8 Common Ecommerce Mistakes and What We Learned from Them
December 6, 2024
Here is what 10 thought leaders have to say.
| App Name | Starting Price | Ratings | Link to App | Why It's a Favorite | Expert & Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo | $20.00 | 4.6 (2,899) | Checkout App | Robust email marketing, audience segmentation, automated flows like abandoned carts, drives repeat sales | Multiple experts including Khurram Mir & Chantal Kietzmann |
| Yotpo | $15.00 | 4.8 (7,062) | Checkout App | Gathers customer reviews, boosts trust and conversions | Khurram Mir, Sophie Marasco, Shreya Jha |
| Oberlo | N/A | N/A | N/A | Simplifies product sourcing and dropshipping | Khurram Mir, Sophie Marasco, Shreya Jha |
| Growave | $49.00 | 4.8 (2,133) | Checkout App | All-in-one marketing (reviews, loyalty, social login, wishlist, Instagram integration) | Kate Dzhevaga |
| Loox | $9.99 | 4.9 (21,702) | Checkout App | Photo/video reviews, boosts conversion rates by 20% | Joey Lowery |
| Gorgias | $10.00 | 4.3 (704) | Checkout App | Unified customer service inbox, halves response times, saves 15 hours weekly | Joey Lowery |
| Triple Whale | $1290 / year | 3.6 (52) | Checkout App | Advanced analytics, profit and attribution clarity, helpful post-iOS 14 | Joey Lowery |
| ReCharge | $99.00 | 4.6 (1,893) | Checkout App | Subscription management, reduces churn by 40%, builds recurring revenue | Joey Lowery, Sam Cooper |
| Privy | $12.00 | 4.6 (24,914) | Checkout App | Pop-ups for email capture and cart abandonment reduction | Sophie Marasco |
| ReadyShipper X | N/A | N/A | N/A | Streamlines shipping with label automation and discounted rates | Brandon Batchelor |
| TinyIMG | $14.00 | 5.0 (2,330) | Checkout App | Image optimization, meta title improvements, reduces workload | Chris Lin |
| Judge.me | $15.00 | 5.0 (36,402) | Checkout App | Product reviews, boosts trust and conversions | Josh Spies, Sam Cooper |
| Trustpilot | $3,108 / year | 1.7 (122) | Checkout App | Overall store reviews, builds brand credibility | Josh Spies |
| Selleasy | $8.99 | 4.9 (2,015) | Checkout App | Increases AOV through upselling with add-ons, boosts conversion rates | Josh Spies |
| Loyalty Lion | $199.00 | 4.6 (613) | Checkout App | Encourages repeat purchases with loyalty rewards | Sam Cooper |
The most successful applications I have found on the Shopify e-commerce platform are Klaviyo, Yotpo, and Oberlo. First, Klaviyo is a well-rounded tool for email marketing and customer segmentation, making reaching clients easy and increasing their interest and chances of returning. Second, Yotpo helps gather and display customer reviews, which aids in increasing trust and conversions. Yotpo is particularly suited for this purpose.
Lastly, Oberlo is an application that aids in product sourcing and dropshipping, which is crucial for businesses looking to grow while not having a lot of inventory to manage. These apps facilitate the essential operational facets of e-commerce, which include marketing, customer trust, and inventory control, with all these features integrated into Shopify for easier growth and efficiency on the platform.
Khurram Mir, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Kualitatem Inc
With over 5,000 apps on the Shopify App Store, finding the right one can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. But if you’re looking to amp up your business, there’s definitely one app you should check out. The key is figuring out your business goals, but let’s be real—every business can benefit from a solid marketing app to help drive those sales.
One app that stands out for me is Growave. This powerhouse can replace four to five other apps, saving you time and money. It’s an all-in-one marketing tool designed specifically for small—and medium-sized businesses.
Growave offers several great features, such as Reviews (build trust with customer feedback), Loyalty & Rewards (keep your customers coming back for more), Instagram Integration (showcase your products where your audience hangs out), Social Login (make it easy for customers to sign in), and Wishlist (let customers save their favorite items for later).
If you’re a growing business, Growave is a fantastic choice! It helps you connect with your customers, boost conversion rates, and ultimately drive more sales. The Starter plan is just $49 per month, and they even offer a 14-day free trial to test it out. Plus, there’s a free plan available that includes basic features like Reviews, Social Login, and Wishlist—perfect for getting started without breaking the bank!
Kate Dzhevaga, CMO, Head of Growth, SYMVOLT
As an e-commerce professional, let me share a focused response highlighting the most impactful Shopify apps that consistently deliver ROI:
Joey Lowery, Founder & Marketing Coach, Media Shark
As an experienced florist with over 10 years of experience and a Shopify store, I’ve found a few apps essential for running my e-commerce business smoothly. One of my top favorites is Klaviyo for email marketing. It allows me to segment my customers based on purchase behavior and send personalized emails, which increases engagement. Another app I love is Privy, which is excellent for creating pop-ups to capture email addresses and reduce cart abandonment. It’s been a game-changer for converting visitors into loyal customers.
I also rely on Oberlo, especially when sourcing floral supplies. This app simplifies product sourcing and ensures I always have what I need to fulfill orders. The integration with Shopify makes updating inventory and product listings seamless. Lastly, Yotpo helps me gather and showcase customer reviews, which builds trust and encourages new buyers. These apps have made managing my online store more efficient and effective.
Sophie Marasco, Founder, Thanks A Bunch Florist
As an e-commerce professional, my favorite Shopify apps include Klaviyo, Oberlo, and Yotpo. Klaviyo stands out for its robust email marketing capabilities, allowing us to create personalized campaigns based on customer behavior and preferences. This has helped us significantly increase our email engagement rates and drive repeat purchases. Oberlo is fantastic for dropshipping, simplifying the product-sourcing process, and enabling us to expand our product offerings without holding inventory.
Finally, Yotpo is invaluable for gathering customer reviews and testimonials, which enhance our credibility and boost conversion rates. Together, these apps have streamlined our operations and improved our customer experience, ultimately contributing to our brand growth.
Shreya Jha, Social Media Expert, Appy Pie
For any e-commerce business looking to thrive on Shopify, optimizing the back end is as important as enhancing the front-end user experience. I’ve got a few go-to apps that I believe are essential. The first is ReadyShipper X. This app integrates perfectly with Shopify, helping you simplify and speed up shipping, especially if you manage high-volume orders. ReadyShipper X automates labels and tracking and offers access to discounted rates, greatly reducing shipping costs while keeping delivery fast and efficient for customers.
Brandon Batchelor, Head of North American Sales and Strategic Partnerships, ReadyCloud
Klaviyo is a must for customer engagement.
With its robust email marketing features, we stay connected with customers, ensuring they know about our latest offerings and any new line of products for their kids.
I love Klaviyo, as you can segment your audience based on purchase history, browsing behavior, and other custom properties you set. You can send targeted emails with product recommendations tailored to each customer’s interests and then create automated flows for abandoned carts, welcome series, and post-purchase follow-ups.
All of that is a great driver for sales online.
Chantal Kietzmann, Owner, Creative Kids Lab
I have to say, TinyIMG is my most recommended app. It automatically handles image optimization for product and blog pages, so you no longer need to export smaller images for SEO purposes. It also checks your meta titles and descriptions, helping you improve them as needed. TinyIMG has significantly reduced my workload, and the compressed images still look sharp, not blurry. Though it’s a paid tool at about $14 per month, I highly recommend it!
Chris Lin, Founder, Summit Breeze Tea
Although Shopify is functional out of the box, our store’s journey shows how tapping into its app ecosystem can take an e-commerce business from zero to hero. By leveraging Shopify and a strategic set of apps, our store has grown from nothing to contribute over 20% of our total sales—competing with established channels like eBay, Etsy, and Amazon.
For reviews, Judge.me and Trustpilot have been invaluable. Judge.me allows us to collect and display product reviews directly on our site, helping build trust at the point of purchase. Meanwhile, Trustpilot focuses on overall store and experience reviews, which have played a major role in establishing brand credibility.
Selleasy has been a game-changer in increasing average order value. It enables us to offer product and cart add-ons, allowing customers to purchase related items or enjoy discounts on accessories. Our upselling through Selleasy has helped turn browsing into buying, with one of our most popular add-ons achieving a conversion rate of 21%.
On the SEO front, Page Speed Optimizer, Table of Contents, and Smart SEO have been instrumental. Faster page loads and optimized on-page content have improved user experience and increased organic search traffic. Since implementing these tools, we’ve seen an increase in organic rankings and a notable uptick in new customers.
Having a clear goal in mind when using Shopify apps is important. Installing apps just for the sake of it can lead to unnecessary complexity and costs. Instead, we’ve learned that it’s worth spending time analyzing other e-commerce websites—what are they doing that’s cool, and how can you take inspiration from that? With the right combination of apps and a thoughtful strategy, you can transform your store’s potential and drive real results.
Josh Spies, Chief Dragon, Dice Dragons
Personally, my top three favorite Shopify apps are Subscriptions (Recharge), Loyalty apps (Loyalty Lion), and Review apps (Judge.Me), as they are very important in excelling businesses to success.
Subscription apps are fantastic for building recurring revenue and increasing customer lifetime value. They allow you to offer subscription-based products, which can help smooth out cash flow and build long-term relationships with customers.
Again, loyalty apps encourage repeat purchases by rewarding customers for their continued support. Loyalty apps often provide points or rewards for activities like creating a customer account, making purchases, referring friends, or following on social media, which enhances customer engagement and helps build brand loyalty over time.
Review apps are critical for building trust, especially in e-commerce. Review apps allow customers to leave feedback, influencing potential buyers and improving conversion rates. Many apps also offer features like photo reviews and automated review request emails, making collecting authentic, user-generated content easier.
Sam Cooper, Shopify Lead Developer, 1HUTCH
© 2024 eCommerce Manager. All rights reserved
