We moved our store to Shopify in the spring of 2020. In general terms the move has been good. Shopify is a good e-commerce platform but has some hard to explain shortcomings. I will list a couple here in the hope that somebody might read this blog.
1. Calculating shipping cost does not take into account the box size. The product description page captures the item's weight, but it does not have any record for the items dimensions. When the customer checks out, Shopify calculates the shipping cost based solely on weight. Thus, a 1 lb. item which is 2x2x2 inches is calculated the same as one which is 2x2x2 ft. The results are obviously erroneous. Small errors for small packages, big errors for big ones.
Solution: add dimensions to the Product page. Shipping boxes are already defined in the profile, it's rather easy to estimate which box to pick if you know all the dimensions.
2. Partial fulfilment is possible, but partial payment is not. We have multiple customers who place larger orders to be fulfilled over a period of time. They make partial payments as we ship. We can capture partial fulfillment on the Shopify order, but there is no provision for capturing partial payments. Amazing but true.
Solution: The Collect Payment pop-up now has only 2 options: Enter Credit Card, Mark as paid. A third option is badly required: Mark as partially paid, or similar. This option needs a text box to enter the partial payment. The due amount has to be decreased with the entered amount, so future invoices reflect the actual balance.
3. The current Shopify interface does not allow customers to request shipping on their own account. This is a major shortcoming for international shipping.