The recently-released Shopify Editions gave merchants more than 1,000 product updates, ranging from the transformational to the tactical.
There were big unveilings that opened up new areas of commerce for Shopify and pointed the way to new directions for direct-to-consumer brands.
There are also plenty of new tools that are available for merchants to use in the day-to-day work of running an online store, and a few teasers about apps that will be available later this year.
There's a lot to sift through, and the biggest benefits might not become apparent all at once. We're here to help. Beyond the 10 headline announcements we covered last week, here are a handful of intriguing updates that make important upgrades to existing Shopify products, and offer new kinds of tools to connect with shoppers.
Take a look at what stood out below:
Checkout Extensions
The checkout page is where customers make an order final. It's also a place to build loyalty and even make additional sales. For Shopify Plus customers, a host of new apps are available to customize checkout pages for the latter. Checkout Extensions includes capabilities to add branding through a custom UI, content and change the look and feel. Plus, merchants can create a new type of discount or offer. On the post-checkout page, merchants can show a product offer or capture additional loyalty info. More API capabilities are expected in September, as well.
Shop App upgrades
The Shop App looks like it is set to start looking more like a place where customers can discover new brands and products. It’s getting some new tools that are designed to add recommendations and curation to its customer-facing order tracking capabilities.
In the area of re-engaging customers, Shopify added new capabilities to add post-purchase offers, create personalized product recommendations and a new search functionality that prioritizes items from a user’s list of favorite stores.
In the area of the shopping experience, new capabilities include a way for users to browse online stores within Shop, which enables product recommendations. This means merchants can upload their logo and specific products within the Shop app itself. They can also view curated collections, such as gift guides or city guides.
Search and Discovery App
A signup for early access was made available for a yet-to-launch search and discovery app. No release date was detailed, but Shopify teased the following capabilities:
- Customize filter settings: This will allow customers to filter collections and search results by parameters like availability, price, color and more.
- Create product boosts: This will allow merchants to promote products on the search results page. They can also define synonyms for better results.
- Customize recommended products: Recommend products that complement a current selection, or offer alternative options on a product page.
ShopifyQL Notebeooks
Offered for Shopify Plus merchants, this tool is designed so business owners don’t have to turn to a data scientist to draw insights about their business. It’s powered by ShopifyQL, a SQL-like query language that Shopify says is built specifically for commerce. This is designed both for coders and non-coders, the company says. ShopifyQL Notebooks provides in-depth analysis in a particular business function, or allows merchants to combine multiple domains such as marketing, sales and fulfillment. Plus, merchants can add business context to unlock a deeper understanding of what the data shows.
Shopify Planet
Sustainability is top-of-mind for many customers and merchants alike. Planet is a new app that Shopify says enables merchants to make deliveries carbon neutral by automatically calculating shipping emissions and ensuring carbon removal from the process. It also offers storefront icons and visuals to display so that customers can connect with this commitment.
