How to Set Up Subscriptions on Shopify Quickly Using Apps

Are you getting the most out of your Shopify store? Does the thought of setting up subscriptions leave you feeling overwhelmed or unsure of where to start? As a savvy business owner or marketing executive, you understand that offering subscriptions on Shopify can unlock a steady stream of revenue, increase customer lifetime value, and foster greater loyalty. However, the technical aspects might seem daunting. Don't worry; we at First Pier are here to simplify the process for you.

Subscriptions have revolutionized e-commerce, shifting the customer experience from one-time transactions to ongoing relationships. With recurring nature of subscriptions, businesses can predict revenue, plan growth strategies more effectively, and customers can enjoy the convenience and savings that come from auto-deliveries of their favorite products. Better Booch, for example, an organic kombucha company, now receives about 70% of its orders from subscriptions, proving the impact of this model on business growth.

Despite the proven benefits, setting up subscriptions on Shopify may seem like a complex task. But it doesn't have to be. We will walk you through the process, explaining each step in a simple and easy-to-understand way. Our guide will help you unlock your online store's full potential and set yourself up for e-commerce success.

E-commerce Subscriptions: A Quick Overview

• Predictable Recurring Revenue: Subscriptions provide a steady revenue stream helping businesses plan and forecast for growth.
• Increased Customer Loyalty: Subscriptions make life easier for customers, driving brand loyalty and customer retention.
• Higher Lifetime Value: Turning one-time shoppers into lifetimers, subscriptions boost the customer lifetime value.
• Subscriptions on Shopify: Shopify offers a seamless and straightforward option to set up subscriptions in your online store.

Understanding Shopify Subscriptions

Shopify Subscriptions is an integrated application within the Shopify platform designed to enable businesses to sell products on a recurring basis. It offers a direct and efficient way to manage subscriptions from within your Shopify admin. This eliminates the need to juggle multiple platforms or apps, making it an ideal solution for businesses that aim to offer subscription plans to their customers.

What is Shopify Subscriptions App

The Shopify Subscriptions app is an integral part of your Shopify store. By using this application, you can create, modify, and manage subscriptions without leaving your Shopify admin dashboard. You can design subscription plans with varying frequencies and discount types, providing a personalized buying experience for your customers.

Whether you want to offer weekly, monthly, or yearly subscriptions, or apply discounts in terms of dollar amount, percentage, or fixed prices, the Shopify Subscriptions app gives you the flexibility to tailor your subscription plans according to your business model.

In addition to creating subscription plans, the app allows you to display a subscription widget on your online store, view subscription details on various pages like the product, cart, and thank-you pages, and send email notifications to customers about their subscription orders. These features make the subscription process user-friendly and transparent, enhancing the overall customer experience.

Benefits of Using Shopify Subscriptions

Implementing subscriptions on Shopify offers several significant benefits.

Steady Revenue Stream: By offering products on a recurring basis, you can generate a steady stream of revenue. This financial predictability can be a game-changer for businesses, helping them plan their budgets and growth strategies more effectively.

Customer Retention: Subscriptions encourage customers to make repeat purchases, thereby increasing customer retention. By providing value and convenience through subscription plans, you can cultivate loyalty among your customers and boost their lifetime value.

Flexibility and Customizability: Shopify Subscriptions allows you to offer multiple subscription plans for single or multiple products. You can also modify, pause, or cancel subscription plans as per your business needs. This level of flexibility and customizability helps you tailor your offerings to meet the specific preferences and needs of your customers.

Secure Payment Processing: Shopify securely stores customer payment information, ensuring a safe and reliable payment process. You can rest assured that your customers' full credit card information is secure and inaccessible once it's been entered.

Insightful Analytics: The Shopify Subscriptions app also provides analytics on active, paused, and canceled subscriptions. This data can offer valuable insights into your subscription strategy's performance, helping you make data-driven decisions to optimize it.

By leveraging these benefits, you can enhance your e-commerce strategy, increase your revenue, and build long-term customer relationships. As Steve, our expert at First Pier, says, "Shopify Subscriptions is a powerful tool that adds another dimension to your online store, helping you unlock its full potential."

Preparing Your Shopify Store for Subscriptions

Once you have understood the power of Shopify Subscriptions, the next step is to prepare your Shopify store to take advantage of this feature. This preparation involves ensuring your store meets the eligibility requirements, setting up your payment gateways, and choosing the right theme.

Eligibility Requirements for Shopify Subscriptions

Before you can implement subscriptions on Shopify, you need to check if your online store meets certain eligibility requirements. For instance, your store should not have any other third-party subscription app active. Subscription products are supported only on the Online Store and Custom Storefront sales channels.

In terms of themes, your store should use any Online Store 2.0 theme by Shopify, Debut on version 15.0 or later, or Brooklyn on version 17.0 or later. If you’re unsure about your theme version, you can learn more about theme versions on Shopify's help page.

Setting Up Your Payment Gateways

The next step is setting up your payment gateways. Shopify Subscriptions supports several payment gateways, including Shopify Payments, PayPal Express, Authorize.net, and Stripe. The availability of these payment gateways varies by region and terms of service.

Customers can use accelerated checkouts, such as Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal to purchase subscriptions. However, they can't use local payment methods such as Klarna, mollie iDEAL, and Sofort to purchase subscriptions.

Choosing the Right Theme for Subscriptions

The theme you choose for your Shopify store can significantly influence your customer's shopping experience. Choosing the right theme for subscriptions is vital as it determines how your subscription plans are displayed in your online store.

As mentioned earlier, Shopify Subscriptions supports any Online Store 2.0 theme by Shopify, Debut on version 15.0 or later, or Brooklyn on version 17.0 or later. These themes are designed to offer a smooth and seamless shopping experience, making it easy for customers to select their preferred subscription plan.

Preparing your Shopify store for subscriptions is not just about ticking the boxes of technical requirements. It’s about paving the way for a smoother, more efficient shopping experience for your customers. With the right setup and a well-thought-out subscription plan, you can tap into a steady stream of revenue and build long-term customer relationships.

In the next section, we will guide you on setting up Shopify Subscriptions and creating your first subscription plan.

How to Set Up Shopify Subscriptions

Setting up subscriptions on Shopify is a straightforward process that involves creating a subscription plan, adding it to your product page, and displaying it on your online store. Let's delve into each step.

Creating a Subscription Plan from the Shopify Subscriptions App

The first step in setting up subscriptions on Shopify is to create a subscription plan. The Shopify Subscriptions app provides an easy and intuitive interface for this task. Here's how:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Subscriptions > Plans.
2. Click Create new plan.
3. Give the plan a title and a purchase option title.
4. Select the products that you want to include in the subscription plan.
5. If you want to offer a discount, check Offer discount, select a discount type, and enter the discount amount in the applicable field.
6. Under Delivery frequency, enter a number, and then select either a weekly, monthly, or yearly frequency from the drop-down menu.
7. If you want to add additional delivery frequency and discount options for customers, click Add option.
8. Click Save.

Adding a Subscription Plan from the Product Page in Shopify Admin

In addition to creating a subscription plan from the Shopify Subscriptions app, you can also add a subscription plan directly from the product page in your Shopify admin. This allows you to tailor subscription plans to specific products.

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.
2. Select the product that you want to create a subscription plan for.
3. Under Purchase options, click Add purchase option, then Create new option.
4. Give the plan a title and a purchase option title.
5. If you wish to offer a discount, check Offer discount, select a discount type, and enter the discount amount in the applicable field.
6. Under Delivery frequency, enter a number and select a weekly, monthly, or yearly frequency from the drop-down menu.
7. If you want to add additional delivery frequency and discount options for customers, click Add option.
8. Click Save.

Displaying Subscriptions on Your Online Store

Once you've created your subscription plans, the next step is to display them on your online store. Customers should be able to easily find and understand your subscription offerings.

The Shopify Subscriptions app automatically adds new subscription plans to your store. It also adds a new subscription policy and subscription email notifications. Customers can use accelerated checkouts, such as Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal, to purchase subscriptions.

Remember to activate new customer accounts so that customers can manage their own subscriptions.

Setting up subscriptions on Shopify is a crucial step towards creating a recurring revenue stream for your business. By leveraging the Shopify Subscriptions app, you can create and manage subscription plans with ease and deliver a smooth shopping experience for your customers. Now that you know how to set up subscriptions on Shopify, you're well on your way to unlocking the full potential of your e-commerce business.

Managing Subscriptions on Shopify

Creating subscriptions on Shopify is just the first step. Efficient management of these subscriptions is crucial for customer satisfaction and smooth business operations. In this section, we'll delve into the key aspects of managing subscriptions on Shopify, including editing subscription contracts, how customers can manage their own subscriptions, and how to add a Subscribe button on your Shopify store.

How to Edit Subscription Contracts

One of the significant advantages of using Shopify Subscriptions is its user-friendly interface that allows merchants to easily modify subscription plans as per their business needs. Here's a simple step-by-step guide on how to edit a subscription plan.

1. From your Shopify admin panel, navigate to Subscriptions > Contracts.
2. Select the contract you wish to edit.
3. You can edit various aspects such as the products included in the subscription, product quantity, and delivery frequency as per your business strategy.
4. Once you're satisfied with the modifications, click Save.

Flexibility is key to a successful subscription business. However, it's important to note that deleting a subscription plan can't be undone, so make decisions judiciously.

How Customers Can Manage Their Subscriptions

Shopify Subscriptions not only makes it easy for you as a merchant to manage subscriptions, but it also allows customers to manage their own subscriptions. Customers can update their contact information, shipping address, and even their payment methods from their customer profiles. This transparency not only builds customer trust but also reduces the administrative burden on you as a merchant.

How to Add a Subscribe Button on Shopify

Adding a Subscribe button on your Shopify store enhances the customer experience by making it easy for customers to opt for your subscriptions. Here's how to do it:

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button.
2. In the Sales channels section, tap Online Store.
3. Tap Manage all themes.
4. Find the theme you want to edit, and then tap Customize.
5. Tap Edit.
6. Click Add section.
7. Click Newsletter, then click Add.
8. Enter a heading for your newsletter signup.

The easier you make it for your customers to subscribe, the higher the chances of increasing your subscriptions on Shopify.

Overall, managing subscriptions on Shopify is a straightforward process that allows you to cater to your customers' needs effectively. As you continue to fine-tune your subscription offerings, you'll be better positioned to unlock the full potential of your e-commerce business on Shopify.

Optimizing Your Subscription Strategy

Once you have set up subscriptions on Shopify, the next step is to optimize your subscription strategy. This involves applying discounts to subscription purchases, setting usage limits for free shipping discounts on subscription products, and enhancing the customer checkout experience for subscriptions.

Applying Discounts to Subscription Purchases

Discounts are a great tool to incentivize customers to opt for subscription purchases. A well-crafted discount can transform potential customers into loyal subscribers, thereby securing a consistent and recurring revenue stream for your business. For instance, consider offering a 20% discount off the regular price for monthly subscriptions. This not only attracts customers but also secures a steady, recurring revenue stream for your business.

To apply a discount, navigate to the 'Discounts' section in your Shopify admin. When creating a new discount, select 'Subscription' as the purchase type. You can then decide which subscription products the discount should apply to—whether it's all subscription products, a specific collection of subscription products, or even specific subscription products.

Setting Usage Limits for Free Shipping Discounts on Subscription Products

Free shipping is another powerful tool to attract and retain customers. However, managing its usage is equally important. With Shopify, you can specify how long the free shipping discount applies to subscription products. You can limit it to the first payment, a certain number of payments, or enable it for all future subscription payments.

To change the usage limits of a free shipping discount, go to the 'Discounts' section in your Shopify admin, select the discount you want to edit, and update the purchase type to 'Subscription'. Then, under 'Usage limits', you can choose the limitations you wish to apply to your free shipping discount.

Enhancing the Customer Checkout Experience for Subscriptions

The checkout experience is a crucial aspect of the customer journey. Subscription apps on Shopify show subscription information to customers at checkout, including order frequency and shipping costs per delivery. This transparency not only enhances the customer shopping experience but also builds trust and loyalty.

During the 'Payment' step of the checkout, your customer needs to confirm that they understand that they are purchasing a subscription. This transparency is crucial in preventing potential disputes and ensuring a smooth customer experience.

In summary, optimizing your subscription strategy involves incentivizing subscriptions with discounts, managing free shipping offers, and enhancing the checkout experience. By doing so, you can boost your subscriptions on Shopify and grow your business.

Ensuring Security and Compliance with Shopify Subscriptions

As you continue your journey with subscriptions on Shopify, it's crucial to maintain a focus on security and compliance. Shopify provides robust security measures to protect your customers' sensitive data and ensure the secure storage of customer payment information. Furthermore, you can adjust your subscription policy to align with your business model and legal requirements.

How Shopify Securely Stores Customer Payment Information

One of the critical concerns for any online business is the secure storage of customer payment information. Shopify addresses this concern through its secure infrastructure. When a customer enters their payment information, it is stored securely by Shopify. As a merchant, you cannot access your customers' full credit card information once it has been entered. This feature further secures customers' payment details, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches. This limitation not only protects your customers but also minimizes the risk for your business. By ensuring that sensitive information is securely stored and inaccessible, Shopify helps safeguard your business against potential security threats or data misuse incidents.

Understanding and Editing Your Subscription Policy

In addition to security, you should also understand and edit your subscription policy to ensure it aligns with your business model and legal requirements. Your subscription policy outlines the terms and conditions of your subscription services, including the frequency of the subscription, the discount types applied, and the rights and obligations of the customers. It's important to clearly communicate these terms to your customers to avoid potential disputes and ensure a smooth customer experience. You can edit your subscription policy from the Shopify Subscriptions app in your Shopify admin.

In conclusion, ensuring security and compliance with your Shopify subscriptions is a vital aspect of your subscription strategy. By leveraging Shopify's secure infrastructure and aligning your subscription policy with your business model and legal requirements, you can foster trust with your customers and ensure a smooth subscription experience.

Setting up subscriptions on Shopify might seem complex but with the right tools, knowledge, and a reliable Shopify partner like First Pier, it can be a straightforward and rewarding process. The power of recurring revenue, customer loyalty, and predictable forecasting can significantly enhance your business growth and scalability.

By leveraging the Shopify Subscriptions app and other related tools, you can create a seamless and customizable subscription experience for your customers. Plus, with Shopify's powerful ecommerce platform, you have access to world-class checkout systems, payment gateways, fulfillment tools, and insights that are optimized to support your subscription business.

The key to a successful subscription model lies not only in the setup but also in the management and optimization of your subscription strategy. From creating appealing subscription plans, displaying subscriptions on your online store, ensuring security and compliance, to enhancing the checkout experience - every step counts.

As your subscription business grows, you might find the need to tweak your strategy, add new features, or explore other subscription models. At First Pier, we are dedicated to supporting you throughout your Shopify journey. We provide expertise in Shopify development and optimization to help you build a high-performance online store that propels your business to new heights.

As we conclude, we encourage you to explore more about Shopify Subscriptions, delve into Shopify Subscription Management, and discover the benefits of Choosing Shopify Plus for your subscription business.

Setting up subscriptions on Shopify is indeed a powerful strategy for ecommerce success - start your journey now and unlock the full potential of your online store.