How to Upgrade to Shopify Plus: A Complete Guide For You

Are you looking to expand your business but finding that regular Shopify plans lack the necessary features to do so effectively? It might be time to upgrade to Shopify Plus. Shopify Plus is specifically designed for eCommerce stores that operate at more advanced levels of complexity. 

However, if you’re concerned about the process of upgrading to Shopify Plus, there are several factors you should take into account. We understand your concerns and are here to help. In this article, we will provide you with all the information you need to know about upgrading to Shopify Plus. Let’s dive in and explore the details!

Table of Contents

• Learn About Shopify Plus
• When is the Right Time to Upgrade to Shopify Plus?
• How to Upgrade to Shopify Plus?
  • Step 1: Prepare for backup data
  • Step 2: Contact Shopify Plus
  • Step 3: Sign up for Shopify Plus
  • Step 4: Customize your store
  • Step 5: Approach to Shopify Plus Academy resources
• Challenges to Face When Upgrading to Shopify Plus
  • Cost
  • Complexity
  • Migration Process
• Is it Worth Upgrading to Shopify Plus?

Learn About Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is an enterprise-grade ecommerce platform designed for high-growth businesses. Beside the same core dashboard and features as the standard version, Shopify Plus offers advanced features, scalability, and dedicated support to help large-scale businesses thrive online.

Think about Nestle, Budweiser, Kylie Jenner, etc. With its superior capabilities, Shopify Plus offers a comprehensive solution that meets the complex needs of large-scale enterprises.

Shopify Plus pricing starts at $2,000 per month. However, if your business generates over $800,000 in monthly revenue, the pricing model shifts to a revenue-based fee. This variable fee is 0.25% of your monthly revenue, with a cap of $40,000 per month. Additionally, there are other costs to consider when evaluating the total cost of ownership for Shopify Plus, including:

• Website construction costs
• Payment processing fees
• Additional app fees
• Site maintenance fees

To make it easier for you to see the differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus, we have provided a small table below.

Feature	Shopify	Shopify Plus
Ideal For	SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses)	Enterprise-level businesses
Pricing	Starts at $39/month	Starts at $2,000/month or 0.25% of revenue
Functionality	Core eCommerce features	Additional enterprise-level features
Customization	Quite limited	More flexible
Support	– General business hours – Through email and live chat	– 24/7 priority support – Via phone, email, and live chat

Read more: Unlock the Benefits of Shopify Plus Benefits

When is the Right Time to Upgrade to Shopify Plus?

Just like you know when your pants don’t fit because they’re uncomfortable or restrict your movement, there are signs that your Shopify plan isn’t meeting your needs. Here are a few things to watch out:

• Your store is slow or crashes during busy periods: If it takes too long to load pages or crashes during peak traffic times, it’s a sign that your plan can’t handle the demand.
• You’re spending too much on IT feel: If you’re constantly having to pay for additional bandwidth, storage, or support, it’s time to consider a plan that includes these resources.
• You’re not able to customize your store the way you want: If you’re limited in how you can design your store’s layout, add features, or integrate with other tools, then you’re outgrowing your plan.

If you’re experiencing any of these issues, it’s time to consider upgrading to a Shopify Plus plan. Also, to upgrade to Shopify Plus, you must ensure your store has high annual revenue. Generally, an eCommerce storefront should achieve specific annual revenue to merit upgrading to Shopify Plus. A standard benchmark for considering the upgrade is reaching approximately $1 million in yearly revenue (According to OmniSend). 

Considering upgrading to Shopify Plus? Alongside the platform’s scalability and advanced features, leveraging Shopify Plus development services can ensure your transition is smooth and your store is optimized to take full advantage of Shopify Plus capabilities from day one.

How to Upgrade to Shopify Plus?

You’ve already decided and have compelling reasons to upgrade to Shopify Plus. Now, let’s dive into the step-by-step process of how to make that transition a reality.

Step 1: Prepare for backup data

Before upgrading to Shopify Plus, it’s essential to have a backup of your store’s data for several reasons:

• Protect against data loss: Even smooth upgrades risk data loss or corruption. A backup ensures you have a copy of your store’s data to restore if any issues arise.
• Roll back to a previous version: If you encounter compatibility problems or unexpected changes after the upgrade, a backup allows you to return to your previous stable store state. It also minimizes downtime and ensures business continuity.

Actually, when upgrading to Shopify Plus, Shopify’s database structure remains unchanged. As a result, the backup process is more straightforward than moving from other platforms. However, you still need to choose a backup method:

• CSV file export: This method is simple. You can export products, customers, orders, gift cards, discount coupons, and themes. Other data types, such as blog posts and pages, must be manually copied and pasted.
• Shopify’s public API: This method requires technical expertise. You can create a backup store using Shopify’s APIs. However, the API may become incompatible, requiring effort to adapt.
• Third-party backup app: Shopify and Shopify Plus recommend this option for the highest level of data protection. Rewind is a popular third-party backup app that constantly adapts to new API versions.

Step 2: Contact Shopify Plus

To upgrade to Shopify Plus, the next step is to contact a Shopify sales representative. They will provide you with comprehensive information on the benefits and features of Shopify Plus, as well as pricing details. Additionally, they will be able to address any questions you may have. Thus, Let’s delve into the details of Shopify Plus and compile your list of questions first.

Step 3: Sign up for Shopify Plus

Once you’ve decided to upgrade to Shopify Plus, sign up for the Shopify Plus plan. After you sign up, your store will be upgraded to Shopify Plus within 24 business hours. You will receive an email notification when the upgrade is complete.

Step 4: Customize your store

With Shopify Plus, you have access to advanced customization options to tailor your store to your specific needs. As mentioned, the Shopify Plus admin and exclusive tools are designed to be user-friendly, allowing your staff to manage them without extensive developer support. You can easily customize your store’s design, layout, and functionality using the built-in tools and themes available on Shopify Plus. 

If you require further customization, you can leverage the Shopify Plus Partners ecosystem to find developers who can assist you in creating custom apps or integrations.

Learn More: Top 20 Shopify Plus Agency Partners

Step 5: Approach to Shopify Plus Academy resources

In the final step to upgrade to Shopify Plus, it would be better to access Shopify Plus Academy resources. This is an online training program that provides resources such as courses and webinars to help merchants improve their store’s design, marketing, operations, and more.

You can join the Shopify Plus Academy by logging into your Shopify Plus account and clicking on the Plus Academy option. Significantly, these courses and resources are available for free. 

Challenges to Face When Upgrading to Shopify Plus

Upgrading to Shopify Plus can be a great way to scale your e-commerce business, but it’s important to be aware of the challenges you may face:

Cost

• Higher Monthly Fees: Shopify Plus has significantly higher monthly fees than the basic Shopify plans. You’ll need to factor this into your budget and ensure it’s a worthwhile investment for your business.
• Additional Costs: There may be additional costs associated with migration, customization, app integrations, and hiring developers or agencies to help you manage your store.

Related Topic: Shopify Plus Pricing In 2024 – How to Optimize Your Budget

Complexity

• Steeper Learning Curve: Shopify Plus offers a wider range of features and functionalities, which can be more complex to learn and master compared to the basic plans. You’ll need to invest time in understanding how to use these features effectively.
• More Technical Knowledge Required: You may need more technical expertise to manage a Shopify Plus store, especially if you plan on heavily customizing it. You might need to hire a developer or agency to assist you.

Migration Process

• Data Transfer: As mentioned, migrating your store data, including products, customers, and orders, can be a complex and time-consuming process. You’ll need to ensure that all your data is transferred accurately and without any loss.
• Theme And App Compatibility: Your current theme and apps may not be compatible with Shopify Plus. You might need to find new themes and apps or customize your existing ones to work with the new platform.

Besides the mentioned challenges, managing a Shopify Plus store can be more time-consuming and demanding, especially if you have a large and complex store. You’ll need to be prepared to invest more time and resources into managing your store.

Is it Worth Upgrading to Shopify Plus?

To summarize, upgrading to Shopify Plus is a worthwhile investment if you are looking to expand your store. However, it’s important to note that Shopify Plus’s cost is significantly higher than other regular plans. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that your eCommerce store is financially capable of covering this expense.

Lastly, we encourage you to stay connected with our blog, as we regularly provide valuable and engaging information for eCommerce merchants.