Many Shopify merchants are under the impression that their store is automatically backed up when changes are made on it. Unfortunately, though, this is incorrect. The platform is backed up, but not the store itself. This is why it is imperative that merchants seek a method to ensure their business is constantly backed up, as it could be detrimental if they end up losing any of their precious data. This is where Rewind comes in.

In this blog, we look at some of the key announcements on Facebook Shops and hear from Shopify brands and partners on their thoughts on how it could help or hinder Shopify merchants.

One of the most crucial elements of any brand is that they build trust for their customers. If they believe in the products, they are much more likely to continue purchasing with them. It's very important that a company can prove that its brand is a trusted one. A surefire way of doing this is to show the other consumers who have been happy purchasing from them.

We have all had to experience a huge change in our lives; something we have never had to go through before. Home is not just somewhere we go to sleep, but is now our office, our schools, our exercise and even for some of us, our pubs! Life has changed so much, but it does not all have to be in a negative way. Here at Blend, we have been trying to think of ways to make the best of a bad situation, perhaps by spending more time doing activities we love, or taking the time to learn a new skill.

As we have seen over the past few weeks, events and conferences have been cancelled to protect those who would have been attending from having to be in a public place, and it will be a long time before this industry can get back to where it once was. The events industry still wants consumers to get the information they need, and so some have turned to virtual events to implement this.

But what events are out there and which are relevant to your business?

PushOwl has created an app for Shopify that gives push notifications. A push notification is a message that pops up directly on your screen - whether it be mobile or desktop - without having to open an app or email to see it. This means there are no barriers between the company and the customer. 

Gorgias is a customer support platform that has been specifically built for e-commerce businesses. It has been designed to make your communication with your customers as easy as possible, by integrating all the possible channels they can contact you on into one easy-to-use app, including email, Facebook, Instagram, SMS and messenger.

With over 10,000 Shopify merchants already using ReCharge, this subscription-based platform is the perfect addition to stores to help them upscale and grow. With over 15% of online shoppers found to be signing up for subscriptions for their purchases, and the subscription ecommerce market growing by 100% year on year, the need to offer this as an option for your consumers is vital.

On Wednesday 11th March, Blend Commerce held their first Shopify Meetup in Leamington Spa. Following previously successful meetups, we decided to create a new addition to this quarter’s meetup - a Shopify Merchant Workshop. Selected merchants were invited to the workshop by both Blend and our key partners, LoyaltyLion, ReCharge, SMSBump, and Gorgias.

At Blend, we’ve helped many high growth brands build out a fully optimised A/B testing plan for their Facebook Ads. For us, it’s all about developing their understanding of the platform and adding the realisation that a good Facebook Ad campaign doesn’t start with one image or one audience.

As the new year is in full swing, no doubt you'll be thinking about events, particularly Shopify events and eCommerce conferences that are coming up. However, are they worth attending? As a Shopify merchant or partner, working out how to get the best from these events is always tricky.