Shopify Glossary: Get to Grips with Shopify Terms with DTAILS' Expert Guide

Whether you're a new Shopify user or have experience with the platform, this glossary can help you understand the many terms and features found in Shopify's universe.

Abandoned Checkout: This refers to instances where a customer starts but does not complete the checkout process in an online store. You can view a list of your store's Abandoned Checkouts under Orders -> Abandoned Checkouts. Shopify allows store owners to send automated emails to customers who have abandoned their cart, in an effort to encourage them to complete their purchase. You can find the option under Marketing -> Automations. Click here to read more about recovering abandoned carts. 

Active Theme: The theme currently active in a Shopify store, which dictates the appearance and layout of the store's frontend (what customers see). Shopify store owners can change their active theme via Shopify Admin to customize the store's design. 

Advanced Report Builder: A tool for Shopify Plus users that allows for the creation of advanced and customized reports. With the Advanced Report Builder, owners can analyze specific data, such as customer segments, product performance, and sales trends, to enhance their business strategy.

Analytics: Shopify offers built-in analytics tools that help store owners gain insights into their business. These tools provide access to data on sales, customer behavior, traffic sources, and other key indicators. By using these insights, owners can make informed decisions about their store and marketing strategies.

API (Application Programming Interface): A set of functions and protocols that allow your Shopify store to communicate with other software programs. This enables the integration of external systems such as inventory management, accounting, or marketing platforms with your Shopify store. Shopify has several different APIs, including the Admin API and Storefront API, which allow developers to customize and extend the store's functionality.

App: An application that can be added to a Shopify store via the Shopify App Store to add extra features or integrate with external systems. Apps can range from tools for product reviews, inventory management, payment gateways, or automated marketing campaigns. Apps are either developed by Shopify or external developers. Apps must meet a range of requirements before they can be offered via the Shopify App Store.

App Store: The Shopify App Store is a platform where store owners can find and install third-party apps to add extra features to their store. This includes everything from inventory management, customer support, email marketing, SEO tools, and more. Shopify's App Store serves as a resource to enhance and optimize the store's performance without having to build solutions from scratch. Visit the Shopify App Store here.

Article: An individual blog post.

Attribute: A specific property of a product, such as color, size, weight, or material. Shopify uses attributes to describe and organize products, making it easier for customers to find what they are looking for and for owners to manage their product catalog.

Authentication: A security process where a user verifies their identity by entering correct login credentials (username and password). Shopify supports two-factor authentication (2FA) for extra security, which requires an additional code besides the password, sent to the user's phone or email.

 

B2B (Business to Business): Shopify supports sales to other businesses, and with Shopify Plus, you can configure special features for B2B sales, such as customer-specific price lists, volume discounts, and individual payment terms. B2B customers often require special solutions to handle large volumes and complex orders. We have written a complete guide to B2B sales on Shopify: Shopify B2B: Complete guide to getting started with B2B on Shopify. Find the post here.

Backend: The part of the Shopify store only accessible to the store owner and employees. The backend is the admin panel where one can access and manage all necessary functions to run the store, such as inventory management, order processing, customer data, reports, and design settings. It is here that all operational tasks are carried out, and it is separate from the frontend, which is what customers see.

Billing: Shopify handles billing through an automated system where store owners are charged for their Shopify subscription, transaction fees, and any apps or services they have added to their store. Invoices can be found and downloaded in Shopify Admin under the payments section. 

Blog: Shopify includes a blogging feature that allows store owners to create and share content with their customers. A blog can be helpful for SEO and for engaging customers with updates, guides, or product information. Blogs also help build trust and credibility for a brand by sharing valuable information or insights.

Branding: Shopify allows store owners to build and implement their branding through the choice of themes, logos, colors, and fonts. Branding is about how a brand appears visually and verbally to customers and is important for creating a recognizable and consistent customer journey.

Breadcrumbs: A breadcrumb navigation that shows a customer's current location on a webpage relative to the hierarchy of pages in the store. This makes it easier for customers to navigate back to a previous page and improves both user experience and SEO.

Bundles: Selling multiple products together as a package, often at a discounted price. This can increase average order value and incentivize customers to buy more items at once. Shopify offers both their own Bundle app and supports third-party apps that offer different ways to set up product bundles. At DTAILS, you'll find #BundleBuilder, which allows assembling product bundles at a fixed price and letting the customer choose the content of the bundle. Read more about #BundleBuilder here.

Bulk Actions: Shopify allows owners to perform actions on multiple products, orders, or customers at the same time to save time. This can be useful for bulk updates to prices, stock status, or product descriptions.

Buy Button: Shopify's "Buy Button" allows you to integrate your products into external websites or blogs with a button that takes the customer directly to checkout. This is especially useful for store owners who want to sell products via platforms other than their Shopify store.

 

Carrier Calculated Shipping: A function that automatically calculates shipping costs based on rates from carriers like UPS, DHL, or PostNord. Shopify integrates with these carriers to show customers accurate shipping costs in real-time based on their delivery address and the item's weight or dimensions.

Cart Page : On this page, customers can view and review the items they have added to their cart before proceeding to checkout to complete the purchase.

Checkout: The final phase of the customer journey, where the customer enters their delivery and payment details to complete a purchase. Shopify offers many options to customize the checkout process, including what information to collect and what payment methods to offer. Checkout is a critical part of the conversion process.

Checkout Settings: A set of settings in Shopify Admin that allows customization of the checkout process. Store owners can determine what information to collect from customers during checkout and what payment and shipping options to offer.

Collection: A collection is a group of products gathered under a common theme, such as "New Arrivals," "Sale," or "Summer Sale." Collections help organize products so customers can easily find what they're searching for. You can create manual or automated collections in Shopify based on product criteria such as price, type, or stock status.

Conversion Rate: When a visitor to your online store performs a desired action, such as completing a purchase. Conversion rate measures the percentage of visitors who become paying customers and is a key indicator of store success.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): CSS is a stylesheet language used to describe the look and formatting of HTML elements on a webpage. With CSS, you can control colors, fonts, layouts, and the positioning of elements, enabling the creation of visually appealing and consistent designs. CSS provides the flexibility to separate content (HTML) from presentation, making it easier to maintain and alter the website's aesthetics.

CSV (Comma Separated Values): A file type often used to import or export large amounts of data, such as product information, customer lists, or orders. CSV files make it easy to update Shopify's database using spreadsheets and other data tools.

CTA (Call to Action): CTA is a call to action used on websites, in emails, and in marketing to prompt the user to perform a specific action. It can be a button or text, such as "Buy Now," "Sign Up," or "Learn More," and the goal is to guide the user towards the next step in the purchase process or engagement. CTAs are typically designed to be eye-catching and motivating to increase conversions.

Customer Account: A feature that allows customers to create an account in the store, where they can save their contact information, view order history, and quickly complete future purchases. Shopify gives owners the option to choose whether customer accounts should be optional, mandatory, or disabled. There are two different Customer Accounts: New and Classic.

Customer Segments: The division of your customers into groups based on their behavior, purchase history, or demographic data. This allows you to target marketing efforts more precisely and create personalized campaigns for specific segments of customers. Shopify enables you to create segments based on a wide range of standard filters and offers several pre-made templates to utilize. 

 

Dashboard: A central overview in Shopify Admin where owners can see key statistics and indicators for their store, such as sales figures, orders, visits, and more. The dashboard acts as a management tool that provides a quick overview of store performance.

Delivery: Shopify gives owners the ability to offer different delivery options to customers, including standard shipping, express delivery, or in-store pickup. Delivery options can be customized based on customer location, weight, or delivery costs.

Digital Product: An item sold online and delivered digitally, such as e-books, software, music, or digital services. Shopify supports the sale of digital products without the need for physical inventory or shipping.

Discount Code: A code that provides customers with a discount on a purchase. Discount codes can be created in Shopify and used to offer customers various types of discounts, such as percentage discounts, fixed amounts, or free shipping. You can also set limits on where and how discount codes can be used.

Discount Stacking: The ability to allow multiple discount codes to be applied to a single order. By default, Shopify restricts the use of multiple discount codes, but there are third-party apps that enable "stacking" discounts for customers.

Domain: The web address where your Shopify store is accessible, e.g., www.yourstore.com. A domain can be purchased through Shopify or a third-party provider and then added to your Shopify store. You always have a Shopify domain (e.g., yourstore.myshopify.com), but when you choose to link your own domain (www.yourstore.com), you enhance your branding and credibility for the store.

Draft Orders: Shopify gives store owners the ability to create draft orders that have not yet been completed by the customer. This is useful for special orders where the store needs to add manual products or discounts. Draft orders can also be sent to customers who can then complete the purchase.

Dropshipping: A business model where the store owner does not hold inventory themselves but instead forwards customer orders to a supplier who ships the products directly to the customer. This reduces inventory costs but may result in longer delivery times.

Dunning: A process that automatically sends reminders to customers with failing payments, for example, if their credit card has expired. This helps reduce the number of missed payments for subscription-based products.

Dynamic Checkout Button: A button that appears on product pages and allows customers to purchase the product immediately without adding it to the cart. This feature makes it quicker for customers to complete a purchase and can improve conversion rates.

 

Email Marketing: Shopify integrates with various email marketing platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or Shopify Email. These tools help store owners create newsletters, automated campaigns, and follow-up emails to customers.

Email Notifications: Shopify sends automatic emails to customers to update them on their order status, such as order confirmations, shipping updates, and delivery details. These notifications can be customized in Shopify Admin to match your store's branding and tone.

Embedded App: An application that runs directly in Shopify Admin as an integrated part of the user experience. These apps enhance the store owner's workflow by allowing them to manage various tasks without leaving Shopify's interface.

Entity: Shopify refers to entities as data objects in the system, such as customers, orders, products, and collections. These entities are organized and can be manipulated via APIs or app integrations.

Event: An event in Shopify refers to an action or activity triggered in the store, such as a new order, a change in inventory status, or an update of product information. Shopify Flow can automate actions based on these events.

Exchange Marketplace: A platform that Shopify offers, where store owners can buy or sell existing Shopify stores. This marketplace allows the transfer of an already built store or the sale of a successful store to new owners.

Export: Shopify allows store owners to export their data, such as product information, customer lists, or orders, to CSV files. Export functions are often used for analysis purposes or to transfer data to external systems.

Express Checkout: A feature that allows customers to complete the purchase process faster by saving their payment and shipping information. Shopify offers Shop Pay, an express checkout solution that makes purchases quicker for returning customers.

External Payment Provider: A third-party provider that handles payment processing on behalf of the Shopify store. Popular external providers include Altapay, PensoPay, and others. Shopify supports integration with many payment providers worldwide.

 

Filter: A feature that allows customers to sort products based on criteria such as price, popularity, product category, color, size, and other attributes. Filters help customers find products that match their preferences and make it easier to navigate large product catalogs. 

Financial Reports: A series of reports in Shopify that show financial metrics such as earnings, expenses, gross profit, and taxes. These reports help store owners understand their financial performance and make informed decisions about their business.

Flash Sales: Short-term sales that offer time-limited discounts or deals to promote quick purchases. Flash sales create a sense of urgency and scarcity, which can increase sales and conversion rates. Shopify supports apps that can manage flash sales and automate pricing for time-limited offers.

Flat Rate Shipping: A shipping method where the cost of delivery is the same regardless of the product's weight or the customer's location. This method is useful for simplifying the delivery process and giving customers clarity about delivery costs.

Fraud Analysis: Shopify provides a built-in feature that helps identify potentially fraudulent orders by analyzing various factors like IP address, card details, and geographic location. This tool allows store owners to flag high-risk orders and take measures to reduce the risk of fraud.

Front-end: The part of the Shopify store that customers see and interact with. The front-end includes all visual elements like product displays, navigation, checkout processes, and layouts. Shopify uses templates and themes to structure the store's front-end, which can be customized according to owners' preferences. With the help of a front-end developer, you can further customize your shop. 

Fulfillment: This is the process where an order is processed, packed, and shipped to the customer. Shopify supports both manual and automated fulfillment, where you can choose to do it yourself or let a third-party provider handle the shipping. Shopify integrates with various fulfillment services so the store can automatically update the customer on order status.

Fulfillment Center: A warehouse and shipping facility where products are stored and packaged for shipment, often as part of a fulfillment service. Shopify supports integration with fulfillment centers like Amazon and others, so orders can be processed quickly and efficiently.

Fulfillment Service: A third-party service provider that handles inventory management and shipping of orders on behalf of a Shopify store. These services are especially useful for e-commerce businesses that do not wish to store inventory themselves and instead use an external provider to fulfill customer orders.

 

Gift Cards: Shopify supports the sale and redemption of digital gift cards that customers can use in the store. Store owners can create gift cards as products and set a value that customers can buy and send to others. Gift cards are a popular gift idea and can increase customer loyalty as they allow recipients to choose their desired items.

Google Analytics: Shopify allows integration with Google Analytics, a powerful tool for tracking visitor behavior on your online store. With Google Analytics, you can gain detailed insights into traffic sources, customer behavior, conversion rates, and much more. It is an essential tool for optimizing marketing strategies and improving your customer journey.

Gross Merchandise Value (GMV): The total amount of all goods sold through a Shopify store in a given period, before deductions for discounts, returns, or taxes. GMV is an important indicator of a store's total sales and is often used as a growth metric.

 

Handle (Shopify Handle): A unique name used to identify products, collections, pages, or other elements in Shopify. Handles are often used in URLs and API calls and can be customized to make URLs SEO-friendly and easy to share.

Home Page: Shopify's Home Page is the first page visitors see when they enter a Shopify store. The homepage serves as the store's "welcome page," showcasing the brand and key products, offers, or campaigns. It's often designed to create a positive first impression and guide users to product categories, featured items, or promotions. The homepage plays a central role in engaging visitors and encouraging them to explore the store further.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language): A coding language used to structure content on web pages. Shopify themes are built with HTML, and store owners or developers can edit the HTML code to make adjustments to store design and functionality.

 

Image Alt Text: A description added to an image on a webpage to help search engines understand the content of the image. It is also useful for accessibility, as screen readers can read the alt text to visually impaired users. Shopify allows the addition of alt text to product images, which can improve SEO.

Import: Shopify supports the import of data such as products, customers, or orders via CSV files. The import function makes it easy for store owners to transfer large amounts of data into the Shopify system, for example, when migrating from another platform or creating a new product catalog. Store owners can import information such as product name, description, price, SKU, and stock status, as well as selected metafields.

Internal Linking: Using links within your Shopify store to connect different pages, such as product pages, collections, or blogs. Internal linking is important for SEO and helps customers easily navigate your store.

International Pricing: Shopify offers store owners the ability to sell to customers in different countries by displaying prices in local currencies and handling differences in taxes and duties. Shopify Markets is a tool that helps manage multiple markets and pricing, improving the experience for international customers and making it easier to sell globally.

Inventory: Shopify provides store owners with the ability to track inventory for each product and product variant. The system automatically updates inventory when orders are processed, helping to keep track of which items are in stock and when reordering is necessary.

Inventory Management: A process for monitoring and managing a store's inventory. Shopify allows store owners to update inventory manually or automatically based on sales, returns, or fulfillments. Effective inventory management is crucial to avoid running out of stock or overstocking.

Inventory Tracking: A feature that automatically updates the stock status of products when an order is placed. Shopify allows owners to set minimum stock alerts so they know when to reorder items.

Invoice: Documentation of a purchase that shows an itemized list of products, their prices, and any taxes. 

Invoice Generator: A tool used to create and send invoices to customers. Shopify integrates with invoice generators, allowing store owners to create custom invoices, giving them the ability to add logos, payment details, and terms. 

 

JavaScript: A programming language used to add interactive elements to Shopify stores, such as pop-ups, dynamic product lists, and custom forms. JavaScript is used alongside HTML and CSS to create a dynamic and engaging user experience.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A data format used in Shopify to store and organize data in a structured, readable format. JSON is often used to store custom data, such as metafields, which developers can use to extend the store's functionality.

 

Keywords: Words or phrases that are important for SEO because they match what your customers are searching for on search engines like Google. Shopify allows you to add keywords in product descriptions, page content, and meta tags to improve visibility in search results.

Klarna: A payment solution that offers customers the ability to pay for their purchases later or split the payment into several installments. Klarna is popular among online stores as it offers flexible payment options, which can increase conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

 

Landing Page: A specific page in the Shopify store designed to get a visitor to take a particular action, such as signing up for a newsletter or purchasing a product. Landing pages are important for marketing campaigns and paid ads as they target specific customer needs.

Language Settings: Shopify supports multiple languages, and store owners can customize their store's language settings to provide international customers with a better experience. Language settings allow for the translation of product descriptions, checkout processes, and email communication into multiple languages.

Line Item: An individual entry on an order representing a product purchased by the customer. Each line item includes the product's name, quantity, and price. Shopify tracks these line items to ensure accurate order fulfillment and inventory management.

Live Chat: Shopify offers live chat integrations where store owners can communicate with customers in real-time via chat features on their website. This can improve customer support and increase conversion rates as customers get faster answers to their questions.

Liquid: Shopify's template language used to build and customize themes. Liquid allows developers to create dynamic pages that change based on the content, such as product pages showing different information based on product variants or customer types.

Loyalty Program: A strategy used to reward returning customers and encourage loyalty by offering incentives such as discounts, points, or free products. Shopify supports integrations with third-party apps that can manage loyalty programs and customer loyalty.

 

Manual Collection: A collection in Shopify where products are manually added by the store owner, as opposed to automated collections where products are added based on rules or criteria. A manual collection is useful when the owner wants full control over which products appear in a category.

Manual Fulfillment: When the store owner/internal team handles order fulfillment themselves, including packing and shipping, as opposed to automated fulfillment services. Manual fulfillment is often used by smaller stores or to handle special orders.

Marketplace: A platform where store owners can buy or sell existing Shopify stores. Shopify's Exchange Marketplace allows owners to sell their store to new owners or buyers to acquire a fully established store, saving time on setup and design.

Metafields: Shopify's system for adding extra information to products, customers, or orders, not included by default. Metafields are often used to store specific data about products, such as technical specifications, extra descriptions, or custom information that can be displayed on product pages.

Metaobjects: Metaobjects allow the grouping of several metafields into a structure that can be used for more advanced management. They can be used to display dynamic content in a section of your theme.

Migration: The process of moving an existing store from another platform to Shopify. Shopify supports the migration of products, customers, orders, and data using tools like CSV import or third-party apps, allowing platform switching without losing critical data.

Mobile Optimization: Optimizing the Shopify store to ensure it works correctly and looks good on mobile devices. This includes adjusting layouts, images, and text size so customers get a good user experience on smartphones and tablets. Mobile optimization is crucial as a large portion of traffic to online stores today comes from mobile devices.

Multi-currency: A feature that allows Shopify stores to sell to customers in different countries by displaying prices in multiple currencies. This allows customers to see and pay in their local currency, improving the international shopping experience.

Multi-language: Shopify supports the creation of multilingual stores, enabling store owners to translate their products, pages, and checkout process into multiple languages to attract a broader audience. This is especially useful for stores selling to customers in different countries and wanting to create a more customized experience.

 

Navigation: An important part of the Shopify store that allows customers to find their way around the website. Navigation can be customized by creating menus, links to collections, product pages, blogs, or other pages that help customers find the products or information they are looking for.

Net Sales: The total revenue from orders after discounts and returns are deducted, but before accounting for taxes and shipping costs. Net sales provide a clear indication of the store's actual income from sold goods.

Notifications: Shopify automatically sends notifications to both store owners and customers, such as order confirmations, shipping updates, and stock alerts. Owners can customize notifications to improve communication with customers and staff.

 

Online Store 2.0: An updated Shopify platform that provides developers and store owners with more options to customize their store using sections and templates. With Online Store 2.0, owners can easily add and change sections on different pages in the store without needing to code. Online Store 2.0 was introduced in June 2021.

Order: A transaction where a customer purchases one or more products from a Shopify store. Shopify organizes orders into a central list in the backend, where the store owner can manage, process, and update orders.

Order Confirmation: An automatic email sent to the customer when an order is placed. This email confirms that the order has been received and includes details such as order number, products, amount, and delivery time.

Order Fulfillment: The process where a Shopify store processes a customer's order by packing and sending the products. Order fulfillment can be manual or automated depending on how the store is set up with inventory and logistics.

Order Status Page: A page in Shopify where the customer can see the current status of their order, such as whether the order has been processed, shipped, or delivered. The customer receives a link to this page in their order confirmation.

Order Tag: A label or tag that can be used to organize and categorize orders in Shopify, helping store owners prioritize tasks or segment specific types of orders.

 

Payment Gateway: A third-party service that processes payments from customers. Shopify supports a range of payment gateways besides its own Shopify Payments, enabling customers to pay via credit cards, bank transfers, or digital wallets.

Payment Status: The current status of a payment in an order, which can be "paid," "pending," or "refunded." Shopify automatically updates payment status when an order is processed.

Permalink: A permanent URL used to access a specific product page, blog post, or collection page in a Shopify store. Permalinks are useful for SEO and for providing customers with a direct link to specific pages.

POS (Point of Sale): Shopify's POS system used to sell products in physical stores or pop-up shops. Shopify POS synchronizes inventory and orders across online and offline channels, allowing store owners to manage their business from one place.

Price Rules: A feature in Shopify that allows store owners to create specific rules for discounts, such as percentage discounts or volume discounts, automatically applied to selected products or collections. Some price rules are only available on Shopify Plus.

Page: A general page in your store used to display information not directly related to products or categories. These pages can contain content such as "About Us," "FAQ," or "Contact." Shopify Pages provide store owners with flexibility to add and customize informative or branding-related content, enhancing the customer experience and helping build trust.

Product Page: This is your product page. Here, customers can find product images, descriptions, price, size or color options (variants), and stock status. The page also includes an "Add to Cart" button and often sections with customer reviews and recommended products. The product page is designed to give customers all the relevant information they need to make a purchasing decision and add the product to their shopping cart. 

Product Tag: A label or keyword added to a product to categorize it. This makes it easier for customers to find products through searches or filtering in collections. 

Product Variant: A specific version of a product that differs in attributes such as size, color, or material. Shopify allows you to create variants for each product, so customers can choose precisely the type they want.

 

Recurring Payments: Shopify supports subscription-based payments that allow store owners to sell products or services on a recurring basis. Third-party apps like ReCharge, Appstle, and others can be integrated to manage subscriptions and recurring payments.

Redirect: A URL redirect that sends users from an old URL to a new URL. Shopify supports 301 redirects, which are important for SEO when changing product or page URLs to ensure existing links do not lead to dead pages. 

Refund: The process of returning money to a customer for a canceled order or a returned product. Shopify allows store owners to process full or partial refunds directly in the system, automatically updating stock status and order history.

Reports: Shopify offers a range of reporting tools that provide store owners with insights into their sales, customer trends, and inventory. Stores on higher Shopify plans gain access to advanced reports that can be customized and analyzed in depth to improve business decisions.

Responsive Design: Responsive design is an approach to web design where the layout and content automatically adjust to different screen sizes and devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. The goal is to ensure a website is user-friendly and looks good, regardless of what device the user is using. By using flexible grid systems, images, and CSS media queries, responsive design adjusts the size and positioning of elements so users receive an optimal experience across all devices.

Returns: The process where customers return products to the store for a refund or exchange. Shopify supports return management, where owners can create return labels, update inventory, and process refunds in one system.

RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization): A process that provides customers with official authorization to return an item to the store. Shopify supports RMA management through apps, allowing owners to automate return processes and give customers an easy way to return products.

 

Sales Channels: Shopify's Sales Channels are different platforms and places where a Shopify store can sell its products beyond the online store (Online Store). These channels include integrations with social media like Facebook and Instagram, marketplaces like Amazon, and physical sales through Shopify POS (Point of Sale) for retail stores or pop-up shops. By using multiple sales channels, stores can reach a wider audience and sell their products directly to customers, regardless of where they are.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization): A practice where store owners optimize their Shopify store to rank higher on search engines like Google. SEO involves using relevant keywords, improving page speed, using alt text for images, and building internal link structures to enhance visibility in search results.

SKU (Stock Keeping Unit): A unique identifier used to track inventory for each product and product variant. Shopify allows store owners to assign an SKU to each item, which aids in inventory management and logistics.

Shopify Flow: An automation tool that helps store owners automate tasks and workflows in their Shopify store. Flow can be used to automate inventory updates, customer segmentation, or order tagging, allowing time savings and minimizing manual intervention. At DTAILS, we love Shopify Flow. If you haven't tried Shopify Flow yet, we've created a flow that helps you keep track of your inventory. You can download it for free here in this blog post: Automate your workflows with Shopify Flow.

Shopify Payments: Shopify's built-in payment solution that allows store owners to accept credit card payments without needing to use a third-party payment gateway. Shopify Payments offers easy setup and often has lower transaction fees compared to external payment solutions. We have written a complete guide to Shopify Payments. You can find it here. 

Shopify Plus: Shopify's enterprise solution for large companies that require advanced customization, higher performance, and access to dedicated support. Shopify Plus users also access extra features like B2B, Launchpad, and API access.

SSL Certificate: A security protocol that encrypts data between the customer's browser and the Shopify store to protect customer information during checkout. Shopify offers free SSL certificates to all stores, which is important for building trust with customers and improving SEO.

 

Tags: Keywords or categories used to organize products, orders, or customers in Shopify. Tags can be added to make search, filtering, and data segmentation easier, simplifying store management.

Theme: The design and layout that determines how your Shopify store looks and functions. Shopify offers both free and paid themes that can be customized with colors, fonts, and layouts to match your store's branding. 

Theme Store: The Shopify Theme Store gathers all the themes you can choose for your shop. You can filter by price, catalog size (number of products), specific features, or industry. You find the Shopify Theme Store here.

Transactional Emails: Emails automatically sent to customers after certain actions, like order confirmations, shipping notifications, or payment reminders. These emails can be customized in Shopify to match the store's branding. With the help of a developer, these emails can be further customized.

 

Upselling: Upselling is a sales strategy where customers are encouraged to purchase a more expensive version of a product, add extra features, or upgrade their choice. The goal is to increase the average order value by offering more valuable alternatives or add-on products that can enhance the customer's experience or meet their needs more effectively. With Shopify's native app Search & Discovery, you can define products to be showcased. Shopify also supports apps that can help with upselling.

URL Redirect: Shopify allows store owners to create 301-redirects when product or page URLs change, ensuring that customers and search engines are directed to the correct page. 

User Experience (UX): The overall experience a customer has when visiting and shopping in your Shopify store. There is a wide range of tools for optimizing the user experience. You can, for example, improve your navigation, look into more mobile optimization, or dive into your checkout flow.

User Interface (UI): The visual and interactive part of a Shopify store where customers engage with the product and navigate the website. UI includes the design of buttons, menus, forms, and other interactive elements. A good UI is intuitive, easy to use, and supports a positive user experience, which can be achieved by using clear layouts, consistent colors, and simple navigation elements.

 

Variant: A specific version of a product that differs in attributes such as size, color, or material. Shopify allows up to 100 variants per product, making it possible to offer different choices to customers. In the summer of 2024, Shopify opened for beta access to a new variant limit of 2000 variants per product.

Vendor: A company or person that supplies products to your Shopify store. The vendor field in Shopify is used to organize and track where the products come from and is useful when working with multiple vendors.

 

Wholesale: You can, in principle, sell to wholesale customers from all Shopify plans. With Shopify Plus, you get a range of extra options to manage customers, pricing strategy, and product catalogs directly in your Shopify Admin.

Widgets: Small, dynamic components that can be added to Shopify stores to enhance functionality. Widgets can be anything from search features, product recommendations, or live chat modules, which help improve the user experience.

Wishlist: A feature that allows customers to save products they wish to purchase later. Shopify supports wishlists via third-party apps, enabling customers to save and share their favorites.

 

Zapier: A third-party integration platform that allows the connection of Shopify with other apps and automates workflows. Zapier helps synchronize data between Shopify and various services like accounting software, email platforms, and inventory management.