Shopify Unite 2018 wrap up
On May 8th 2018, Shopify set the online world alight when they announced their plans for the year ahead at Shopify Unite, their third annual partner and developer conference.
At the forefront of their discussions were the complexities of international expansion and helping more businesses to scale by reaching new channels and markets with ease. The investments they are making and the capabilities they are building are pretty exciting.
So we wanted to share the three main focus points of the Shopify Unite conference with you here.
They are:
- Simplify Business Management
- Expand Business Reach
- Accelerate Time To Value
Let’s investigate these a little bit further and the benefits you will be able to offer to your clients.
Simplify Business Management
What it means:
Shopify wants to make it easy for merchants to streamline their business management with automation, inventory management, targeting capabilities and removing complexities so that businesses can ‘scale faster and more efficiently’.
What they are introducing:
Connectors for Shopify Flow – using connectors via the automation platform Shopify Flow will soon link merchant business tools with each other, and with Shopify. This will give the ability to automate many manual tasks, link tools that weren’t easily connected before, and allow merchants to use their current apps to their full extent.
Locations – location-aware intelligence means merchants can manage all of their inventory locations in one centralised area, allowing for efficiency and faster sales. Having all of the inventory data centralised means merchants can compare the performance of each inventory location and make adjustments to optimise their effectiveness.
Fraud Protect for Shopify Payments – fraudulent payments cost valuable time and money, but now merchants will be able to remove the guesswork and automatically protect their orders. No more need to review orders manually, fraud will no longer be a factor.
Marketing Simplification – right within the Shopify Plus admin, a digital marketing section will be integrated, allowing merchants to create digital marketing campaigns to reach their subscribers. In just a few clicks, merchants can understand their customers better and market to them accordingly.
Expand Business Reach
What it means:
Shopify wants to enable their merchants to participate on the global stage easily and not be hindered when trying to expand their businesses. They want new markets and channels to be readily available and straightforward to conquer.
What they are introducing:
Multi-Currency For Shopify Payments – merchants will have the facility to go global at any time by selling in local currencies, all managed in one place. There is also storefront currency capabilities that will allow customers to shop a site in their local currency. The rates would be based on the current exchange rate at the time. This will enable merchants to sell internationally with confidence and none of the headaches of manual currency conversion.
Local Payment Methods For Shopify Payments – one step further than offering local currencies, this advancement will also allow merchants to provide local payment methods to their customers. Every country has different traditions and preferences when it comes to payment methods, which is why this introduction could mean more global sales for some merchants if people can use payment methods they know and trust.
Seamless Retail Selling – shopping has evolved to be more than walking into a shop, and more than visiting a website. Many consumers expect a seamless experience between online and physical stores, so Shopify is supporting merchants to do that. They are introducing tap & chip readers that mean merchants can run their store from any device, the ability to tip and to process refunds and exchanges regardless of where the original sale took place.
Accelerate Time To Value
What it means:
Time is money when it comes to business, so Shopify is experimenting with new ways to drive conversions and sales while providing value.
What they are introducing:
BOGO & Quantity Discounts – merchants can now offer customers a range of incentives to buy more, without cutting into the profits. New discount abilities mean merchants can offer ‘buy one product, get XX discount on another’, or quantity discounts like ‘free shipping when you spend XX’ and ‘buy two items, get XX% off’. These abilities provide merchants with more flexibility to offer a range of discounts, encouraging their customers to return.
Dynamic Checkout – merchants can say goodbye to lost sales from a complicated checkout process. This advancement allows customers to buy an item direct from the product page with just one click and a preferred payment method. No more lengthy ‘add to cart’ processes unless the customer prefers to use that method.
These are exciting times as merchants are no longer limited to their local area when it comes to sales. The world is quite literally their oyster, and global domination is on the cards. The announcements from Shopify Unite 2018 mean that you will be able to offer your clients plenty of exciting enhancements for their websites shortly.
About the author:
Angus Allan
Managing Director of Hello Digital
Angus is an experienced and passionate digital entrepreneur who has worked with clients around the world on a wide range of E-commerce and retail projects. Angus is excited about technology, change, and transformation, and has spoken about these topics, and more, at various events, workshops, and classes in New Zealand. As Hello Digital's Managing Director he oversees the day-to-day operations of the company and is the primary point of contact for our consulting clients and international partners.