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With its massive audience of over 2 million active users, Shopify has quickly become a powerhouse in the e-commerce space. The platform attracts aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners who want to host their stores on it. In addition to launching and running a store, Shopify encourages developers to get involved by selling apps, store designs, and tools that their vast user base can use.Â
This blog will dive into Shopify’s app development, providing tips and best practices to get your app up and running and attract a thriving user base.Â
What is Shopify?
Shopify is best known as an e-commerce hosting platform where entrepreneurs, tech gurus, celebrities, and business owners can set up shops and sell their products or services online. Following a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, Shopify makes a profit through a monthly subscription charged to users hosting shops on its platform. Well-known for its user-friendly and intuitive design, Shopify is an excellent place to start growing an online business.Â
Why Choose Shopify?
Here are a few of the offerings that they have:
- App Integration: Apps like Jebbit, SendOwl, and many others can be easily integrated into your Shopify site.
- Analytics: Shopify makes it easy for users to track the analytics of their site, monitoring key KPIs and looking for ways to improve.
- Marketing & SEO: Shopify provides the option to add alt text, custom titles, and is built through an organized overall structure, making it a great platform for SEO and Marketing.Â
- Website Building: Shopify is highly regarded for its easy-to-use platform, making it a great choice for beginners and pros alike.Â
- Order & Payment Management: Shopify offers many tools for managing inventory, tracking orders, processing payments, etc.Â
4 Tips for Shopify App Developers
Are you excited to start building your next Shopify app? We’ve compiled four important tips for getting started and listed them below!
Set Goals
One of the most important steps before building your Shopify is to set goals and make sure that you stick to them. Setting a goal can require first taking some time to plan out what your app will look like, what is needed for a minimum viable product, and when you want to submit your app to Shopify for vetting. Overall, the most important element is that you remain focused and dedicated to accomplishing the project.Â
Know Your Audience
Understanding your audience is another crucial element in developing your Shopify app. Before making the app, you want to have confidence that it will be used and by whom. Whether you’re building for marketers, business owners, or even other developers, finding your target audience is crucial. By pinpointing this early on, you will have a much easier time creating the UX/UI and deciding on a pricing strategy for launch.
Engage With the Shopify QA Team
The Shopify QA team is professional and has vetted thousands of apps like yours, making them excellent resources for all your questions and issues. Look to them for guidance on getting your app accepted or recommendations on where improvements can be made. No matter what, don’t hesitate to reach out and take advantage of all the support you can get!
Focus on Customer Service
The bulk of your app’s success will come down to its store rating and what people say about it. Of course, the functionality of your app is essential, and if it doesn’t work correctly, you will have some problems, but this doesn’t mean you can overlook customer service. Make it a habit to respond to any complaints or questions, and keep a strong rating from your community.Â
You might also like to read: How to Find a Mobile App Development Agency
How to Get Started Building a Shopify App
1. Plan Your App
As we briefly discussed above, the first step to building a Shopify app is to come up with a concrete and detailed plan. Here are some tips for the planning phase:
- Conduct competitive researchÂ
- Define your target audience and usersÂ
- Decide on timelinesÂ
2. Design the User Interface / User Experience
The second step of the Shopify development process should focus on the UX/UI, which might entail creating wireframes or prototypes using tools like Figma and Adobe. Here are some recommendations for ensuring you have robust UX/UI:
- Keep it simple: An intuitive and minimalist app will minimize clutter, making it easier for users to adapt to your app and incorporate it into their stores.
- Keep it consistent: Using similar typography, colours, and design elements will enhance the user experience and build familiarity with your product.Â
- Make it Mobile Friendly: Everyone is on their phones. By making your product mobile-friendly, you can capture some of these users and improve the overall experience with your app.Â
- Loading Times: No one likes waiting. To avoid making your users wait, try to keep your loading times short by compressing image sizes and minimizing HTTP requests.Â
- Create Visual Contrasts: Varying styles and colours can help to create an information hierarchy, making it easier for users to interpret and understand your app.Â
3. Develop Your Shopify App
The next step is to start developing your app, which means working on the front and backend. We recommend following best coding practices and ensuring that everything created works with the Shopify platform. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Decide on a minimal viable product
- Keep the code clean and simple
- Decide on an operating system
- Set up a strong server
- Planning the app design and securityÂ
4. Test Your App
Remember to test your app before submitting it to Shopify. After building your app, you might consider conducting one or all of the following tests: Unit Testing, Integration Testing, and End-to-end Testing.Â
Unit Testing
Unit testing involves testing the individual components of the app to ensure that they are working up to standard. Doing this lets you pinpoint any specific bugs or issues that need to be resolved.
Integration Testing
As an alternative to unit testing, integration testing looks at how the components work together as a whole. Therefore, this form of testing will help determine any bugs or issues related to interface or communication errors.Â
End-to-end Testing
Your final test, end-to-end testing, is used to validate the entire workflow of the application from start to finish. It will look at the user interface, back and frontend processes, and data flow.Â
5. Launch & Post LaunchÂ
The final step to deploying your application is to have it officially launched. Once Shopify has approved uploading it to their platform, you can focus on tracking analytics, planning updates, and collecting user feedback to improve the application.
You might also like to read: How to Find a Top-Rated Developers For Your App (Without Stress & Frustration)
Getting Approved by Shopify
Shopify has a strict vetting process that needs to be met before an application can be officially launched on the site. We recommend reading carefully through their online website and requirements list, but here are some tips to keep in mind when building:Â
Keep it Secure
Shopify’s app store policies require that user data be safely protected and secure no matter what! Therefore, it’s crucial that you’ve built this into your application, including implementing appropriate security headers, GDPR webhooks, and other measures that can be found in the checklist here.Â
Creating a Strong Listing
Your listing can be changed after approval, but make sure to write a subscription that clearly outlines what your application does and the benefits it might bring to its users. You might include a list of benefits/features and a demo to give potential users a sneak peek at your app’s value.Â
Notes to Shopify Review Team
You’ll be provided a small text box to leave a note to the Shopify review team at the end of your submission. Spend some time carefully detailing how the app should be tested based on how your target audience would use it.Â
You might also like to read: How to Find and Hire Quality Freelance Web Developers
What Happens if I’m Rejected by Shopify?
You’ve submitted the app and spent days or months building it, but Shopify rejected it; what’s next? First, don’t worry; many people are rejected on their first attempt, and this doesn’t mean your app isn’t good. It could just mean you need to make minor changes to meet Shopify’s requirements. Nonetheless, you will be given feedback on what to do next and will have the chance to resubmit once it’s been completed.Â
Get Support with CJAM
At CJAM, we specialize in connecting business leaders and entrepreneurs with top-tier developers who can help you build solid and innovative apps, whether creating for Shopify or independently. Our larger network of vetted marketing agencies and contractors includes developers and marketers who can help you build and market your app effectively.Â
Get started with a free call so we could learn about your business and create a tailored plan that aligns with your goals and ambitions.
You might also like to read: Outsourced Marketing- Why and How to Get Started
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