Introducing Shopify Online Store 2.0 – The Next Generation of Shopify eCommerce

Shopify store 2.0 adds a number of new features and enhancements that are designed to help businesses achieve their growth objectives. These adjustments are designed to provide merchants with greater flexibility, customisation, and scalability when it comes to running their online stores. By granting even more control to store owners and developers, the Shopify 2.0 update will enable businesses to better customize the shopping journey for their customers, providing a more unique and branded store experience. Additionally, merchants who upgrade to Shopify 2.0 will benefit from improved performance and stability, with default Shopify 2.0 themes boasting speeds 35% faster than previous default themes. This next-gen platform is revolutionising the eCommerce industry by making it easier than ever for businesses to succeed online.

Shopify Store 2.0 builds on the existing features that have made Shopify the leading eCommerce platform and adds a number of new capabilities that will enable businesses to take their online presence to new heights. Here are some new features that are available if you opt for Shopify 2.0 migration.

Add Sections to Shopify Themes
The new Shopify Online Store 2.0 themes are designed to give businesses more control over the look and feel of their eCommerce website. Previously on Shopify, store owners could only add sections to the homepage. With Shopify 2.0, this has all changed. Merchants and developers can now add sections to any page on their store, giving them the ability to create a truly unique and customised shopping experience for their customers. This is a huge step forward for businesses that want to create a more branded and cohesive store experience. Shopify migration to 2.0 will also provide developers with the ability to create their own custom themes and integrations, giving them even more control over the look and feel of the store.
Sections can now be added to any page on the site, and businesses can easily add and remove content without having to edit the code. Adding promotional banners, moving the add-to-cart button, or changing the product description placement are now all possible with Shopify theme development in 2.0.

Integrate Apps with Blocks
App integration into Shopify had been relatively inflexible until now. Previously, developers were required to create custom app integration code for each theme, making it difficult to add and customise apps across multiple themes. With Shopify 2.0, app developers can now create app blocks that can be easily added to any theme, allowing for greater flexibility and customization. This will enable businesses to add app functionality quickly and easily to their store without having to go through the process of integration each time. With this feature, you can update the app directly in the Shopify theme editor, making it easier to keep your apps up-to-date. You can also control which pages will display the app and where exactly on the page it will appear.

Add More Metafield Data
Metafields are a powerful way to add pieces of data to sections of your site that can be used to enhance the shopping experience for your customers. With Shopify shop 2.0, you now have the ability to add metafields to any resource, including products, collections, orders, and customers. Previously, Shopify’s built-in capacity for metafields was limited to elements such as the page title or product descriptions, and if you wanted to add metafield data to other resources, you had to use a third-party app. With Shopify 2.0 migration, you can now add metafields to any resource, giving you more control over the data that is displayed on your site.

New Theme Template for Developers
For developers who want to create custom themes for their clients, the Shopify 2.0 update has introduced a new theme template that is specifically designed for online store 2.0. This theme template “Dawn” will be the reference theme for all future custom themes created for Shopify 2.0. Described as a “Minimalist theme that lets products take centre stage”, the Shopify Dawn theme establishes the new standards for Shopify theme development. By the end of last year, all themes available on the Shopify theme library were required to be Shopify 2.0 compatible.
For detailed information on Dawn theme, refer to our blog “Shopify Dawn: Superior eCommerce Performance”.

Greater Customization & Flexibility
As your business grows, so does the need for flexibility in your store content. With Shopify 2.0, there’s a ton of new ways to edit and customize your store without having to touch a line of code. You don’t need to be a Shopify developer to easily add, edit, and remove sections on any page of your store, add meta fields to any resource, adjust the order of your navigation menus, and much more. This increased flexibility will give you the ability to make simple changes to your store as your business grows.

Checkout App for All Merchants
Checkout apps allow businesses to add functionality to their checkout processes, such as gift wrapping, custom delivery options, or loyalty programs. Previously on Shopify, checkout apps were only available to Shopify Plus merchants. With the Shopify 2.0 upgrade, checkout apps are now available to all merchants, giving you the ability to add custom functionality to your checkout process. Shopify Plus users will still benefit from additional functionality, but all merchants will now be able to take advantage of this powerful feature.

Improved Developer Tools
If you upgrade to Shopify 2.0, you will benefit from a number of improvements to the Shopify developer tools, which make it even easier to create custom themes and apps. With the new Shopify Theme Kit, you can now easily sync your local development environment with your live store, allowing you to make changes to your theme and see the results in real-time. Shopify has also released a new Theme Check tool that allows you to check your theme for compatibility with Shopify 2.0. In addition to this, Shopify 2.0 is now capable of GitHub integration, making it easier to manage your codebase and collaborate with other developers.

Shopify 2.0 migration is relatively straightforward, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure that you have a backup of your store before you begin the migration process. Once you have ensured that your store is backed up, you can begin by following one of these simple methods:

Download an Online Store 2.0 Theme from the Shopify Theme Store
You can simply download a new 2.0 compatible version from the Theme Store. This is the easiest way to migrate, as you won’t have to make any changes to your theme code. Simply install the new theme and your store will migrate to Shopify 2.0.

Download a New Version of a Theme
If you are using an older theme, you will need to download a new version of the theme that is compatible with Shopify Store 2.0. Once you have downloaded the new theme, you can install it on your store and your store will be migrated to Shopify 2.0.

Migrate a Theme Manually
If you are comfortable working with code, you can migrate your theme manually by following the instructions in the Shopify documentation. This method is recommended for developers. You can do this by using one of the following methods:

• Convert your existing theme from a Liquid template into a JSON template. You can then take the necessary sections of code from your old template and move them into sections that will form part of the new JSON template. This will allow you to keep your existing theme while also gaining all the additional benefits that come with using a JSON template.
• Migrate individual templates. You can migrate individual templates from your old theme into the new JSON template. This is a good option if you only need to make a few changes to your theme. Once you have migrated your theme, you can then install the new theme on your store and your store will migrate to Shopify 2.0.
• Migrate the entire theme by migrating all templates. If you want to migrate your entire theme, you can do so by migrating all templates from your old theme into the new JSON template. This is for merchants who want to migrate their themes in their entirety, and who are comfortable doing so manually.

How much does Shopify 2.0 cost merchants?
There is no additional cost for merchants to migrate to Shopify 2.0. All you need to do is download a new theme or update your existing theme to a 2.0-compatible version.

Do all new stores need to be built on Shopify 2.0?
All new stores will automatically be built on Shopify 2.0. There is no need to take any action if you are creating a new store.

What happens if I don’t migrate my store to Shopify 2.0?
Your store will continue to work as it always has. However, you will not be able to take advantage of any of the new features or benefits that come with the Shopify 2.0 update. In addition to this, your store may eventually become incompatible with newer versions of Shopify, so it is important to keep your store up-to-date.

Is Shopify 2.0 only for Shopify Plus?
No, Shopify 2.0 is available for all merchants on all plans.

How do I build a new website with Online Store 2.0?
Building a new website with Shopify 2.0 is easy. When you create a new store, it will be automatically built on Shopify 2.0. You can then choose from a variety of themes that are compatible with Shopify 2.0, or you can update your existing theme to a 2.0-compatible version.

Shopify’s most significant and progressive feature upgrade to date is Shopify Online Store 2.0. While it may seem intimidating to merchants, our team of Shopify experts specialise in Shopify store migration. We are pleased to offer our comprehensive Shopify migration services for merchants who are interested in taking advantage of Shopify 2.0 features, including theme development and migration, app development, and more.

The Vsourz Shopify theme development team can develop a custom theme for your store. We’ll ensure it’s compatible with Shopify 2.0, or we can update your existing theme to a 2.0-compatible version. In addition to this, our Shopify app development team can develop custom apps that are fully compatible with Shopify 2.0. Contact us today to explore how we can help you take advantage of Shopify 2.0 and start your Shopify store migration.