The world of e-commerce is fast-paced and ever-evolving, and at First Pier, we pride ourselves on staying at the forefront of these developments. As experts in Shopify and Shopify Plus, we understand the value of leveraging the latest features to drive your online business success. In this article, we'll explore the new and improved Shopify Plus features for 2024 that are designed to take your e-commerce operations to the next level.
Shopify Plus is a high-end, enterprise-level solution that provides a multitude of robust, scalable, and feature-rich options for online stores. Designed for high-volume merchants seeking to expand their business online, Shopify Plus is equipped with advanced capabilities like unlimited staff accounts, customizable checkout, expansion stores, and access to the Shopify Plus Academy. Staying updated with the latest features is of utmost importance in this fast-paced digital world, ensuring you're leveraging the full potential of the platform to achieve your e-commerce goals.
As a CMO, marketing executive, or business owner looking to expand your business online, you might already be using Shopify and considering an upgrade to Shopify Plus. Or perhaps you're new to the platform but have a high volume of sales and need a solution that can handle your growth. Whichever the case, it's crucial to understand how the new features of Shopify Plus can revolutionize your e-commerce operations.
Here's a quick overview of the key new features you can expect from Shopify Plus in 2024:
- One-Page Checkout Experience: Streamline your checkout process for higher conversions.
- Admin Action Extensions: Get more control over your store's operations.
- Enhancements in Hydrogen: Utilize Shopify's headless commerce stack for a faster, more flexible store.
- Updates in Shopify Functions: Benefit from extended customizability and functionality.
- Support for Product Bundles in Storefront API: Boost your average order value by offering enticing product bundles.
In the coming sections, we will delve deeper into each of these features, discussing their benefits and how they can enhance your Shopify Plus experience. Whether you're a small boutique owner looking to expand online or a large enterprise seeking to streamline your e-commerce operations, this guide is tailored to help you navigate the latest Shopify Plus features for a seamless and successful online venture.
Stay tuned as we uncover the unmatched potential of Shopify Plus for your e-commerce success.
Understanding Shopify Plus: A Recap
As we dive into the latest features of Shopify Plus for 2024, it's essential to first appreciate the fundamental strengths that make Shopify Plus more than just an e-commerce platform. So, let's kick off with a quick refresher on what sets Shopify Plus apart, its benefits, and when it's worth considering an upgrade.
What Makes Shopify Plus Different
At the heart of Shopify Plus is its ability to cater to high-volume merchants seeking a scalable, feature-rich e-commerce solution. Unlike the basic Shopify or Advanced Shopify plans, Shopify Plus provides access to a suite of premium features like a customizable checkout and support for additional API calls. Together with access to Shopify's theme language Liquid, these features provide the flexibility and control needed for a high-growth business.
One standout feature of Shopify Plus is the Organization Settings, allowing you to manage all your stores from one place. This is a game-changer for businesses managing multiple brands or international stores. As a Shopify Plus merchant, you also gain access to the Shopify Plus Partner Program, a curated list of service partners with technical expertise, ready to boost your business to new heights.
Benefits of Shopify Plus Plan
A central benefit of the Shopify Plus plan is cost-efficiency. Shopify Plus customers spend up to 80% less on their online stores compared to legacy platforms such as Adobe Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, or Hybris.
Added to this, is the advantage of a quick setup time of 90 days or less, a significant reduction compared to the 180 days average with traditional systems.
Moreover, with Shopify Plus, you get access to the Shopify Plus Academy for self-guided training and a dedicated Launch Engineer for personalized support. These resources empower businesses to operate at scale, streamline operations, and unlock unprecedented e-commerce success.
When is it Worth Upgrading to Shopify Plus
While the features of Shopify Plus might be alluring, it's essential to consider whether it's the right time for your business to upgrade. As a general rule of thumb, we at First Pier recommend considering an upgrade to Shopify Plus when you're earning at least $1 million in annual sales revenue.
Shopify itself recommends that businesses generate around $2 million in revenue per year before considering Shopify Plus. However, this isn't a strict threshold. If your business is ready to take advantage of the advanced features and support system offered by Shopify Plus, it could well be the right time to upgrade.
From our experience helping clients navigate their e-commerce journeys, we understand that every business is unique. Therefore, the decision to upgrade should be based on your specific needs, growth plans, and operational capabilities.
To help you make an informed decision, our team at First Pier is always ready to discuss your specific situation and provide expert advice tailored to your business needs.
New Features of Shopify Plus for 2024
Buckle up as we dive into the fresh features that Shopify Plus has in store for 2024. They're designed to boost your eCommerce business to new heights. These innovative features range from a one-page checkout experience to automatic translation of App Store listings. Let's explore them one by one.
One-Page Checkout Experience
In an eCommerce environment where every second counts, a swift and seamless checkout experience is crucial. Shopify Plus, in its 2024 roadmap, is set to introduce extensive updates to its checkout process. 17 new APIs are lined up to enhance checkout extensibility. These APIs empower you to integrate more business logic, validate addresses, upsell subscriptions, and provide customized delivery options. It's all about delivering a checkout experience that's smooth, quick, and tailored to your customers' needs.
Admin Action Extensions
The power of Shopify Plus is also extending to the admin side of things. You can now create and test admin action and block extensions in your development store. These extensions can seamlessly integrate your app's functionality into the Shopify admin, embedding workflows and User Experience (UX) on core admin pages. Shopify Plus is enabling you to increase merchant efficiency without disrupting their workflow.
Enhancements in Hydrogen: Shopify's Headless Commerce Stack
Shopify Plus continues to refine its headless commerce capabilities with the latest improvements to Hydrogen, its React-based headless stack. Starting a new Hydrogen project with the Command Line Interface (CLI) now gives you more options and allows you to spend less time on boilerplate code. Enhanced performance, SEO, and developer experience are just a few of the benefits Hydrogen brings to the table.
Updates in Shopify Functions
Shopify Functions is getting a significant upgrade as well. Nine Function APIs are now available, including the new Custom Order Routing Function. These enhancements to Shopify Functions mean you can build unique customizations that execute seamlessly on Shopify’s global infrastructure.
Support for Product Bundles in Storefront API
Shopify Plus is taking another step forward with the introduction of support for product bundles in the Storefront API. This feature enables you to create and offer product bundles, a proven strategy for increasing the average order value.
Automatic Translation of App Store Listings
In a global marketplace, language can often be a barrier. Shopify Plus is addressing this by introducing automatic translation of App Store listings. This feature helps you reach a wider audience by making your app more accessible to merchants worldwide.
In the whirlwind world of eCommerce, staying ahead of the game is essential. These new features in Shopify Plus for 2024 are designed to give you the upper hand. At First Pier, we're always ready to help you leverage these advancements to boost your eCommerce success. Stay tuned for our deeper dive into how these new features can enhance your Shopify Plus experience.
How New Features Enhance Shopify Plus Experience
As the digital landscape evolves, so do the needs of your online store. Shopify Plus continually rolls out new features designed to help you stay ahead. Here, we break down how these latest features can improve your eCommerce experience, from streamlining your checkout process to boosting your average order value.
Improved User Experience with One-Page Checkout
First impressions count, and a smooth checkout experience can be the difference between a completed sale and an abandoned cart. One of the standout new features of Shopify Plus is Checkout Extensibility, allowing you to create a one-page checkout experience tailored to your brand and customer needs.
This feature allows you to personalize your checkout without touching a line of code, offering unique incentives like free gifts and rewards, or implementing customized logic like special discounts and flexible shipping options. The result? An enhanced user experience that can boost conversions and build customer loyalty.
Seamless Interaction with Admin Action Extensions
Admin Action Extensions is another new feature that Shopify Plus has introduced. These extensions enable you to interact with your Shopify admin in a more seamless, streamlined way, helping to enhance productivity and efficiency. With these extensions, you can quickly and easily execute tasks right from your admin dashboard, saving valuable time and reducing the risk of errors.
Increased Performance with Hydrogen Enhancements
Shopify has made significant improvements to Hydrogen, Shopify's headless commerce stack, which gives you the flexibility to build a completely custom storefront while still using Shopify’s powerful back-end. These enhancements increase the performance of your store, providing a faster, smoother shopping experience for your customers.
Localization Support in Shopify Functions
In today's global market, localization is key to reaching and engaging with customers around the world. Shopify Functions now offers localization support, allowing you to create a truly localized shopping experience for your customers, regardless of where they are in the world. This can help to boost customer engagement and conversions, while also expanding your global reach.
Boosting Average Order Value with Product Bundles
Shopify Plus now supports product bundles in the Storefront API. This means you can offer your customers bundles of products at a discounted price, helping to increase your average order value. It's a proven strategy for boosting sales and profits, and now it's easier than ever to implement on your Shopify Plus store.
At First Pier, we're excited about these new features and the opportunities they present for our clients. We understand that navigating these updates can be complex, but we're here to help you every step of the way. By leveraging these features, we can help you create a more streamlined, profitable, and customer-focused online store.
Case Study: Form Factory's Success with Shopify Plus
When it comes to successfully utilizing Shopify Plus' features, Form Factory serves as a shining example. A company specializing in customizable and high-quality fitness equipment, Form Factory faced challenges in managing high-volume traffic and providing a seamless customer experience. However, their journey with Shopify Plus paved a new path to ecommerce success.
Overview of Form Factory's Business
Form Factory's vision is to offer fitness enthusiasts a platform where they can customize their workout equipment according to their unique needs and aesthetic preferences. The brand values customer input, believing that personalized gear can enhance the workout experience. However, as their popularity grew, so did the traffic on their website. They needed a robust and scalable ecommerce solution that could handle their growth without compromising the customer experience.
How Form Factory Leveraged Shopify Plus Features
Partnering with us at First Pier, Form Factory took full advantage of the range of features offered by Shopify Plus. They utilized the platform's customizable checkout to create a smooth, quick, and personalized checkout process, which led to increased conversions and decreased cart abandonment rates.
Form Factory particularly benefited from the newly introduced one-page checkout experience, which reduced the number of steps customers had to take to complete their purchase. This feature led to a significant increase in their checkout speed and customer satisfaction.
Furthermore, Form Factory leveraged the power of Shopify's theme language, Liquid, to create a unique and engaging site design. The Organization Settings feature allowed them to manage multiple storefronts, catering to different customer demographics from a single dashboard.
Results Achieved by Form Factory
The results Form Factory achieved with Shopify Plus were nothing short of impressive. Their conversion rates improved significantly due to the streamlined checkout process. They were able to handle peak sale periods effectively, without any compromise in website performance or customer experience. The use of Liquid for site design led to an increase in website engagement and session duration.
One Reddit user shared their experience, stating, "Form Factory's site is a breeze to navigate, and the checkout process is so quick and easy. I love how I can customize my equipment and see my changes in real time" .
Overall, Form Factory's success story illustrates the immense potential of Shopify Plus to transform an ecommerce business. As your trusted partner, we at First Pier are here to help you unlock this potential and drive growth for your business.
Preparing for the Peak Selling Season with Shopify Plus
As the peak selling season approaches, businesses need to be prepared to handle increased traffic and sales. If the previous year has taught us anything, it’s that preparation is key to success during these high-volume periods. Thankfully, Shopify Plus has several resources to help you make the most out of the peak selling season.
Shopify Academy Course for Peak Selling Season
The first step to getting prepared is educating yourself. Shopify Plus offers a comprehensive course titled "Prepare for a Successful Peak Season 2023" through the Shopify Academy. This self-guided course is designed to help you understand the best strategies to handle increased sales volumes, manage inventory effectively, and provide an optimal customer experience.
The course covers a wide range of topics, including marketing strategies, operational efficiency, and customer service. It's self-paced, allowing you to learn at your own convenience. Whether you're new to Shopify Plus or a seasoned user, this course can provide valuable insights to help you maximize your sales during the peak season.
Partner Reference Guide for Peak Selling Season
In addition to the Shopify Academy course, Shopify Plus provides a Partner Reference Guide. This guide serves as your road map to successfully navigate the peak selling season. It offers a wealth of information, including strategies to optimize your store for high traffic, best practices for managing customer expectations, and tips on how to leverage Shopify Plus features effectively.
For instance, the guide provides tips on how to utilize the Checkout Extensibility feature to enhance customers' shopping experiences and potentially increase your average order value. It also gives advice on how to optimize your use of Shopify Audiences to target your best customers.
At First Pier, we understand that every business is unique. That's why we offer personalized assistance to help you implement the strategies outlined in the Partner Reference Guide. We'll work with you to understand your specific needs and goals, and then tailor our services to help you achieve them.
As the peak selling season draws near, we at First Pier are here to help you prepare. With the right knowledge, tools, and strategies, you can make the most of this opportunity to boost your sales and grow your business.
Conclusion
Recap of New Shopify Plus Features
As we've explored, 2024 has seen Shopify Plus rolling out a number of new features, aimed at enhancing the ecommerce experience for its users. From the simplified one-page checkout experience designed to increase conversion rates, to the pioneering admin action extensions that streamline store operations, Shopify Plus continues to innovate and evolve to meet the demands of modern ecommerce.
The enhancements in Hydrogen, Shopify's headless commerce stack, offer improved performance and customization, while the updates in Shopify Functions enable more localized experiences for customers across the globe. And let's not forget the support for product bundles in the Storefront API, a fantastic feature for boosting average order values.
How First Pier Can Help You Leverage These Features
With the release of these new features, you may be wondering how to best implement them to maximize your online store's potential. This is where we at First Pier can step in. As a leading e-commerce agency specializing in Shopify development and optimization, our expertise extends beyond just implementing Shopify Plus features.
We offer a range of services, including performance marketing, full website builds, email systems and execution, product photography, and copywriting. All these services are geared towards building a high-performance online business that aligns with your business goals. By partnering with First Pier, you can unlock the full potential of Shopify Plus for your business, transforming your online store into a high-performance, customer-centric, and globally scalable business.
Final Thoughts on the Future of Ecommerce with Shopify Plus
The future of ecommerce is bright and full of possibilities. With platforms like Shopify Plus leading the way, businesses can not only establish an online presence but also deliver a seamless shopping experience that keeps customers coming back for more.
The new features of Shopify Plus for 2024 reflect the platform's commitment to innovation and growth, offering businesses the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly competitive online marketplace. From handling high-volume transactions and traffic spikes, to integrating with over 20 online social channels, Shopify Plus is a growth engine designed to help businesses succeed in the world of online commerce.
As we move forward, one thing is clear: Shopify Plus is not just an ecommerce platform – it's a key to ecommerce success. And with First Pier by your side, you can unlock the full potential of this powerhouse platform for your business. Are you ready to take the leap? Let's transform your online store together.
