"Shopify" is an e-commerce platform used all over the world. With the Japanese language support now available, its adoption in Japan is on the rise. In the midst of this, we often hear the following comments from people who are considering introducing Shopify to build e-commerce sites:
- I understand the benefits of introducing Shopify, but I want to know some examples of sites that have actually been successful.
- I've heard that there is a high degree of freedom in design, but I want to know how elaborate you can get.
- I'm planning to build an e-commerce site using Shopify, so I'd like to know what sites I can use as reference.
In this article, we respond to such requests and introduce examples of e-commerce sites built using Shopify, both in Japan and overseas.
Pros and Cons of Shopify
merit
Low cost
Shopify's pricing plans are as follows. There are no initial costs, and you can use it for a monthly fee only.
Basic: US$29/month (around 3,000 yen/month)
Standard: US$79/month (around 8,000 yen/month)
Premium: US$299/month (around 30,000 yen/month)
Reference: Shopify Pricing (Official)
Depending on the plan, there are differences in the number of staff accounts available, payment fees, reporting functions, etc., but the basic functions are the same for all plans.
Additional costs include payment processing fees and usage fees for paid templates and apps, but these are still low cost. Even as your business grows, you can continue to operate your e-commerce site at low cost.
A wide range of payment methods
The following are Shopify's payment methods available in Japan. This covers the major payment methods, including credit card payments.
We accept not only major payment methods in Japan, but also payment methods commonly used overseas such as PayPal.
- Shopify Payments - Credit card payments: VISA/Mastercard/American Express
-Apple Pay
-Google Pay - Shopify Pay
-Credit card payment: VISA/Mastercard/American Express - PayPal
- Amazon Pay
- KOMOJU
-Credit card payments: JCB, Visa, MasterCard, Diners, American Express
- Convenience store payment - Bank transfer - Digital money (NET CASH/Web Money/BitCash) - Mobile carrier payment (NTT DOCOMO, au, Softbank)
- 2Checkout
- CyberSource
- BitPay (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash)
Related article: Comparison of payment services available on Shopify and how to set them up
Highly customizable
It is possible to build an EC site at a similar cost to Shopify by using a low-cost ASP cart, but such low-cost ASP carts usually have low customizability.
In addition to being packed with basic functions, Shopify allows you to add a wide range of functions via apps. There are a wide variety of templates, both paid and free, and the design is highly customizable.
In addition, Shopify is often used by companies with global operations because it can easily support multiple languages and currencies.
Disadvantages
Some use in English
Shopify is an e-commerce platform provided by a Canadian company, and its original design is in English.
Since around 2018, support for Japanese has been increasing, and currently the management screen and basic functions are available in Japanese, but there are still some parts that are only available in English. Also, many of the apps that allow you to add functions do not have instructions in Japanese.
In terms of functionality, it is not inferior to e-commerce platforms based in Japan, but you may find it a little difficult to use due to the language.
May require specialized knowledge of HTML etc.
Most Japanese ASP carts in the same price range as Shopify can be used without requiring any knowledge of HTML, but if you want to customize Shopify, you will need knowledge of HTML and other languages.
If you do not have enough staff with the necessary expertise in-house, it may be a good idea to consult a company that provides support for building and operating e-commerce sites using Shopify.
Our company also provides such support and has a proven track record.
Shopify case studies in Japan
KANAGU STORE
An e-commerce site operated by Atom Living Tech Co., Ltd. (Taito-ku, Tokyo). The company's roots lie in Edo joinery craftsmen, and it sells metal accessories and interior items made by artisans who have inherited traditional techniques.
By registering as a member, you can directly contact creators through Facebook to ask questions or place orders regarding their products. You can post to Facebook directly from the product page without having to navigate to other pages.
Furbo
An e-commerce site operated by Tomofun Co., Ltd. (Meguro-ku, Tokyo). They sell a product called "Furbo Dog Camera." "Furbo Dog Camera" is a product for people who own dogs, and allows you to take pictures of your dog when you're not at home, talk to them, and give them treats.
Furbo strategically allocates its budget to search ads, social media ads, influencer PR, etc. In addition, the company has been holding Black Friday sales in November, which has been gaining popularity in Japan over the past year or two, from an early stage, and is boosting sales.
COHINA
An e-commerce site operated by newn Inc. (Shibuya Ward, Tokyo). It sells a variety of clothes and fashion accessories as a fashion brand aimed at petite women around 150cm tall, with the motto "stylish casual wear for size S women."
The website hosts an Instagram live broadcast called "COHINA LIVE" almost every day, where women between 143cm and 155cm tall wear the products and give a realistic impression of how they look when worn. The website also offers original products designed to make petite women look beautiful.
BASE FOOD
An e-commerce site operated by Base Food Co., Ltd. (Meguro-ku, Tokyo). The business started through crowdfunding and sells bread-type "BASE BREAD®" and pasta-type "BASE NOODL®" as "completely nutritious staple foods" that contain all the nutrients the body needs.
You can purchase individual items, but there are discounts for regular purchases. One of the features of this company is that it actively interacts with users through social media, reviews, events, etc. It also operates its own media, which provides information on health and nutrition.
amirisu
An e-commerce site operated by amirisu Inc. (Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City). It sells knitting-related tools, materials, books, etc. It is also Japan's only online magazine specializing in knitting, and has been selling printed materials since 2014.
They have physical stores in Kyoto and Tokyo, and their website is also available in English. They use Instagram's live feature to broadcast live streams two to three times a month, where staff members talk to each other about their products. They are also planning to open a website for reservations in the future.
Shopify case studies overseas
Allibirds
The e-commerce site for the American shoe brand "Allbirds."
Allbirds is a brand founded by former New Zealand soccer player Tim Brown and biotechnology expert Joey Zwillinger.
Allbirds is known for using sustainable materials and manufacturing methods that put less strain on the environment. Their shoes, made from materials such as merino wool, eucalyptus fiber, and sugarcane, are stylish and comfortable, and are gaining in popularity.
On e-commerce sites, there are many clever ways to guide customers to the cart, such as by hovering the cursor over a product on the product list page and adding the product directly to the cart.
ALICJA CONFECTIONS
https://www.alicjaconfections.com/
A Canadian e-commerce site that sells "POSTCARD CHOCOLATE BAR" as its main product.
POSTCARD CHOCOLATE BAR is characterized by its gift wrapping service that allows you to simply drop your chocolate in the post and its wide range of flavors made with carefully selected ingredients. The business started as an e-commerce site, but now has many brick-and-mortar stores in Canada and the United States.
In addition to the e-commerce site, the company also actively operates social media, and has gained a particularly large number of followers on Instagram.
Floral Neverland
A Canadian e-commerce site that sells iPhone cases and accessories made with preserved flowers. All products are handmade by the founder and designer, Olivia Wang.
They also actively use social media, and have gained a large number of followers on Instagram. Instagram posts are used on the site's homepage. They also use Facebook Messenger for inquiries.
CANNUKA
An e-commerce site operated by the American company Cannuka, LLC. They sell natural skin care products that use CBD, a component of hemp, and manuka honey.
After launching the e-commerce website and starting sales, they expanded sales by working with retailers across the U.S. The review function on the product page of the e-commerce website is utilized, and many reviews are posted by loyal users.
Norlha Textiles
A brand and e-commerce site born in the village of Rimota in Tibet. They sell fashion accessories and clothing, such as scarves made from yak wool.
The brand was started by founder Dechen Yeshi, who has roots in Tibet, with the desire to create jobs in the region, and everything from sourcing raw materials to manufacturing is done in Tibet.
The site uses many local photographs and has a design that conveys a worldview well. It supports dollars, yen, and other multiple currencies.
Sapling Child
A brand that specializes in baby clothes made from organic materials. It is a popular brand that uses organic materials and offers a variety of designs.
The company was founded in Australia and is currently based in the U.S. It started as an e-commerce site and is now sold in many brick-and-mortar stores that sell baby clothes, mainly in Australia and the U.S.
The site has a very soft design, colors, and fonts, and is designed to convey the concept of the product. There is a page that showcases photos posted by users on social media, and the review function is used on the product page.
Shopify construction examples from our commerce media company
Go Go Curry
An e-commerce site operated by GoGo Curry Group Co., Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo). Starting out as a brick-and-mortar store called "GoGo Curry," the company has expanded into Japan and overseas as a Kanazawa curry specialty store that has long been popular in the Kanazawa area.
The EC site sells GoGo Curry retort products, tableware, and other goods. There are also great value bulk sets, free shipping trial sets, and mail-order products. In July 2019, a bulk order window for corporations was set up.
FILSON Japan
Filson is an outdoor apparel brand founded in Seattle, USA in 1897. This is their e-commerce site for Japan.
Filson is a popular brand that has been loved for a long time for its high quality and durability using high-quality natural materials. In Japan, OUTER LIMITS Co., Ltd. is the general agent and operates both physical stores and the EC site.
On the EC site, the product list page is designed to guide users to the cart. For example, when you hover the cursor over a product, a "Quick view" button appears, allowing you to add the product to your cart right from the list page. Size and color variations can also be viewed on one screen, making it easy to search for and purchase products.
We also accept repair requests online, and you can contact us by attaching a product image using the form.
Gadget mart
A Japanese media e-commerce site that sells and provides information on gadgets.
We are working with Engadget, a major domestic gadget-related web media. As part of this, we have a project page introducing products selected by the editor-in-chief of Engadget Japan, making it an EC site with a media-like structure.
Each product page has a detailed description of the product, and includes product images from multiple angles, making it easy to understand the product's features. They also use an Instagram gallery.
Commerce Media Inc.
Our corporate website was also created using Shopify.
Commerce Media Co., Ltd. provides total support for the creation and operation of e-commerce websites. In addition, we are the third consulting and production company in Japan to be certified as a Shopify Expert, and we specialize in creating e-commerce websites using Shopify.
We can provide a wide range of support, from creating new EC sites, to relocating existing sites, and even managing the site after it opens, as well as providing consulting, inventory integration, and logistics services.
For inquiries regarding Shopify production, please contact us here
[Summary] How to create an attractive e-commerce site with Shopify
Shopify is an EC platform that offers high customizability while keeping implementation costs low. In addition to being able to add various functions through apps, it also has a wide variety of templates and a high degree of freedom in design, making it a favorite of many companies that handle unique products and value their own worldview.
In addition, because it is easy to support multiple languages and currencies, it is often used by e-commerce sites that operate globally. As it is an e-commerce platform that originated in Canada, it is widely used in English-speaking countries and regions, including Canada.
Since around 2018, it has become more compatible with Japanese, and is now used by many e-commerce sites in Japan. However, some English support is required, and some knowledge of HTML is required, so some people may be hesitant to introduce it.
We are a company with a track record of building e-commerce sites using Shopify, and can provide support in many areas for building and operating an e-commerce site using Shopify. If you are in charge of introducing Shopify, please feel free to contact us.
*If you are looking for examples of B2B e-commerce sites not limited to Shopify, please also refer to this.
Related article: Special feature on success stories of BtoB (wholesale/corporate) EC sites and key points for success
