Regarding e-commerce, the market is saturated with options for both sellers and buyers. Your business needs to stand out from the competition if you want to succeed. Whether you’re an independent seller looking to launch your first Shopify store or a brand ready to expand into new markets, an app can help you meet your goals faster and more efficiently. Apps give you the power to add functionality to your store that isn’t built in by default, which means you need third-party developers like us. As a Shopify development company, we get asked how we develop our apps. Many people think it’s challenging – which it can be – but with the right education, almost anyone can build their own Shopify app.
The Shopify App Development Process
When building an app for Shopify, there is a very specific process we follow. If you aren’t starting with a plan, it’s easy to lose focus and get overwhelmed. We outlined the 9 steps of our app development process below, so you can see how we work. When you’re ready to build your Shopify app, you need to know your goals. Why are you building an app? What value will it bring your business? These are important questions you need to be able to answer. The clearer your goals are, the easier it will be to stay on track and finish your app.
Define Your Goals
Your first step is to define your goals. Why are you building an app? What value will it bring your business? Your goals will help you stay on track and get your app finished. These goals can be related to traffic, conversions, sales, or customer retention. You can also have goals related to increasing employee efficiency and productivity. Whatever goals you set for yourself, make sure you write them down so you can keep track of your progress.
Select a Platform
After you’ve defined your goals, it’s time to select a platform. You have a few options when it comes to app development, so it’s important to choose the right one. A platform is essentially a foundation on which you’ll build your app. In short, it’s the foundation of your app. Depending on what you want your app to do, you’ll want to select the right platform for your business. To help you make this decision, think about what your business needs now and in the future. If your app is simple and doesn’t require a lot of functionality, you may want to choose Shopify.
Develop a Product Roadmap
A product roadmap is essentially a to-do list for your app. It’s a great way to stay organized and know where you are in the development process. To build a roadmap for your app, you need to know the next steps in the process. This means knowing when to hire app developers, when to have product discovery meetings, and when to launch your app. If you’re unsure when to take each step, look at our breakdown below. When building a roadmap, remember to include all the details. Include who is responsible for each task and when you want to see it completed.
Build Out Your App’s Features
When building the app, you need to know what features you want to add and how they’ll benefit your business. This will help you decide what development language and technology you want to use. Start by identifying the pain points and challenges your business faces daily. Once you’ve identified these challenges, you can start thinking about how you can solve them with an app. From here, you can create a list of features that will help you solve these problems and meet your goals.
Wrap Up
When you’re ready to wrap up the development process, you want to make sure you thoroughly test your app. Before publishing your app to the Shopify App store, ensure it works properly and meets all their requirements. If you don’t follow these steps, you risk releasing an app that doesn’t work properly and holds your business back. This can lead to low reviews, poor ratings, and lost revenue.
Conclusion
Building an app for Shopify is a great way to expand your business and reach new customers. From adding new functionality to improving customer engagement, apps can help you achieve your goals faster and more efficiently. Now that you know what goes into the development process, it’s time to start building your app. There’s a lot to do, from choosing the right platform to developing a product roadmap and building your app’s features. But the payoff will be worth it in the end.