While Shopify might be better known as an e-commerce platform for product-based businesses, it is also popular with those running service businesses too.
In our experience, Shopify works just as well for those service-based businesses as it does for product-based. If you run a service business and are keen to make a switch to Shopify, keep reading…
How to use Shopify as a service business
Shopify allows service-based businesses to create an online catalogue of products, even if you don’t necessarily want to allow online purchases. Thanks to the flexibility that Shopify affords merchants, you can showcase your services without having to offer a physical product for sale.
Think of services as products
As soon as you consider the services you offer as products, the power of Shopify will open up. As a service provider, you are selling your experience and your skills to others who need them.
Some of the most popular service-based businesses on Shopify include freelance writers, designers, consultants and tradespeople.
What services to sell on Shopify?
You really can sell almost anything on Shopify. If you have a service-based business, it’s worth setting up an online store. Services could include:
- Consultations - This can cover a huge number of different industries, including healthcare, finance, law and education.
- Classes, online courses – This type of service did of course have a huge boost during the various pandemic lockdowns, but they remain popular.
- Home services - These include cleaning, pet services and gardening.
Things to consider before setting up a service-based Shopify store
Choose an appropriate theme for your store
Shopify is built for merchants, which is why it offers over 100 professional-looking themes for you to choose from. These are a great starting point when building your store, plus they are customisable. This is important, as if you want to make some design tweaks after a while, it is generally very easy to do.
Pick a theme that suits your industry and business objectives and build it from there.
Create a catchy homepage
An eye-catching homepage can convert visitors into paying customers. Offer those visitors something of value. Testimonials or reviews are a proven way to increase customer trust in your business, so include some recent ones on your homepage, for example.
Bring your story to life
This is especially important if you are a small business owner – the 'about us' page is your time to shine and share your story with website visitors. Always include a photo of your team and some corresponding copy, to show visitors that real people are involved in the business.
Make store your site is speedy
A slow Shopify site will lost you sales. Learn how to speed up a Shopify site.
Review your store on mobile
The majority of internet users now browse sites via their mobile devices. Therefore, it is so, so important that your Shopify store works properly on mobile. Check its loading speed and its responsiveness.
If you’re a service-based business, Shopify can help you to grow. With a bit of research into how to build a brilliant Shopify store for services, it can be an excellent choice. If you’re new to e-commerce, we have a host of excellent Shopify resources to help make the process easier for you.