Hello! We had a full moon this week. Yes, I’m one of those people, I know, I know, shhhhhh. Be vewy vewy quiet I'm hunting wabbits!! Okay, enough of my silliness; let’s get into it.
What's inside:
Shopify in person this year
Refreshing media gallery images
A Shopify app spotlight
Shopify Editions.Dev
As most of you have already either seen or heard about, Shopify decided to invite partners back to Toronto this year for an in-person event in June.
I've been to every single one of their US-based events, and you better believe I'll be at this one, but I am also wondering if the expense/benefits will be worth it. Though I did enjoy the last event from a personal standpoint because I love any excuse to see you all again, it was missing a few key players that made the past events feel magical. *Cough* Harley, Tobi, etc. *Cough*
I did meet Liam Griffin so that was pretty cool!
The parties were all held by partners, and most things felt disjointed. I am hoping this event feels more like a collective. Either way, it’s nice to see Shopify prioritizing partners’ desire to network in person.
Media gallery images
Refreshing media gallery images and copy on the Shopify app listing should be done at least once a year. Based on my opinion as an app marketer, there are a few reasons to do this.
Before we discuss the reasons, we should take a step back and remind the room of the importance of the media gallery in the first place. The media gallery for Shopify apps is the very first area that new prospective or returning buyers see when visiting the app listing. This is a make-or-break opportunity for highly visual people to sell them on your app. Therefore, app developers should choose that real estate usage wisely.
In no particular order, let's get into a few of the reasons for updating the media gallery at least annually.
Refreshing your "ad"
Just like in direct response advertising, app developers should view the app listing as a 'billboard' that merchants and agencies constantly visit throughout the year. Ever notice that some merchants install and uninstall the app several times throughout the year based on their seasonality or needs?
Perception/Presentation = Unspoken Expectations
Merchants run video and static ads on social media to attract sales. The brands update their creative for those ads throughout the seasons, if not weekly, depending on their traffic volume. As a result, their brains are trained to expect specific standards from doing that and want to see you doing the same. Staying up-to-date with your app listing visuals and copy creates a mindset that you regularly refresh and update your product.
It’s wild how much psychology goes into marketing.
And if you don’t believe that merchants visit the app listing even when they are installed, well, they do. They will call you out on pricing changes, right? They will call you out for features they weren’t aware you had since they installed the app 3 years ago. Shall I go on? You know what I’m talking about, come on!
App feature updates
We're going to go on the assumption and hope that you are updating your app's features throughout the year. Because of that, your media gallery should reflect the most up-to-date features available to 'sell' to prospective stores looking for your solution. If you're going to go through the effort of replacing a slide or 2 to showcase the new features, you might as well give the rest of the images a fresher look. A fresh coat of paint does wonders in your home and the same can be said for your entire media gallery.
UI updates
A good number of Shopify apps are becoming embedded and 'Built for Shopify' apps this year, which means the UI experience will look a little different. You’ll want to take this opportunity to update any images showing the app’s interface in your media gallery images. You went through the effort of getting the badge; why not mention it in your media gallery and always show the latest look?
Analytics reporting showing years
When I look through stale media gallery images, a huge pet peeve of mine is reporting images that show past years going back to 2021. Seeing this would create doubt in my mind that the app has been updated for the past 3 years. Doubt lingering around to prospective buyers is giving your competitors the business.
Shopify app spotlight
In this week's app spotlight, Shop the Look is our feature. It's a lookbook app that recently crossed the famed 100-review threshold. Top brands and smaller brands alike use the app to maximize ROAS when running social ads involving curated looks or several products that can be sold together as a group. Shoppers expect to go to the landing pages from paid ads or posts to see the complete package to purchase all together. Shop the Look cuts the clutter, saves shoppers time from having to dig through inventory, and gives a more exciting shopping experience while allowing the merchant to sell more products from a single customer. I am a fan, and more apps like this deserve their flowers.
Okay, well, that about wraps it up for this week. Let me know your thoughts on the media gallery updates or how you think the Shopify in-person event will be this year. Sound off in the comments, and I will see you at the same time and place next week in your inbox.
Peas,
Deb
Follow me on X. I'm pretty funny, but I've been relatively snarky lately. I'm losing followers and need more friends, lol.