The App Collective Episode 52
The elevator pitch
Hello! Happy Wednesday.
Today is a HUGE day for all of us in the Shopify app space because Shopify Editions tickets are set to go on sale today! Are you securing your spot? Are you all planning ahead to arrive for Mantle’s event the 2 days before Editions?
Well, I will be in attendance at both. I hope to meet some of you who I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting in person yet and look forward to seeing a lot of you again for a second or 9th year lol. LET’S GO!!
What’s inside:
Perfecting Your Shopify App’s Elevator Pitch & Competitive Edge
Perfecting Your Shopify App’s Elevator Pitch & Competitive Edge
I was speaking with an app founder who I am redoing the Shopify app listing for the other day. I asked if the app did something similar to one of their competitors features-wise. Without hesitation, the founder very clearly explained what they did, why they didn’t choose to go that route, and the value proposition of choosing the path they are on for the merchant experience.
He was very clear in his positioning and his story. It got me thinking about you all and how you position your app against your competitors especially when you’re in a very crowded competitive space.
There are tons of bundle apps - why did you choose to maybe not focus on specific features that others offer and are you strong in that positioning within the marketplace? Sometimes having more doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s better or stronger or giving merchants a better experience. Sometimes, simplicity is actually everything. Did you forget to highlight that or is that standing tall and proud in your messaging?
Can you explain in 30 seconds or less why your app is positioned the way it is? Have you thought about this or practiced it?
You can always tell when my sales background comes out in these episodes, can’t you? Now let’s dive into the topic with some [helpful] tips.
Nail Your App’s Positioning in 30 Seconds or Less
You have a great Shopify app—but can you explain why it’s a must-have in just 30 seconds? Whether you're pitching to potential customers, investors, or partners, a sharp elevator pitch and clear competitive positioning will help you understand where your app fits into the marketplace. Once you understand what you are, or in a lot of cases what you are not, will really help you gain confidence in who to serve most.
Let’s go over 4 simple steps to crush your elevator pitch.
Craft an irresistible pitch in 4 simple steps:
Hook: Start with a problem your ideal user faces.
Example: Merchants want to squeeze more sales out of the traffic they are paying for.
Solution: Clearly state how your app solves it.
Example: Offering complementary product recommendations on product pages increases AOV and gives your customers more products in your inventory without having to look for them (and risk getting distracted and abandoning their purchase).
Differentiation: Highlight what sets your app apart from competitors.
This can go in several directions regarding upsell apps but very important to distinguish why your product is different than the 800 other upsell apps.
Impact: Show the tangible benefits—time saved, revenue increased, pain points eliminated.
Example: Most merchants see an average 30% lift in AOV from each visitor purchasing products.
Positioning Against Competitors
Your elevator pitch should also subtly highlight why your app is the best choice. It doesn’t have to have the most bells and whistles. When I worked with an upsell app years ago, we leaned on the fact that it was one of the first in it’s category and that it used some proprietary technology to make product recommendations that got smarter over time.
Consider these factors:
Unique Features: What do you offer that competitors don’t?
Pricing Advantage: Are you more affordable or provide better value?
Ease of Use: How simple is your onboarding process?
Customer Support: Do you provide superior assistance?
Integration & Compatibility: Does your app work seamlessly with other aspects of their tech stack that would be important to the merchant?
Test & Refine
Don’t stop at drafting—test your pitch with real merchants and iterate based on feedback. A/B test different messaging to see what resonates best.
Don’t worry, I might ask you for your elevator pitch when I see you in Toronto so you have plenty of time to prepare for that!
Have a great week ahead and see you sooner rather than later!
Deb