How to Put Shopify Store on Vacation Mode: 5 Steps to Follow

During operations, for many different reasons, stores need time to shut down temporarily. In this article, we will cover how to put the Shopify store on vacation mode. Vacation mode is generally a term used to describe the temporary shutdown of an online store. At the same time, we will also provide necessary notes during this period and answer some frequently asked questions.

What is vacation mode on Shopify?

Vacation mode is a superior feature when selling on Shopify. On the Shopify e-commerce platform, all order-receiving activities occur automatically on the online platform. When the seller does not want to receive orders for a certain period, he can turn on the pause mode.

Shopify vacation mode is a feature that supports sellers in temporarily stopping accepting new orders during a break for certain reasons. Specifically, the seller needs to rest or resolve some issues related to the source of goods.

When the owner activates the vacation mode on the Shopify store, you will see the following features:

• Products sold on your e-commerce platform will be hidden, and customers will no longer be able to find any information about that product.
• The “Buy Now” button will be turned off for some time.
• You will have limited rights to edit information or update new product categories.

During vacation mode, you can still text with customers as usual. The automatic message system and customer review responses also still work as expected.

Why do we need to put the Shopify store on vacation mode?

Many Shopify stores choose to put their store on vacation mode for many different reasons:

Inventory Control

If you are running low on inventory and need time to restock, vacation mode can help. You can still manage your store behind the scenes and avoid overselling products. Periodic inventory counting methods are specifically planned, such as checking every 2 weeks, monthly, or quarterly, depending on each store. 

This method suits stores with many items, models, and products, but the value is not too high, such as fashion, cosmetics, construction materials, and furniture.

Related post: Top 10 Inventory Management Software for E-commerce 

Seasonal business

Some businesses, like those selling seasonal items or event-specific products, may use vacation mode to indicate that they are currently not operating but will be back in the future. Seasonal business only lasts for a short time; if you don’t get it, you will suffer a loss. That’s why you need to choose items with a small capital. 

Normally, capital goods will bring lower profits than capital goods. However, they are extremely easy to sell and highly profitable if you are persistent.

Major Updates

When making significant changes to your store, such as a website redesign or rebranding, you should put your store in vacation mode to avoid disruptions and confusion for customers. 

Everything is changing very quickly, so online stores also need to change to suit customer tastes. In addition, because your business is mainly on an e-commerce platform, your store or equipment also needs regular maintenance to bring the highest operating efficiency and fix basic usage errors.  

Emergencies

In the case of emergencies or unexpected circumstances, you may need to pause your store’s operations. Once the issue is resolved, you can reopen your store and conduct business as usual.

When you turn on Shopify’s vacation mode, consumers can still browse your site, but no new orders can be placed. Instead, they will view a message that you can personalize to let them know why you are temporarily closing and when you plan to reopen. 

To minimize disturbance and preserve a great client experience, vacation mode must be used wisely. Be sure to be open and honest with your consumers about the reasons for the temporary closure and the anticipated return date for your business.

How to put Shopify store on vacation mode

Step 1: Log in to your Shopify store

To do anything, the first thing you need is to log into your Shopify account. Use your username and password to log in via Shopify’s website or on the platform’s mobile app.

Step 2: Access the “Online store” section

After successfully logging in to your Shopify account, find the “Online store” section in the bottom left corner of the main screen. In the “Online store” section, select “Preferences.”

Step 3: Activate the password protection of your Shopify store

In the “Preference” section, scroll down to find the “Password” section. Here, you will see the password of your Shopify store. You can share this password with some customers that you can trust, but you also need to make it differently for the logging next time.

A box with the sentence “Restrict access to visitors with the password” will appear, and you only need to tick that box to activate the password protection.

Step 4: Take a message

After switching your store’s operating status to vacation mode, you will see a “Message” inbox. With this mailbox, you can leave a message for your customers while your store is closed. This message will be automatically replied to every time a customer messages you. 

You can state why the store is closed and notify the store’s expected return time. Thus, customers will feel secure and will return when the store operates as usual.

Step 5: Save your changes

After performing all of the above steps, don’t forget to press the “Save” button so the system will save your store’s changes.

Now, your Shopify store is in vacation mode. Visitors to your website will see the notice you have added and won’t be able to make any further purchases. You can still log in and administer your store’s administrative panel, complete open orders, and perform other behind-the-scenes duties.

Some tips to prepare your Shopify store on vacation mode

Maintain a positive reputation

• Respond to customers as quickly as possible: 

Even during vacation mode, you can create automatic messages to respond to customers. Show that your store is always ready to serve and answer all customer questions. Remember, today, customers can come into contact with your company through more channels than before, and they expect great experiences here. 

Traditional methods of communication are still popular, but contact via the Internet is increasing rapidly. Therefore, you need to make sure you can manage all channels so that whether customer feedback is sent via email, website, or hotline, your company must support quickly.

• Respond to positive feedback.

Positive feedback from customers is what any store is aiming for. When you receive these responses, you should thank the customer, show respect, and build trust to retain customers and attract new prospects.

• Respond to negative feedback and continue to improve.

An apology is an important factor in creating a successful response. When you contact a customer about a negative review, Focus on apologizing for the bad situation and how they feel. An apology will show that you take responsibility for the customer’s disappointment and admit mistakes. 

By taking responsibility and taking action to resolve the situation, You will receive the respect of customers, and the reputation of your business will be stronger.

Maximize sales after returning from vacation mode

• Provide incentives

You should provide incentives to customers immediately after restoring operations. It serves as a thank you to loyal customers who have been with the store over the past time, as well as a marketing campaign to help attract new customers.

• Promote new products

After a period of inactivity, you can release new products for sale on your store’s website. You can continue to promote them through social networking sites or email marketing.

Manage social media accounts and online advertising

• Social media accounts

Before switching your Shopify store to vacation mode, you should post information on social media sites so your loyal customers can stay informed. Remember to include a thank you note and estimated reopening time. In addition, please leave a way to contact the store during the temporary shutdown because there are likely customers who have questions that need to be answered promptly.

• Advertising campaigns

Temporarily suspending operations means stopping all ongoing campaigns. You can request to stop advertising or adjust your ads according to when your store reopens. That’s because online ads direct viewers to shopping sites.

• Stay engaged with customers.

You can continue to reply to customer messages or set a default reply message. Remember to stay updated and respond as quickly as possible.

You may efficiently set up your Shopify store for vacation mode and reduce any potential disruptions or client unhappiness by using the advice in this article. A successful shift depends on planning and effective communication.

FAQs

Can I temporarily stop Shopify store?

No matter the platform, you can stop your Shopify store whenever you want. Once you stop your Shopify store, you’ll no longer be able to access your account as an admin. In case you can still log in to your account, any actions such as changing product categories will not be possible.

If your Shopify site links to a third party, remove that domain from your website. Otherwise, you won’t be able to continue using this link for other store pages.

What should we do to promote the Shopify store after vacation?

In addition to the above methods, we will suggest a few methods to help boost your Shopify store’s business after vacation

• Sales of new products

You are updating new products and hot trending designs after vacation mode to impress potential customers. Everyone likes to use new products, so the more diverse designs your shop has, the more customers want to come back more often. The only thing left is for you to advise on products that are suitable for your customers.

• Free shipping

Most customers who shop online want free shipping on all orders. Therefore, taking advantage of free shipping will attract many customers to choose to buy products from your shop. To avoid losing capital, the shop owner should build a product price list and stipulate the maximum value of the purchased product to be able to use the discount or free shipping for that order.

Does Shopify have an offline mode?

You can completely adjust your Shopify store’s mode to offline. Even though it operates mainly on an online e-commerce platform, Shopify stores sometimes use offline for many reasons. It could be because the store owner wants to maintain the store, update inventory, or some other personal reason. 

However, in either case, you need to make sure your Shopify store is running well and can attract customers again as soon as it’s back to normal. To activate “offline,” log in to your account, select “Settings,” and adjust the appropriate mode.

Does deactivating Shopify cancel subscription?

Your subscription is not canceled when you deactivate or put on vacation mode. It only places your business temporarily out of commission, preventing customers from placing new purchases while allowing you to access your Shopify admin and carry out different administrative activities.

Here are some instructions that you can follow:

• Log in to your Shopify account
• Choose “Settings,” and click on the button “Billing.”
• Choose the link “Manage subscriptions.”
• Cancel your subscription

Please be aware that Shopify memberships are billed on a recurrent basis (usually monthly or annually). If you no longer want to use the platform, you must cancel your subscription before the next billing cycle. Your store will be disabled once you cancel, and no more fees will apply.

Conclusion

Vacation mode is a useful mode for online stores when they want to stop selling for some reason temporarily. Temporarily stopping sales is more beneficial than stopping operations because it is very difficult to attract customers back without the right strategy. The above article provides how to put the Shopify store on vacation mode and tips to help you reopen successfully while retaining old customers.