E322:🎙️BUILDING A NEW KIND OF SHOPIFY BRAND SUCCESS ACCELERATOR | BEN SHARF - PLATTER
REVOLUTIONIZING SHOPIFY: AN INTERVIEW WITH BEN SHARF OF PLATTER
Ready to take your Shopify game to the next level? Meet Platter, the brainchild of Ben Sharf. Ben recently joined me on the eCommerce Edge Podcast to share how Platter is making waves in the Shopify ecosystem. Platter combines a ready-to-use theme with a robust app, providing a friction-free purchasing experience for Shopify merchants. Here’s a deep dive into our conversation.
WELCOME BEN SHARF
Ben is the co-founder of Platter, an all-in-one turnkey solution for Shopify merchants. This dual solution consists of a high-converting theme and an app rich with functionality. Ben’s background, dotted with roles at Gopuff and other ventures, gives him a unique perspective on the needs of eCommerce brands.
THE VISION BEHIND PLATTER
Platter was born from one key insight: most Shopify apps are features, not full products. This realization led Ben and his team to build a solution that minimizes the need for multiple apps, reducing costs and operational complexity. Platter aims to provide a ready-made store that converts well, is easy to manage and requires fewer apps.
Ben shared, “Many apps in the Shopify ecosystem are merely features, leading to bloated tech stacks. We wanted to build something that consolidates necessary functionalities into one efficient solution.”
HOW PLATTER SIMPLIFIES SHOPIFY STORES
Almost every Shopify project involves a plethora of apps. Merchants often find themselves juggling 20 to 35 apps to get their store running smoothly. Each app can feel like a small tax on their budget, complicating the maintenance of the store.
Platter bundles these essential functionalities into a single theme and app, simplifying the setup process and ensuring high performance right out of the box. This approach minimizes the number of additional apps required, helping store owners save on recurring fees.
BEYOND A THEME: THE POWER OF PLATTER’S APP
Ben explains that while Platter’s theme offers robust functionality, the associated app takes it up a notch. The app includes sophisticated features that couldn’t be fully developed within the confines of Shopify’s theme editor. For instance, the mix-and-match bundling feature, along with gamification elements are managed through the app, making the setup even more powerful and flexible.
THE AGENCY PERSPECTIVE
One intriguing aspect of Platter is its appeal to Shopify agencies. Instead of viewing agencies as competitors, Platter partners with them. Agencies can leverage Platter’s platform, reducing the time and custom coding involved in their projects. This allows them to focus more on their clients’ brand-building efforts rather than on repetitive development tasks.
Ben notes, “We want to empower agencies. They can take our accelerator product, implement it, and move quickly into managed services engagements, enhancing and extending the build over time.”
WHERE PLATTER FITS IN THE MARKET
Platter aims to serve Shopify stores generating at least $5 million in revenue. However, its efficiency and functionality make it an attractive option for any brand looking to streamline their eCommerce operations. By focusing initially on the big wins in conversion rate optimization and operational efficiency, Platter can offer value to a wide range of merchants.
B2B ON SHOPIFY AND PLATTER’S FUTURE
When asked about B2B capabilities, Ben shared that while their current focus remains B2C, Platter’s functionalities are robust enough to help optimize any online purchasing process. The primary focus remains on improving operational efficiencies and boosting conversion rates.
Looking ahead, Platter is working on some exciting features including checkout extensions, a rules engine for dynamic discounts and a comprehensive analytics layer to provide direct attribution for various features.
CONCLUSION
Platter’s all-in-one solution is reshaping how Shopify merchants approach their online stores. By consolidating essential features into a single theme and app; Platter simplifies the eCommerce journey, making it easier and more affordable to build high-converting stores.
Whether you’re a merchant or an agency, Platter offers a streamlined, efficient way to take your Shopify store to the next level. With planned features like checkout extensions and advanced analytics, the future looks bright for Platter and its users.
For more information, visit Platter [https://www.platter.co] or connect with Ben Sharf on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bensharf].
Are you a B2B or D2C eCommerce merchant looking to scale your business? Head over to Greenwood Consulting [https://www.greenwoodconsulting.net] to discover how we can help you reach your goals.
To learn more, check out the related THE ECOMMERCE EDGE Podcast episode below: