Most eCommerce managers know Shopify as a great platform for managing an online store. Shopify Themes 2.0 is the latest upgrade to the Shopify platform, and it brings a ton of new features and improvements that can help eCommerce businesses of all sizes optimize their online stores and improve customer engagement.
Here at BlueSwitch in New York City, we're encouraging all of our clients to upgrade to Shopify Themes 2.0. With this update, Shopify has introduced loads of new features that are perfect for rapidly growing brands. Custom styling options have made custom storefront designs accessible for non-developers with little technical knowhow. But before we talk about how our clients are using Themes 2.0, let's cover the basics.
What Is Shopify Themes 2.0?
Shopify Themes 2.0 is the latest version of Shopify's online store platform, and it represents a significant upgrade over the previous version. It offers improved performance, better user experience, and a host of new features and functionalities that can help businesses better showcase and sell their products.
What are the risks of not upgrading to Shopify Themes 2.0?
Upgrading to Shopify Themes 2.0 is a critical step for any eCommerce business looking to improve their online store's performance and user experience. But what are the ramifications if a site manager decides to hold off on updating?
1. Not updating may lead to security risks
First and foremost, not updating your Shopify platform makes your website susceptible to security breaches and attacks, potentially leading to lost revenue, legal action, and negative customer reviews. Shopify 2.0 offers updated security features to better safeguard your site's security and your customers' sensitive information.
Breaches and attacks can compromise your website's security, and include things such as phishing scams, malware, and hacking attempts. If these security threats are not addressed, they could lead to financial loss, damage to your brand's reputation, and legal ramifications.
2. Your store may experience compatibility issues
As time goes on, older versions of software become less compatible with newer technologies, such as new plugins, apps, and integrations. This can pose a major problem for eCommerce managers who rely on these technologies to run their online stores. By not updating to Shopify 2.0, you risk compatibility issues with third-party technologies, which can disrupt your business operations and lead to lost sales and customers.
3. Your storefront may suffer performance issues
Running an outdated version of Shopify can affect your website's page load speeds and overall user experience by missing out on the latest performance improvements. With Shopify 2.0, new optimizations like code caching and asset optimization will help boost your website's performance and provide faster load times, better visitor retention, and increased sales. Failing to update runs the risk of a slow and unresponsive website, forcing customers to leave and look elsewhere, negatively affecting your business.
4. You may miss out on Shopify's legendary customer support
Older versions of Shopify may lose support after a certain period of time, which means you won't receive any updates or fixes for any issues that may arise. This can be a real issue if you're relying on certain features or integrations that may need fixing or updating.
While Shopify may still be using the same theme developers, their new version will stop supporting the old themes. By not updating to Shopify 2.0, you risk losing support for your eCommerce platform, which can lead to costly issues in the long run.
5. Missed opportunities for your brand
Finally, not updating to Shopify 2.0 means that you may be missing out on new features that can help grow your business. Shopify 2.0 includes improvements such as a new marketing dashboard, API enhancements, and more. By not taking advantage of these new features, you risk falling behind your competitors who are taking advantage of the latest technology to grow their eCommerce businesses.
6. Loss of styling flexibility
Themes 2.0 allow more flexibility in the Shopify content page builder. In the past, in order to build more robust content pages it was necessary to use a page builder app (ie Shogun or GEMpages). With Theme 2.0 creating content pages is way more flexible which could lead to higher conversions of customers visiting these pages.
The Benefits of Shopify Themes 2.0
Improved Pagespeed
One of the most significant benefits of upgrading to Shopify Themes 2.0 is improved pagespeed. The new platform is optimized for speed, which can improve your website's overall performance and make it more user-friendly. With faster page speeds, you'll experience less cart abandonment, increased conversions, and higher customer satisfaction.
Better Mobile Experience
Shopify Themes 2.0 is designed for mobile devices, providing a seamless experience for users on both desktop and mobile. Mobile optimization is critical, as more than half of all online purchases are made on mobile devices. By upgrading to Shopify Themes 2.0, you'll ensure your website looks and performs great on all devices, leading to more sales and higher customer engagement.
Improved Design
Upgrading to Shopify Themes 2.0 means taking advantage of improved design capabilities. The new platform includes pre-built sections, custom fonts, and advanced layout options, allowing businesses to create visually stunning e-commerce stores that better represent their brand. With improved design, your website will attract more customers, leading to increased sales and revenue.
Sections Everywhere
Shopify Themes 2.0 includes sections everywhere, making it easier to add customizable content to every page of your site. With this feature, eCommerce managers can add sections to their product pages, collection pages, and homepage without needing to write a single line of code. Themes 2.0's sections make it easy for anyone to build out custom features in their Shopify or Shopify Plus storefront.
Customizable Fonts
Shopify Themes 2.0 allows for customizable fonts, giving eCommerce managers more flexibility in their website design. Customizable fonts provide a quick and easy way to improve your store's branding, making your site more visually appealing and professional.
Improved Navigation
The new platform comes with improved navigation menus that are more flexible and customizable, allowing businesses to create more complex and visually appealing menus that better showcase their products and services. Themes 2.0 also makes it easier than ever to add mega menus and other customizations to your Shopify storefront.
TL/DR: updating to Shopify Themes 2.0 is crucial
Ultimately, updating to Shopify 2.0 is crucial for eCommerce managers who want to protect their online stores from security breaches, ensure compatibility with third-party technologies, improve website performance, receive ongoing support, and take advantage of new features.
The risks of not updating are simply too great to ignore. To ensure success for your eCommerce brand, it’s important to take advantage of the latest technology and constantly improve your online storefront. If you're a Shopify user, take the time to consider updating to Shopify Themes 2.0 and see firsthand how it can improve your online business.
Having trouble upgrading on your own? BlueSwitch can help. We're the eCommerce industry's leading experts in Shopify upgrades, Shopify migrations, and Shopify storefront redesigns. With over 20 years experience in eCommerce development and a huge internal team of Shopify experts, there's no problem we can't solve for our clients.
