Boost Your Shopify Store with These Top FREE Apps in 2023
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Shopify Product Reviews
- Free Shipping Bar
- Facebook Channel
- Cart Drawer Upsell
- Shoppable Instagram Feed
- Conclusion
Introduction
As an e-commerce business owner, you rely heavily on applications to enhance your store's features and boost sales. While paid subscriptions can provide amazing solutions, free apps are easy to overlook even though they can still deliver tremendous value. In this article, we will explore the top picks for genuinely free fully featured Shopify apps that provide true utility without any hidden costs or other limits. Each app will be discussed in detail, including an overview of their key capabilities, benefits, and reasons why they can be assets for your particular store.
Shopify Product Reviews
The first app on our list is the Shopify Product Reviews app, created by Shopify itself. This self-explanatory app enables customers to leave ratings, reviews, photos, and more for your products. You can choose to publicly display those reviews in relevant places, such as on product pages or collection pages, to boost social validation and credibility through customer feedback. The app provides intuitive interfaces for both customers to submit reviews and store owners to moderate and manage review display. With the ability to filter reviews by criteria, import/export in bulk, and gain insights through data analytics, Shopify Product Reviews offers an impressive range of capabilities to solicit and leverage customer testimonials. It is a valuable free edition for conversion optimization, providing the power of social proof.
Pros:
- Allows customers to leave ratings, reviews, and photos for products
- Provides intuitive interfaces for both customers and store owners
- Offers advanced features like filtering, import/export, and data analytics
- Boosts social validation and credibility through customer feedback
Cons:
Free Shipping Bar
The next app on our list is the highly rated Free Shipping Bar app, created by Hexdom. As the name suggests, this app adds a customized visible bar across the top of your online store that motivates customers to spend more to unlock free shipping. For example, you could have the bar message say, "Spend $40 more for free shipping." As customers add items to their cart, the amount shown dynamically adjusts downward, actively encouraging shoppers to reach your set free shipping threshold. This simple yet highly effective tactic incentivizes customers to increase their order value, which directly translates to more revenue for your business. The core features in the free version, such as design customization options and unlimited usage with no caps on order volumes or customers, are more than sufficient for most use cases. The Free Shipping Bar is one of the most valuable free apps available in the Shopify Marketplace, seamlessly influencing upsells in a subtle yet compelling way.
Pros:
- Encourages customers to increase their order value
- Customizable bar message and design options
- Unlimited usage with no caps on order volumes or customers
- Highly effective tactic for boosting revenue
Cons:
Facebook Channel
Facebook Channel, the official Shopify app for connecting your store to Facebook, is another impactful free app on our list. This app streamlines the process of integrating your e-commerce data with Facebook for multiple purposes. With Facebook Channel, you can easily create a Facebook shop profile linked to your products, make Instagram shoppable, and install your Facebook pixel for event tracking. It also allows you to run retargeting ads and more. The key benefit of Facebook Channel is that it makes tricky Facebook store integration steps simple with just a few clicks, eliminating the need for manual code insertion. It is especially recommended for setting up effective retargeting campaigns, as it shows your ads to customers who previously browsed your website. This app simplifies the creation and management of retargeting ad campaigns compared to Facebook Ads Manager alone, making it invaluable for organic Facebook integration and retargeting.
Pros:
- Simplifies Facebook store integration
- Enables easy creation of a Facebook shop profile
- Facilitates Instagram shopping and event tracking with Facebook pixel
- Streamlines the creation and management of retargeting ad campaigns
Cons:
Cart Drawer Upsell
Cart Drawer Upsell is a relatively new app that focuses on the sales process by delivering powerful free upselling capabilities. With this app, you can create targeted behavior-based upsell offers within the cart experience. For example, when a customer adds a specific product A to their cart, you can dynamically display a special offer like "Add product B bundle and get 10% off your order." Strategic upselling tactics are crucial for increasing average order value, and Cart Drawer Upsell provides the tools to augment your on-site upsell strategy completely free of charge. While there are multiple paid options for this application, the free version is more than sufficient and includes all the features of the paid plans. Additionally, a 7-day free trial of the paid plans is available for those who want to explore more features. Integrating Cart Drawer Upsell can significantly boost your revenue by leveraging upselling opportunities.
Pros:
- Provides powerful upselling capabilities for free
- Allows for targeted behavior-based upsell offers
- Increases average order value
- Free version includes all features of paid plans
Cons:
Shoppable Instagram Feed
The last app on our list is the Shoppable Instagram Feed, which allows you to elegantly display your Instagram content grid within your Shopify storefront. Each Instagram post can link back to your Instagram profile to boost followers or directly to relevant product pages for frictionless shoppable discovery. Visually showcasing your brand's Instagram presence directly on your store is a great way to reinforce lifestyle imagery, social proof, creative vision, and overall audience reach. While there are many apps that embed an Instagram feed, the Insta Feed application has two major advantages. First, it offers a forever free plan without order limits or restrictions. Second, it enables shoppable posts to product functionality. Strategically blending your social presence with your core e-commerce experience can massively amplify brand cohesion and conversions. Insta Feed delivers on that benefit proposition with no strings attached.
Pros:
- Displays Instagram content grid within your store
- Offers a forever free plan with no order limits or restrictions
- Enables shoppable posts to product functionality
- Amplifies brand cohesion and conversions
Cons:
Conclusion
In conclusion, as an e-commerce business owner, it is important to leverage free tools that deliver tangible value to enhance your store's features and boost sales. The Shopify Marketplace offers a range of valuable free apps that can greatly benefit your store. The apps discussed in this article, including Shopify Product Reviews, Free Shipping Bar, Facebook Channel, Cart Drawer Upsell, and Shoppable Instagram Feed, provide unique capabilities to improve customer engagement, increase order value, streamline integrations, and amplify brand presence. Don't hesitate to explore these free apps and make the most out of their features to drive success in your e-commerce business journey.
Highlights
- Shopify Product Reviews app enables customers to leave ratings, reviews, and photos for products, boosting social validation and credibility.
- Free Shipping Bar app motivates customers to spend more to unlock free shipping, increasing average order value.
- Facebook Channel app simplifies Facebook store integration and facilitates retargeting campaigns for high conversion potential.
- Cart Drawer Upsell app delivers powerful upselling capabilities within the cart experience to increase revenue.
- Shoppable Instagram Feed app visually showcases Instagram content grid within the store and enables shoppable posts for seamless discovery.
FAQ
Q: Are these Shopify apps completely free?
A: Yes, the apps discussed in this article are genuinely free to use, with no hidden costs or other limits.
Q: Can I customize the design and styling of the free apps?
A: Yes, most of the free apps mentioned provide complete design and styling customization options.
Q: Are there any restrictions on order volumes or customers for these apps?
A: No, the free versions of the apps do not impose any caps on order volumes or customers.
Q: Can I try the paid plans of these apps before purchasing?
A: Yes, some apps offer free trial periods for their paid plans, allowing you to explore additional features.
Q: How can these apps benefit my e-commerce business?
A: These apps can enhance customer engagement, increase order value, streamline integrations, and amplify brand presence for a successful e-commerce business journey.
