Key points:

• Discover the essential Shopify Apps to boost your new eCommerce store's functionality and increase sales in 2024
• Learn how to enhance customer engagement, simplify and save on shipping, and improve marketing effectiveness with top-rated Shopify Apps
• Enhance your tech stack and upgrade your Shopify store with powerful tools to increase profitability including analytics, conversion rate optimisation, logistics, and customer support

In 2024, launching a new Shopify eCommerce brand requires more than just a great product. A robust tech stack is now essential for managing everything from customer engagement to logistics. 

Similarly, reviewing and updating your existing tech stack is equally important for existing stores that are seeking to increase conversions and improve retention amongst growing competition.

So if you’re in charge of an online store or looking to grow your business, check out this helpful guide to find some of the best rated Shopify Apps on the market. Give yourself a competitive edge and supercharge your sales results today.

Why Is Shopify So Popular With eCommerce Merchants?

The Shopify eCommerce ecosystem is huge. Now powering almost 18% of the global eCommerce software market as of 2024! As the fastest-growing platform in the space, featuring an ever-growing list of major brands like Red Bull, Kylie Cosmetics, and Whole Foods Market, the platform's momentum and status within the eCommerce world continues to grow.

It’s no surprise then that Shopify is the top sales channel for Easyship customers, overtaking the top-ranked global platform WooCommerce, including more than 100,000 happy merchants. Check out the full list of eCommerce store platforms ranked by active stores:

Top Shopify Apps: Best Picks for Your New Shopify Store

With almost 10,000 Apps available in 2024, choosing the right Shopify App is a crucial decision for any small business owner or entrepreneur when setting up your tech stack for success. Each App undergoes a strict 100-checkpoint review before it hits the Shopify App Store—but not all were created equally. Here are some of the best Shopify Apps to consider installing in 2024:

Shopify Store Theme: Maestrooo Theme (Paid) or ever-popular Dawn (Free)

The foundation of your eCommerce store is your website. Shopify, combined with a premium theme from Maestrooo, offers a seamless shopping experience. Maestrooo themes are known for their customization options and mobile responsiveness, ensuring that your store looks fantastic on any device and always presenting your product catalog in the best light. Speaking of light, if you’re on a strict budget, check out Shopify’s best-known free store theme: Dawn. Featuring a chic and modern minimalist design suitable for almost any eCommerce category.

Email and SMS Campaigns: Klaviyo or Yotpo

Email is an essential marketing tool for retaining customers and driving repeat purchases. Klaviyo and Yotpo are two of the top-ranked choices for email marketing and SMS. These apps offer powerful tools for marketing segmentation, personalization, and automation, making it easy to run effective marketing campaigns to drive incremental revenue and boost profit margins.

Shipping, Tax and Duties: Easyship Shipping App & Easyship 3PL

Thousands of Shopify merchants trust Easyship for seamlessly global shipping solutions across more than 220 countries. Connect your Shopify store for free in as little as three minutes and start shipping instantly with discounted rates (up to 91% off) across top carriers like UPS, FedEx, USPS and DHL Express and more.

In addition to offering the best available international shipping and domestic parcel rates across 550+ courier services, Easyship’s groundbreaking Dynamic Rates at Checkout was the first to reduce cart abandonment by showcasing a range of accurate delivery options with automatic tax and duty calculations. You can also sync orders, automate workflows, and batch print labels with ease using Easyship’s smart shipping dashboard.

Targeting international customers? Easyship is specifically designed to make international shipping as easy and straightforward as local delivery and includes everything you need to succeed worldwide—including our very own eCommerce fulfillment and 3PL service. 

Growth-focused marketer? Create a consistent post-purchase customer experience with branded packing slips, parcel notifications as well as the opportunity to advertise upsell offers on your own dedicated tracking page. Plus, check out this step by step guide on how to add real-time shipping delivery options to your store’s check-out to increase conversions today.

Live Chat and AI Support: Gorgias or Tidio

Customer support is a critical component of any online store. Gorgias is a fantastic live chat app that integrates seamlessly with Shopify, offering live chat and support ticketing. It helps reduce manual work by automating common queries and providing quick resolutions to customer issues, enhancing the overall customer experience. 

Similarly, Tidio’s live chat and AI technology are one of the best in the industry, boasting an extensive selection of 5-star reviews and strong integrations with a range of top platforms.

Reviews and Surveys: Okendo or Judge.Me

Social proof is a powerful tool in eCommerce. Okendo enables you to collect and display user-generated content such as reviews and ratings. This fantastic app not only helps increase trust but also provides valuable customer data that can be used to improve your products and services.

And when it comes to collecting and showcasing social proof, few can argue with Judge.Me’s near perfect ratings from more than 30,000 Shopify stores. Judge.Me allows retailers to capture, manage and promote their best customers and reviews with clever features like customizable widgets and review carousels. When it comes to Shopify, more trust leads to more happy customers.

Analytics and Attribution: Triple Whale

Yes, tracking is a mess in 2024. In the rapidly changing privacy ecosystem, staying on top of your website's tracking and analytics is critical to success. Triple Whale is an innovative Shopify app that offers advanced analytics and attribution for savvy business owners. It provides detailed insights into your ad spend and marketing efforts, helping you understand which campaigns are driving sales. Plus, identify where to allocate your budget for maximum ROI.

Influencer and Affiliates: Snowball and UpPromote

Influencer marketing and affiliate programs can help customers find your store—potentially leading to explosive growth and viral product status. Out of all the apps and options available, Social Snowball is one of the top picks, making it super easy to manage these programs by tracking influencer performance and automating payouts. When cost-effective new customer acquisition is important (when is it not?), Snowball allows you to expand your reach and drive sales through exponential word-of-mouth marketing. 

Speaking of, if you’re interested in the power of community-led affiliate growth in 2024, also consider UpPromote which allows Shopify stores to create rewards and discounts with exclusive customer referral programs. All while seamlessly attributing referral orders via dedicated links, coupons and connected emails.

Leveraging Shopify Apps for Growth

To grow your Shopify store, you need to leverage the right apps that offer comprehensive features for marketing, analytics, and customer engagement.

Expanding Sales Channels

Using apps that integrate with other eCommerce platforms like Google Shopping and social media can help you reach more customers. These apps streamline the process of listing products on multiple channels, increasing your store’s visibility and potential sales.

Increasing Average Order Value

Apps that enable cross-selling and upselling, such as those offering complementary products or bundle deals, can significantly increase your average order value. Features like countdown timers and pop-ups can create a sense of urgency, encouraging customers to make additional purchases.

Enhancing Customer Experience

Providing a seamless shopping experience is crucial for retaining customers. Apps that offer features like personalized recommendations, loyalty programs, and easy returns can help improve customer satisfaction and drive repeat purchases.

Boost Shopify Conversion Rates With Easyship

One often overlooked aspect of enhancing eCommerce sales is the impact of shipping rates on conversions. Research from Barilliance, highlights that 25% of shoppers abandon their shopping carts due to unexpected shipping costs!

To help Shopify store owners boost their sales, Easyship developed the popular Rates at Checkout solution. This innovative tool is designed to seamlessly integrate with your Shopify store, enhancing the checkout experience and significantly reducing cart abandonment by showcasing accurate, real-time shipping rates.

Rates at Checkout leverages over 250+ global shipping solutions to present the most cost-effective and suitable shipping rates for each order, considering factors like package weight, size, dimensions, and delivery destination, including import duties and taxes when applicable.

Add the Easyship Shopify App for FREE today and offer your customers a transparent and fully costed checkout experience for every order.

We also offer a range of easy-to-use shipping tools, to help streamline your shipping experience and delight your buyers. Popular features include:

• Shipping Rate Calculator: Compare shipping rates from different carriers
• Comparison Tool: Compare the different shipping services offered by each courier to choose the cheapest way to ship based on factors other than cost
• Insurance: Keep your packages safe in transit with insurance up to $10,000
• Tracking: Maintain package visibility with your buyers throughout the delivery process with custom-branded tracking emails and automatic message alerts

FAQs

What are the best free Shopify apps?

The best free Shopify apps offer robust features without a price tag, making them ideal for new businesses. Many of the apps mentioned in this post, like Easyship, Gorgias, and Okendo, provide free to install plans that include essential tools for shipping, customer support, and review management.

With almost 10,000 apps available on the Shopify App Store, a significant number come with free Shopify app tiers that allow you to explore and leverage their features to enhance your store's functionality and customer experience without initial costs. These free app plans are a great starting point to supercharge your Shopify store and drive growth effectively.

How many apps should you have on your Shopify store?

The number of apps you should have on your Shopify store depends on your specific business needs. It is best to start with essential apps that cover key areas like marketing, customer support, analytics, and shipping. 

Aim for a streamlined tech stack of 5-10 well-chosen apps to avoid unnecessary costs and complexity, ensuring each app provides clear value and integrates smoothly with your store. Regularly review and optimize your app usage to align with your evolving business goals and customer demands.

What are the best Shopify apps to drive online sales?

To drive online sales, several top Shopify apps can significantly enhance your eCommerce store’s performance. Klaviyo and Yotpo are excellent for email and SMS marketing, offering powerful tools for segmentation, personalization, and automation to run effective campaigns. 

Okendo helps build social proof by collecting and displaying user-generated reviews and ratings, boosting customer trust. For advanced analytics and attribution, Triple Whale provides detailed insights into your ad spend and marketing efforts, allowing you to optimize campaigns and maximize ROI. 

Social Snowball simplifies managing influencer and affiliate programs, expanding your reach through word-of-mouth marketing. Lastly, Easyship can boost conversions by providing transparent and cost-effective shipping options, reducing cart abandonment rates.

Which Shopify app automates shipping tracking for customers?

Easyship is the ideal Shopify app for automating shipping tracking for customers. It offers comprehensive features for seamless global shipping, including instant rates, labels, and tracking capabilities. 

Easyship allows merchants to sync orders, automate workflows, and batch print labels with ease. Customers can benefit from branded tracking emails and automatic message alerts, maintaining visibility throughout the delivery process. 

This not only enhances the customer experience but also builds trust by providing real-time updates on their orders, ensuring transparency and reliability in the shipping process.