Join The Circle. #4

In this week's edition of The Circle, we'll cover a few updates from the industry, but the real focus will be Shopify Flow Explained and a discussion about payment providers.

Do you have any topics you'd like us to cover? Nothing is off limits, so send your inquiries.

You're enjoying The Circle? Forward this newsletter or send this this page to your friends/colleagues. Just as a circle is a constant loop, your engagement keeps the conversation going.

Now let's talk e-commerce.

• Shopify Geolocation app is being removed
• Compare up to 4 apps at a time on the Shopify App Store
• Intro to Shopify Flow
• Should you have all popular payment providers?

Shopify Geolocation app is being removed

After Shopify recently announced that they're sunsetting their Product Reviews app (try Opinew instead), they've shared a new removal announcement.

On December 1st, 2024, Shopify’s Geolocation app?will be sunset, and the app will be uninstalled from shops that have it installed.

Shopify believes that the platform has surpassed its need for the Geolocation app’s consent-based localization feature for shops that use dedicated domains/shared domains with new advancements. These features are:

• Expansion of the automatic redirection feature (changelog)
• Automatic browser language redirection (changelog)
• Consolidation of the GeoIP feature (changelog)

For those who currently have the Geolocation app installed and don’t have an EU top-level domain, Shopify recommends enabling the above features in Settings -> Markets -> Preferences.?

This will effectively bypass the Geolocation functionality on your storefront, and then you can safely remove the Geolocation app from your store.

Comparing Apps on the Shopify App Store

The Shopify App Store recently introduced an app comparison feature that allows merchants to easily select and compare up to 4 apps to see how they stack up across pricing, key features, ratings, and more so you can make better, more informed decisions.?

Just search for an app and in the top-right corner you'll see the "Compare" button.

Intro to Shopify Flow

In last week's edition, we briefly mentioned Shopify Flow and asked if you'd like to know more. Well, the answer was a resounding yes, from a lot of our readers.

So here's an intro to Shopify Flow written by my good friend and Lead Product Manager at Shop Circle , Tarik Bucan .

Shopify Flow is an automation platform tailored for merchants aiming to enhance processes within their Shopify store.

Use Cases

• Customer Segmentation and Personalization: Automate customer tagging based on shopping behavior, like total spend or order count, enabling personalized marketing and offers.
• Inventory Management: Configure alerts for low stock levels or automatically conceal out-of-stock products, ensuring store accuracy and customer satisfaction.
• Order Management: Automate order-related tasks, such as tagging orders by specific criteria (e.g., high value, international shipping), for streamlined sorting and management.
• Fraud Prevention: Set up workflows to identify and tag potential fraudulent orders through payment risk level conditions, facilitating review before fulfillment.
• Product Reviews: Simplify collecting and publishing customer reviews by integrating with review platforms and automating follow-up emails post-purchase. The great reviews platform that I keep recommending is Opinew Reviews app.

Automation slashes manual errors and frees up precious time, allowing you to focus on strategic growth areas.

Imagine providing a personalized experience for every customer with automated, swift interactions. That would be something, right?

Automation also means your business can scale smoothly. It handles increases in orders, customers, and products with ease, without the need for extra hands or hefty investments.

Better Alternative for Order Tagging

While Shopify Flow provides basic order tagging capabilities, the Order Tags & Flows app by Shop Circle is a superior alternative because it:

• Offers a wider range of tagging options and the ability to create more complex, specific workflows.
• Specializes in order tagging, simplifying and accelerating the management of orders based on various attributes.
• Allows merchants to more closely tailor tagging and workflows to their business needs, offering greater flexibility and control.

You'll get full, custom support from the Shop Circle team and if you have any questions, you can also book a call with a product manager.

Should I have all popular payment providers on my store?

We recently had a chat with a merchant that doesn't offer PayPal, Stripe or other popular payment providers. Only cards and a country-specific provider.

They didn't want to introduce the 'cool kids' of payments because of their fees. But it made us think, is it worth having all of them?

To spare you the deliberations: you should have PayPal, Stripe, etc.

That's what your customers are used to and it's often a deal-breaker for them if you don't.

There are many payment methods that you can use for your Shopify store. However, most customers are fully used to a few. Consider your potential customers and choose the most suitable one.

• With Shopify Payments, there are no additional transaction costs, but it's offered in only a few countries.
• PayPal has a consistent flat-rate price structure and accepts a wide variety of currencies. But customer assistance is erratic.
• Stripe ?employs a straightforward and easy-to-understand flat-rate pricing scheme. There will be no startup or cancellation costs. However, it's currently available in around 46 countries.

Consider your monthly order volume!

Your monthly order volume is another critical factor.

For new stores with low to moderate order volumes, it's vital to start with the most widely accepted payment methods to cover a broad customer base without overwhelming yourself with too many options.

As your store grows, you can consider adding more niche payment methods to cater to specific customer segments.

Analyze your industry/niche!

Payment preferences can also vary by industry/niche. For example:

• Fashion and Apparel: Shoppers often prefer credit cards and digital wallets for online purchases.
• Electronics: Offering financing options or instalment payments can be a game-changer.
• Subscription Services: Credit cards and PayPal ensure recurring payments are handled smoothly.

In conclusion...

If you're a newer/smaller business, start with Shopify Payments and PayPal to cover a broad base. Monitor your sales and customer feedback to identify if there's a demand for additional payment methods.

As your business grows and you start to understand your customers' preferences better, you can gradually introduce more specialized payment options that cater to your specific audience.

Remember, the key is to make the payment process as seamless and frictionless as possible to maximize conversions and customer satisfaction.

That's all for this week!

If you have any questions about Shopify or if you're looking for some functionalities, feel free to reach out to us at any time.