If you're a Shopify merchant, get ready for a revolution! Shopify Unite 2021 brings us the Shopify Online Store 2.0, offering more flexibility than ever before. With revised infrastructure, advanced tools, and innovative technologies, it's changing the game of online commerce.

Ready to unlock limitless possibilities for your online store? Let's dive in!

Table of Contents

If you aren't still on Shopify, then it's time for you to migrate to the Shopify platform with HulkApps Shopify experts to build and maintain a store with flexible options quickly.

 

Why should you upgrade to Shopify Online Store 2.0?

Brace yourselves, Shopify merchants, for the next leap in digital commerce!

Welcome to the Shopify Online Store 2.0, where creativity meets customization at every turn. As we stand on the brink of an exciting future, the realm of commerce is transforming, and it’s all about forging unique, compelling touchpoints with your customers.

Shopify 2.0 is all set to unleash a new world of possibilities, pushing the boundaries of flexibility and personalization. Let's unfold the new horizon of ecommerce as we delve into the heart of Shopify Online Store 2.0 - groundbreaking infrastructure updates, cutting-edge tools, and much more!

Revolutionary Theme Architecture: The revamped theme architecture offers unmatched customization options for your online store.

Flexible Store Content: Tailor every aspect of your store's content, making it more engaging and user-friendly.

Enhanced Theme Editor: An improved theme editor means an intuitive, user-friendly interface for designing your store.

Advanced Developer Tools: Streamline theme changes with new developer tools, including Shopify GitHub integration and updated Shopify CLI tool.

New Reference Theme: Meet Dawn, the new reference theme designed to combine flexibility and simplicity.

  • Upgraded Theme architecture

Shopify Online Store 2.0 introduces an enhanced theme architecture called "Sections Everywhere". Unlike the previous version where you could only add sections on the home page, now you can add sections to any page. This means you can tailor each page to perfectly suit your needs, providing a more personalized and appealing experience for your customers.

  • Flexible store content

With Shopify Online Store 2.0, managing the content of your online store has never been easier. Improvements to metafields allow you to add additional, custom information to objects such as products, collections, and customers, without using APIs or code. You can add the exact content you need on product pages like size charts or ingredient lists, simply and effortlessly.

Learn why Shopify 2.0 Metafields and CLI are the game-changer in Shopify Online Store 2.0.

  • Enhancements to the Theme editor

The updated Theme Editor now offers an improved user interface, providing a clearer overview of your content. It displays a tree view of all content on a page in the sidebar, enabling you to easily manage your content blocks and update the hierarchy of a page. This makes it easier than ever to build a visually appealing, easy-to-navigate online store.

  • New developer tools

Shopify 2.0 offers new tools to streamline your work process, making it easier to develop, test, and deploy changes to your themes. The integration with GitHub and an updated Shopify CLI tool mean you can manage version control and streamline your development process. Plus, the new Theme Check tool helps you identify any issues in your theme code, ensuring a smooth, seamless user experience for your customers.

  • A new reference Theme

Shopify Online Store 2.0 introduces Dawn, a new reference theme. Built with simplicity and flexibility in mind, Dawn is a source-available theme created with semantic markup using HTML and CSS. It provides a fantastic starting point for your online store, allowing you to easily customize it to suit your brand and business needs.

Together, these key features of Shopify Online Store 2.0 offer unprecedented control and flexibility, helping you create a unique, user-friendly online store that stands out from the competition. Whether you're a merchant looking to offer a better shopping experience or a developer wanting to streamline your workflow, Shopify Online Store 2.0 has you covered.

The difference between Shopify vs Shopify Online Store 2.0 Theme

Features Shopify Shopify Online Store 2.0 
Default Theme

 

Shopify Debut Theme

 

 

Shopify Dawn Theme

 
Preferred Language

Shopify Liquid 

Shopify JSON
Default Sections

Only on the Home Page

Shopify Home Page

 

Available for every page

Shopify Sections Everywhere

 
Shopify App assets Shopify developers needed to host themselves Shopify CDN hosts all the assets submitted via theme app extensions
App integration logic  Build integration logic for every Shopify Vintage theme Theme app extensions for developers via App Block 
Meta fields 
Coding Hardcode metafields into themes or rely on APIs to make changes to product pages. Use dynamic sources to insert standard metafields and known resource properties as setting defaults.
File Picker Options  Colour, Data and Time, File, JSON, Measurement, Number, Rating, Reference, Text  True or False, URL  + Images, PDF files
    Meta Field Access  Created, whitelisted via the Admin API, and be able to retrieve all your metafields via the Storefront API Developers can gain access to the contents of Settings/Files
    Theme Editor 
    Updated Theme Editor  Need to drill down into different sections to update the hierarchy of a page. Easily update the hierarchy of a page i.e. the editor now displays a tree view of all the content on a page in the sidebar. 
    Liquid input setting - Add custom Liquid code to pages directly from the editor
    Developer tools
    Development Tool  Theme Editor Shopify CLI
    Version control   - Shopify GitHub integration
    Theme Performance Theme Check and Shopify Theme Inspector for Chrome + Lighthouse CI GitHub Action
    Identify issues in theme code. Improved Theme Check
    For more information on getting started with Shopify Online Store 2.0, including requirements, read our step by step Shopify 2.0 migration article.
    Upgrade to Online Store 2.0

    Learn why Shopify Dawn Theme UI/UX is better than Shopify Vintage Theme 

    When it comes to creating the perfect store, the design of your site plays a crucial role.  Although Shopify Vintage themes allow you to move beyond the cookie-cutter style, you are sometimes limited by the themes' functionalities.

    Designed and developed to provide you more control over the layout of every page and element on your site, Shopify Dawn Theme not only meets the new web and UX standards but it helps you find the right balance to construct a perfect store. 

    Below, we look at the main differences between the Shopify Debut and Dawn Shopify themes. If you want to know the full advantage of the new Shopify Online Store 2.0 reference theme - Dawn, visit our Shopify Dawn theme review blog to learn more.

    Debut vs Dawn
    Sticky Option No sticky column The product page has a dual-scroll experience on large screens. 
    Color Code No frame work, just Titles, buttons, forms and others Framework of colour structure is available
    Slide Show Available Replaced with a section that allows for common patterns of more than one image, piece of text, and call to action.
    Header/ Logo Limited flexibility and wrap into burger icon when header collides with Navigation Flexible with Sticky options  and also the header doesn't detect the collision instead it wraps as triple lines.
    Image Cropping Customized a section and the images can get   cropped sometimes within the container Image integrity is a key design principle which rarely forces images to be cropped or overlays content on them.

     

    While learning about Shopify and Shopify 2.0 can help you understand the impacts Shopify Online Store 2.0 can bring to make the future of commerce easy, here are a few listed benefits for merchants and developers. You can also learn more about Shopify 2.0 theme architecture with Shopify 2.0 themes.

    Benefits of Shopify Online Store 2.0 for Merchants:

     

    Shopify Online Store 2.0 - Merchants

     
    • Customizable sections for all templates: You can now personalize every page of your online store.

    • Easy Meta field addition: Add metafields easily and efficiently with dynamic resources.

    • Checkout modification: Enjoy greater control over the checkout process, enhancing your customers' buying experience.

    • Flexible App sections: Add app sections to your store in a more flexible and simple manner.

     

    Benefits of Shopify Online Store 2.0 for Shopify Developers:

    • New developer toolset: Work with a suite of new tools designed to streamline your workflow.

    • Improved app integration options: Integrate apps into your store more efficiently.

    • Development enhancements: Enjoy a smoother development process with an updated theme environment.

     

    Shopify Online Store 2.0 - Shopify Developers

     

     

    For more details, read our detailed blog on benefits of Shopify 2.0 for merchants and developers.

    Shopify 2.0

    Wrap Up

    Shopify Online Store 2.0 is a game-changer in the world of ecommerce. It's not just an upgrade—it's a reimagining of what an online store can be. From the ground-up enhancements in theme architecture to the flexible and intuitive handling of store content, the upgraded Shopify platform offers unprecedented power to both merchants and developers.

    The improvements in the theme editor, advanced developer tools, and introduction of a new reference theme, Dawn, underscore Shopify's commitment to providing a platform that is robust yet user-friendly, capable of accommodating the needs of a diverse array of businesses.

    Shopify Online Store 2.0 empowers you, whether you're a small business owner or a seasoned developer, with tools and flexibility previously unseen in the ecommerce landscape. It not only future-proofs your business but also enhances the shopping experience for your customers, helping you stand out in a highly competitive market.

    So, are you ready to revolutionize your ecommerce experience and take your online store to new heights? Shopify Online Store 2.0 is here to make that possible. Whether you want to migrate your existing store with all its customizations, or start fresh with the new Dawn theme, our team at HulkApps Shopify is here to help. Together, let's build better commerce for everyone.

    Frequently asked questions about Shopify Online Store 2.0: 

    1. What is Shopify Online Store 2.0?
    Shopify Online Store 2.0 is an upgraded ecommerce platform providing more control and flexibility for merchants in managing their online store.

    2. What are the key differences between Shopify and Shopify Online Store 2.0?
    The key differences include customizable sections on any page, improved content management, upgraded theme editor, advanced developer tools, and a new default theme named Dawn.

    3. How can I migrate from my current Shopify store to Shopify Online Store 2.0?
    Migration involves backing up your current store, installing and customizing the new theme, testing, and then publishing. Assistance from Shopify experts like HulkApps is recommended.

    4. What are the benefits of using the new Dawn theme in Shopify Online Store 2.0?
    The Dawn theme allows for extensive customization and provides modern features like color-coded frameworks, enhanced image integrity, and flexible header/logo placement.

    5. Do I need to know how to code to use Shopify Online Store 2.0?
    Shopify Online Store 2.0 doesn't require coding skills for basic operation. For advanced customizations or to use the developer tools, some understanding of coding may be beneficial.

    Upgrade to Online Store 2.0