Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Gain a Marketing Edge
- Build Standout B2B Experiences
- Scale Seamlessly with Managed Markets
- Tailor Your Commerce Stack with New and Improved APIs
- Elevate Checkout with New Shop Pay Features
- Unleash the Power of Shopify Magic
- Conclusion
- FAQ Section
Introduction
In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for success. The Shopify Summer Editions 2024 offers numerous enhancements designed to help merchants excel. As we dive into these updates, we'll explore six key features that stand out, each crafted to optimize various facets of online business operations. Whether you aim to improve customer experience, streamline processes, or scale your business, these updates could be game-changers. Let's delve into what makes this edition of Shopify a must-know for every online merchant.
Gain a Marketing Edge
Marketing can often feel like shooting arrows in the dark, hoping one will hit the target. However, Shopify's latest updates offer tools designed to make marketing more precise and cost-effective.
Drive Risk-Free Growth
With the new marketing features, businesses can promote campaigns on external channels like Meta and Google without worrying about exceeding their maximum customer acquisition cost (CAC). This ensures a cost-effective way to expand reach and drive growth, eliminating financial risks associated with over-budget marketing campaigns.
Find More Customers on Top Ad Platforms
Efficiency is key, and Shopify now offers increased returns on ad spend. For every dollar spent on retargeting ads, merchants could see up to twice as many orders through Shopify audiences. This option is currently available for Plus users, with early access for other plans in the USA and Canada, providing a substantial boost to marketing efficiency.
Build Standout B2B Experiences
B2B commerce has its unique challenges, and Shopify addresses these head-on with specific features designed to cater to bulk and repeat purchases.
Manual Payment Methods for B2B
Merchants can now offer manual payment methods at checkout, including bank transfers, checks, and international wires. This payment flexibility enhances customer experience and streamlines the purchasing process, which will be available globally from June 24 for all plans. This capability is essential for businesses dealing in high-volume transactions where traditional payment methods might be less feasible.
Support for Headless B2B Storefronts + Hydrogen Template
Creating unique B2B experiences has never been easier. Shopify's APIs and developer tools allow merchants to enable B2B checkouts, access personalized products and prices, and construct headless storefronts tailored to their needs. This provides the flexibility to build customized experiences that cater to specific business requirements, available globally now.
Trade Theme
The Trade theme is expressly designed for wholesale's repeat and bulk purchasing. While all merchants have access, Shopify Plus users benefit from pre-built support for advanced features, making it easier to set up and manage a B2B store efficiently.
Scale Seamlessly with Managed Markets
Scaling a business involves navigating the complexities of international shipping and costs. Shopify's managed market features simplify these challenges.
UPS Shipping
Shopify's enhanced shipping options offer more choices with competitive rates and duties collected upfront. This improves buyer options, boosts conversion rates, and increases merchant savings. This feature is now available in the USA, making the shipping process more efficient and cost-effective.
Duties Inclusive Pricing
To avoid the unpleasant surprise of added duties and import taxes at checkout, Shopify now offers duties inclusive pricing. This transparent pricing model improves the customer experience and ensures no unexpected fees upon delivery, currently available in the USA with early access for all plans.
Tailor Your Commerce Stack with New and Improved APIs
APIs are the backbone of customization in e-commerce. Shopify's latest updates provide more flexibility and control over the commerce stack.
Exchange APIs
Managing returns can be a hassle, but updates to the exchange APIs simplify this process. Merchants can now manage the full exchange lifecycle, from adding exchange items to discounting them and applying return shipping and restocking fees. These enhancements reduce the need for custom workarounds, improving efficiency and sales reporting.
Discount Functions for POS
The ability to customize backend logic allows for more advanced discount strategies. Developers can now leverage APIs to implement sophisticated omnichannel discounting options. This feature enhances backend flexibility and is available now, providing merchants with the tools to execute complex discounting strategies.
Branding API Updates
Shopify's Checkout Extensibility now supports advanced styling through the Branding API. With new color schemes, positions, and content dividers for headers and footers, and support for queue pages, merchants can ensure a cohesive customer experience throughout the checkout process.
Storefront Cart API - Prefill Checkout
Streamlining the checkout process is crucial for reducing cart abandonment. The Cart API now enables prefilling checkout features using pre-collected buyer inputs like delivery address and preferred delivery method. This improvement reduces friction during checkout and enhances customer satisfaction.
Customer Account API Metafields
Storing and accessing customer information has never been more efficient. With the Customer Account API, developers can build experiences that allow logged-in customers to update their information. This personalized touch leads to a more efficient and tailored customer experience.
Elevate Checkout with New Shop Pay Features
Shop Pay Commerce Component
Integrate Shop Pay with Salesforce Commerce Cloud to simplify deployment and business functionality. This integration aids in reducing deployment costs while improving overall business operations. Additionally, the Buy Online, Pickup In Store (BOPIS) functionality bridges the gap between online and offline shopping experiences, offering unmatched convenience to customers.
Unleash the Power of Shopify Magic
Sidekick
Powered by Shopify Magic, Sidekick assists merchants by tackling time-consuming tasks and providing expert advice tailored to their business needs. Early access to this feature is available in the USA and Canada, making it a valuable tool for enhancing business decisions and creative processes.
Media Editor
Creating high-quality visual content is vital for captivating audiences. The AI-enabled Media Editor allows for instant image generation and edits within various aspects of the Shopify admin, from the mobile app to the Online Store and Email Editors. Available globally now, this tool helps merchants create visually appealing content efficiently.
Suggested Categories & Attributes
Product organization and searchability are critical for any online store. Shopify's AI-suggested categories and attributes help classify products effortlessly, making them more discoverable both in storefronts and marketplaces. This feature is available globally and enhances the overall shopping experience.
Conclusion
The Shopify Summer Editions 2024 brings a plethora of enhancements designed to help merchants thrive in the competitive e-commerce landscape. Whether it's through improved marketing tools, flexible B2B solutions, or seamless scaling features, Shopify's latest updates are set to elevate your online business.
For those keen on leveraging these cutting-edge tools and features, our team at Unified is here to support you. Contact us for more information and no-obligation quotes to discuss how these updates can be tailored to fit your business needs.
FAQ Section
1. What are the key benefits of Shopify's new marketing features?
- Shopify's marketing features allow for risk-free growth by ensuring campaigns do not exceed your maximum customer acquisition cost (CAC) and improve the efficiency of ad spends, enabling up to twice as many orders for every dollar spent on retargeting ads.
2. How do Shopify's new B2B features help merchants?
- The updates provide more flexible payment options, support for headless storefronts, and a Trade theme designed for repeat and bulk purchases, enhancing the overall B2B customer experience.
3. What shipping features are included in Shopify Summer Editions 2024?
- The updates include more shipping options with competitive rates and upfront duty collection, as well as duties inclusive pricing to avoid unexpected fees at checkout.
4. How do the new APIs enhance the commerce stack?
- The improved APIs simplify the management of the exchange lifecycle, offer more advanced discount options, enable enhanced styling for checkout, streamline the prefill checkout process, and provide better storage and access to customer information.
5. What is the Shop Pay Commerce Component?
- This feature integrates Shop Pay with Salesforce Commerce Cloud, simplifying deployment and reducing costs while offering the new BOPIS functionality that bridges online and offline shopping experiences.
6. What is Shopify Magic and its capabilities?
- Shopify Magic, through tools like Sidekick and the Media Editor, helps merchants with time-consuming tasks, provides expert advice, and enables instant high-quality image generation and editing.
Feel free to reach out to the Unified team in London if you need further assistance or wish to discuss these updates in more detail. Our door is always open!
