[Shopify] I'm worried if I don't know. How does it support Japanese?

It does not fit Japanese business practices.

I think this is also something that often causes anxiety.

To sum up, our response capability is about 80% .

The biggest problem is the issue of "specifying delivery date and time". In the case of Japanese shopping cart systems, I think it is almost a default function, but in the case of Shopify, it needs to be installed additionally.

The average cost for an app is around $9.9/month, but the good thing about apps is that they generate CSV files that match the shipping document output format of most delivery companies, making it easy to issue shipping labels.

Another option is to implement it yourself using code. If you do this, you will need the knowledge to build it yourself, but there is no monthly fee. And since the CSV format is not a shipping label format, you can either create a separate Excel sheet for conversion, or try to write it by hand.

Well, in any case, something will work out !

Cash on delivery is available

Cash on delivery is a little difficult to handle. Although the system can handle cash on delivery, the problem arises as to where to display the "cash on delivery fee" to customers.

Not visible on the "Checkout" screen

*Checkout refers to the three pages after the cart: "Enter address," "Select delivery method," and "Payment."

So, if you want to display it, it can be shown on the "cart page" before checkout. If you put in a bit of effort, it might be possible to display it on the final thank you page and in the order confirmation email, but this requires a lot of knowledge and construction skills, so I think you'll need the help of an expert.

Also, the "cash on delivery fee" is not reflected at all in Shopify's accounting! Since invoices are sent from each delivery company, it may be possible to process it in accounting, but if you want data linked to each order, it may be a little difficult to deal with.

Another drawback is that it is difficult to deal with issues such as cancellations and refusals to receive orders from a system perspective, so I think Shopify's true stance regarding cash on delivery is that "it is possible, but we do not recommend it."

Japanese apps are becoming more and more popular

To be honest, some of the initial functions do not conform to business practices, but as the number of Japanese apps has increased recently, they can be adapted to various business practices.

For example, you can also use the app to handle "Noshi" (gift wrapping).

There are even apps that allow you to deliver anonymously as long as you know the LINE ID.

The invoices at the beginning are not in line with Japanese customs, but you can deal with that in the app.

There are also apps that automatically issue receipts.

If you use an app, you can do almost anything. Especially around 2022, the number of Japanese apps is increasing dramatically, so I think most of the business practice issues are being resolved.

Japanese people are getting used to it too.

Also, although this is something I can't really attribute to myself, I think that we Japanese are becoming accustomed to things made overseas.

For example, if you look at a Google account, the name is usually reversed.

When you watch something, you often come across Japanese advertisements for foreign games that look a bit strange, don't you?

Even though they are both online shopping sites, Amazon sells a ton of products with strange Japanese writing .

I think that in the future, the number of "systems that do not support Japanese" will continue to increase, so even if you are a little unfamiliar with them now, unfortunately, considering the power of the nation, I think that Japanese people will be forced to get used to them.

The Japanese response rate is 90%, but the other differences are huge

In the end, I think Shopify is not 100% compatible with Japan. But why is Shopify still recommended so much? You may wonder. I think it's because of its overwhelming customizability .

Of course, it is possible to implement it in an app, but it is also possible to add the functions themselves individually using dedicated languages ​​such as Liquid and JavaScript.

For example, if you want to implement the "Noshi" function introduced above with limited functions, you can implement it with a code that will be free of charge for the month . If you implement it with a code, you will not be charged the monthly usage fee for the app. There may be an initial cost because it will require some initial labor, but you will be able to recover it in time.

Another app called "Shopify Flow" has an extremely convenient automation function that automatically processes specified tasks when specified conditions are met, such as when an order is placed or shipped, and the marketing functions are also quite excellent, so even people who are unfamiliar with marketing will be able to look at them and figure out, "I need to look at these numbers here."

Shopify allows you to continuously upgrade those small details that you might not notice in the beginning.

With other cart systems, there is usually a limit to what can be achieved, and if you are building a system completely from scratch (custom made), not only will the initial costs be enormous, but the management and renewal costs will also tend to be high.

With Shopify, you can start small and then expand as an e-commerce site, and it's the only platform that can accommodate your future growth.

This is the source of their strength that has allowed them to take an overwhelming share of the global market (90%).