During my practice I saw a dozens of cases where merchants spent enomorous amount of money on custom apps development to improve their business, however due to lack of understanding technical details, unreliable developes and other aspects, they just wasted their time and money. In some cases their business have been negatively affecte by using poorly coded solutions which leaded to profit loss and negative feedback from the end customers. Hopefully this article will help you avoid common mistakes and choose a reliable app developer.
Shopify is a powerful e-commerce platform that offers a wide range of features and functionality to help merchants run their online businesses. However, there are times when a custom Shopify app may be needed to address specific business needs or to enhance the user experience for customers. Before ordering a custom Shopify app, there are several things that merchants should keep in mind to ensure that they get the best possible results.
Understand Your Business Needs
The first step in ordering a custom Shopify app is to understand your business needs. Take the time to evaluate your current e-commerce operations and identify any areas where a custom app could help you streamline processes, automate tasks, or enhance the customer experience. For example, if you want to offer customers the ability to schedule appointments or consultations, you might need a custom app that integrates with your existing calendar software. Alternatively, if you want to offer customers personalized product recommendations based on their browsing and purchase history, you might need a custom app that leverages machine learning algorithms.
Define Your App Requirements
Once you have a clear understanding of your business needs, the next step is to define your app requirements. This includes identifying the features and functionality that you need, as well as any technical specifications or compatibility requirements. You should also consider factors such as user experience, security, scalability, and maintenance requirements. By defining your app requirements upfront, you can ensure that the development process stays on track and that you get the app that meets your needs.
Choose the Right App Developer
Choosing the right app developer is critical to the success of your custom Shopify app. Look for a developer or agency that has experience with Shopify app development and can provide references or case studies that demonstrate their expertise. You should also consider factors such as communication skills, responsiveness, and project management capabilities. A good app developer should be able to work with you to refine your app requirements, provide regular progress updates, and deliver a high-quality app on time and within budget.
Sometimes developers just send you a source code of the app and leave you one-on-one with that. So always ask your developer or agency what deliveriables you'll receive at the end and other questions like:
Do not hesitate to ask your developer or agency for a feedback from previous clients.
For complex apps it might be a good idea to hire someone else to make the code audit and advanced testing/QA to make sure everything works as expected and the app does not contain any security vulnerabilities.
Prepare Your Store for the App
Before deploying your custom Shopify app, you will need to prepare your store to ensure that it is compatible and ready to use. This may include updating your store's theme, installing any necessary plugins or integrations, and configuring the app settings to match your business needs. You should also thoroughly test the app to ensure that it functions as expected and does not interfere with any existing functionality or integrations.
Monitor and Maintain Your App
Once your custom Shopify app is deployed, it is important to monitor and maintain it to ensure that it continues to meet your business needs and functions properly. This includes keeping the app up to date with the latest software updates and security patches, monitoring performance and user feedback, and addressing any issues or bugs as they arise. You may also need to periodically review and update your app requirements as your business evolves or new technology becomes available.
For small apps I highly recommend to use Serverless when possible - this will allow you not to worry about server maintenance and uptime monitoring, as the app will scale automatically.
In conclusion, ordering a custom Shopify app can be a great way to enhance your e-commerce operations and improve the customer experience. By following these tips, you can ensure that you get the best possible results from your custom app and that it meets your business needs both now and in the future.
Thank you for your time, I hope you enjoyed this article! Feel free to shoot me a tweet if you have any questions or feedback!