With platforms like Shopify, it’s easier than ever for people to get an eCommerce business off the ground. But lowering the barriers to entry is a double-edged sword - it makes your life easier from a tech perspective while also flooding the market with competition.
High-growth eCommerce businesses - and especially multichannel enterprise operations - need more than just a low-effort online storefront. You need tools and a platform that are going to simplify your operations, expand your global efforts, and boost your bottom line.
Since 2014, that’s what Shopify has offered with its Shopify Plus platform.
Whether you’re already using Shopify Plus today or thinking about making the switch to Shopify Plus, it’s important to know that the
Recently, Shopify Plus announced a wealth of new features that will help high-growth eCommerce businesses and enterprises take their operations to the next level.
The recent investments by Shopify highlight the company’s focus on facilitating rapid and efficient retail growth. As important as eCommerce is for success, there’s an increasing need to deliver high-quality customer experiences through all retail channels.
That’s why Shopify Plus will be expanding to include the following 9 features in 2018.
Business growth typically results in ever-expanding portfolios of disparate applications and more demanding manual processes. These things don’t scale.
Shopify Flow gives you an automation platform that helps you turn tedious manual workflows into efficient, automated tasks. With the new Connectors feature, you’ll be able to link your disparate software with Shopify tools to build a more unified operational experience.
Merchants that adopt Connectors will be able to simplify workflows, focus on growth rather than wasting time and money on low-level maintenance, and achieve the true potential of existing applications as you create more of an eCommerce ecosystem as opposed to siloed components.
This new feature provides a centralized reporting hub that generates location-specific insight into inventory and fulfillment. Real-time analysis lets you see inventory at all your different locations and, with a few clicks, update that inventory to strategically reduce overhead.
The Locations feature will integrate with POS systems to create seamless links with backend operations, eliminating the need for clunky third-party fulfillment software.
Shopify Payments is a feature of the Shopify Plus platform that allows you to accept all forms of payment through your eCommerce store. But fraudulent chargebacks have always posed a problem for business leaders.
Now, Fraud Protection will automate the review process and more effectively spot (and stop) fraud. Not only does this save you time, but it also gives you peace of mind because Shopify will automatically issue refunds and handle disputes in case of fraudulent charges.
Digital marketing pros have different tools for email campaigns, social media posts, paid advertising, banner advertising, content management, and more. Spending all day switching from platform to platform is time consuming and inefficient.
The upcoming Shopify Plus Marketing Dashboard will combine these tools into a single interface combined with analytics that will help you optimize marketing activities. Merchants who adopt this tool will streamline their abilities to target the right audiences and create personalized shopping experiences.
With eCommerce, you can reach global audiences more easily than ever before. But merchants haven’t always been able to create a seamless checkout experience when it comes to currencies.
The new multi-currency feature for Shopify Payments will automatically display a shopper’s local currency in product pricing and trust that currency rates are calculated properly. This may seem like a minor update, but it can go a long way toward creating delightful experiences for your entire customer base.
The multi-currency feature is also getting an in-store iteration. For international customers shopping at your brick-and-mortar locations, you’ll be able to take payments without the hassle of currency exchange.
Creating the feel of local business for customers traveling outside their countries will instill a feeling of trust and, in turn, boost your conversion rates.
Consumers have so many different channels to choose from when interacting with your retail business. If you want to stand apart from the competition, you need to deliver seamless experiences across each channel, whether it’s in person or online.
Shopify Plus will be adding new in-store features that can contribute to your seamless retail efforts. For example, the upcoming Shopify Tap& Chip Reader will enable PCI-compliant payments from any device. Tipping will be included in Shopify POS systems. And returns and exchanges will be enabled by Shopify POS systems, delivering refunds regardless of the channel used for purchase.
Discounts are a great way to increase average order values for your eCommerce customers. However, it hasn’t always been easy to provide in-the-moment functionality to deliver these discounts and keep customers engaged.
Now, Shopify Plus is adding native support for buy one, get one free (BOGO) campaigns. You’ll be able to use Shopify Scripts to automate promotions even without discount codes. This includes support for quantity discounts that automatically update checkout totals based on certain items or total value.
The traditional, multi-step checkout process is no longer the only way to move eCommerce customers through the funnel. Dynamic Checkout will accelerate the process by allowing customers to fully checkout by pressing a button directly on a product page.
Merchants that take advantage of Dynamic Checkout won’t just be providing a more seamless checkout experience - they’ll also be capitalizing on purchase intent in the moment. The insights you’ll be able to derive from Dynamic Checkout data can then help you optimize your traditional checkout process, too.
These are just 9 features coming to Shopify Plus in 2018 and will be added to the already scalable, fully-managed platform. However, if you’re still undecided about making the move to Shopify Plus, there’s one main benefit to consider - customizability.
Shopify Plus gives you the tools to create a high-power eCommerce experience all your own. And with the new features coming this year, you’ll be able to extend that eCommerce experience to every channel you use to interact with customers.
The key is to get the platform implemented properly (and quickly). If you want to learn more about our Shopify Plus services, get in touch with us today.