Do you run a subscription box business on Cratejoy?

Here at Bold, we're always getting requests to help migrate stores from Cratejoy to  Shopify. So we thought we would create this article to walk you through:

• The pros and cons of each platform
• How you can expand your product offerings and move into new markets
• How you can move your subscription business over to Shopify without losing customers
  

Cratejoy vs Shopify in 2020

There are a lot of reasons it makes sense to migrate from Cratejoy to Shopify. But first, let's get the obvious question out of the way, "why not do both?"

The answer is you definitely can, and some people do! (for a while at least)

When you migrate from Cratejoy to Shopify though, any subscribers you've acquired organically can come with you. Plus, you can always email your subscribers to let them about the change, so there's not really a need to keep paying for your Cratejoy account if you decide to switch platforms.

Ecommerce subscription platforms

Running a business on Cratejoy, or any marketplace like Amazon, Etsy, Ebay etc., is a great way to get a business started.

It's quicker to set up than a stand alone store and you'll instantly get traffic, which means immediate revenue. 

However, if you're like most merchants, there eventually comes a time when you wonder if you should start building your own website and expanding your brand —essentially, your own company that will grow in value, that will one day potentially be worth something to an investor! 

Let's face it, at the end of the day you're just renting your customers from Cratejoy.

Cratejoy fees

They have traffic, but you pay for it. All added up, it's a $39 monthly fee to be listed, a 1.25% transaction fee, plus $0.10 per transaction, and a whopping 10% of everything sold through the marketplace.

There are clearly financial benefits to running a stand alone subscription store, but giving up close to 12% of every order is a lot to swallow. On top of that, all the traffic you generate goes to a website you don't own, and your competitor's products are literally a click a way.  

Scaling your business + expanding into new markets

With Shopify, you’ll be able to scale your business without your platform limiting your success. With Cratejoy, your limited to selling subscription boxes only.

But by using Bold Subscriptions for Shopify, you not only have all the same subscription capabilities to offer your customers, but you can start expanding your brand by selling products individually as well.

Let’s say you sell a wine of the month subscription box. Wouldn’t it be great if your customers could go to your site to purchase their favourite wines they’ve received in a previous order? You can almost taste the increased revenue. 

It’s great for increasing conversions too.

You can offer trial-sized versions of your products in one amazing box, letting your customers try your products risk free. Once they see how awesome your products are, they can purchase the full-size versions on your store with zero hesitation. Or, with our convertable subscription feature, their subscription can automatically switch to the full size version.

It doesn’t have to be a typical box either, it can be any recurring order.

Let's use coffee as an example. You can offer your customers the option to either A) buy their favourite blend as a one time purchase or B) also give them the option to have that same order delivered to their door once a month.

You're missing out on sales by not offering one-time purchases too; Cratejoy even says it themselves! 

They look at it as a positive that they only offer subscriptions. We look at it as a barrier to you making as much money as possible. And based off the stores that we've seen migrate Shopify, it's clear that it is. 

Here are a few things real customers had to say after making the migration:

 And there are so many more just like that (click to find out why!)

Increase traffic to YOUR store

Cratejoy advertises its marketplace as one of its main benefits over Shopify. But with customers spending on average only 2 minutes and 31 seconds on eCommerce sites, the chances of not only that shopper finding your store, but making a purchase, is tiny.

While Cratejoy aims to promote itself by sending your customers to their marketplace, Bold Subscriptions uses built-in marketing tools, like the ability to send automated emails, to segment your subscribers and send targeted promotions to get customers back to your store.

Not only will your customers not be distracted by your competitors products, but you'll hopefully see a boost in sales since personalized emails deliver 6x higher transaction rates! 

Shopify + Bold Subscriptions

Cratejoy might be great at offering you an easy way to sell subscription boxes, but so are we.

Shopify offers fast, beautifully designed stores customized to your brand. And as Shopify's largest app and development partner, we've designed the most feature-rich subscription app available on Shopify.

Plus our server environment is designed to handle traffic for Fortune 500 companies, SuperBowl commercials, Shark Tank appearances, you name it. So you'll never miss an order by having your app go down.

Need more convincing? Check out 6 Shopify stores that are crushing it with subscription boxes and products.

We won't list all the features of our app, we have our app store listing for that, but it's important to point out that Bold Subscriptions offers all the same subscription capabilities as Cratejoy, and then some.

Thinking of switching to Shopify? We'll help you migrate your store.

If you’re building your business around a subscription service, it’s absolutely crucial that you set it up properly and get the best advice possible.

That's why we have a dedicated team of subscription specialists to answer your questions. Not only during the migration, but for as long as you're running your store.

Their main goal is to help you make as much money as possible. Even better: this service is free 😊

When you migrate from Cratejoy to Bold Subscriptions for Shopify, you get:

• Free code installation & theme update 
• No-risk free trial
• Free setup call and support from a subscription specialist 
• Carry-over of all your pre-paid subscriptions
• Secure transfer of your customers data
• 99.9% uptime, with no interruption to your subscriptions
• Order counts
• Better customer interface for subscribers (Customers can manage, edit, skip, update, and add-to existing orders themselves)
• Analytics and reports
• Over 15+ payment gateways

How to start your free migration

First, head over to the Bold Subscriptions site to install the app. 

Once you've started your free trial, make sure to book your free setup call.

We’ve got a team of dedicated migration specialists who can help you from start to finish, including walking you through setting up your store, answering any questions you might have about the app and how to use its features, and how to start importing your subscribers. 

Bottom line: Shopify and Bold Subscriptions will help you grow your business

If you're looking to grow your subscription business, Cratejoy is not a sustainable, long term solution for your eCommerce store.

But by migrating your online store to Shopify and Bold Subscriptions, you can remove all barriers in your way to expanding your brand and product offerings.

What are you waiting for? Book a call with our subscription specialists today to see how we can help you scale your business (and make you more money of course).

Have you had success with a subscription model on Shopify? Post a comment below and let us know your experience.