I’m still working on my website and it always seems like missing something. It will be a website for canned drinks to sell. I was wondering what app’s do I need to make my life easier?
For marketing (emails, deals etc) For advertising (on instagram, facebook, tiktok) For affiliate programs (currently working on Collabs, but it’s annoying, that it requires for people to register to collabs app - some people might feel sus about it)((Or I’m just overthinking??)) For shipping within the UK (any automations, or for the start I should add standard rate and do it with Shopify Shipping till it gets bigger?) I just see all the people selling have those printers printing labels automatically (or most likely I don’t know how to set it up ). I have printer from previous small businesses, but I was looking each time for best delivery option. Now I wanna make it more automated to save time.
Any other useful app’s when starting? Don’t want to waste money at the start.
p.s. I was wondering if someone automated processes with AI? I will work on it later on, because I want to make as much as possible with AI based automations/bots.
Start with fewer apps than you think. Shopify Email, Shopify Shipping, and the native Meta/TikTok sales channels cover the basics while order volume is low. Buy a compatible thermal label printer, then print labels from Orders instead of comparing couriers manually each time.
For AI, keep it on draft work and alerts: email drafts, FAQ suggestions, low-stock flags. Have a person approve discounts, refunds, shipping exceptions, and customer promises.
You do not need a large app stack at the beginning. Too many apps increase cost, slow the store, and make troubleshooting harder.
For a lean setup, I would start with:
Email marketing: Shopify Forms for collecting subscribers, then Shopify Messaging for welcome emails, abandoned checkouts, offers, and newsletters. Both integrate with Shopify’s customer data.
Facebook and Instagram: Use the official Facebook & Instagram by Meta sales channel for catalogue syncing, product tagging, pixel setup, and Conversions API tracking. It is free to use, subject to eligibility.
TikTok: Install the official TikTok sales channel only when your products and content are ready. It can sync products, inventory, orders, and fulfilment with TikTok Shop in the UK.
Affiliates: Collabs is useful, but creators do need a Shopify account and must accept an invitation or submit an application. At the beginning, you could work with a few creators using direct invitations and unique discount codes instead of building a large programme immediately.
UK shipping: Start with a simple flat rate or free-shipping threshold. Once orders arrive, you can buy and print Royal Mail labels directly from Shopify if your UK fulfilment location is eligible. A normal desktop printer works, although a supported label printer becomes useful when order volume increases.
Automation: Shopify Flow is free on Basic and above and can automate tasks such as tagging customers, managing stock alerts, organising orders, and connecting supported apps. Build the process manually first, then automate the repetitive parts.
For canned drinks, I would also make sure your product pages clearly show ingredients, allergens, can size, quantity per pack, storage instructions, delivery restrictions, and whether the price is per can or case.
For the email/SMS engine itself, start with Shopify Email - it’s free and covers the basics like welcome flows and abandoned checkout. Shopify’s AI (Sidekick) can also help here: ask it to draft your email copy, subject lines, or even suggest which automation to set up next, so you’re not starting from a blank page.
For deals, whether on your store or only for people who receive your email, BOGOS: Free Gift Bundle Upsell app supports this, with everything below in one dashboard so you’re not juggling separate apps:
Gift: free gift with purchase offers like BOGO, Buy X Get Y, Spend X Get Gift,… with auto-add to cart or a pop-up for customers to pick their gift.
Bundle: Classic, Mix and Match, Bundle Builder, Bundle Product Page
Discount: cart value or cart quantity discounts, product discount, volume discount
Upsell: checkout upsell, thank you page upsell, frequently bought together upsell on product page
Built-in boosters: progress bar, Today’s Offer widget, announcement bar, offer page,…
Advanced targeting: show an offer only to certain customers, using tags, order history, location,…
A couple of ways to use this for a drinks brand:
Free gift with purchase, gated to email subscribers only (e.g., a free sample can with any order).
A tiered “spend more, get more” discount.
10% off for first-time buyers, using order history targeting so it only shows to new customers.
Welcome to the journey - canned drinks is a great niche and you’re asking exactly the right questions early!
Marketing emails and deals:
Start with Klaviyo - free up to 250 contacts and genuinely the best for ecommerce. Set up an abandoned cart flow first, then a welcome sequence. Those two alone will recover more revenue than any other marketing effort at the start.
Advertising on social:
Don’t overthink this early. Connect Meta Business Suite for Facebook and Instagram - it’s free and handles both in one place. For TikTok, just install the TikTok for Shopify app. Start organic before paid drinks photograph really well, lean into that.
Affiliate programs:
You’re not overthinking the Collabs friction, it is annoying. Try Refersion or UpPromote as alternatives. Both have cleaner onboarding for affiliates and better tracking. UpPromote has a solid free tier to start.
Shipping within the UK:
For now - Shopify Shipping with Royal Mail or Evri is fine. Set a standard rate, get your first 50 orders out, then automate. Once you have volume, Sorted or Shipstation connect to multiple UK carriers and rate shop automatically. Your existing label printer will work just make sure it’s a thermal printer for Shopify labels, standard inkjet is painful long term.
AI automations:
Smart thinking for later. Start simple get operations stable first, then automate. Trying to automate a process you haven’t fully figured out manually usually creates more problems than it solves.
One more thing worth knowing:
Once you start selling across your own store and any marketplace - Amazon, eBay, TikTok Shop keeping inventory in sync across all of them becomes genuinely important. That’s where Nventory comes in real-time sync across every channel so you never oversell. Free permanently. Not urgent right now but worth bookmarking for when you expand.
Good luck with the launch - you’ve got the right mindset!
Congrats on getting your store close to launch! My advice would be to keep your app stack as lean as possible in the beginning. Every app adds cost and can impact performance, so only add them when you actually need them.
Here’s what I’d prioritize:
Email marketing: is excellent if you’re serious about email and SMS, but Shopify Email is perfectly fine to start with if you’re watching costs.
Advertising: Install the official Facebook & Instagram and TikTok sales channels. They handle catalog syncing, pixels, and conversions without needing extra apps.
Affiliate program: Shopify Collabs is a solid choice. Most creators are already familiar with it so I wouldn’t worry too much about the signup process. If you outgrow it later, there are alternatives like UpPromote or Social Snowball.
Shipping: I’d start with Shopify Shipping (if available for your account) or your preferred courier integration. You can absolutely print labels from Shopify using a compatible label printer, so you don’t need a complex setup on day one. Once order volume grows, that’s when shipping automation apps become worthwhile.
An email capture/pop-up app if you aren’t using one through your email platform.
Google & YouTube sales channel for Merchant Center and free product listings.
Regarding AI, there are definitely some practical uses without overcomplicating things:
Generate product descriptions and blog posts.
Draft customer support replies.
Summarize reviews for FAQs.
Automate repetitive admin tasks with tools like Shopify Flow (if your plan includes it) or services like Make/Zaper as your business grows.
I’d focus on getting your first sales before investing heavily in AI automations. Once you know where you’re spending the most time, it’s much easier to identify what should actually be automated.
If I were starting a new Shopify store today, I’d keep the app stack as lean as possible and only add apps when there’s a clear need.
For marketing, Shopify Email is actually a great starting point before paying for more advanced platforms. Focus on growing your email list early—it usually delivers one of the best ROIs.
For advertising, make sure your tracking is set up correctly from day one. Accurate Meta and TikTok tracking will save you a lot of headaches when you start scaling campaigns.
For affiliates, I don’t think you’re overthinking it. Every extra signup step creates friction. Some creators won’t mind joining Collabs, while others prefer a simpler process, so it’s worth testing both approaches.
For shipping, I’d keep it simple initially. Shopify Shipping or standard shipping rates are usually enough until order volume justifies more automation. Once orders become consistent, label printing and fulfillment automation become much more valuable.
One mistake I see new store owners make is installing 15–20 apps before getting their first sales. Start with the essentials, validate demand, and then add tools based on real business needs.
As for AI, I’m seeing merchants use it successfully for customer support, content creation, product descriptions, FAQ generation, and email marketing. Just be careful not to automate everything too early—sometimes simple manual processes are faster when you’re just getting started.
). I have printer from previous small businesses, but I was looking each time for best delivery option. Now I wanna make it more automated to save time.
Hi