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Shopify FAQ 2026: pricing, SEO, CRO, migration & themes

100 Shopify questions answered: pricing, PrestaShop/WooCommerce migration, technical SEO, CRO, Online Store 2.0 themes, apps, checkout, performance. Short answers + deep-dive links.

Shopify FAQ hub : technical SEO, CRO, Markets, apps.

How much does Shopify cost per month in France?
Shopify has three main plans in 2026: Basic at $29/month, Shopify at $79/month, Advanced at $299/month. Shopify Plus starts at $2,500/month. Prices are in USD but billed in EUR at the exchange rate. On top of that you may pay for paid apps, a premium theme, and transaction fees if you do not use Shopify Payments.
What is the difference between Basic, Shopify, and Advanced?
All three plans include the same core e-commerce features. Main differences: transaction fees (2% on Basic, 1% on Shopify, 0.5% on Advanced with an external gateway), staff accounts (2 / 5 / 15), analytics reports (limited on Basic, full on Advanced), and real-time carrier-calculated shipping (Advanced only).
What exactly are Shopify transaction fees?
Fees charged on each sale if you do not use Shopify Payments as your primary gateway. They are added on top of your payment provider’s fees (Stripe, PayPal, etc.). If you enable Shopify Payments, these Shopify fees drop to zero. In France, Shopify Payments is available, it is the recommended default setup to avoid these fees.
Is Shopify cheaper than an open-source solution like WooCommerce?
On paper, WooCommerce is free. In practice you pay for hosting (€30–150/month for solid e-commerce hosting), maintenance, updates, security, and often a developer for recurring issues. All-in Shopify (hosting, CDN, SSL, updates, support) often totals less for stores up to roughly €2–3M annual revenue.
Is there a free trial on Shopify?
Yes. Shopify offers a 3-day free trial without a card, followed by a first month at €1 for new merchants (recurring offer, check current terms at signup). During the trial you can set up the store fully but cannot accept real payments.
Is Shopify Payments available in France?
Yes, since 2021. Shopify Payments lets you accept cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) and Shop Pay with no Shopify transaction fees. Payouts go to your French bank account in 3–5 business days. Apple Pay and Google Pay are included when Shopify Payments is on.
Can I change my Shopify plan anytime?
Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade anytime from the Shopify admin. Upgrades are prorated for the rest of the billing period; downgrades credit the next invoice. No minimum commitment on monthly plans.
What is Shopify Plus and when does it make sense?
Shopify Plus is Shopify’s enterprise plan, from $2,500/month. It adds Checkout Extensibility (full checkout customization), Shopify Scripts, advanced Flow automation, native B2B, multistore, and dedicated support. It usually makes sense from about €1–2M annual revenue, or when you need technical capabilities standard plans do not cover.
Does Shopify take a commission on sales?
Shopify does not take a commission on your sales when you use Shopify Payments. With an external gateway (direct Stripe, PayPal, etc.), transaction fees apply by plan (0.5%–2%). Those are separate from the payment provider’s own fees.
Can I use Shopify without a monthly subscription?
No. Shopify is SaaS, a monthly subscription is required to keep the store live. The only low-cost alternative is the Starter plan ($5/month) for selling via payment links or embeds on other sites, without a full storefront.
How long does it take to build a Shopify store?
A basic working store (theme set up, catalog imported, payments and shipping on) can go live in 1–2 weeks. A premium build with custom theme, Liquid, technical SEO, and third-party integrations typically takes 6–12 weeks. Timeline depends on catalog size, integration complexity, and customization level.
Do I need to code to build a Shopify store?
No. The Shopify editor (Online Store 2.0) lets you build and customize without writing code, drag-and-drop sections. Code (Liquid, JavaScript) is needed for advanced work: custom sections, conditional logic, API integrations, or features not covered by existing apps.
What is the difference between Shopify and Shopify 2.0?
Online Store 2.0 is the theme architecture launched in 2021. It brings sections on every page (not just the homepage), dynamic blocks, native metafields, and better performance. Most current themes are 2.0. If your theme predates 2021, it may be “legacy”; migrating to 2.0 is recommended.
What is the best free Shopify theme?
Dawn is Shopify’s official free 2.0 theme with strong baseline performance. It fits most new launches. Downsides: generic look and limited flexibility without code. Other free options: Sense (beauty/wellness), Craft (craft), Studio (fashion), all official and free.
Should I use a free or paid theme?
It depends. Official free themes are technically solid for launch. Paid themes (Impulse, Prestige, Turbo, roughly €250–400) add more layout options, pre-built sections, and design flexibility without code. A paid theme pays off when you have specific visual needs or a complex catalog.
Can I migrate content from WordPress or WooCommerce to Shopify?
Yes. Products, customers, and orders can be migrated with dedicated apps (Matrixify, LitCommerce) or manually via CSV. Editorial content (pages, posts) usually needs manual migration or a specific tool. 301 redirects must be set carefully to preserve existing SEO traffic. → <a href="/migration-shopify" class="faq-a">See the Migrate to Shopify page</a>.
How do I choose a domain name for Shopify?
Shopify gives you storename.myshopify.com. You can connect your own domain (.fr, .com, etc.) under Settings → Domains. Domains can be bought through Shopify (at cost) or connected from an external registrar (OVH, Namecheap, Hostinger, etc.). DNS usually propagates within 24 hours.
Does Shopify handle French VAT automatically?
Shopify can calculate VAT based on customer location, but setup must be correct. For French B2C in France, 20% VAT applies to most products. For intra-EU sales, OSS may apply. I recommend having a qualified accountant validate tax configuration.
Can I sell in multiple languages on Shopify?
Yes, via Shopify Markets. You can create markets (countries or groups) with different languages, currencies, and prices. hreflang handling for international SEO is automated by Markets, but should be audited technically after setup.
Is Shopify suitable for dropshipping?
Yes, it is one of the most common use cases. The Shopify app ecosystem (DSers, AutoDS, Zendrop) connects to suppliers. Watch delivery times (clearly stated), rewrite product copy (not supplier copy-paste), and run serious support, Shopify may suspend stores with excessive chargebacks.
Can I customize a Shopify theme without a developer?
Yes, up to a point. The theme editor lets you change colors, typography, sections, and order visually. Advanced work (new sections, conditional logic, specific integrations) requires editing Liquid, i.e. a developer or Shopify consultant.
How much does a custom Shopify theme cost?
A from-scratch theme typically costs €5,000–€20,000 depending on complexity, rarely justified at launch. The efficient path: pick a premium theme (€250–400) as a base and customize with targeted Liquid development.
What is Liquid on Shopify?
Liquid is Shopify’s templating language. It outputs store data (products, collections, customers, orders) in HTML. All theme customization uses Liquid. It is not interchangeable with other stacks, it is specific to Shopify.
How do I improve mobile appearance on Shopify?
Most 2.0 themes are responsive by default. Mobile-specific improvements: portrait hero images, sticky add-to-cart, simplified navigation, readable type (16px minimum), and swipe-friendly product galleries. Test on a real mid-range Android device, not only desktop responsive mode.
Can landing pages look different from the rest of the store?
Yes. You can build custom page templates in Liquid (e.g. page.landing.liquid) with a completely different layout, no header/footer if needed, for product launches, campaigns, or partner pages.
What image resolution should product photos use?
Shopify recommends at least 2048×2048px for zoom. Square 1:1 is the most universal for PDPs and collections. Shopify serves WebP where supported. Aim under ~500KB per image for performance.
How do I change fonts on Shopify?
Theme editor → Typography. Shopify integrates Google Fonts and Adobe Fonts. Custom fonts must be uploaded to theme assets and declared in CSS, that requires code changes.
Can the navigation menu have multiple levels?
Shopify natively supports two levels (main menu + submenus). A third level or mega menu needs a dedicated app (Globo Menu, Buddha Mega Menu) or custom Liquid. Most stores do not need more than two levels, deep menus hurt UX.
Can each collection page have different sections?
Yes, with 2.0. Create a custom collection template (collection.name.json) and assign it per collection in the admin so each collection can have its own layout and content.
Does Shopify support background videos?
Most 2.0 themes include a hero section with native background video. Shopify hosts video on its CDN since 2022, better for performance than embedding YouTube/Vimeo. Keep files small (under 10 MB), MP4, no autoplay audio, to protect LCP.
Is Shopify good for SEO?
Yes, when configured properly. Shopify provides a solid base: CDN, SSL, structured data support, clean URLs. Known limitations (collection URL duplication, limited blog, inflexible robots.txt) can all be handled with the right technical setup.
Why do Shopify URLs duplicate?
Each product can be reached as /products/slug and /collections/category/products/slug. Both can return the same content. Shopify uses canonical tags, but you should verify they always point to the URL you want as primary.
How do I edit robots.txt on Shopify?
Since 2.0, edit via robots.txt.liquid in the theme. Before that, it was not editable. Common tweaks: block tag pages (/collections/*/tagged/*), filtered search, and internal preview URLs. Never accidentally block products or collections.
Does Shopify generate a sitemap automatically?
Yes. /sitemap.xml lists products, collections, pages, and blog posts. Submit it in Google Search Console. You cannot fully customize its contents; some exclusions use noindex rather than sitemap edits.
How do I optimize title tags and meta descriptions?
In the admin, each product, collection, and page has a “Search engine listing” section for title and meta. Bulk edits: Matrixify CSV import/export. On 2.0 themes, metafields can also drive tags.
Do customer reviews help Shopify SEO?
Indirectly yes. Reviews add fresh text on PDPs. With correct AggregateRating schema, stars can show in Google, improving CTR and indirectly rankings.
How do I avoid duplicate content on Shopify?
Common sources: collection URL pairs (canonicals), tag pages (/tagged/), pagination (?page=2), and product variants. Fix with correct canonicals plus noindex on low-value URLs (tags, heavy filter combinations).
Is the Shopify blog effective for SEO?
Yes, with limits. It indexes and supports standard tags. Limits: no article categories (only tags), no native custom fields without metafields, fixed blog URL pattern. For high-volume editorial, those limits can hurt. → <a href="/offre-seo-shopify" class="faq-a">See technical SEO resources for Shopify</a>.
How does hreflang work with Shopify Markets?
Markets auto-generates hreflang for configured international domains or subfolders. In practice, errors are common, especially x-default and multi-language markets. Manual checks in Search Console and tag audits are essential after each Markets change.
Do I need an SEO app on Shopify?
Not necessarily. Apps like Smart SEO or SEO Manager add features but also risks: duplicate schema with the theme, extra head scripts, and less control over output. For technically sound stores, they are often unnecessary.
What is the average conversion rate for a Shopify store?
Industry studies often show ~1.4%–2.8% for Shopify. Well-optimized niche stores can reach 4%–6%. If you are under ~1.5%, there are almost always fixable issues, not just “the industry.”
Why is my mobile conversion lower than desktop?
Typical for non-mobile-first stores: add-to-cart below the fold, hard-to-use image galleries, checkout not tuned for mobile input, slower loads on mobile networks. ~73% of Shopify purchases start on mobile, prioritize mobile.
What is a Shopify CRO audit?
A structured analysis of friction stopping visitors from buying: homepage, collections, PDPs, cart, checkout, mobile funnel. Output is a prioritized roadmap, quick wins first, structural work next. → <a href="/audit-shopify" class="faq-a">See the Shopify CRO & SEO audit page</a>.
What is the impact of reviews on conversion?
Large. Stores with visible PDP reviews often convert ~15%–30% better than those without. Placement matters: show average rating near the title, not only at the bottom.
How do I reduce cart abandonment on Shopify?
Top causes: shipping cost shock, forced account creation, long checkout, weak payment trust. Fixes: show shipping info on the PDP, guest checkout, Shop Pay (one-click), and visible payment logos.
Can I run A/B tests on Shopify?
Yes, with dedicated tools. Intelligems fits Shopify well for price/offer/content tests in checkout. For front-end tests (design, copy, CTAs), VWO or GA4 experiments work but need enough traffic for significance.
How long until CRO changes show results?
Quick wins (trust blocks, visible CTAs, checkout tweaks) often move metrics in 2–4 weeks. Structural work (PDP redesign, custom sections) and A/B tests may need 6–12 weeks. CRO is continuous iteration.
What is AOV and how do I increase it?
Average order value. Raising AOV by 10% has the same revenue impact as +10% traffic, without extra ad spend. Levers: upsells/cross-sells on PDP and cart, free-shipping thresholds, bundles.
Cart drawer vs dedicated cart page?
Drawers usually help multi-item journeys, add to cart without leaving the page. A full cart page fits complex products (configuration, personalization) that need a validation step.
How do I measure CRO performance on Shopify?
Track overall conversion by device and traffic source, add-to-cart rate, checkout initiation, checkout completion, and revenue per visitor. Shopify Analytics and GA4 for numbers; Microsoft Clarity for behavior (heatmaps, recordings).
How many apps can I install on Shopify?
No hard limit. Every app that injects scripts affects performance. Beyond ~10–15 active apps, Core Web Vitals often suffer. Rule: one app = one clear need. Remove unused apps, many leave code after uninstall.
Do Shopify apps leave code after uninstall?
Often yes. Some apps inject into theme.liquid or checkout and do not clean up. Orphan code slows the store. After uninstall, manually check the theme for leftover script and link tags.
What is the best reviews app for Shopify?
Judge.me offers the strongest value: usable free tier, paid from ~$15/month with photos and Q&A. Okendo is more premium (from ~$19/month) with deeper customization and Klaviyo integrations. Yotpo is powerful but costly for high volume. Native Shopify Reviews is free but basic.
Which app for email marketing on Shopify?
Klaviyo is the default for deep Shopify event-based flows (cart, purchase, checkout abandon). Free tier covers up to 500 profiles. Shopify Email is a solid starter: free up to 10k emails/month, simple UI, native integration. Full guide: /ressources/klaviyo-shopify.
Which app for A/B testing on Shopify?
Intelligems is my top pick for revenue-first A/B tests on Shopify: price, cart, checkout : measuring revenue, not just click rate. You need roughly 5,000 monthly sessions on the tested page. Full guide: /ressources/intelligems-shopify.
Do I need a search app on Shopify?
Native search is limited: weak typo tolerance, no synonyms, uneven ranking. For catalogs over ~100 products, search apps (Searchie, Searchanise, or free Shopify Search & Discovery) usually lift UX and conversion.
Which shipping apps do you recommend for France?
Official Colissimo and Chronopost apps exist. Sendcloud and Ship&co aggregate carriers (Colissimo, DHL, UPS, DPD) in one UI. AfterShip or Track123 for customer-facing tracking.
Can apps hurt SEO?
Yes. Blocking scripts in the head hurt LCP/INP. Apps that spawn thin/duplicate URLs can create SEO noise. SEO apps may duplicate schema with your theme. Evaluate performance impact before installing.
Can I run Shopify with zero paid apps?
Yes, for a simple store. 2.0 covers catalog, Shopify Payments, shipping, basic email, search, and standard reports. Paid apps become necessary for advanced reviews, loyalty, complex upsells, etc.
What is an “embed” app vs a legacy app?
Embed / app-block apps integrate via the theme editor without editing Liquid. Legacy apps inject into theme files. Embeds are easier to remove and usually lighter. Prefer apps that offer app blocks on 2.0.
Are Shopify Plus apps different from standard apps?
Plus unlocks APIs (Checkout Extensibility, Gift Cards, Multipass) that standard plans cannot use. Some checkout apps are Plus-only. Otherwise, standard apps behave the same across plans.
How long does a migration to Shopify take?
A simple migration (under 200 products, standard CMS, configured theme) takes about 4–6 weeks. Complex setups (large catalog, ERP, custom theme) take 3–5 months. I never commit to a timeline without auditing the current stack first. → <a href="/migration-shopify" class="faq-a">See the Migrate to Shopify page</a>.
Will a Shopify migration lose SEO traffic?
A bad migration can, it is the #1 cause of organic drops post-move. A solid migration should not, if 301 redirects, structured data, and GSC monitoring are handled correctly. Organic traffic should be stable or up by day 30.
How do I migrate from PrestaShop to Shopify?
Map URLs (/fr/category/product.html → /products/slug), migrate products and variants, recover reviews, and rebuild transactional emails. Matrixify-style tools automate data. Redirect tables must be built and tested carefully.
How do I migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify?
Data maps cleanly via CSV or migration apps. Watch permalink patterns, custom attributes (→ metafields), and Woo extensions whose features must be replaced by Shopify apps.
Can I keep my ERP (Odoo, SAP, etc.) when moving to Shopify?
Yes. Common pattern: ERP for stock/accounting/logistics + Shopify as the storefront, connected via API or a connector. I used this hybrid approach on TERRASCAPERS (Odoo → Shopify) with real-time catalog, orders, and inventory sync.
Can customer reviews be migrated to Shopify?
Yes. Trustpilot, Avis Vérifiés, and most review apps support import/export. Judge.me can import CSV from many sources. Review photos may need manual handling or a specialized importer.
How do I manage 301 redirects on Shopify?
Native redirect manager under Online Store → Navigation (or Content → URLs depending on admin version). For 500+ URLs, Matrixify bulk CSV import helps. Test in staging before go-live; redirect every URL with meaningful organic traffic or backlinks.
Can we migrate without downtime?
Yes. Build on Shopify staging, go live in a low-traffic window, flip redirects and DNS in minutes. The old site stays live until the switch. Expect tight monitoring for the first 48 hours.
Must we redesign during a migration?
No, it is strategic. If the current design converts, you can replicate it in a Shopify theme and iterate. If it is a conversion bottleneck, migration is a good moment to reset. Always review conversion data from the old site first.
What budget should I plan for a migration?
Simple projects often start around €2,000–€2,500 (under 200 products, standard CMS, configured theme). Custom themes, large catalogs, and ERP-connected stacks typically range €8,000–€25,000. Exact estimates require an audit.
Why is my Shopify store slow?
Top causes: heavy/unoptimized images, blocking app scripts, unoptimized third-party fonts, themes with too much JS, and leftover code from removed apps. PageSpeed Insights pinpoints the real bottlenecks on your URLs.
What is LCP and how do I improve it on Shopify?
Largest Contentful Paint, time until the main visible content renders. On Shopify it is usually the hero image. Improve with eager loading + fetchpriority on the hero, CDN URL params (?width=&format=webp), and deferring non-critical scripts. → <a href="/ressources/core-web-vitals-shopify" class="faq-a">Read the Core Web Vitals article</a>.
What is CLS and how do I avoid it?
Cumulative Layout Shift measures unexpected layout jumps. Common on Shopify: images without width/height, promo banners without reserved space, font loading without fallbacks. Fix with explicit dimensions, reserved CSS space, and font-display strategies.
PageSpeed is bad but the site feels fast. Why?
PSI combines lab data and field (CrUX) data. Your fiber + MacBook experience is not the same as 4G + mid-range Android. Field data matters most for SEO and real users.
Do apps really slow Shopify down?
Yes when they load blocking scripts in the head, often +50–300ms each. Ten apps can add 1–2s to LCP. Audit DevTools → Network and defer or remove what you can.
How do I optimize images on Shopify?
Shopify’s CDN serves WebP where supported. Upload high-res JPG/PNG, use URL parameters in Liquid for sizing, and srcsets for responsive images. Bulk compression: TinyIMG, Crush.pics, etc.
Is Shopify’s CDN enough?
For most French merchants, yes. Shopify’s Fastly-backed CDN has strong EU presence. Extra layers like Cloudflare are rarely needed and can conflict with Shopify’s CDN.
How do I improve mobile PageSpeed scores?
Test a real PDP URL, not only the homepage. Big wins: hero LCP, defer non-critical JS, lazy-load offscreen images, remove apps that load global scripts on pages where they are unused.
Does Shopify Plus make the store faster?
Not inherently. Infrastructure is the same across plans. Plus adds features (checkout extensibility, etc.), not faster servers. Speed depends on theme, apps, and media.
How does speed impact conversion?
Google has shown improving LCP from ~4s to ~2s can lift mobile conversions by ~15%. Faster pages reduce bounce and increase engagement, performance is usually one of the first levers I audit.
Can I customize the Shopify checkout?
On standard plans, customization is limited: branding, colors, logo, some copy. Deep changes (new steps, custom fields, conditional logic) require Plus and Checkout Extensibility, the block system replacing checkout.liquid scripts since 2024.
What is Shop Pay and should I enable it?
Shopify’s accelerated checkout with saved payment and shipping details for one-click checkout across Shopify stores. Available with Shopify Payments. Documented uplift: much higher completion vs standard checkout. Enable by default.
Which payment methods should I offer in France?
Baseline: cards via Shopify Payments, PayPal, Apple Pay / Google Pay (included with Shopify Payments). Installments: Alma or Klarna via apps. B2B: bank transfer option. Stores offering 4+ methods often outperform single-method setups.
How do I enable buy now, pay later in France?
Use apps: Alma (popular in France), Klarna, Scalapay. They integrate into Shopify checkout and PDPs. Setup is usually 1–2 hours. BNPL significantly helps on higher AOV products.
What is Shopify’s one-page checkout?
Since 2023 Shopify consolidated multi-step checkout into one page. Merchants are encouraged to migrate to this format by 2026. Fewer steps generally reduces abandonment.
Should shipping costs show on the product page?
Ideally yes. Surprise shipping at checkout is a top abandonment driver. Show “Free shipping from €X” or a flat fee on the PDP. Apps like Free Shipping Bar or custom sections can surface dynamic thresholds.
How do I set conditional free shipping?
Settings → Shipping: price-based rates per zone. For cart progress messaging (“€15 away from free shipping”), use an app (Free Shipping Bar, Cartix) or Liquid.
Is Shopify GDPR-compliant?
Shopify provides tools; compliance depends on your configuration. You still need: privacy policy, cookie consent, analytics blocked until consent where required, and legally sound French legal pages. Have a qualified lawyer review if needed.
Can I run discount codes on Shopify?
Yes, natively: percentage, fixed amount, free shipping, with rules (minimums, product limits, usage caps). Automatic discounts work too. Complex stacking or bundle logic may need Plus Functions or dedicated apps.
How do refunds work on Shopify?
Orders → Order → Refund. Partial or full. With Shopify Payments, refunds route through the gateway; customer bank timing is usually ~5–10 business days. Returns flows: Shopify Inbox or apps like Loop Returns.
At what revenue does Shopify Plus make sense?
Often from ~€1–2M annual revenue, or when you need capabilities standard plans lack: custom checkout, native B2B, multistore, Shopify Functions. Compare the $2,500/month cost to saved transaction fees on Advanced (0.15% vs 0.5%) and avoided custom dev.
What is Checkout Extensibility on Plus?
The system for deep checkout customization on Plus: blocks, custom fields, banners, conditional logic. It replaces legacy checkout.liquid (deprecated since 2024). Built via Checkout UI extensions and admin-managed apps.
Does Shopify Plus support B2B?
Yes. Shopify B2B (in Plus) supports company-specific catalogs and pricing, payment terms (net 30/60), dedicated B2B storefronts, and company records in admin, a strong option for brands running B2B and B2C together.
Can I run multiple stores on one Plus org?
Yes. Plus includes expansion stores (typically 9 in the base contract) sharing the same org and admin, with different catalogs, pricing, and themes, ideal for multi-market or multi-brand setups.
What is Shopify Flow?
Plus automation builder: trigger on orders, customers, inventory, etc., without code. Examples: tag VIP customers, alert on low stock, disable sold-out products, push tasks to external tools.
What are Shopify Functions?
Backend hooks that customize checkout and commerce logic (discount rules, delivery methods, cart validations) beyond the admin UI. Implemented in Rust or JavaScript for Shopify’s runtime.
Does Plus include better support?
Yes, Merchant Success Manager and priority 24/7 support with faster response times than standard plans. For mission-critical high-volume stores, that alone can justify the cost.
Can I upgrade from Shopify to Plus without downtime?
Yes. It is a plan upgrade, no data migration or downtime. Plus features (Checkout Extensibility, Flow, B2B) unlock immediately after activation.
Is Shopify Plus fit for large French enterprises?
Plus is used from fast-growing brands to large enterprises. Enterprise features (SSO, audit logs, advanced permissions, SLAs) matter. For extremely complex B2B catalogs or deep ERP needs, evaluate platform limits vs fully custom stacks.
Where should I start to optimize my Shopify store?
With an audit. Before spending on traffic, apps, or a redesign, you need a clear picture of what blocks growth and in what order. A solid audit covers technical SEO, CRO, performance, and data architecture, always more ROI than guessing. → <a href="/audit-shopify" class="faq-a">See the Shopify CRO & SEO audit page</a>.