The complexities of the eCommerce sector are increasing, and so are customer expectations. This is why businesses are heavily investing in building apps that can address the challenges of a website. To counter these complexities, Shopify has emerged as one of the most robust eCommerce platforms. It provides extensive support and features, such as built-in Shopify themes and templates. These can be used to build a mobile/web app to either extend the functionality of your store if you have an existing Shopify store or make the app from scratch.
It also provides scalability, flexibility, and customization that can help businesses drive their business forward and eliminate existing gaps.
On that note, major leading brands such as Sephora, Heinz, and Netflix have invested in building a Shopify-based mobile application for their business. And we all know how well these apps are performing and serving as a potent tool in boosting conversions.
Now, the next question is, what are the next steps? First, you need to get an understanding of the Shopify platform and its ecosystem, the features you must include in the app, the cost of development, and follow the structured Shopify app development process. This blog will discuss each of these aspects in detail. Along with that, you must get assistance from a professional Shopify app development company. They will streamline the entire process and create a solution that aligns well with your business goals.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a SaaS-based platform that offers a scalable platform to build an eCommerce website for every business entity–be it small, medium-scale, or large enterprises and enables them to deliver interactive shopping experiences. It is not only limited to online selling. Instead, it lets businesses connect their retail store via the omnichannel Shopify POS system, keeping all sales channels under one roof.
Businesses that invest in Shopify development get a one-stop solution to manage and optimize their products, inventory, shopping cart, shipping, and payment processing—basically, all their eCommerce operations with a centralized admin panel. It also has a dedicated app marketplace where you will find thousands of apps to be integrated within your store and extend its functionality.
Additionally, the platform offers international selling and B2B selling capabilities so that a business can expand its operations and selling ecosystem in order to increase sales and boost conversions.
Essential Tools and Technologies for Shopify Application Development
The platform can also be used in app development, where programming languages, APIs, and frameworks will combined to build a Shopify app. Shopify itself is built on Ruby; hence, the developer will use the supported tools and frameworks to build the application. Let us explore the essential tools required for development:
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Programming Languages
The supported programming languages like Ruby on Rails, Next.js, and React.js will be combined to build the foundation of your app. In other words, the developers will utilize the components of these languages to build the backend and frontend of the app.
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Shopify APIs
APIs play a crucial role in connecting the app to Shopify’s core and letting it communicate with external platforms in real-time. For example, the developers will use Shopify Admin API to manage products, customer data, and orders directly from the app and communicate with Shopify admin for timely data access and information updates. On the other hand, they will use Storefront API to build a unique digital storefront for the app.
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Shopify App Design
Next, to build the captivating design of your app, the design team of the Shopify development company will utilize Polaris. It is a built-in design framework of this platform that is comprised of API documentation, designing guidance, and tools to design the user interface of the application. Take it as a pre-built design template that can be further modified as per business requirements. It is recommended for use because it can seamlessly connect with Shopify’s ecosystem and save design time, enabling the app to move to the development and deployment phase quickly.
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Development Toolkit
For Shopify app development, the platform provides Shopify CLI, which serves as a multi-purpose tool for your app. It allows developers to automate various development tasks and expedite the process of creating and managing the app, theme, and custom storefront.
Apart from that, other tools like a version control system (Git) will be used to track changes in the code and maintain a history of the project, connect with other developers to keep the project organized and get back to previous versions quickly if required.
Moreover, the developers will utilize a testing environment for the app. Here, the developers will test and debug the app before deploying it and can make changes without affecting the live environment.
Still have a question as to why you need a Shopify development partner. Read our guide that will help you understand why you need a Shopify development company.
Types of Shopify Apps
There are multiple types of apps you can build with this platform. Let us briefly understand them below:
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Public Apps
Such apps are available to various merchants publicly and can be named/ listed in the Shopify store. Such apps are available to various merchants publicly. There are two types of public apps. One is listed, and the other is unlisted. The listed ones can be installed from the Shopify app store. However, the unlisted apps are not displayed and are not visible in search results either. To install such apps, one can download them from the developer’s website or the respective app store of the app.
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Custom Apps
These apps are custom-made for a specific merchant and cannot be named/ listed in the Shopify app store. They are created to meet certain demands of a business, extend the online store to other platforms, or add specific features to your Shopify admin. An external developer can build a custom app for you without requiring access to your store or Shopify admin.
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Private Apps
These apps are also custom-made apps built by Shopify developers for merchants. However, these apps are aimed to fulfill their specific requirements that are not met by custom apps. Private apps are not available on the Shopify store and are available on the merchant’s store. To build such apps, the external developer will also need API and admin access.
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Draft Apps
Such types of apps are created to be utilized by Shopify development partners for testing and validation purposes. These apps can only be installed in the development store, which disables store transfer to any other app type permanently.
Benefits of Shopify App Development: Why Invest in Building an App for Your Store?
Long ago, websites seemed sufficient to cater to customers’ needs and support product sales. But sooner, customer expectations changed, and the need for mobile and web apps increased. To align with this need, the idea of Shopify app development came into the picture. A Shopify app lets you target your customers better, deliver personalized experiences, increase sales channels, and solve customer issues faster. Let us understand the benefits of Shopify app development in the section below:
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Improved Functionality and Customer Experience
Shopify app development helps businesses improve their business functionality as they can include unique features, like push notifications, social media integration, and AI-enabled customer support, into the app with the support of built-in elements and tools of the Shopify platform. This way, businesses can enhance customer experience, keep them engaged, and stay connected even when the customer is not using their app.
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Wider Audience Base
While websites can narrow down the target audience, apps can help in expanding it. In 2023, eCommerce apps generated a revenue of $3.88 trillion, which explains that more shoppers are found shopping via apps than websites. Shopify app development can help you reach more customers, increase your sales, which were earlier lagging behind, and boost conversions in the long run.
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eCommerce Personalization and Improved User Experience
Apart from creating a wider audience base, building a Shopify app will also help you add the essence of personalization across the entire customer journey. With apps, you can gather better customer insights, iterate your business strategy, and integrate a recommendation engine as well as AI capabilities within the customer support feature. These practices will help you tailor shopping experiences and retain these customers for longer intervals. Besides, websites generally have limited scope with UI/UX. In contrast, Shopify apps can be modified in terms of themes and design that will improve user experience and provide user-friendly navigation throughout the session.
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Scalability
Along with eCommerce personalization, Shopify app development provides scalability thanks to the SaaS-based cloud infrastructure of this platform. It allows the Shopify developers to build an app that can handle increased traffic, data, and peak situations simultaneously as the business grows. A scalable app built with Shopify provides a stable and reliable foundation to manage increased load and smoothly function without disruption.
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API Integration
The Shopify platform provides APIs that can be used within the app to integrate third-party systems, streamline communication between the app and the Shopify platform, as well as provide real-time updates for streamlining operations like inventory management, order tracking, product updates, shipping, etc.
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Faster Time-to-Market
While personalization, scalability, and improving customer experience are essential, so is the time you take to reach the market with your product. Fortunately, with Shopify app development, you have access to Shopify themes and APIs, which allows the development team to build and deploy the app faster and launch it seamlessly in the market so that you can promptly respond to market changes with an app that yields results.
How to Develop a Shopify App: A Step-by-Step Process
After understanding various parameters of Shopify app development and its various benefits, the next comes the process of building the application. In this section, you will understand
how to build a Shopify app in eight easy steps.
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App Ideation and Market Research
Before stepping into the development process, the most important action item is to have the relevant app idea ready with you. To do so, conduct thorough market research and explore what is trending, what your competitors are doing, and what is the problem statement of your customers. This will help you identify your USP and ensure there is a demand for your app so that it can be successful in the long run.
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Planning and Defining Project Scope
Once you have the idea ready, now you need to define the scope of your app. This will include defining what problems your app will solve, what features will be added, and what your plan is to make it stand out. In other words, prepare a blueprint for your app project so that the idea that was earlier in your mind can now be documented, structured with details of the app’s functionality, and used for further process. This blueprint will help you stay focused only on requirements and eliminate unnecessary components. When you have the blueprint ready, proceed with consulting the development company and share your requirements. Once the project proposal is finalized, they will align the team to begin the process.
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App Design
The eCommerce creative design team will understand the requirements and utilize Shopify’s theme and design tools (like Polaris) to build the UI/UX design for the application. They will further customize the design based on your business theme, ensuring it aligns and augments your brand identity. Remember that a well-designed, user-friendly app has more potential to attract customers and persuade them to install and use it continuously. Hence, invest heavily in the design aspect.
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MVP Development
Once the app’s design is created and finalized, an MVP for the app will be developed. The MVP will include only the basic features and elements and be rolled out to specific users for validation and early testing. This will help you validate your application with real users and gather feedback for further iterations instead of building the entire app and then putting it for validation to general users where it might fail to satisfy their expectations. You can also read our guide on MVP development to get a detailed understanding of this development concept.
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Final App Development
After gathering feedback for the MVP, the developers will proceed with the final development of the app. They will utilize the tools, frameworks, and programming languages, along with Shopify’s built-in toolkit (as shared above), to build the backend logic and frontend layer of the application in accordance with your shared requirements. They will also add custom features to extend the functionality of the Shopify app.
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App Testing and QA
Once your app is developed, it will be pushed to the testing phase. Here, the app will go through rigorous testing under two parameters- functional and non-functional testing. This phase is essential to ensure the app is functioning properly across different devices, has a consistent user experience, and doesn’t have any sort of errors or bugs. If there are any bug issues identified, the team will resolve them so that the app is ready for deployment and launch in the market.
Also read: Step-by-step Shopify development process.
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App Deployment and Launch
Now that the testing phase is complete, your app will be deployed on the respective app store, ensuring adherence to the guidelines. The app’s documentation will also be submitted for a seamless launch and faster availability to the general public. Launching an app is similar to launching a new product. Proper execution and promotion are important to ensure success.
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Post-launch Monitoring and Maintenance
Once the app is launched, there comes the crucial step of the entire Shopify application development process–app monitoring and maintenance. The development team will implement Shopify’s analytics and reporting tools within your system as well as third-party monitoring tools so that you can track performance and gather insights for improvement wherever required. Moreover, they will also track updates as soon as they are available and apply the same for your app to make sure it functions smoothly without breaking the UI/UX design.
Your App is Now Launched, Here are Promotional Strategies to Increase Installs
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App Store Optimization
In order to increase app installs, start by optimizing it for the respective app stores. Update its descriptions, images, and titles to keep it relevant to ongoing market trends. For instance, you can’t keep showing images of the app running in iPhone 6 format when the latest model is iPhone 16. Hence, the image needs to be updated for the UI design of the current model.
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App Promotion on Website and Social Media Platforms
Another important strategy you must work on is promoting the app on your website as well as social media platforms. This is the best way to let your customers know that they can access your products with more convenience via downloading the app. Facilitate promotion by running ads on the website and social media with an offer like “15% discount on this product for users with first app download”. This will increase awareness and encouragement to download the app, allowing you to kill two birds with one stone (increased app installs and product sales).
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Leverage Influencer Marketing
We all know that influencer marketing is a hot topic in modern shopping practices. Hence, you can use the influencer community wherein famous influencers will promote your products as well as encourage the customers to download your app. This will help in increasing app installs and boost conversions.
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Get Your App Featured on Third-party Review Sites
Collaborate with third-party review sites like GoodFirms and Clutch to feature your app on their website. Make sure you provide proper information for your app. You can share detailed descriptions, screenshots, and high-quality images to support your application. You can also add discount options to increase download rates.
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Utilize Location-based App Availability
Lastly, make your app available in the region-specific language of all your targeted customers. You can add a localization feature within the app backed by Shopify’s localization tools to make this work. This will increase the chances of installs as the customers will feel valued and confident to shop with your brand.
Also read: A guide on custom eCommerce app development.
Shopify App Development Cost
Now that you understand the features to include in your Shopify app, the next important question is–what is the Shopify app development cost?
The actual cost will vary differently for every business based on factors such as
- complexity of the app
- custom features added
- app’s design
- third-party integrations required
- location of the development firm, and experts involved in the project.
Remember that the higher customizations added to the app, the more expenses it will incur. On average, the cost can range from $25,000 to $50,000 for a basic app and $50,000 to $200,000 for a highly complex app.
Note: These are rough estimates only. To get a proper estimate for Shopify application development, it is recommended to consult a professional firm. They will understand the problem statement and provide a proposal containing the recommended solution along with the project’s budget (that will have a detailed cost breakdown).
You can also read our blog on eCommerce app development cost to understand the costs in detail.
The Formula for Calculating Shopify App Development Cost
Final Cost of Shopify app = Total No. of Development Hours x Hourly Rates
For instance, let’s suppose the hourly rate is $100 and total development hours are 900. Then the final cost will be:
$100 x 900= $90,000
Build Your Shopify App with Successive Digital
Our decade of experience in eCommerce and our alliance with the Shopify platform positions us as an ideal partner for Shopify app development. We at Successive Digital hold a strong working expertise in building apps with pre-built themes and templates of Shopify as well as can also facilitate custom Shopify app development to add custom features within your Shopify admin, extend the app to other platforms, or build the entire app from scratch with full-grade customization.
Our dedicated team consists of Shopify developers, project managers, designers, quality analysts, business analysts, and marketers who work collaboratively to build a bespoke solution that not only aligns with your unique requirements but can also generate measurable results.
We successfully completed a recent project for our client (a leading furniture service provider), where we built a middleware solution and Shopify 2.0 store to implement new functionalities, improve user experience, and enable smooth collaboration between the back-office teams.
Want to learn more about the solutions we built and the business outcomes achieved by our client?
Conclusion
With increasing complexities in the eCommerce world, the Shopify platform has come up as a potent solution for businesses to stay ahead of the game. Taking a step further, eCommerce brands are now investing in Shopify app development as it provides various benefits, such as:
- Improved functionality
- Access to a wider audience
- A capability to personalize shopping experiences
- Scalability to grow the app with the growing business
- A chance to reach the market 2x faster
But remember that the success of the app will significantly depend on the process you follow for Shopify application development and the eCommerce development partner you work with to handle the project.
So, are you ready to upscale your business with custom Shopify solutions? Connect with us to discuss your requirements. Let’s build sustained, customer-driven eCommerce experiences together.
