There’s a good reason why being on Shopify is one of the most popular ways to run an ecommerce business. Apart from being an incredibly powerful platform all on its own, there are plenty of Shopify apps available to help you simplify your work, enhance your brand, engage your audience, and sell more.

    Here are the top 5 Shopify apps you need to start using this year:

    1) Omnisend

    Omnisend is a marketing platform that gives you everything you need to essentially get your entire marketing operations on autopilot. It helps you get subscribers, create newsletters, and send out emails. But perhaps its greatest value lies in its email automation features, which integrate quite well with other channels like SMS, Messenger, etc. Among its most important automated workflows are welcome emails, birthday greetings, abandoned cart recovery, and order confirmation.

    Omnisend is free to install but the most useful features can be accessed starting at $13 per month, paid yearly. This already includes automation workflows, SMS integration, interactive sign-up forms, and product recommendations.

    2) Referral Candy

    Marketing through word-of-mouth is so powerful because people tend to value recommendations from people they know and trust. ReferralCandy helps you easily incentivize customer referrals. Using the app, you can create and manage referral programs that will help you bring in sales with almost no effort at all.

    You can try out Referral Candy at no cost for up to 30 days. After that, it starts out at $45 per month + a commission on referral sales. Admittedly, the app costs a considerable amount and may not be affordable for small businesses that are just starting out. But, the value it provides makes it worth considering.

    3) Gleam

    There are various Gleam apps available on Shopify but it’s best known for its Competitions app. What’s great about this app is that it allows you to easily set up, run, manage, track, and fulfill giveaways, contests, and raffles to boost customer engagement. What’s even greater is that Gleam integrates well with Omnisend. Combined, you have everything you need to capture, engage, and retain your customers.
    There’s a free plan available for Gleam. Although the features and user data are limited, it might be about to get a good feel for how it can enhance your business. If you’re interested in the app to run contests and giveaways to promote your retail store, the Gleam Competitions app starts at $10 per month, paid yearly.

    4) LoyaltyLion

    LoyaltyLion rewards your users for almost every engagement with your business. This could be a purchase, a signup, a referral, or even a Facebook Like. Earned points are accumulated and can later on be used to redeem items from your store. This is another Shopify app that integrates well with Omnisend. With both in your arsenal, your ecommerce business will be bringing in sales automatically.

    At a starting price of $159 per month, you definitely need to be a serious online entrepreneur to use this. However, its value in essentially generating sales on autopilot is surely worth it. Besides, they offer a free plan for shops with monthly orders of 100 or less.

    5) Printful

    Whether your core business is merchandise or are simply looking to find additional sources of income, Printful can offer great value to your Shopify operations. It is a print-on-demand platform that helps not only with printing but also with warehousing and fulfillment. Essentially, you can offer custom-printed items like t-shirts, hoodies, and tote bags, and have them sent directly to your customers. You’ll never have to invest in printing equipment or warehousing. You won’t even need to worry about logistics.

    Printful offers a free trial and doesn’t charge a subscription fee. It gives you an upfront fee on its service, which highly depends on the product involved. Then, you tack on your desired profit to determine your retail price.

    With these proven-effective Shopify apps, you’ll have a powerful yet easy-to-manage operation that continually brings in sales. You’ll be able to grow your audience, engage them, and keep them coming back. Using these 5 apps, you’ll have everything you need to build your brand, boost your sales, and guarantee the success of your ecommerce business.

    Richard is an experienced tech journalist and blogger who is passionate about new and emerging technologies. He provides insightful and engaging content for Connection Cafe and is committed to staying up-to-date on the latest trends and developments.