App reviews, troubleshooting, and recommendations
So from what I can tell, the Vitals app offers almost all the features an online store needs and I think it would also be faster and cheaper than using an app for everything, although I did notice that there is a similar app called Fondane that is even cheaper. Would anyone recommend these apps and if yes, which one? And if not, are there better all-in-one apps that you would use/which substitutes would you use? I would appreciate recommendations!
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@WildPrintz wrote:almost all the features an online store needs
Recognize how vague that statement is, when there's "needs" that cannot be bother to be specified that mismatch is a clue that the "needs" aren't real and more than likely app X isn't going to solve the real underlying problems.
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This is an accepted solution.
A solution cannot be recommended if a problem isn't defined.
@WildPrintz wrote:almost all the features an online store needs
Recognize how vague that statement is, when there's "needs" that cannot be bother to be specified that mismatch is a clue that the "needs" aren't real and more than likely app X isn't going to solve the real underlying problems.
Contact paull.newton+shopifyforum@gmail.com for the solutions you need
Save time & money ,Ask Questions The Smart Way
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I meant the fact that it has a lot of features that are very commonly used and recommend (upsell, chat, recently viewed, reviews, wishlist, sign up etc.) and some that would fit my need (size chart specifically), but i don't know if it's just a lot of mediocre features where, yes you have all the features but they're all just OK. So i'm asking if anyone who as experience with an all in one app would recommend them.
Commonly used it not a business reason.
Every app/feature you install should have a clear purpose and be able to prove it's worth.
Kitchen sink apps are generally mediocre for each sub-feature and just make it easy to make bad kitchen sink websites. The only reason to use them is to burn the time&money on purpose to learn the concepts and the mistakes.
@WildPrintz wrote:need (size chart specifically)
Alot of themes have a size chart feature, or setting that can be used to add a size chart, for pdfs use a metafield defintion as a dynamic source in something like a rich-text block.
For vintage themes there is a customization
For OS2.0 themes the above customization could be implement using a custom-liquid section or block.
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I understand. What apps would you say are essential apart from obvious ones like translation, reviews, currency and cookie banner? This is my first store so i don't know a whole lot but from what i've heard something to make users give you their e-mail (i think gamification is the best since it gives users a sense of accomplishment and luck) to actually use those e-mails you also obviously need an e-mail app. I've heard the shopify app is a really basic one and the klaviyo app is quite advanced. I think some badges and estimated delivery date could also be important. A cart upsell is very important from what I've read. I think for a clothing store like mine UGC could be quite important. Recently viewed and similar could be a nice to have.
Do you think any of the app categories i named are irrelevant or are there any i missed
I don't recommend apps unless an actual problem is stated otherwise it's too often an XY problem with merchants self diagnosing AND self prescribing.
And even with a problem statement there are so many services/apps you can still end up needing to do the work of shortlist and testing a handful for the right feature fit; except for some rare niches with a singular app or clear winner. On top of all the existing recommendation seeking posts for most feature categories.
Translations and currency are operational needs.
cookies banners are regulatory requirements.
They have business reasons to even occupy mental space.
Translations is iffy for a new business as can you actually provide business support for customers of langauage-X..
All the things you mentioned are categories unto themselves that need to be researched separately.
Mainly apps should provide some metrics that prove it's helping some defined business goal. And apps should be a bad tradeoff in impacting website speed.
Email collection -
Most themes have a newsletter option, getting emails with a gamification app can be good way to increase bounce rates or have a big list of fake emails but you wont know until you spend time & money coming up with marketing campaigns and testing conversions. Use free apps to learn limits, klaviyo etc is expensive if you don't know the features you need or why.
badges and estimated delivery dates -
messaging is important but generally only something to action if customers are indicating they are confused about how your business operates because policies are not clear or findable.
Most themes have some sort of sale-badge feature, though to have configurable badges only some themes do that.
Cart upsell -
can't upsell if there's nothing in the cart to start with.
Use to increase AOV, but if you have no AOV an upsell app is probably wasting money.
UGC - aka social proof - aka constant maintenance moderation chore
If relying on word-of-mouth etc or are spending money brand building sure but you still either need a marketing plan or a killer product where users don't need any prompting. While keeping in mind UGC can be hard to proof as a conversion factor.
Good Hunting.
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Hello @WildPrintz
It depends on your need.
If you need an all-in-one solution Vitals is a good choice. There are some pros and cons
Pros:
- No need to find and install many apps
- The similar UI and set-ups across mini-apps. No need to learn each app separately.
- The total cost is usually cheaper
Cons:
- Most mini-apps are basic and lack some functionalities compared to standalone apps
- You may not use all of the mini-apps, which might bloat and slow down your store (I'm not sure about this, depends on how Vitals implement it)
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