Recommended Apps for a newbie...

[ml001]

Hi,

I've used Shopify before but never for multiple products, and am surprised at how many "built-in" features are handled by Apps.

i.e.

* Multiply shipping rates by product quantities

* Add optional extras on cart, i.e. gift wrap

When looking at using an App it's a bit overwhelming as to which App to go with - based on trials, functionality etc.

Could anyone recommend apps for key functionality they've used?

TIA

[rajweb · Accepted solution]

Hey @ml001 ,

When managing a Shopify store with multiple products, the number of available apps can indeed be overwhelming. However, I can break down some key functionalities and recommend the apps that excel in these areas:

1. Mutiply Shipping rates by Product Qualities

To adjust shipping rates based on product quantities or specific conditions like product weight, size, or destination, these apps could be useful:

- Advanced Shipping Rules: This app allows for more complex shipping configurations. You can set rates based on the quantity of items in the cart, product weight, price, and other variables.

-  Better Shipping: Works well if you want to customize your shipping rates for specific products or product quantities. It can assign different shipping rates to individual products.

2. Add Optional Extras on Cart (gift Wrap, Customization, etc.)

For adding optional extras like gift wrapping, special packaging, or custom messages to the cart, consider:

- Order Gift Wrap: A simple app that allows you to add gift wrapping options at checkout. You can also charge for this extra service.

-Infinite Options: This app allows you to add customizable options to your product pages, such as gift wrapping, engraving, or personalized messages.

- Product Options and Customizer:  This is another great app to add customizable product options, including checkboxes for gift wrap, special instructions, or additional services.

3. Upselling & Cross-Selling (Increase Average Order Value)

If you want to encourage customers to add more products or upgrade to a higher value product:

-Bold Upsell: Offers robust upselling and cross-selling functionality, showing customers recommendations for complementary products when they add items to their cart.

-  Frequently Bought Together: This app suggests products based on customer buying patterns, increasing the likelihood of cross-selling.

4. Inventory & Order Management

If you need to streamline inventory management and order processing for a larger range of products:\

-TradeGecko (QuickBooks Commerce): This is a great app for inventory management, order management, and product tracking.

-Stocky: For managing inventory across multiple locations, Stocky integrates with Shopify and provides advanced reporting and stock forecasting.

5. Product Customization and Personalization

If your store offers products that require customer personalization or customization:

-Product Customizer: This app lets you add customizable options for your products, such as text inputs, file uploads, or dropdown menus for customization.

-Custom Product Options by BOLD: This app allows you to create custom product options like text boxes, checkboxes, and file uploads, which customers can use to personalize their orders.

6. Product Reviews & Social Proof

To help build trust and improve conversions, product reviews and social proof are crucial:

-Yotpo: A powerful app for collecting customer reviews, ratings, and photos. It integrates well with your product pages and also supports loyalty programs.

-Judge.me: A great, cost-effective review app with a lot of customization options and automatic review requests.

7. Email Marketing & Automation

If you're looking to automate marketing campaigns, emails, and recover abandoned carts:

-Klaviyo: This app is known for its robust email marketing automation, segmenting your audience for personalized communications, and offering advanced analytics.

-Omnisend: Another great option for email marketing and automation, with SMS and push notification capabilities.

8. Loyalty Programs and Discounts

For building customer loyalty through rewards programs and discounts:

-Smile.io: Offers a loyalty program where customers can earn points for purchases, reviews, and other actions that they can redeem for discounts or rewards.

-LoyaltyLion: Another loyalty program app, providing rewards for actions such as purchases, referrals, and more, helping boost repeat purchases.

9. SEO & Marketing Tools

If you want to improve your store's search engine optimization (SEO):

-SEO Manager: A comprehensive SEO tool that helps you optimize your Shopify store, manage metadata, and track SEO performance.

-Plug in SEO: This app audits your store's SEO performance and provides actionable tips for improvement.

10. Analytics and Reporting

To get better insights into your sales, customer behavior, and inventory:

-Google Analytics: An essential app for tracking your traffic and e-commerce data.

-Data Export Reports: It offers custom reports for sales, customer data, and more. If you need detailed and flexible reporting, this one is a solid choice.

11. Shipping & Delivery Optimization

If you're looking to improve the overall shipping experience:

-ShipStation: This app integrates with Shopify to streamline your shipping process. It allows you to manage shipping rates, print labels, and track orders.

-AfterShip: Ideal for post-purchase tracking, this app provides automatic tracking updates to customers and integrates with multiple carriers.

Let me know if you'd like more information on any specific app or functionality!

If I was able to help you, please don't forget to Like and mark it as the Solution!
If you’re looking for expert help with customization or coding, I’d be delighted to support you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via the email in my signature below—I’m here to help bring your vision to life!

Best Regard,
Rajat Sharma

[ml001]

Thanks Rajat - exactly what I was looking for.

It's still disappointing that building a shop with features that I class as basic, requires the installation and cost of several apps.

Thanks

[rajweb]

@ml001 ,

You're definitely not alone in feeling that way! Many merchants expect certain core features—like flexible shipping rates or simple add-ons—to be built into Shopify’s base functionality. While Shopify’s simplicity makes it easy to start selling, that simplicity also limits flexibility, pushing many common features into third-party apps.

One approach some merchants take is to invest in a theme or developer customization upfront, especially if they plan to scale. Certain themes or custom code can handle things like cart add-ons, custom fields, or basic upsells, which might reduce the need for additional apps.

That said, if you’re committed to growth on Shopify, these apps can bring a lot of value once they’re set up. Shopify is also actively evolving, so over time, some of these features may become more natively integrated. But in the meantime, balancing functionality with app costs can definitely feel like a challenge. 

And if you have any other questions or run into further issues, please feel free to contact me via email. I’d be happy to help! If you find this information useful, a Like would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[Valentyna1]

Hi)

If you don't mind, I would like to recommend the app for the third point. The ReSell app would be very helpful in creating upsell & cross-sell offers. It provides plans for businesses of any level including a free version. Their tech support works 24/7 so they are ready to answer your questions anytime.

[rajweb]

Hey @Valentyna1 , Could you please send me an email so I can provide more detailed insights and recommendations about this? I’d be happy to help you anytime.

Thanks

[heddykhalifa]

Hey MIO01, 

Heddy from Gameball: Loyalty Program & VIP here!

I get that navigating the app store can be overwhelming, but here are a couple of solid apps for your needs:

1. Shipping Rates by Product Quantity:

   • Advanced Shipping Rules: Customizes shipping based on product quantity, price, or weight.
   • Better Shipping: Allows for custom shipping rates per product and location.

2. Optional Extras (e.g., Gift Wrap):

   • Infinite Options: Lets you add unlimited product options like gift wrap or special messages.
   • Product Add-Ons: Simple and effective for adding extras directly in the cart.

3. Loyalty Program:

   • Gameball: A great tool to reward customers for purchases, reviews, and social media engagement. It’s an easy way to drive repeat business and keep customers coming back.

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