Shopify Unite 2021 – How The Changes Affect Entrepreneurs And Marketers
Shopify Unite 2021 showcased some fantastic changes a lot of which have been covered here already.
1. Online Store 2.0 – Customer Journey Creation and Speed of implementation
Customer Journey Creation
Themes now operate as blocks giving you more customizability over how your store looks. This will make customer journey sequencing more powerful.
For example, let’s say that you have one category of products that converts really well with video on the product page, as video completes the purchase journey from the ad. But you have another category that doesn’t because the angle you used in your ads was slightly different.
You can easily create templates for each category of product page giving you some pretty good options for contextual customer journeys.
Speed of implementation
You can configure sections, templates, and landing pages for product drops, holiday events, flash sales, etc…, without having to re-configure any code. Shortening the time from idea to execution.
So let’s say you want to “news jack” a current event and create a promotion around it. You can quickly get the page up and running and save the templates and sections for future promos.
2. Storefront API – Creative Storytelling
“Every successful business tells its own unique story” – Tobias Lutke said. This was a favorite section. The Shopify storefront API allows some really cool builds limited only by your imagination.
The examples they showed:
- Off Limits animated characters and gamification: https://www.eatofflimits.com
- Yoléleé’s unique visual product explorer: https://yolele.com
- ZSA’s moonlighter keyboard configurator’s advanced customization: https://www.zsa.io/moonlander/buy
- Allbirds allowing you to try on shoes virtually using AR
- Complexcon turning its festival into an entire virtual world within a video game: https://complexland.com
3. Checkout Speed & Customization
They’ve improved the performance of the checkout giving it the ability to handle massive volume during flash sales. And they’ve also cut the checkout load time by 2x (this will definitely increase checkout conversions).
Apps will now allow you to customize your checkout. 60%+ revenue is lost at checkout and previously unless you were a Shopify Plus customer, checkout customization options were limited.
4. Checkout Extensions
Checkout extensions allow partners to build more apps for checkout. For example, add order bumps directly to the customer page. Great for increasing AOV without affecting conversion rates.
They also launched a checkout extension called Post Purchase Extension which is available for development stores but won’t be ready till Q4.
This would allow you to add post-purchase upsells without the need for a 3rd party app?
If that’s the case another excellent marketing tool allowing us to deepen bonds with customers at the point of purchase, while simultaneously increasing AOV.
5. International Payout Methods
In addition to Paypal, you’ll be able to receive payments with multiple options and currencies in more than 200 regions and countries.
One of the quickest, easiest and cheapest ways to scale paid advertising is to duplicate winning campaigns in other countries. This added capability makes that option available to more merchants.
Conclusion
Shopify’s commitment to its partners and the eCommerce businesses that use them is exemplary. Like millions all over the world, my business wouldn’t be where it is today without Shopify and these updates are more awesome ways I can help my clients continue to grow.
