Shopify makes it as easy as possible for entrepreneurs to set up an online store. One of the best things about Shopify, we believe, is Shopify’s own app store. Here you will find numerous Shopify features that make your website just that little bit better. Below, we have named five features that you really should not miss – to win back your customers, attract them to your site, and also be able to sell offline. Here are the must-haves in our opinion.
-
Recover abandoned cart
On average, 69% of visitors leave an online store without making a purchase. That’s more than you want, of course! Fortunately, there are a few Shopify features that can help lower this percentage.
Before you install such a feature, it’s important to know why so many customers leave your Shopify store without making a purchase. The first reason could be distraction. Maybe they are distracted by other website elements, or perhaps they need to focus on something off-screen. Another reason might be that someone adds a product to the shopping cart to calculate the shipping costs. A third reason could be that people are waiting for a discount code, which they might receive in an email.
On a positive note: no matter how you look at it, only products in which they are interested are added! This gives you the opportunity to remind your customers to check out or to convince them.
The products that customers add to their shopping cart show where their interests and needs lie. You can use this for a retargeting campaign! Show exactly those products in your ads. This way, you can hopefully guide some customers back to your online store to check out!
You can use the following two Shopify features for this:
Push notifications: You can download a push notification app in the Shopify App Store. With this, you can give customers who have not checked out a personalized push notification with a discount (for example). Email: You can also approach the retargeting campaign by sending non-buying customers an email. In the basic plan of Shopify, you have to type each email separately – that’s a lot of work. You can automate it by upgrading to an advanced Shopify plan. Another option is to download an ‘abandoned cart’ app in the Shopify app store. Such an app can also automatically send emails when customers leave the online store!
-
Calculate Shipping Costs Automatically
If you have successfully guided your customers back to your online store and their shopping cart, they can still be shocked by the shipping costs. To prevent them from not checking out, you don’t want your customers to be surprised.
You can use a feature for this: it automatically calculates the shipping costs for each customer, based on their location, the size, and the weight of a product. Search the Shopify app store for ‘Real Time Carrier Shipping’. You do need an advanced Shopify store package for this, and choose a shipping partner (PostNL, DHL, UPS etc.) to calculate the final costs.
-
Sell Just as Easily Offline: Shopify POS
Why would you only want to sell online, when you can also easily sell offline? Shopify POS (Point Of Sale) makes that possible. For example, if you want to sell your products in a pop-up store or at a market.
All you need for this is a special card reader – which costs about 60 euros – and the corresponding app. You can link your Shopify store directly to the device, so all transactions are stored and your inventory is well maintained. Another advantage of this is that the card reader is a compact thing. So, you can take it easily with you and sell wherever and whenever you want.
-
Live Chat
It sounds logical, but it’s bad for your conversion: not having human contact during the purchasing process. Offering super good customer service (proven) stimulates sales. Therefore, offer live chat! This feature gives customers the option to talk and ask questions in real-time if they need to. This way, you can convince hesitant customers to make a purchase! If you don’t have the time or manpower for this, you can choose to deploy an AI chatbot. This way, your customers still have a point of contact.
Don’t forget that all these interactions are a knowledge bank for you: you now have insight into the most frequently asked questions from customers on your Shopify online store. One of our favorite Shopify features for sure: take advantage of this!
-
Discount Codes
We are all sensitive to these, right? If you are looking for a way to boost your sales, you almost always have guaranteed success with discount codes. No wonder the Shopify App Store has several apps for this – like ‘Bulk Discounts’. You can choose different types of discounts: free shipping, a percentage discount, or a few euros off the total amount.
-
Bonus: Staxxer
Lastly: if you’re looking for a feature for your European VAT, then we have it for you. You can easily link our software to your Shopify (and/or Amazon and Bol.com) account. You can then exactly see how much VAT you owe where and when! We understand that VAT matters are not your favorite activity. Luckily, we do like it! If you’re not up for the periodic VAT declarations, you can let us do it (including One Stop Shop filings). We are also happy to apply for a European VAT number for you! Want to try once, or discuss possibilities without obligation? Contact us!