Shopify has a huge ecosystem of apps and experts, providing you with solutions and services for different requirements for your growing eCommerce business. With these solutions, a merchant can simplify their store’s functioning— automate processes, enabling marketing, enhance store design, and increase sales. The Shopify App Store has thousands of apps, serving catering to specific needs and purposes, making it easy for merchants to solve their problems.
However, if you’re just setting up or looking to scale, you’ll have a hard time picking a solution with the sheer volume of apps available. With this blog, we want to simplify the hunt for the right Shopify apps. With 4 steps, you can find the right set of apps to help you grow your Shopify store.
Step 1: List down your needs
Ever gone to a grocery store without the list of things you buy? Your trip to the store takes twice as long as usual and you end up coming back home without many of the things you actually needed. Your hunt for the right Shopify apps is exactly like that.
To ensure you pick the apps that will help your store grow, you need to first list down what you want to solve within your eCommerce store. Some merchants may want to build credibility or turn their traffic into subscribers and others may be focused on increasing customer loyalty. This way, you can avoid aimlessly wandering through different collections and categories on the Shopify App Store hoping an app catches your eye.
If you’re not sure what your needs are, you can start by pinpointing your problems— high cart abandonment, high traffic but low conversions, surplus inventory. Use this to easily list down the type of apps that will solve the issue you are facing. For instance, to reduce cart abandonment rates, you can look for the following solutions:
- Countdown timer to illicit urgency when checking out
- Retargeting app
- Automated abandonment message
- Exit intent
This exercise will help you avoid spending time and money on unnecessary Shopify apps and instead, tackle the issues that your Shopify app faces with every smart tactic available.
Step 2: Shortlist Shopify Apps
Now that you know what kind of Shopify apps you are looking for, start browsing the Shopify App Store. You can look for apps in 4 ways:
1. Keyword search
Look for apps by searching with the keyword of the problem or needs you have right within the App Store. For instance, you can look for ‘abandoned cart’ or ‘exit intent’ and the search will deliver results of apps who prioritize what you are looking for.
2. Collections
Shopify curates collections based on different criteria like types of merchants and app types. A few of these collections include launching your store, growing your business, and top email marketing solutions.
3. Categories
Like any other directory of products, the Shopify App Store has categorized its apps to make it easy to navigate through the different categories and subcategories to find apps faster.
4. Shopify-recommended apps
Another great way to find Shopify apps faster is by looking at the apps that the Shopify team has already endorsed. This blog about the 25 best free Shopify apps has helped many merchants find apps that help them achieve their eCommerce goals.
When shortlisting apps you’re browsing through, you can use one metric to help you find apps that are credible and useful— reviews. Each app is reviewed by merchants just like you who have tried the app for their store. Read through the reviews to avoid shortlisting apps that don’t deliver the results they promised. You should always read a handful of 5-star as well as 1-star reviews of each Shopify app, even if they are high-rated.
Step 3: Evaluate Your Apps
Now that you’ve listed the apps you’re considering to add to your store management arsenal, start evaluating them more closely. You might also have jotted down 2 apps that perform the same function and this evaluation process can help you pick the better one.
Look at these 3 different aspects of the app to ensure the app has what it takes to deliver results you want to see:
1. Usability
Look at dashboard screenshots, video tutorials, and walkthroughs to understand how the app is designed, how merchants can navigate through it. Is the design too complex to deal with? An app with multiple features is no good if the merchant has a negative experience using it.
2. Pricing
Pricing is a crucial factor when picking your apps. Ensure that the price for the apps you’ve selected is reasonable and worth investing in. Almost every Shopify apps have a free trial period to let you test them out before getting the paid plan. This way, you can really be sure if it’s worth paying for the solution by testing it out yourself.
Many Shopify apps also provide free versions of their app. For such apps, look at the feature differences between the free and paid plans and compare it to see if it’s really worth investing in a paid plan to help you with your goals. For instance, some apps have crucial features that are only available within the paid plan. If you think the feature will deliver results, you should consider upgrading to the higher version.
3. Feature set
Most importantly, ensure that the app you are installing has all the features that similar solutions provide. You can look for similar solutions outside of Shopify and their feature to see whether the app meets the standard. For instance, email apps like Klaviyo have an extensive set of features that help merchants maximize their use with email marketing.
You can even talk to the app’s customer support team to clarify any doubts you have about the Shopify app before installing it.
Step 4: Monitor performance post-install
You finally have your final list of Shopify apps. But, your work doesn't end here. Instead, it's just as crucial to follow through a month later to see if the app has tackled the problem that it was intended to solve or delivered some results. Analyze the results it has delivered whether it is the number of abandoned carts recovered or subscriber growth. This way, you can find the Shopify apps that aren’t helping your store grow, uninstall them, and instead, find alternatives that will be a better fit.
This process maybe 1 to 3 months long but it is sure to equip your store with the Shopify apps that are right for you, delivering results and helping you grow your eCommerce business.
Need help understanding a Shopify app or picking one that suits your Shopify store needs?
Contact us and our Shopify experts will help you make the right choice!
