Lessons Learned from Building Shopify Apps

2021 marks the 10th anniversary of launching BookThatApp, a booking app for Shopify merchants. A lot has changed in that time and I thought it may be helpful for any new app developers out there to share some of the lessons learned from our 10+ plus years running apps on the Shopify platform.

App Standards

In the early days of Shopify, you could launch an app, have it approved and be up and running in no time. Over the years Shopify has (rightfully) tightened up their development standards to ensure that the Shopify app store offers high quality apps. As an app developer, you need to be prepared to not only meet these initial standards but continue to invest in the app going forward. Shopify regularly rolls out new features, makes changes to the platform that need to be supported (Shopify 2.0 being the most recent example) or introduces additional app requirements (e.g. GDPR). You need to ensure you have the financial means and the time required to support the ongoing development requirements.

Sophisticated Merchants

When Shopify first began, it was primarily made up of smaller businesses, with many of these merchants brand new to ecommerce. Most knew little about best practices in ecommerce and were naive in what to expect from an app. Fast forward ten years and the customer base has changed dramatically. Shopify is now used by large, global companies who have rigorous security, compliance and software policies against which your app will be measured. However, it’s just not large businesses who have these high standards. The smaller businesses that are on Shopify today are much more tech savy. This means that app developers need to deliver top notch apps that look great, are easy to use and perform well. You also need to ensure that your app doesn’t slow down the merchant’s site or cause other performance issues such as downtime for the merchant’s store.

Global Customer Base

Shopify has expanded rapidly across the globe and is now present in more than 150 countries around the world. As an app developer, this means your app must be accessible to this global custom base. This could mean offering 24 hour support to ensure your support capture all time zones, or ensuring that your app can be translated into multiple languages or even offering documentation across a variety of languages. It’s important to be aware of cultural sensitivies as well such as the language, slang, colloquial expressions and the tone used in your communication with your global customers.

Higher Support Expectations

Customer support has experienced massive change in the past decade. While responding to emails within a few days use to be the norm, today customers are looking for on-demand support. This means ensuring you have modern communication methods such as social or chat to support your customers. It also means ensuring you have a fast support response as merchants aren’t willing to wait days (or sometimes even hours) for a response.

I hope you found some of these tips helpful. Feel free to drop us a line if you want to discuss more about building an app for Shopify.

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Finding the best Shopify appointment booking app can be frustrating. Many apps lack the customization to configure bookings and tailor the experience.

Others have limited options that stunt your growth. Too often, apps force you into their way of doing things or integrate poorly with Shopify.

We hear you! In this post, we cut through the noise to bring you the top Shopify appointment apps that meet those needs.

What is Shopify Appointment Booking Software?

Shopify appointment booking software integrates appointment and booking capabilities directly within your store.

Rather than using a separate system, you can handle your booking now within Shopify.

This enables a seamless booking experience for customers as they can schedule appointments at checkout or through a booking page on your site.

The app syncs with your Shopify platform, so appointment data, notifications, and customer details are consolidated into your Shopify operations and reporting.

Benefits of a Shopify Booking App

There are several key benefits to using the best Shopify booking app:

Efficient scheduling- The app provides calendar integration and scheduling options like time slots, buffers, and capacity limits to optimize booking workflows.

Branded workflows- You can customize booking pages and notifications to match your store branding for a cohesive experience.

Automated reminders- Apps send confirmations and reminder notifications to reduce no-shows.

Unified data- All booking data, transactions, and customer details are linked under one Shopify account for streamlined operations and analytics.

Customizable experience- Tailor booking options, requirements, flows and pages to match your business needs.

Scalability- Quality apps grow with your business by providing tiered pricing, staff accounts, and enterprise functionality.

Must-Have Features to Look For

When evaluating Shopify booking apps, look for these key features:

Robust scheduling with time slots, recurrence, and group bookings

Customizable booking pages, forms, reminders, and workflows

SMS and email notifications to automatically engage customers

Reports on booking performance, cancellations, no-shows, and revenue

Mobile optimized for customers to book on any device

Shopify integration with customer profiles, orders, and inventory

Flexible pricing plans to upgrade features as needed

Best 10 appointment booking software for Shopify 2023

BookThatApp
Appointo
Cowlendar
Tipo Appointment
Appointly
Sesami
IzyRent
Easy Appointment Booking
Booking App By Webkul
BookedUp

1. BookThatApp

As a Shopify store owner, you're not just selling products—you're selling experiences, services, and time. And that's where BookThatApp comes into play.

BookThatApp is the best Shopify software, designed to streamline and automate your appointment scheduling process. With over 8,000 satisfied Shopify merchants, BookThatApp has proven its worth time and again.

It’s one of the feature-rich tools for Shopify store owners like you.

And it’s not us mentioning this, but our users love it.

From beauty & wellness centers and sports & fitness studios to professional services and hotels, if you're on Shopify and need a booking solution, BookThatApp is your go-to tool.

Try it today—and did we mention it’s free?

Features:

Customizable Booking Widget- Whether it's for accommodations, classes, rentals, or tours, BookThatApp covers you. Tailor it to your needs and integrate it seamlessly into your store.

Detailed Appointment Scheduling- You're in control. Define your availability at the store level, product level, or even for specific staff members. No more double bookings or scheduling conflicts.

Calendar Integration- Say goodbye to manual entries. Export your bookings to external calendars like Google, iCal, or Outlook with just a click.

Automated Booking Reminders- Reduce no-shows and inform your customers with automated email reminders. It's all about enhancing the customer experience.

Empower Your Customers- Let your customers take charge. They can easily cancel or reschedule their bookings online, eliminating the back-and-forth communication.

Zoom Integration: Taking your services online? No problem. BookThatApp integrates with Zoom, turning any service or class into an online session. Plus, the meeting link is included in the booking confirmation for your customers' convenience.