Did you know 95% of e-commerce businesses fail within the first year? That staggering statistic can discourage anyone from pursuing their online store dreams. But what if I told you there is a way to avoid the common pitfalls and challenges most e-commerce entrepreneurs face and launch your online store in minutes without coding, designing, or marketing skills? It sounds too good to be true. Well, it’s not. It’s called prebuilt Shopify stores, and they are the innovative and easy solution you need. In this blog post, I will show you how prebuilt Shopify stores can help you overcome these challenges and achieve your online business goals faster, easier, and cheaper.
What are prebuilt Shopify stores?
Prebuilt Shopify stores are ready-made online shops that you can buy and launch in minutes without coding, designing, or marketing experience. They come with everything you need to run a successful online store, such as a domain name, a logo, a theme, a layout, products, descriptions, images, and more. You can choose from thousands of prebuilt Shopify stores that cater to different niches, industries, and product ranges and find the one that suits your needs and preferences.
Advantages of Prebuilt Shopify Stores
Prebuilt Shopify stores have many advantages for entrepreneurs who want to start or grow their online business
Time-saving:
Prebuilt Shopify stores can save you time and hassle; you do not have to create and design your store from scratch. You can buy a prebuilt store that suits your needs and launch it in minutes. This way, you can focus more on marketing and growing your store than on technical and design aspects.
Lower initial investment:
You can save much money with prebuilt Shopify stores. Instead of hiring developers or designers to build your store, you can buy a prebuilt store for a fraction of the cost of a custom-built store and get a fully functional and optimized online shop. You can also customize colours, fonts, images, and more to match your brand with some providers. Moreover, you can avoid paying for unnecessary features or components you do not need or want for your store.
Established Supplier Relationships:
One of the benefits of buying a prebuilt Shopify store is that you can leverage the existing relationships with suppliers that the store provider has established. You can access quality products, competitive prices, and reliable delivery from trusted vendors. You can also save time and effort finding and negotiating with suppliers, as the store provider has already done that for you.
Features and design elements
Prebuilt Shopify stores come with all the features and design elements that are necessary for running a successful online store. Experts have carefully selected and crafted these features and design elements to ensure your store looks professional, attractive, and user-friendly.
Faster time to market
Prebuilt Shopify stores allow you to launch your online business faster, as you do not have to wait for weeks or months to build your store from scratch. You can start selling your products and generating revenue when you buy and launch your prebuilt store.
Disadvantages of prebuilt Shopify stores
Prebuilt Shopify stores also have some disadvantages that you should be aware of.
Scam:
One of the most significant risks of buying a prebuilt Shopify store is that you might fall victim to a scam. You will find Stores with fake or inflated revenue and financial screenshots that do not match the actual data from Shopify or other sources. They might sell you an overpriced or worthless store or even take your money and run away. Research the seller and ask for as much information and evidence as possible. Or buy from a trusted seller.
Lack of customization:
Prebuilt Shopify stores have limited options for customization and personalization, as you have to use the theme, layout, products, and features that come with the store. You may be unable to change the colour scheme, font, logo, or other design elements to match your brand identity or preferences. Moreover, you may end up with a store that looks similar to many other prebuilt stores, which can reduce your store’s uniqueness and appeal to your customers.
Limited scalability:
You may need help to scale well with your business growth, as you may encounter some limitations or challenges in adding new products, features, or functionalities to your store. You may also need compatibility issues or conflicts with some apps or plugins you want to use for your store. Additionally, you may have to pay more fees or commissions to the prebuilt store provider as your sales increase, which can reduce your profit margin.
Generic or overused themes:
Another drawback of using a prebuilt Shopify store is that you may have to settle for generic or overused themes by many other stores, which can make your store look boring or outdated. Some themes may also have bugs or glitches affecting your store’s performance or user experience. Furthermore, some themes may need to be updated or supported by the developer, exposing your store to security risks or compatibility issues.
Factors to consider when evaluating prebuilt Shopify stores
Before buying a prebuilt Shopify store, you must do some homework. Here are some things you should look at before you buy a prebuilt store:
Pick A Niche:
Don’t just buy any store that looks good. It would help if you had a clear idea of what you want to sell and who you want to sell it to. If you need to be more knowledgeable about your niche or products, you might save money on a store that won’t work for you. Refrain from relying on someone else to tell you what to sell. Do your research and find out what you’re passionate about. Typically, you can start from a place of experience or interest and expand from there.
Design and user experience:
Make sure the design suits your niche and customers. A prebuilt store with a top-notch design and user experience can help you win and keep your customers. Look at the theme, layout, colour scheme, images, and other design elements, and ask yourself if they look good and professional. Also, try out the prebuilt store’s functionality, speed, navigation, and usability, and check if they work well, fast, easy, and intuitive.
Flexibility for future customization:
Not all Prebuilt stores are customizable. So, look for a provider that allows you to customize and grow your store in the future. You should check the store’s theme, layout, apps, and plugins and see if they are flexible and scalable.
Reputation and reviews:
You should look for a reputable and reliable prebuilt store provider who offers quality service. You should check the prebuilt store provider’s credentials, portfolio, and testimonials and see if they are experienced, professional, and trustworthy. You should also check the prebuilt store provider’s reviews, ratings, and feedback and see if they are positive, honest, and satisfactory.
Prebuilt Shopify Store Cost Analysis
The cost is one of the main factors influencing your decision to buy a prebuilt Shopify store. How much does a prebuilt Shopify store cost, and how does it compare to a custom-built Shopify store? Here are some points to consider:
Prebuilt vs. Custom Shopify Stores:
The cost of a prebuilt Shopify store can vary depending on the type, quality, and features of the store, as well as the platform or website where you buy it from. Generally, a prebuilt Shopify store can cost anywhere from $50 to $5,000. On the other hand, the cost of a custom-built Shopify store can also vary depending on the store’s complexity, design, and functionality and the developer, designer, or marketer you hire to build it for you. Generally, a custom-built Shopify store can cost anywhere from $500 to $50,000. Therefore, a prebuilt Shopify store is usually cheaper than a custom-built one, at least in the initial stage.
Hidden Costs:
A prebuilt Shopify store might seem like a convenient and affordable option, but it’s not the only expense you need to account for. There are also some other costs and fees that might surprise you, such as:
Shopify fees:
Shopify charges a monthly fee for using its platform, which ranges from $25 to $399, depending on your chosen plan. You may also have to pay transaction fees, app fees, or other fees, depending on the features and functionalities that you use for your store.
Prebuilt store provider fees:
Some prebuilt store providers may charge you a one-time, recurring, or commission for using their prebuilt stores. You may also have to pay for additional services or support they offer, such as domain registration, hosting, maintenance, etc.
Customization and improvement costs:
To make your prebuilt Shopify store more unique and competitive, you may have to customize and improve it with your branding, products, design, features, etc. These costs can vary depending on the extent and complexity of the customization and improvement you do and the resources and tools you use.
PreBuilt Stores: Inspiring Examples
To give you some inspiration and insight, here are some case studies and examples of businesses that have used prebuilt Shopify stores successfully or unsuccessfully:
Successful stories of businesses using prebuilt Shopify stores:
The Beard Club
The Beard Club is a subscription-based service that delivers beard grooming products to men. They started with a prebuilt Shopify store with a simple, sleek design and a catchy domain name. They then customized their store with branding, products, and marketing strategies and grew their business to over $10 million annually.
Pura Vida Bracelets
Pura Vida Bracelets is a social enterprise that sells handmade bracelets from artisans in Costa Rica. They started with a prebuilt Shopify store with a colourful, vibrant design and a niche-specific domain name. They then customized their store with their branding, products, and social impact stories and grew their business to over $12 million in annual revenue.
Oc Sparkle
Oc Sparkle is a designer formal wear store that sells dresses for all occasions. They started with a prebuilt Shopify store with a trendy and elegant design. They then customized their store with branding, products, and customer reviews and grew their business to over $1 million in annual revenue.
Instances where prebuilt stores fell short of expectations:
Bikini Babe: Bikini Babe is an online store that sells swimwear and beach accessories. They bought a prebuilt Shopify store with a generic, overused theme and low-quality domain name. They could have customized their store more and used the same products and descriptions as other prebuilt stores. They faced much competition and low conversions and eventually closed their store.
Gadget Zone: Gadget Zone is an online store that sells electronics and gadgets. They bought a prebuilt Shopify store with a dropshipping business model and a niche-specific domain name. They should have checked the quality and reliability of their suppliers and ended up with many customer complaints, refunds, and chargebacks. They also faced some legal issues and fines and eventually closed their store.
Where to Buy PreBuilt Shopify Store?
If you want a prebuilt Shopify store, you may wonder where to find them. Several websites and marketplaces sell prebuilt Shopify stores, each with features, benefits, and drawbacks. Some of the most popular and reputable ones are:
Grizify: Grizify is a convenient and affordable way to buy prebuilt Shopify stores, as it delivers your store in minutes and offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. It provides a complete solution to all your Shopify store needs, from store setup and design to SEO and marketing, order and inventory management, and more.
Shopify Exchange: This is the official platform by Shopify, where you can buy and sell Shopify stores of different niches, industries, and price ranges. You can browse thousands of prebuilt Shopify stores and filter them by revenue, traffic, age, and other criteria. You can also access verified data and statistics of each store and communicate directly with the sellers. Shopify Exchange is a safe and secure way to buy prebuilt Shopify stores, as Shopify handles the payment and transfer process.
Flippa: This is one of the largest and oldest online marketplaces for buying and selling websites, domains, and apps, including Shopify stores. You can find various prebuilt Shopify stores, from starters to established ones, and bid on them in auctions or buy them at fixed prices. You can also access detailed information and analytics of each store and negotiate with the sellers. Flippa offers high transparency and trust, using an escrow service and a rating system for buyers and sellers.
Empire Flippers: This is a premium online brokerage for buying and selling online businesses, including Shopify stores. You can find high-quality and profitable prebuilt Shopify stores that have been vetted and verified by the Empire Flippers team. You can also access in-depth reports and valuations of each store and get support and guidance from the Empire Flippers staff. Empire Flippers is a reputable and reliable platform with a rigorous vetting process and a high success rate for buyers and sellers.
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