With so many different platforms to choose from and thousands of apps to sift through, picking the best assortment for your online store can be a bit of a minefield. Over the years, we've tried and tested many of the big-name platforms available and while we would suggest doing your own research to find the solution that best suits your specific needs, if your primary goal is to sell products online, we are huge advocates for Shopify. 

Although we have written a separate post here that goes in-depth on the individual merits of the platform, its primary benefits are its easy-to-use management dashboard, its flexibility for different sized stores and its ever-evolving app store to name just a few. But what if you're a new brand who is embarking on their first online store? It can be a little overwhelming figuring out which apps you need and how to make the most out of your store without a huge initial outlay. While this list is by no means exhaustive and our fellow designers and developers will no doubt have their own preferences, we hope our list of top picks will help get your store off to a strong start and the sales rolling in!

Social Proof

Fomo

We recently discovered Fomo while ordering an especially aesthetic coffee cup *naturally* from a fellow Aussie brand Aroma Reuse. Now we hope that we're not the only designers to do this but at the risk of giving away our secrets, if we come across a particularly cool site or one with some kind of special features, we can't help ourselves but to have a snoop as to how they did it. As we were browsing, an occasional bubble appeared in the bottom left corner of the site announcing that another customer had purchased and while Aroma had clearly set it on a timer so as not to be annoying, we won't lie that it wasn't persuasive. That little bubble was a constant reminder that not only was the brand popular but that we might want to get a move on and purchase before they ran out.

Social proof is a hugely important aspect in persuading prospective customers to take the plunge as it instills trust that other people have had a positive experience with the brand. It also builds 'hype' around the product(s) and creates a sense of urgency that the the product might run out soon. From a design perspective, Fomo is one of the more beautiful solutions we found, with a really clean, modern and fun interface and a super easy setup process. You can customise the bubbles in both layout and colour to match your brand identity, and select your own placement, timing and specific settings to ensure it doesn't look like some clunky feature added on as an afterthought. Even better, they have a free plan in addition to paid options, making it perfect for stores of all sizes, including those just starting out. All in all, if its possible to fall in love with an app, we did, and will definitely be using Fomo on all our future stores.

Customer Reviews

Loox

Shopify does have a whole selection of review apps so its worth thinking about exactly what you need, however we think Loox is a fantastic option for those who want that visual input from customers. With a variety of different templates and layouts, one of the stand-out features for us was the image-based layout that asks customers to post a photo or video of the product alongside their review. When prospective customers can see what a product REALLY looks like, as opposed to website images that let's just say... can be deceiving, they are much more likely to make the purchase as they know what they're getting. 
The app also integrates with social, google shopping and the facebook pixel for analytics and advertising and has a whole bunch of amazing referral features, including referral discounts and rewards. Completely customisable to your own brand, Loox allows your customers to do some of the hard marketing work for you, leaving you free to focus on the products. It is a paid app however they have a 14 day free trial so that you can test it out and see if its right for your brand.

Shop The Feed

Snpt (Now Sauce)

SNPT is particularly beneficial for those brands who have a beautifully curated insta feed but as long as you have a consistent presence on IG, we think it's an incredibly useful app to include in your stack. After connecting your Instagram account, the app allows you to select the images that you want to include from your feed, link to the specific product pages on your website and them embed the whole gallery into your store, allowing customers to look for a specific image that caught their eye and be taken straight to the relevant product(s).

To cover all bases, we would strongly suggest setting up your instagram shopping too to ensure that no matter where your customers are browsing, whether its on your site or on IG, they're able to quickly get to the products they're after. But for non-instagram customers or those using a laptop, Snpt does an excellent job of bringing the instagram experience to your store and creating a seamless link between the two. They have also recently added a tonne of new and exciting features including UGC (User Generated Content) galleries to allow you to showcase real customers using / wearing the product and an Influencer tracking feature that enables you to find good influencers based on their reputation and track the progress of your influencer marketing.

Email Marketing

Klaviyo

Now we are admittedly die-hard Flodesk fans for our studio email marketing, BUT when it comes to ecommerce, there is no better option than Klaviyo. Where Flodesk's simplicity and ease of use is perfect for the more 'standard' emails, Klaviyo excels in providing tailored customer engagement that integrates fully with your online store. Offering advanced personalisation, email segmentation and behaviour-based automation to name just a few of its incredible features, Klaviyo allows you to create targeted promotions and automate processes across multiple channels, including email and SMS marketing. You can even include specific products in your automations allowing a hyper-targeted approach to your marketing, based on what customers have purchased before and what they might be interested in.

While its paid plans are not cheap, it does offer a free plan to get started with and explore all the platform has to offer. And with the likes of Glossier amongst its user-base, you know you can't go wrong. In short, it's a powerhouse and we will certainly be using it for all our future ecommerce ventures.

For The Environment

Planet

Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious about the environmental impact of the brands that they buy from,  and not only does this encompass the products and behaviours of the brand itself, but every step of the supply chain. According to Shopify research, 44% of consumers chose to buy from brands who have a clear commitment to sustainability. With shipping accounting for 3% of global carbon emissions, ecommerce retailers need to instil trust in their customers that they are making every effort to reduce their carbon footprint or risk losing out to more ecologically-minded competitors. 

Enter Planet. Shopify's new app, created by their own team, is an essential app for stores who want to do that little bit extra to help the environment. Planet makes it super easy and inexpensive for merchants to offer carbon neutral shipping for a low fee per order (plan options available are between 3.5¢ and 15¢ per order). Working with companies such as Running Tide and Remora under the Shopify Sustainability Fund, the app focuses on carbon removal instead of the usual carbon offsetting with a goal of making an even greater impact.