only thing you can do is to keep learning and adapt to the changing times. Of course, if we try to take in information all at once, our minds will probably explode. There’s only so much we can take after all. This is why instead of trying to digest everything all at once; I suggest that you practice “selective learning.” How Can You Improve Your Entrepreneurial Skills? Are you familiar with the expression Jack of all trades but master of none? This is exactly the kind of person you wouldn’t want to be. A jack of all trades is a typical person that is capable of learning and doing almost everything he tries a hand at – but only to a certain extent. It means that he is knowledgeable about many things but he is never considered an expert on any of them. It’s like a plumber who can fix a sink but can’t fix a toilet; a carpenter who can fix a chair but not a table. Or, you could be an entrepreneur who can sell silver but not gold. Does this make any sense? A jack of all trades may be capable of a lot of things which is great but it is also because he knows far too many things that he can’t just focus on mastering one (read more). He is constantly in a state of confusion. And in the real world, being a “Jack” won’t cut it. Nobody is going to pay you for being an “almost” expert at something. It’s either you’re an expert or you’re not. The same thing goes with entrepreneurship. Why Take Online Courses? If you are hoping to get anywhere with your business career, you have got to stop being a Jack. If you want to sell, you have got to raise the bar for yourself. Dedicate most of your time and energy in trying to become the best entrepreneur that you can be. You see, legends don’t just happen – they are made. And you too can become a legend of your own in the field of business if you work hard enough. The very first thing that you should look into is taking online courses for entrepreneurs. Marketing, PR, Social Media Advertising, Public Speaking, Product Pitching, SEO, and Digital Marketing are just a few of the many supplementary classes you can attend to further enhance your entrepreneurial skills and abilities. The more you learn about entrepreneurship and the more you immerse yourself into the reality of becoming a successful businessman, the closer you are to making it all happen. You know what they say, if you want it, claim it. Yes, claim it as if it was always yours from the very start. Again, heed my advice: If you want to be an entrepreneur not just in name but in skill as well, take online courses. It’s your best bet to becoming better at what you do! Read Also: Quit The Rat Race: 5 Tips For Becoming An Online Entrepreneur Five Traits Of Successful Entrepreneurs You Should Develop 5 Key Leadership Skills For Entrepreneurs

From Concept To Commerce: A Deep Dive Into The Ownership Of Shopify