Joining the Virtual Conference, Shopify Reunite
While last year’s Shopify Unite was held on-stage at a Toronto conference, this year’s Shopify gathering took a new format. This past month, Shopify held the first-ever virtual event for Shopify merchants via livestream, held in place of their annual Unite conference due to the global pandemic. This livestream with the leadership team of Shopify included information on new and upcoming features, general announcements, and insights into the future of commerce. Speakers at Reunite noted that commerce is flourishing upon having everyone shopping online, and even briefly compared the difference to that of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They've seen a 45% increase in people buying from stores they've never bought from before, which means consumers are going beyond their repeat purchases! Read more about what CEO and founder Tobi Lütke had to say, and all of the changes announced at this year's Shopify Reunite.
A Message From Tobi Lütke
The conference began with CEO and founder Tobi Lütke speaking on how E-Commerce has changed in response to our global state of affairs. Lütke mentioned that the goal with each of Shopify's new features was to make commerce better for everyone, encouraging as many small businesses to survive as possible. The team has been looking into each roadmap and avenue, and have put as much forward as they could to help shop-owners and their businesses.
Shopify Reunite’s Key Announcements
Let’s lay out the main points of Shopify's Reunite, and what they mean for businesses.
Introducing: Shopify’s Local Delivery
One of Shopify's new advancements was to increase delivery options and make local deliveries easier. Now, nearby customers are eligible for local and convenient delivery. On the shop-owner side, Shopify is soon to release their Local Delivery app, which will organize orders and plan optimized routes for delivery drivers.
Shopify Email: Design, Tailor, Track
Shopify launched their own email service, negating the necessity of third-party emails. There's no need for marketing or design experience, as the emails automatically use your store's logo, colors, and products. Wherever your storefront is, so is your email – and you'll be able to create, send, and track beautifully-designed emails all in one place. You can even segment your customers, tailoring emails to specific buyer types, and you'll be provided with marketing analytics that display email performance. With pre-built email modules and sections, it has never been easier to create email content that correlates with your existing design. If Shopify's new email platform seems interesting to you, you're in luck! It's available for free from now until October 1st.
Shop Channel: A Feed of Businesses for Consumers
Shopify's Shop app gives customers the ability to check out quickly track their purchases – in real time! This Shop Channel feature encourages heightened trust in a store due to its transparency, and reduces the need for store-run customer service that would typically handle order updates. Plus, the app gives consumers the ability to scroll through nearby businesses and shop based on their proximity, giving them a spam-free feed of businesses that funnels buyers right to your store.
Shopify Balance: Financial Products
Shopify's newest endeavor involves financial products, and will be coming soon. It puts control of money into shop-owners' hands with ease via Shopify accounts and cards. There are no hidden fees, sign-up fees, or minimum balances. Moreover, Shopify Balance offers cashback, discounts, and more perks, all centralized to your shop.
Shop Pay: Pay With Installments
In order to boost sales, Shop Pay offers customers the option to buy their products now and pay later through four equal installments without interest. There's no additional cost, and businesses receive the full purchase amount up front, lessening the number of fees. Just how well is this working to boost sales? Shopify has seen a 18% higher conversion rate from returning customers! Additionally, Shopify is implementing secure, one-tap checkout that makes completing a purchase four times faster. Businesses are also now able to conveniently track sales and fees within their Shopify admin center.
We’re Looking Forward to Shopify’s New Features
While we certainly miss being there in person for Shopify's annual Unite, the team put together a phenomenal online experience full of positive messages for business owners during such a tumultuous time. There are big changes coming, and Radiant is looking forward to watching the company grow and evolve through these new helpful features. Our team is fully equipped to handle every change Shopify makes, and we can’t wait to see how we’ll improve businesses’ experiences with these new features as we individualise them. Contact us today to get started on a customised website or priority support services, and if you’ve missed the Reunite livestream but wish you had caught the action, worry not; it’s available on Shopify’s YouTube channel!
