I’m setting up a Shopify store but unsure which apps to use. I need insight into reliable apps for boosting sales, improving inventory management, or offering a better customer experience. Can anyone recommend the best Shopify apps?
Oh, you’re looking for Shopify apps? Prepare yourself because there’s a million of them out there, and most of them claim to be the “best.” But here’s the deal—if you want sales, inventory help, and better customer experience, let me break it down for ya.
- Sales booster? Easy. Grab Klaviyo or Privy for email marketing—both solid for abandoned cart emails and upselling. You want conversions? These are like the peanut butter to your Shopify jelly. And don’t sleep on Upsell & Cross-Sell or Checkout Booster for increasing average order value.
- Inventory? Stocky. Man, this app is so good it practically runs your stock for you. Seriously, it forecasts demand and even suggests what to replenish. No more freaking out over “out of stock” notifications.
- Customer experience? Everyone seems to LOOOOOVE Loox for photo reviews—it’s Insta bait for your product pages. Or use Tidio for live chat so your customers feel like they’re texting their BFF—except their friend is a chatbot pretending to care about their shipping issues.
- Add-ons that aren’t flashy but work: ReConvert Post-Purchase Upsell (those “You also might like” prompts actually work!), Shopify Ping for quick messaging, and SEO Manager because duh, traffic matters.
Bottom line: Don’t go crazy. Start with a few and actually set them up properly before downloading 20 apps that bog your store’s speed. Also, don’t forget to test stuff, because some apps are straight-up useless unless you configure them.
Alright, so let me say it, @reveurdenuit drops some decent suggestions but here’s where I’d tweak the focus. First off, you don’t need EVERY app they mentioned, especially if you’re just setting up. Apps can get pricey quick and they’ll slow your site to a crawl if you’re not careful. Let’s prioritize:
-
Boosting Sales: Sure, Klaviyo is great for email marketing—no argument there—but don’t overlook PushOwl. Push notifications work like magic, especially for abandoned carts. Another gem? Fera.ai for social proof. Less cheesy than Loox, IMO, and better for building trust without overwhelming your pages with reviews that scream, “THIS WAS PLANTED.”
-
Inventory Management: If Stocky feels overkill (and it might if your product lines aren’t crazy huge), look at Katana. It’s sleek, and perfect for DTC brands or manufacturers managing inventory + production all in one. Bonus: integrates with other platforms if you scale.
-
Customer Experience: Instead of diving straight to chatbots like Tidio, I’d suggest testing Gorgias. It’s like the customer service Swiss Army knife. Live chats, tickets, even social media DMs—all pulled into one hub. It cuts the “do customers actually enjoy chatting with bots?” doubt entirely.
-
Revenue Upsells: Alright, this might be controversial, but instead of ReConvert for post-purchase upsells, go with Post Purchase Survey by EnquireLabs. It won’t just upsell; it’ll throw insights BACK at you about where people found you or why they bought. Makes your marketing smarter instead of just greedy.
Also, do NOT skip apps that improve your site’s speed, like TinyIMG. It compresses images without ruining quality, which you’re gonna NEED because bloated Shopify stores scare away customers faster than you can say “abandoned cart.”
Lastly, don’t buy into the hype of downloading everything. Set up a core three-four apps max first, track results, and add as needed. Shopify app addiction is real, and your store’s loading time will thank me later.
Alright, listen up—Shopify apps are a jungle, but not all roads lead to sales gold. I see some gold nuggets in what’s been said already, but let me spice up this recipe without overloading your kitchen. We’ll keep it sleek but effective.
Sales Boosters: Sure, Klaviyo and Privy are no-brainers for email—but they’re not cheap. If you’re just starting out, try Omnisend for email, SMS, and more multi-channel magic. Why? It’s beginner-friendly, less overwhelming, and scalable. And for upselling right at checkout, I’ll ditch ReConvert for CartHook. It’s pricier but focuses more on the customer’s journey than random upsell popups that could feel spammy. Smooth, not pushy.
Inventory Management: Everyone’s hyped on Stocky, but lemme throw TradeGecko (now QuickBooks Commerce) into the ring. It’s built for scaling businesses and links inventory with financials. If your product range is tiny, Shopify Inventory Tracker might be chiller on cost without over-complicating things. Just don’t go diving into advanced tools unless your products fly off shelves daily.
Customer Experience: They’re out here recommending Loox and Fera.ai, which, fine, look cool on the surface, but you wanna get ahead? Test Stamped.io. It keeps user-generated reviews clean and effective without turning your store into Yelp 2.0. For chat options, Tidio is solid, but Zendesk Chat brings enterprise vibes without scaring off small merchants—it integrates tickets, bots, and live chats seamlessly. Worth the juggling act, IMO.
Site Performance: @reveurdenuit mentioned TinyIMG, and I’ll second that all day. But let me add PageFly. Not for images—this app hooks you up with customizable landing pages that load faster than half the junk sites out there. Perfect for campaigns, and it saves you from messing with Shopify’s clunky native editor.
Hints of Wisdom (and Apps NOT to Overspend On):
- AVOID apps that overlap on functionality. Example: If you go heavy on Klaviyo or Omnisend, don’t stack this with a billion cart-recovery apps—one does the job.
- PRO TIP: Always run apps in incognito mode to test page load speed post-installation. Those micro-second drags kill conversions.
What’s missing here, though? A focus on exit-intent overlays, folks. Justuno is my go-to to catch those window shoppers before they bounce. Offer discounts, collect emails, or toss special deals here without relying ONLY on ads to bring them back.
TL;DR: Start lean with Omnisend (marketing), QuickBooks Commerce (inventory), and Stamped.io or Zendesk for customer engagement. No need to clutter your setup; stick to tools tailored to your scale. Apps are great for boosting but bad when bloated. Be picky.