Since January 2021, we have been offering merchants a free update from the shop version Base to the successor version Now. The availability of the update depends on the provider and the range of features being used. An update can take place as soon as the features used in Base largely correspond to the available features in Now. Base merchants whose shops are suitable are then notified in the administration area and can start the update if they wish.
The update is carried out in an equivalent shop package, so that the tariff and domain settings remain aligned and you can use the new version at a special price. Most of your data will be transferred to the Now shop during the update.
We will support you with the update and make it as easy as possible. On this page, you can learn about the advantages of the new Now version. Take a look at our feature comparison and find out more about the update procedure.
Advantages of the Now version
Responsive design for mobile devices
New, modern themes
User-friendly administration
Easy drag-and-drop editor
Pre-optimised for search engines
Improved shop features
New apps for your online shop
60+ connections, e.g. PayPal, Amazon, DHL
Responsive design for perfect display on all devices
Today, customers expect a modern online shop that works perfectly on all mobile devices. Shops of the new version Now are responsive and always optimally displayed on all end devices. You can choose from a variety of themes that meet current requirements and usability criteria.
More user-friendly administration
The administration is much more user-friendly and intuitive with the new version. The administration area has been completely revised and made clearer. This makes daily work with the shop easier.
Drag-and-drop editor for quick page design and editing
In the editor of the Now version, you can quickly and easily design and edit the pages of your shop. A variety of modern content elements are available for this purpose, which you simply drag with the mouse to the desired position on the page. Content elements include texts, images, videos, image sliders, product sliders, contact forms and Google Maps. The editor works according to the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) principle: your shop is displayed directly in the editor and you immediately see how the changes look.
Pre-optimised for search engines and mobile-first indexing
Soon Google will only index content that is completely visible on mobile devices. Thanks to their Responsive Design, Version Now shops are perfectly prepared for this so-called mobile-first index, as the content is the same on all end devices. In addition, they bring further advantages in terms of search engine optimisation – for example, speaking URLs and the simple editing of page titles and meta descriptions.
New features and apps
The Now Shop version offers many features and applications that are not available in Base. New or improved features include adding USPs to the shop header, quick content page creation, video on product pages and easy logo editing. To take your marketing to the next level, the Now Shop version lets you sync products with Facebook Shop and Instagram, or launch AI-driven advertising campaigns with Shopping Ads on Google.
Legally up to date as usual
As with the Base version, Now is designed to be legally compliant and also includes fixed pages where you provide additional legal information relevant to your business e.g. sales terms and conditions. Among other things, a new, ready to use cookie banner is included.
Update procedure
The update runs semi-automatically. Much of the work is done by us and most of your data is transferred to the Now shop. We provide guidance in all steps that are carried out by you – for example, selecting a new theme or inserting content. During the update, you will see a checklist of all important steps and can pause or end the update at different stages. Your shop will not have to go offline for a long period of time.
The five steps to your Now shop
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Since January 2021, we have been offering merchants a free update from the shop version Base to the successor version Now. The availability of the update depends on the provider and the range of features used. An update can take place as soon as the features used in Base largely correspond to the available features in Now. Merchants will then be notified in the administration area and can start an update if they wish.
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Your products and categories will be automatically transferred to your Now shop. In cases with large volumes of legacy data, this may take a few hours.
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You try out the Now shop and set it up, for example by adjusting design settings. You can take as much time as you like for this. Do not edit any products or add new products in this step. Your Base Shop will continue to exist during this time and your customers can visit and buy products as usual.
- After you have set up your Now shop and worked through the checklist steps, start the shop transfer. To do this, in the administration area of your Now shop click on the View next steps button in the checklist under the item Import your shop data and shut down your old shop. The Shop update page appears and you can confirm the transfer. Your Base shop will be closed in this step. Orders, customer data, the stock of your products and other data will then be transferred from your Base Shop. After the transfer, you will be able to continue working with your existing order and customer data as well as stock levels. Transfer duration ranges from minutes to hours, depending upon legacy data volume. At maximum, it will be completed within a day. All data will then be available in the Now shop. You will be notified by e-mail when the transfer is complete.
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You can check everything, make adjustments to your Now shop and then open it.
Feature comparison of the Base and Now versions
With our comparison list, get an overview of the current range of features of the shop version Now.
The Now version was awarded Champion four times in a row
With which online shop solution are users most satisfied? This is the subject of the Heise study “Professional User Rating: Digital Solutions”, which looked at 40 shop platforms – including Shopify, Shopware and Adobe Magento. In the category of online shop solutions, Version Now has been awarded as Champion for the fourth time in a row.
What do users value most?
Get to know the Now version
Would you like to know more about the most important features of the new shop version? Watch our videos.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to book a new shop package with my provider?
No. The update takes place in an equivalent shop package, so the tariffs and domain settings remain identical.
Will the update incur any costs?
No, the update is free of charge.
How can I start the update?
An update can take place as soon as the used features in Base largely correspond to the available features in Now. Base merchants whose shops are suitable are then notified in the administration area and can start the update if they wish. To start the update, click on Shop update in the administration area of your Base shop in the main menu and then on the button Create new shop.
How long is my Base Shop available for my customers?
You decide when the Base shop will be switched off and the Now shop activated. Take your time to check and adjust settings in the Now shop and go online with it when you are ready.
Where can I find the preparation shop to process it later?
You can find your Now shop in your administration area in the Base shop. You can continue to edit it at any time under the menu item Shop update and Explore new Shop.
Can I stop the update?
You can stop the update and delete the new shop at any time. To do this, select the Delete new shop button in the administration area of your Base shop.
You can delete your new shop and continue working as usual in your existing shop. If you decide to delete your new shop, you can always start the update process again at any time.
How does the final transfer from the Base shop to the Now shop work?
If you are happy with your Now shop, you can confirm that the transfer should be made. The transfer will be completed within a maximum of one day. Your Base shop will be deleted in this step. All data will then be available in the Now shop. You will be notified by e-mail when the transfer is complete, then make any final settings and open your Now shop for your customers.
How big are the differences between the two versions in terms of operation?
The administration area of the new version has been completely revised, simplified and made more intuitive. The basic user guidance – for example, adding products or editing orders – works in the same way as in the previous version. You will therefore quickly find your way around the new administration.
How much time do I have for the update?
You can take as much time as you like to complete the update. However, we recommend completing the update by the launch of Google’s Mobile-First Index. This change could come into effect as early as April 2021.
Why are some areas not displayed in the administration of the Now shop before the final transfer?
Some areas of the administration are not available to you until the start of the new shop – for example, the “Marketing” section. The reason is that these settings are automatically taken over from your Base Shop and therefore you do not have to make them yourself.
During the update, no customers and orders are displayed in my Now shop. Why is that?
Your customers and order data will not be imported into your new Now shop until the final shop transfer. Up to that time, you can maintain your orders and customers as usual in your Base shop. If you create test orders in your Now shop, this will be overwritten with your current data during the final data import.
More questions will be answered in our help centre.
Conclusion of a merchant: “We benefit from the good design and the usability”.
A German online merchant, Dietmar Mühr, has already switched his shop Historic Racing from the Base version to the Now version. His conclusion: “We benefit from the good design and the ease of use. I really like the editor, which allows me to customise my webshop with various ready-made modules. Furthermore, I liked the themes offered during the set-up. As a car parts merchant, we were able to give ourselves a very design-oriented appearance.”
