Shopify Updates in 2023 that You Could Use Now 

Shopify introduced several updates in 2023 that revolutionized the way retailers interact with their platforms. Let’s delve into these updates and explore how they remain relevant today. 

1. Customer Accounts Extensibility: One of the pivotal updates was the introduction of customer accounts extensibility in the developer preview. This feature allows merchants to tailor customer experiences with greater precision, fostering deeper customer engagement and loyalty. It also allows developers to build extensions on new customer account pages, add highly visible order actions, and create full-page extensions tailored to specific merchant needs.
2. Enhanced Inventory Tracking and Returns Management: Shopify responded to the evolving needs of merchants by offering new options in inventory tracking and returns management. To help businesses get a more comprehensive view of inventory, Shopify provides the new Inventory States API to sync on-hand stock across locations, including external platforms. New APIs offer enhanced control, alongside convenient self-serve returns for customers.
3. Automatic Discounts with Selling Plan API: Exciting enhancements have been made to the Selling Plan API, empowering merchants to effortlessly apply discounts to subscription products. The Selling Plan API simplifies promotional strategies, enabling merchants to implement targeted campaigns effortlessly. This functionality seamlessly extends to product discounts, order discounts, and free shipping discounts.
4. Build into segmentation with customized templates: With the introduction of segmentation templates and actions, merchants gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, facilitating personalized marketing initiatives and driving conversion rates. Harness the potential of app-created meta fields to meticulously craft segments, seamlessly deploy app-specific segmentation templates, and incorporate actions alongside discounts and emails.
5. Shopify Flow Access for Basic Plans: Expanding accessibility, Shopify Flow became available for Basic plans, empowering businesses with automation capabilities. By using the Shopify Flow app, business owners can automate tasks, like sending welcome emails and delisting sold-out items. The software was initially exclusively accessible to Shopify Plus merchants but gradually became available for the rest of the plans.
6. AI-Powered Descriptions and Recommendations: Harnessing the power of AI, Shopify launched AI-powered recommendations and descriptions. The platform introduced Shopify Magic which can generate compelling product descriptions based on minimal input. The entrepreneur can select the tone of writing and adjust the generated copy. AI can also suggest products, even for those without purchase history, by leveraging data from similar items.
7. New Checkout Functions: Shopify has introduced 17 new APIs for developers and a product roadmap for Checkout Functions which are available to all Shopify plans via public apps. Some minor updates include address validation, custom fonts, upselling subscriptions, offering pre-orders, and enhanced checkout editor, including preview. However, these updates are available to Shopify Plus stores only via the Shopify UI Extensions.
8. B2B Features for Shopify Plus: For enterprise-level merchants, Shopify Plus unveiled new B2B features, catering to the unique requirements of B2B transactions.  Shopify continues to improve the B2B experience and gives businesses more tools to fulfill their specific needs. Some of the key new B2B features are native volume pricing, storing B2B customers’ credit cards, PayPal support for B2B, quick order lists, and storefront customizations.
9. Faster Storefronts: With an 30% increase in speed, Shopify prioritized performance enhancements, enhancing user experience and search engine rankings. According to the Chromium User Experience (CrUX), 30% more users are now successfully qualifying the Time to First Byte (TTFB) benchmark. There have been multiple changes to achieve this, including single-domain hosting for static content and simplified lazy loading for themes.
10. One-Page Checkout and Flexibility: The introduction of one-page checkout and higher flexibility streamlines the purchasing process, minimizing friction points and maximizing convenience for customers. The native checkout is now fully updated and has become a one-page experience. It contains fewer files and reduces page loads, ensuring fast completion of purchases for customers. Shopify Plus merchants can go further by utilizing a new checkout drag-and-drop editor, allowing precise control over every aspect of the checkout experience.