We use the internet for a lot of things — watching movies, sharing memes with friends, reading the news and, of course, shopping. While the number of people using the internet to shop has been increasing steadily for many years, eCommerce has seen a massive boom in the last two years.
While the massive growth in the eCommerce industry can be clearly attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, many consumers who would have otherwise preferred to shop in-store were introduced to the ease and convenience of online shopping.
Though the shift to online was prompted by the pandemic, now that consumers have discovered it, they don’t seem to be showing any sign of letting it go.
That’s why ensuring your eCommerce website is optimized, and offering your customers the best possible experience, has become more critical than ever before.
Top Shopify Apps
Shopify has been one of the most popular eCommerce platforms for over a decade. They offer a functional and intuitive website builder that allows merchants to craft their online shops and easily sell their products.
The Shopify platform offers a huge number of tools and add-ons to assist store owners with everything from order tracking to SEO and online marketing.
Through the Shopify app store, users can customize their store, analytics and offered shopping experience with paid and free apps. While Shopify alone is a fantastic platform, utilizing these add-ons allows merchants to remain competitive in an increasingly saturated market.
If you’re an online merchant using Shopify to support your business, we’ve put together a list of the top five Shopify apps your online store needs.
1. Google Channel
We all know that Google is the online visibility king, so if you own a Shopify store, ensuring your Google Channel app is running and optimized is essential.
Google has a “Shopping” tab, which is an effective sales channel for any Shopify store. Google Channel allows your storefront to sync your product data directly to your Google Merchant Center account so your products can appear across Google’s Surfaces.
Properly developing your Google Channel app is also crucial for SEO. Through this app, it’s also possible to run paid ad campaigns through Google Shopping, which will boost the product's visibility by placing them at the top of your page.
2. Quick Announcement Bar
Famous Actor Will Rogers once said, “You never get a second chance at a first impression.” For Shopify store owners, your homepage is often the first impression your brand makes on potential customers.
Ensuring it’s well-designed and user-friendly is one of the most important steps to preventing the user from clicking away.
A vital part of any Shopify store homepage is the clear visibility of your latest sales and announcements. This simple feature could be the difference between making a sale or losing a potential customer to a competitor.
The “Quick Announcement Bar” allows your store to promote sales, geo-target for different promotions to maximize ROI, offer different discounts for different customers and provide animation to attract the potential buyer's attention further.
With over 5200 5-star reviews it’s considered an essential, must-have application for your Shopify store.
3. Pinterest Channel
There are over 400 million users on Pinterest, and it’s becoming a hotspot for sales in the digital marketing world. Whether selling beauty products or promoting new seasonal items, the Pinterest channel and its advertisement campaigns are a must.
Not only will your product appear on Pinterest in a search, but pinned products will also be boosted against your competitors. These “pins” will enable you to increase your organic SEO on the Pinterest app to gain maximum visibility.
Finally, Pinterest offers free credit on their paid ad campaigns for over 30 countries. If you want more outreach and exposure for your products, you can test the app for yourself.
If you’re looking for more information on running paid social media campaigns, get in touch with a specialist at Techwyse and learn more about what campaigns on Pinterest and other social platforms can do for your brand.
4. Judge.me Product Reviews
Social proofing is almost everything in marketing. If you have relevant, glowing reviews for your product or business, you are more likely to convert potential customers into sales.
Having Judge.me Product Reviews allows the customer to rate your products and write reviews directly inside their email after they’ve made a purchase.
Judge.me also allows for Questions and Answers for product reviews so that you can answer a client's potential questions.
Some other features include review stars in Google Search, Google Shopping, and Facebook as well. This app is a must for review solicitation and social proofing, to either boost your brand or launch it off the ground!
5. Order Printer Templates
As a Shopify store owner, you know the buyer’s journey isn’t over until the package is in the person’s hands. That’s why having Order Printer Templates is key for any online business.
The features of this free app include creating Custom Order Templates, Packing Slips, Gift Receipts, and Return forms. Putting your logo and incorporating your brand font is essential, even on smaller items like return forms.
The app is excellent for international businesses as well. With over 20 languages to translate from, your global reach will be more accessible than ever.
The creators have even gone the extra mile in community support by planting trees for every app purchase!
The Future of Retail
As an online retailer, your Shopify store is your bread and butter. Utilizing Shopify apps helps ensure you and your customers get the most out of the platform.
Ultimately, the apps you choose to integrate into your store will depend on your goals and what you hope to accomplish in the future. So when selecting apps, look at your goals — are you looking to increase brand awareness or build customer loyalty? Are you focused on conversions or retention?
Different apps are most suited to assist with these objectives, and there is a lot to choose from. We’ve suggested five of the top Shopify add-ons, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. Shopify works with many more apps and add-ons that will significantly assist you in growing your business and brand.
If you want to take your Shopify Store to the top, get in touch with a Techwyse expert today. These tools take time to implement, and our agency will do the research and help you understand how your competition stacks up so you can focus on running your business.
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