Shopify lands in Malaysia

  • Individuals and SMEs can set up online shops with secure payment modes
  • Four business plans available; 14-day free trial; tie-up with iPay88
Shopify lands in Malaysia

E-COMMERCE platform Shopify has launched in Malaysia, allowing entrepreneurs here to set up an online store with ease and confidence, even if they lack technical knowledge.
 
With hundreds of store templates to choose from, business owners who sign up on the platform can swiftly set up their stores and start accepting orders on the very same day, the company said in a statement.
  
To date, Shopify has helped more than 70,000 online retailers generate over US$2 billion worth of sales globally. These include Amnesty International, General Electric, Tesla Motors, Encyclopedia Britannica, Tata Group, Penny Arcade, GitHub, Evernote and more.
 
Shopify lands in Malaysia“With Internet users in Malaysia expected to grow to 21 million in 2016, we see [a rising] trend in both e-commerce and m-commerce (mobile commerce),” said Brennan Loh (pic), head of business development at Shopify.
 
“Many business owners want to have an online store but are discouraged due to the lack of technical know-how and perceived high costs of starting a store,” he said.
 
Loh said the Shopify e-commerce platform comes with customisable, contemporary design templates, a rich feature set and industry-leading security that would allow even a novice to launch a user-friendly online store in minutes, at a starting price of RM46 (US$14.57) per month.
 
Shopify has integrated with regional payment gateway provider iPay88 to process online payments in ringgit and other foreign currencies, either through cash or credit card. The checkout process uses a 128-bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate, an encryption used by large banks around the world.
 
Business owners also have the option of incorporating tax and shipping rates to the checkout process for added convenience, Shopify said.
 
Shopify said it has also partnered with courier services in Malaysia to enable business owners to seamlessly manage their online orders, while enjoying an automated fulfillment and delivery of customer purchases, without the need to develop a customised software.
 
The ecommerce solution includes Shopify Reports, which provides three important insights – customers’ database, shopping habits and order history – to help store-owners grow their businesses. They can tailor their offerings and engage with their customers to drive repeat purchases and referrals, Shopify said.
 
In addition, merchants can enhance the functionality of their website by downloading Shopify apps, which gives their stores an edge over other online retail stores, the company claimed.
 
These apps offer marketing capabilities, SEO (search engine optimisation), sales trends tracking, inventory management, store integration on Facebook, and more.
 
The platform comes with free, built-in mobile commerce shopping cart features, enabling merchants to manage their online store through a free full-featured mobile app on their iPhones; while customers can browse stores and make purchases from their smartphones.
 
Shopify has four business plans: Starter, Basic, Professional and Unlimited. Business owners can sign up for a 14-day free trial, after which they stand to receive a 10% savings if they register for a one-year plan. For more details, download the fact sheet here.
 
Shopify was founded in 2006 by two snowboarding enthusiasts who wanted to sell their snowboards online. Shopify has received US$22 million in Series A and B funding from Bessemer Venture Partners, FirstMark Capital, Felicis Ventures, and Georgian Partners.
  
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