Shopify aims to be the best out-of-the-box ecommerce platform for all verticals - but it’s impossible to predict the needs of every retailer. Luckily Shopify’s native functionality is always improving and can be extended by a huge range of apps.
In this article, we take you through the Shopify apps that’ll help your ecommerce site fly. We’ve tried and tested the biggest apps with the best features and, somehow, managed to narrow down a huge pool of Shopify apps to bring you the best Shopify apps available now.
We’ll also explain what exactly a Shopify app is, go into detail about the four different types of apps, and how apps could have an impact on your site’s page speed. Not forgetting the ever-evolving integration of AI… But what can that do for your ecommerce website?
What is a Shopify app?
A Shopify app is a way of extending the functionality of your ecommerce website. It is a means of adding features to your site. For example, adding reviews, personalisation, or encouraging subscriptions.
The four types of Shopify apps:
There are four different types of Shopify apps, each with its own unique selling points.
Custom apps
A custom app is an app that is made for specific needs and is not available in the public Shopify App Store. They are developed with Shopify’s API, and each has a different set of features.
Public apps
A public Shopify app is an accessible app that can be found on the Shopify App Store. Public Shopify apps are either listed or unlisted. The difference between these apps is simply that unlisted apps won’t appear in the SERPs.
Private apps
A private app will not be listed on the Shopify App Store. Private Shopify apps can only be installed onto a Shopify site if you have been given a specific link to the application.
Draft apps
Draft apps act as a testing ground for features. In order to test new features or functionality, developers make mock applications (draft apps). Before features are made available to a larger user base, developers will experiment with a draft app.
Why are Shopify apps important?
Shopify apps are important for an ecommerce site because they enhance Shopify’s functionality, can create an enhanced user experience, and provide those all-important data insights. By using Shopify apps effectively, you can optimise your ecommerce site to provide a seamless experience for your customers.
A good app can give your site an edge, a way of evolving and adapting your site to meet the needs of your users and increasing the likelihood of conversions. Use apps that provide customisation and make sure you stand out from the sea of sites the SERPs have to offer.
Now, let’s get into the best Shopify apps to help your ecommerce site smash 2024…
Shopify app for loyalty and rewards
Provider: Yotpo
Service: Loyalty, referrals and rewards.
Key features:
- Campaign scheduling
- Tier-based reward programs
- Diverse rewards
Yotpo enables businesses to promote user-generated content and customer reviews to increase audience engagement and build trust. The Yotpo Loyalty & Referral service allows sites to build customised reward programs. Integrating a loyalty program into an ecommerce site will encourage repeat customers by motivating users to return, make a purchase, and increase their rewards.
Yotpo provides access to real-time data so you can see exactly how your loyalty programme is performing. This means you will be able to create targeted campaigns for a specific audience. According to Yotpo, “loyalty redeemers spend 89% more than non-redeemers.” So, it almost feels silly not to embrace a rewards service.
Yotpo’s platform partnership with Shopify creates a deeper integration between Yotpo technologies and Shopify features, enabling them to accelerate the development of innovative marketing solutions for brands.
Vicky Beech, Partner Manager at Yotpo, said:
“Loyalty programs are essential to customer retention as they allow you to go beyond transactions by offering a genuine value exchange with your brand.
“As well as letting your frequent shoppers build their loyalty points balance with each purchase, your program helps build emotional connections with your customers by personalising rewards, tailoring experiences and celebrating milestones.”
Shopify app for subscription
Provider: ReCharge
Service: Subscriptions
Key features:
- Customer portal domain
- Easily integrate with tech stacks
- No-code implementation
ReCharge is one of the most popular subscription apps available on Shopify. Customer retention and revenue are often greater when there are subscriptions. Businesses can boost average order value and overall revenue by upselling items or services to subscribers.
ReCharge integrates with Shopify, making it easy for ecommerce sites to set up and manage subscription offerings. Businesses can offer promotions and marketing options for users, including discount codes and referrals via user subscriptions.
For a successful subscription, you will want your business to be able to offer personalisation. ReCharge’s subscription service lets users pause, skip, or swap products in their orders in their customer portal.
If you want your site to tap into the growing market of subscriptions, ReCharge is the place to start.
See ReCharge’s Vision for more information.
Shopify app for email marketing
Provider: Klaviyo
Service: Email marketing
Key features:
- Campaign specific promotions
- Mobile optimised templates
- Reusable sections for mass-updates
Klaviyo provides email marketing where your “message not only reaches its mark but makes an impact.” This is pivotal at a time when everyone’s inbox is flooded with offers, announcements and upsells. There are layers to Klaviyo’s email marketing services, from AI and analytics to built-in flows. These services allow your business to make unique campaigns from scratch that won’t defer your users or make them reach for that unsubscribe button.
Instead of having to stick to a regimented email campaign that might not suit your customers, Klaviyo offers one-off campaign emails. This is a way of sending hyper-targeted content to users who are more likely to engage.
As well as hyper-targeting, Klaviyo provides its users with data-driven information to get optimal email marketing outcomes. For example, the right time of day to send emails, templates to ensure the aesthetic suits your brand, and the option to automatically skip users who have recently received an email. The last thing you want to do is to spam a potential customer.
Sam Fagan, Email Marketing Manager here at Velstar, said:
“I would always recommend that any ecommerce business use Klaviyo for their Email Marketing as it has ready-made, easy-to-use, automation flow templates, provides unrivalled customer data insights and has a vast range of ready to go integrations that can accommodate your tech stack.”
Shopify app for SEO
Provider: Matrixify
Service: SEO
Key features:
- Import and export data
- Backup store information
- Migrate to Shopify from another CMS
Matrixify helps ecommerce businesses manage their site data. Matrixify allows you to manage and update your products efficiently in bulk. You can easily import and export large quantities of product data.
It also enables your site to backup store information, efficiently migrate to Shopify from another content management system, and bulk update SEO titles and meta descriptions.
One of Matrixify’s biggest selling points is how much time it can save. The app has automation features that streamline repetitive tasks. You can schedule imports and exports, set up automatic updates for product data, and create templates for future use, saving you valuable time.
Matrixify enables its users to import data for:
- Blogs
- Redirects
- Metafields
- Draft orders
- Collections
- Products (the list goes on…)
Kerry Mullin, Head of SEO & Content at Velstar, said:
“We recommend using Matrixify because it empowers SEOs and Developers to manage and optimise product data efficiently for improved visibility. With its robust features, Matrixify allows us to effortlessly handle large-scale data imports, exports, and updates, ensuring that our client's websites are optimised for maximum organic traffic and higher rankings.”
Shopify apps for reviews
Now, hear us out, we couldn’t pick just one Shopify app for reviews. Reviews are one of the best ways to obtain returning customers. A good review from a user is worth its weight in gold – so take a look at the providers below and pick your favourite.
Provider: Yotpo
Service: Reviews
Key features:
- Platform approach
- AI-powered features
- Data & workflow integrations
Yotpo is an approved Google partner that allows companies to show star ratings on Google search results, improving an ecommerce site's reputation and visibility and potentially increasing click-through rate (CTR) by up to 30%, according to Yotpo.
Yotpo Reviews can save you time by harnessing the power of AI. They use AI to share the best customer reviews on social media, helping your good reputation be seen and celebrated across multiple platforms.
As always, we recommend doing your research before making any moves that can have an impact on your ecommerce site. Read Yotpo’s blog to Understanding The Risks & Rewards Of Switching Review Providers.
Provider: Klaviyo
Service: Reviews
Key features:
- Customisable review collection form
- Collect reviews in flows
- House consumer data in one easy to analyse place
As we know, customers have faith in one another. Interested consumers are more inclined to buy when they see favourable reviews of your product or service on your website. Klaviyo allows your ecommerce site to gain positive reviews from previous customers by developing a review strategy to succeed.
A Klaviyo strategy to collection reviews take place using five stages:
- Collect reviews
- Automate review follow-ups
- Send targeted campaigns
- Analyse review performance
- Identify next steps
Shopify app for shipping
Provider: ShipBob
Service: Shipping
Key features:
- Order and inventory management
- Shipping reporting and analytics
- Simple shipping program
ShipBob offers supply-chain services and ships international orders from the UK, Europe, US, Canada, and Australia from their strategically located warehouses. This includes tailored unboxing experiences as well as speedy delivery, making delivery more affordable and quick, allowing companies to offer greater customer service.
ShipBob's inventory management service helps ecommerce site managers refill stock with reorder alerts, bundle items for offers and request inventory transfers easily. The app also integrates order information and tracking details with Shopify, which simplifies the management of shipping operations.
We would recommend ShipBob for ecommerce sites that are looking to scale their operations and improve their shipping efficiency.
Shopify apps and page speed
Although these applications improve your store's features and operation, they may also add new coding that needs to load when a user visits your website. This can impact page speed. There is no one-size-fits-all all solution to page speed and applications. Each app has been developed differently and requires different coding to best implement its features.
We recommend properly researching the apps you want to add to your site and weighing up the pros and cons of each. This is because page speed could have a very small impact, and you could see huge rewards.
The future of Shopify apps
There is a time and a place for everything, and that includes the integration of artificial intelligence. Now, let’s preface this by saying that nothing is or ever will be as good as reading content from a real-life human, who’d have thought? But as AI grabs the attention of pretty much everyone, we must use it in the most efficient way without letting the robots take over.
When it comes to AI and Shopify applications, we see a rise in ChatGPT-powered tools integrating with features such as chatbots. A chatbot can help recommend products, answer FAQs, and generally help users find products or services available on an ecommerce. If you’re looking for an AI-assisted tool to chat with your users, we’d recommend checking out Rep AI: Sales Chatbot, Shopify’s first AI-powered concierge.
Grow with Velstar
Interested in learning more about Shopify? Get cosy with our Resource Hub for the latest news, trends and guides for all things ecommerce. We’re a Shopify Partner Agency, and we’ve got the success stories to prove it, read our Shopify Case Studies for all the juicy details.
And, when you’re ready, Get In Touch and speak to one of our team of Shopify Developers and Marketing Experts about growing your site’s visibility today.
Fancy a bit more? Check out the Shopify Summer Editions of 2023.
