Shopify is perhaps the leading ecommerce platform out there, so it makes sense for you to open your online store using it. However, now you have your store up and running, and you may be considering opening another.
It is common for store owners to want multiple stores, whether this is an offshoot of their original brand, an international version of the site, or something completely new. Being able to do this under a single domain could offer a lot of benefits in terms of SEO.
Having multiple Shopify stores under one domain can be a great way to improve your search engine optimization, by having specific sites, collections, and audiences for each link, but whether you can do this is another question.
As an SEO agency, we have helped many store owners get the attention they deserve online and continue to provide some of the best SEO services available. We can help your site perform better in search engine results so it brings in more traffic and funnels customers into sales.
If you are wanting to make more money from your Shopify store, then you have come to the right place, as we can help. We also offer customer support to those who run multiple Shopify stores.
Contact us today for a free no obligation quote.
Can you have multiple Shopify stores under one account?
It is not possible to have multiple Shopify stores under one Shopify account.
While it is possible to have more than one store on Shopify, these need to be made with a separate domain and under a new Shopify account. When you create multiple stores, these will be an entirely separate store with its own domain.
Opting to have multiple Shopify stores can be a great tool for marketing and better SEO, as each Shopify store will target a new market, sell internationally or even sell new products. However, you will need more than one account to do this.
Once you have one store under the primary domain, you can duplicate content, themes, and settings to multiple stores for a consistent appearance across your multiple subdomains.
Why have multiple stores under one domain?
On Shopify, multiple stores under a single domain can be highly beneficial for some brands.
For example, if you want to open international stores, then you may want to do this by creating multiple stores under the same domain. This way, no matter where people are, when they enter your store, they can get the site they need for their location.
While each Shopify store will have a unique domain, you can avoid using multiple domains by creating subdomains. International domains are one way of running multiple Shopify stores from a root domain. They will allow your online business to be accessible in different countries without having to create a whole new store.
These subdomains can come in multiple languages, allowing you to target different markets and different locations from the same domain.
Some Shopify merchants also create a wholesale domain, which is where the same brand sells the same items but in bulk to wholesale customers.
These will all operate as separate stores but work under the same domain for marketing purposes.
Can you use subdirectories instead of subdomains?
Instead of making a new store to support different languages, you may want to create subdirectories instead. However, this is only possible on Shopify with translation apps or custom development.
If you have a basic Shopify account, your options will be limited when it comes to how many stores you can create and how these different stores operate. Reaching new customer segments, such as in different regions where your other stores are based, can be done using translation apps.
These will translate the content on your store, ensuring the same website can be used across the world. As you are relying on translation, as opposed to creating an individual store for this new audience, there are some limitations you have to work with – even on advanced Shopify.
Additional stores created using translation apps do not allow control of the products, meaning you cannot limit products based on location availability as you are only translating the page. This means the same products will be available everywhere, even if this is not what you want.
You also cannot choose your subdirectories besides language, which means you cannot create multiple Shopify stores under only one primary domain this way.
Subdomains vs Subdirectories for SEO
Using subdomains or subdirectories to have more than one store under the same domain works essentially the same for SEO.
There is some conflicting advice out there in terms of which process to create multiple stores is better for SEO, but they usually work the same. After all, even when you create a subdirectory, for example, you are creating a new kind of domain, and this can take some time to develop organic traffic.
As a leading SEO agency, we can offer the advice you need to optimise Shopify multiple stores one domain, ensuring that each one gets the attention it deserves. Having multiple stores on Shopify can be a great way to improve your rankings on search engines, regardless of whether these are done through subdirectories or subdomains.
It is the way you treat the different stores that make the difference to SEO, rather than how these separate websites were made the first time.
If you want to open more stores under the same Shopify domain, we can help with online traffic. Contact us today to learn more or to request a free no obligation quote.
Can You Have More Than One Shopify Store?
Store owners can have multiple Shopify stores, but you will need multiple domains to do this.
One store owner cannot be running multiple Shopify stores from the same account or using the same email address.
To have two stores, for example, will mean you need two Shopify accounts and two different domains. This is also the case even if you are part of the Shopify Plus programme, as it is simply part of the way Shopify operates.
It is possible to have multiple storefronts under a single domain, but this will be known as a subdomain and is not a completely new store in itself.
There are several reasons why having separate stores is a good thing for your business, and having even two Shopify stores can improve your SEO, as long as you are willing to manage multiple accounts.
With different Shopify accounts, you can appeal to new customers and offer multiple products across the board, but just one store can offer the success you dream of when it is optimised well.
As a leading SEO agency, we can help with the optimisation of all your stores and work in multiple regions.
Contact us today to request your free no obligation quote.
The downsides of multiple stores on Shopify
Having multiple Shopify stores can offer some benefits, but it also comes with downsides as well.
One downside is the fact that each Shopify store operates as a completely separate entity.
While there are some tools out there to connect your Shopify stores data, any updates that need to be done on one site will have to be done manually. As one Shopify store changes, so will the other stores connected to this account which also need to be managed manually.
Likewise, while the theme can be duplicated across multiple Shopify stores, any changes done to these will need to be manual and can affect multiple aspects. If you only have one or two stores, this can be quite easy to do, but it becomes an issue when you get a larger inventory and more stores to manage.
Managing multiple Shopify stores on your own can become expensive, not only in terms of credit card fees but also time.
This is something most store owners cannot afford, which is why it is important to consider the workload that will come with multiple stores before you begin to create multiple Shopify stores off the back of one successful brand.
As a leading SEO agency, we can help you manage multiple Shopify stores and ensure each domain is optimised for the best results. We offer a free no obligation quote for all our services, so please contact us today to learn how we can help.
Share Data Between All Your Shopify Stores with Multi Store Sync Power
If you do have multiple brands under the same domain, then you will want to share data related to their performance. Sharing data can make it easier to manage multiple Shopify stores and can be done through tools such as Shopify Plus Multi Store Sync Power.
This tool is a way of managing multiple Shopify stores by sharing data between them, allowing a single store owner to keep track of their progress. Apps like this offer tools such as:
Two Way Sync
This is done on the Shopify apps and is a way of controlling the preferences of your stores manually. This allows you to watch as any changes occur in your store and how it affects the other stores you own.
Full Record of Sync History
This can also be accessed through the Shopify apps or main site and gives you a list of statistics related to the inventory, product, and collection records of your stores.
Automated Inventory Updates
Stock numbers are automatically adjusted across your Shopify stores whenever an order is placed so you can keep track of what each store still has.
Should All Your Shopify Stores Share the Same Domain?
It is possible to have multiple Shopify stores under the same domain to provide a unified experience for all your customers.
With multiple stores on Shopify under the same email address and account, you can reach all kinds of customers and provide the same experience no matter where they are based or what they are looking for.
If you do not want your multiple Shopify stores to have the same domain, then you cannot use the same email address to open a new store. Stores with the same address will be considered subdomains and are essentially the same site but to be accessed from another location, for example.
Even those on Shopify Plus cannot open a new store with the same domain, despite the additional customer support they may have.
From an SEO standpoint, this is a good thing because having multiple Shopify stores with the same name can take away traffic. While multiple stores can be useful for SEO, this is only if they differ in terms of name and focus. Those with the same name, keywords, and focus will ruin your existing SEO efforts and prevent people from finding what they need.
Creating multiple product pages on your store is a better option to attract more people without impacting your current SEO efforts.
Leveraging Hreflang to Fix SEO
Reaching your desired target market is done through SEO which can be affected by trying to manage multiple Shopify stores. There is a tool out there to help with these issues.
What is Hreflang?
This is an HTML attribute that links country or language-specific versions of your website, ensuring your customers are recommended the right one based on their searches.
This helps with SEO by removing duplicate links and content, ensuring your audience is only shown the store that applies to them.
Setting up Hreflang on Shopify
You can set up Hreflang to support you with managing multiple Shopify stores by ensuring the handles are the same across all your stores.
This allows you to modify the theme to add Hreflang tags, ensuring the right subdomain or subdirectory is recommended in specific searches. This can be difficult to do alone, which is why working with SEO developers like those on our team is the best way to go.
When it comes to helping our clients manage multiple Shopify stores, this is the main tool we use, and it can be very helpful for all kinds of ecommerce businesses. This tool can be used for most stores, but some issues may arise with larger brands with thousands of products.
For these kinds of clients, we will use other tools in combination with Hreflang to ensure the best results.
Contact us for your free no obligation quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you have multiple Shopify Stores under one domain?
It is possible to have multiple stores under the same domain if you use subdirectories or subdomains.
Can I use multiple subfolders on my Shopify store?
Multiple subfolders can be created with some translation apps, but there are limitations to this process.
Are subfolders or subdomains better for SEO?
Both subfolders and subdomains can be used to create multiple stores on Shopify and offer the same benefits to SEO.
Final Thoughts
Having more than one Shopify store could be a great way to grow your brand, but it is not the easiest thing to do unless you are willing to manage multiple accounts.
As a leading SEO agency, we offer customer support and professional services to Shopify store owners that can increase their traffic. We can help store owners manage multiple Shopify stores if this is something they want to do while also optimising their current site for better results.
Contact us for a free no obligation quote and see how we can help your business succeed.
