Building a Customer Review App: Partner Interview with Dan-from-Ryviu

[JasonH]

How do you manage customer reviews and make them work for your products? A Shopify app can be handy to streamline this process. “A professional look and reliable backend automation” you say? We hear you! 

We recently spoke with @Dan-From-Ryviu, the creator of the Ryviu - Customer Review app. We discussed their journey into app development and explored what it takes to build a well-integrated app for the Shopify ecosystem.

 

1. Can you describe your experience with Shopify app development?

My experience with Shopify app development has been positive overall. The platform's extensive documentation and developer community have been invaluable in navigating the development process. Additionally, the App Store submission and review process is well-defined, ensuring quality apps are available to merchants.

I love working on our app, whether it's improving it or adding new features. Brainstorming, planning, and bringing ideas to life is thrilling. Collaborating with the team, gathering user feedback, and constantly learning keeps me motivated. The potential to enhance our users' experience fuels my passion for app development.

 

2. What motivated you to develop a Shopify customer review app?

Customer feedback plays a pivotal role in shaping businesses, yet acquiring reviews for new stores, particularly drop-shipping, can be challenging. 

To address this, we created a customer review application designed to aid merchants in gathering and showcasing product reviews. By bolstering a store's social proof, this app aims to boost sales effectively.

 

3. What programming languages and frameworks did you use to build your app?

We built our app by using a combination of tools to create an efficient and user-friendly app. 

On the framework side, we utilized Laravel and Vue.js. Laravel, a PHP framework, helped us efficiently handle routing, authentication, and database management by leveraging the MVC architectural pattern. 

Vue.js, on the other hand, allowed us to build a dynamic and interactive user interface with its component-based architecture and reactive data binding.

In terms of programming languages, we used PHP for the server-side logic, managing our interactions with the database and generating dynamic content. 

For the front-end, we used HTML to structure the web pages, CSS to style them, and JavaScript to add interactivity and handle dynamic content.

 

4. How does your app integrate with Shopify’s existing ecosystem?

Ryviu: Product Review &QA is available on Shopify apps store. It seamlessly integrates with Shopify's existing ecosystem, allowing merchants to easily install and set up the app within their Shopify store backend. With just a few clicks, merchants can connect our app to their Shopify store and start collecting and displaying product reviews without any hassle.

 

Q5: How do you handle data privacy and security as user reviews might contain sensitive information?

At Ryviu, data privacy and security are paramount in everything we do. When merchants install our app, they are prompted to grant access only to the necessary data required for its functionality. We follow the principle of least privilege, meaning merchants only provide access to what is essential for the app to operate effectively.

Moreover, we prioritize anonymity and confidentiality in user reviews. Only the store owner can see the customer's email address when a customer leaves a review.

This ensures that sensitive information remains protected and accessible only to those with explicit authorization. We empower merchants with robust moderation tools, allowing them to manage reviews while upholding customer privacy.

 

6. How did you overcome the challenges during the app development?

During the development of our app, we faced challenges in integrating with Shopify's ecosystem while ensuring scalability and reliability. To overcome this, we conducted extensive testing, sought guidance from Shopify's documentation and community forums, and prioritized incremental improvements based on user feedback. 

Another significant challenge was ensuring data privacy and security, especially with sensitive information like user reviews. We tackled this by implementing robust encryption protocols, access controls, and regular security audits to safeguard user data and comply with regulations. 

 

7. How do you manage and prioritize feature requests from users?

Managing and prioritizing user feature requests is a crucial aspect of our development process at Ryviu. We value feedback from our users and understand that their input is instrumental in shaping the evolution of our product. Here's how we handle feature requests:

1. User Feedback Collection: We provide channels for users to submit requests, such as through our website, email, or within the user account.
2. Evaluation and Categorization: Requests are assessed based on impact, alignment with our roadmap, and feasibility.
3. Prioritization Framework: We use a systematic framework that considers user demand and aligns with our vision.
4. Roadmap Planning: Requests are mapped onto our dynamic roadmap, ensuring efficient resource allocation.
5. Communication and Transparency: We keep users informed about the status of their requests and actively seek feedback.
6. Iterative Development: Our agile approach enables us to respond quickly to feedback and continuously improve the user experience.

 

8. How do you ensure the scalability and reliability as more Shopify stores adopt the app?

To ensure our app scales reliably with Shopify's evolving growth, we prioritize key strategies:

1. We consistently update and maintain our app to optimize performance, ensuring reliability for Shopify's expanding user base.
2. We continually add enhanced features and customization options to meet merchants' evolving needs.
3. We maintain a competitive pricing structure to provide value for merchants while staying accessible.

 

9. How do you measure the success of your app? 

We measure our app's success through quantitative metrics like active users, retention rates, and revenue, as well as qualitative feedback from surveys and reviews. 

By analyzing both metrics and feedback, we gain insights into user satisfaction and make data-driven decisions to improve the app.

App Analytics:

Google Analytics:

 

10: What future features are you planning to add to your app?

We're always looking to enhance our offering to better serve our users' evolving needs. Future updates include improved review import tools and more customization options.

Our goal is to keep innovating and evolving our app to empower merchants with the tools they need to succeed in today's competitive e-commerce landscape. By listening to user feedback and staying attuned to industry trends, we're committed to delivering features that drive real business results for our merchants.

 

Wrapping up

And that’s it! We hope this behind-the-scenes look at Shopify app development was helpful. Now, we’d like your input:

• What’s your biggest takeaway?
• How do you manage customer reviews?
• What features would you like to see in a review app?

Leave your comments and questions down below. Connect with @Dan-From-Ryviu or check out Ryviu- Product Reviews app for more information.