The most exciting Shopify Winter Editions updates for elevating your store

Shopify Editions Winter 2024 is out! 

Just like previous releases, the Winter Editions ‘24 site contains a massive number of Shopify product updates. 

We sifted through the “What’s new at Shopify?” announcement to extrapolate — in our opinion — the foundational updates with the most significant potential for benefiting DTC merchants. 

Our list is a mix of currently available and upcoming features. We’re also excited about developer enablement news that will help us deliver more value to Seguno customers.  
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5 Shopify updates to leverage now 

You may have already noticed some of the features we’re pointing out. Get to know all of them, as they’re a great assist to efforts in marketing or conversions.  

Improved marketing attribution 

It can be challenging to attain a clear view of attribution when using different channels for promotion. 

A few third-party marketing apps — Seguno included — are helping make attribution reporting more accurate by sending customer event data to Shopify. 

We are just one of three email platforms sharing customer data. Seguno is the only one that doesn’t require extra work from merchants to implement. 

Shopify funnels the data into one spot to make for easier detection of the channels driving sales. Its “top marketing channels” report shows conversion rates, AOV, and more across different attribution models.

Pinterest syncs its data, too. Attribution collection will soon expand to include advertising data from Google, Pinterest, Snapchat, and TikTok.

3 updates for a better checkout experience 

Shopify has made several improvements to checkout functionality. 

Some changes mean merchants can save money by ditching an app for a new solution native to Shopify. Others provide access to powerful apps previously only available through APIs.  

Here are the checkout-related updates that caught our eye: 

1. Checkout extensibility. Shopify reports more than 90 apps are now available for customizing the buyer journey and building a unique checkout. They include options like Checkout Blocks, a Built for Shopify app with extensive capabilities for modifying checkout and thank you pages.  
2. One-page checkout. Shopify Checkout’s new, intuitive design reduces friction and leads to quicker checkout by streamlining the three-page process down to one.  
3. Address validation. Reduce the occurrence of delayed or failed deliveries with automatic address validation when you activate checkout extensibility.    

3D product models

Shopify is making 3D object modeling accessible to everyone. All that’s needed to bring products to life with the three-dimensional touch is an Apple iOS 17. The 3D Scanner is free and accessible through Shopify Admin. 

Create 3D models that show products in a light not possible through traditional, static photography. Prospective customers can see the product from different angles and get a better view of details and texture. 

A product displayed in 3D can go a long way in diminishing buyer uncertainty and, therefore, result in higher conversions. 

4 coming-soon Shopify updates you should know about 

Numerous Shopify Winter Editions ‘24 updates aren’t available yet but will be soon. Learn about the following now so you can be ready for forthcoming opportunities.  

Greater customer account functionality 

Shopify is opening the door for developers to enhance customer accounts with Customer Account Extensibility. 

What does it mean for Shopify stores? 

Shopify partners are working on applications to fine-tune customer accounts. Expect to see developments that allow customers to do things such as: 

• View loyalty points and store credits in their profile
• Change their email subscription preferences
• Access and manage their product reviews

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Leveraging customer account extensibility is only possible if your shop migrates to the new customer account setting. We encourage all Shopify merchants using Seguno to switch, as we plan to make improvements tied to the new version. 

Product variant expansion 

The 2024 version of Winter Editions marks the most significant update to Shopify’s product model in over 10 years. One of the more noteworthy merchandising developments is Shopify’s expansion of the product variant limit.  

Select businesses can add up to 2,000 variants per product through new product APIs beginning this year. 

Lifting the cap from 100 has been on the wish list of many merchants for a long time, especially fashion brands. It’s easy to quickly max out variants if you sell clothing pieces that come in multiple sizes and colors.  

Raising the limit means shops with more extensive catalogs will no longer need to piece together a workaround solution or rely on an app.

2 updates for combatting returns 

Select stores will have an easier way to convert what could have been a refund request into retained revenue beginning in early 2024. Shopify is broadening return options with two developments:  

1. Exchanges. Shops privy to early access can now offer exchanges and manage the process — including calculating refund balances or additional charges — in Shopify admin. 
2. Store credit. Shopify’s new store-credit API enables developers to create the means for issuing and tracking store credit. Store credit will be accessible only through new customer accounts. 

Consider Shopify Editions implications for your shop

There’s much more to unpack and absorb from Shopify Winter Editions ‘24. Many updates we didn’t mention debuted in the summer Shopify Editions 2023 announcement. 

If you choose not to browse the release or watch Shopify’s walkthrough demo, at least contemplate the nine product updates above. Several strengthen Shopify’s functionality and innate ability to support merchant efforts. All empower improving the customer experience while making ecommerce a more profitable endeavor for merchants. 

We hope they trigger ideas for improving your business, even if they don’t all align with your store’s needs.   

We’re studying Shopify’s progress and examining how Seguno can capitalize on the opportunities open to developers. Stay tuned to see what we’ll create to help merchants achieve their goals.