Shopify is a fast growing ecommerce platform, especially for ambitious retailers with simple ecommerce setups experiencing rapid growth. One of the key reasons why Shopify is adopted by many of these retailers is its strengths with automation.
This is especially true for their enterprise platform, Shopify Plus, with Shopify Flow, Launchpad and Shopify Scripts.
Retailers need to be able to scale quickly, and automation is necessary. Why is Shopify strong at automation? What key features does the platform have that empowers retailers to focus on growth, not on manual tasks?
Shopify Flow
Shopify Flow is the automation engine that comes with Shopify Plus. The engine uses both pre-built templates and a visual workflow builder to start automating your ecommerce setup quickly.
This reduces the number of manual tasks needed in your business and ultimately empowers you to spend more time on growth.
You can use Shopify Flow to track reviews and trigger actions based on specific negative reviews. You can organise and segment customers based on key criteria, such as customer lifetime value or recent spend. You can also use Shopify Flow for order and inventory management, with triggers on products with low stock and international orders. You can also use Shopify Flow for powerful marketing, with loyalty and retention actions for valuable customers and the power to offer discounts and promotions for certain orders.
Shopify Flow is fairly comprehensive, and also integrates with key ecommerce tech such as dotdigital, Nosto, LoyaltyLion, Klaviyo and Yotp
Launchpad
With Launchpad, Shopify Plus retailers can schedule content on-site for events and promotions in advance, with set start and end times.
This gives planning power to Ecommerce Managers, reducing the risk of errors and reducing the amount of time spent on manually updating content for key promotions.
Content that can be scheduled and monitored with Launchpad includes product visibility, themes and discounts. This allows retailers to make sure that their flash sales and product launches can run smoothly.
You can also track performance of Launchpad content in real time, understanding customer behaviour at these key peak trading periods.
Shopify Scripts
Shopify Scripts is also a powerful tool that allows for a certain level of automation. You can use Shopify Scripts to offer custom built pricing mechanisms, shipping options and payment options. They work with a Shopify Scripts API but the feature is for Shopify Plus merchants only.
Examples of how you can use Shopify Scripts include discounting products with specific tags, running complex promotions (such as buy one, get one free, or buy two, get X% off), hiding shipping orders and prices for certain orders, and hiding payment gateways for specific orders.
This can enhance ecommerce setups and empower retailers with the ability to offer complex promotions without the need for a heavy workload of manual tasks.
Automation with Shopify
Automation can’t do everything. However, it can certainly make an Ecommerce Manager’s life easier. Shopify is strong at both automation and at allowing for easy and simple back end operations, and this is one of the key reasons why Shopify has become an important player in ecommerce.
If you are exploring which ecommerce platform is right for you, and are considering Shopify or Shopify Plus, then get in touch.
