Santa's Secret Weapons: How to Skyrocket Holiday Sales with the Best Shopify Apps
The holiday shopping season is the most lucrative time of year for e-commerce businesses.
According to Adobe Analytics, total revenue spent between October 1st and November 6, 2023 are at $95 billion, to date.
With so many customers making purchases, it's essential to optimize your Shopify store's conversion rate so you don't miss out on sales.
One of the best ways to boost conversions is by using strategic Shopify apps.
While Shopify already provides an excellent platform, apps can optimize specific areas like cart abandonment, social proof, and email marketing.
The right combination of apps will maximize holiday sales by creating a frictionless purchasing process.
In this Substack, I'll explore the top Shopify apps to use during the 2023 holiday season.
These apps are designed to increase conversions and revenue across every stage of the customer journey.
Whether you need more social proof, better promotions or improved email marketing, these apps have you covered.
By implementing just a few of the recommendations in this guide, you can expect to see your key holiday sales metrics improved over last year.
Let's get started!
Abandoned Cart Recovery
Abandoned carts are one of the biggest issues for e-commerce stores, with the average store seeing This means 7 out of 10 customers who add items to their cart end up leaving without completing the purchase.
During busy sales periods like the holidays, recovering these abandoned carts can lead to a significant increase in revenue.
There are a number of great Shopify apps that can help you recover abandoned carts by capturing customer and cart data and sending follow-up emails to remind customers to complete their purchase.
Two of the most popular and effective apps in this category are Keeper and Retainful.
Keeper captures data any time a customer adds an item to their cart or proceeds to checkout but does not complete the purchase.
Using this data, it then automatically sends a series of customizable abandoned cart emails to encourage the customer to return and checkout.
Features include the ability to customize email wording, set the timing and frequency of emails, and create targeted emails for specific products added to the cart.
Retainful offers similar abandoned cart capabilities but also lets you create automated workflows beyond just abandoned cart emails.
For example, you can set up workflows to trigger SMS follow-ups or apply discounts that get larger with each follow-up message sent.
The app also provides detailed analytics on your abandoned cart performance.
When used properly, Retainful claims it can recover up to 25% of abandoned checkouts.
With abandoned cart rates being so high, investing in one of these types of apps to maximize holiday sales is a smart move for any e-commerce merchant.
Don't forget to A/B test different email copy and workflows to determine what resonates best with your customers.
Keep Customers Coming Back With Loyalty Programs
Loyalty and rewards programs are essential for retaining customers and driving repeat purchases during the holidays and beyond.
According to Digital Commerce 360, loyalty program members have a 30% higher lifetime value compared to non-members. With the average retention rate in e-commerce hovering around 20-40%, implementing a loyalty program should be a priority.
Apps like Smile Rewards and Loyalty Lion make it easy to create points and VIP programs that reward customers for repeat purchases and engagement.
Shopify store owners can set up flexible point systems where customers earn points for different actions like signing up, referring friends, writing reviews, and more. Points can then be redeemed for discounts, free shipping, or exclusive products.
Sending birthday and loyalty status upgrades is another great way to delight your VIPs. You can even create multiple tiers like Gold, Platinum, Diamond to encourage customers to spend more to reach the next level.
Gamifying the experience and surprising loyal customers with perks is proven to increase retention.
Don't miss out on repeat revenue by neglecting your existing customers during the holiday season.
Social Proof Builds Trust and Drives Sales
Social proof is a powerful psychological concept where people look to the actions of others to guide their own behavior.
When customers see notifications that other shoppers have recently purchased a product or are currently browsing your store, it builds trust and nudges them towards making a purchase themselves.
Social proof apps like Fera.ai and TrustPulse leverage this principle beautifully. They display recent conversion data like:
- Number of people currently browsing your store
- Number of orders in the last 24 hours
- Latest products purchased
- Customers' locations
Seeing this real-time social proof makes shoppers feel like they’re missing out if they don't buy. It creates a fear of scarcity and a sense of urgency.
For example, if a customer sees that five people bought the same product they're viewing in the last hour, they'll be more compelled to add it to their cart quickly. The underlying psychology is, "If others are buying it, then it must be a worthwhile purchase."
Social proof builds trust in your brand and products. When uncertain customers see others purchasing from your store, it reassures them that you're a legitimate business selling quality products that people want.
In fact, a study by conversion optimization platform Omniconvert found that displaying dynamic notifications of recent sales can lift conversion rates by as much as 15%.
So if you want to boost trust and sales during the holidays, implementing a social proof app is a smart move.
The subtle nudges of seeing real customer activity on your site can give shoppers the confidence to click that "Buy Now" button.
Reviews Build Credibility and Trust
Positive product and service reviews are one of the most influential factors in converting online shoppers into customers. According to a BrightLocal consumer survey, over 85% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase decision.
Displaying authentic reviews on your Shopify store pages and product listings can significantly increase conversion rates. Positive reviews establish credibility and trust with potential customers who are still evaluating your brand. They provide social proof that your products and services deliver satisfaction.
Several apps can help Shopify merchants generate and showcase customer reviews:
Yotpo - This powerful app enables collecting, moderating, and displaying customer reviews. It also facilitates review requests via email and SMS. Yotpo integrates reviews across your website, emails, ads, and other marketing channels.
Judge.me - This is an all-in-one solution for garnering and showcasing reviews while analyzing their impact on conversions. Judge.me makes it easy to request, moderate, and respond to customer feedback. It also provides advanced analytics on how reviews influence purchases.
Stamped.io - This app focuses specifically on social proof through customer ratings and reviews. It can automatically generate review requests and publish 5-star ratings across your store.
Loox - Designed for visual reviews, Loox lets customers upload images and videos showcasing products. It's ideal for fashion, jewelry, electronics, and other visual products.
The right review app will make it effortless to feature authentic customer experiences across your Shopify store. Don't underestimate the power of leveraging reviews to build trust and credibility with new shoppers during the holiday season.
Countdown Timers
Countdown timers are one of the most effective ways to create a sense of urgency and scarcity during the holiday shopping season. Shoppers are more likely to take action when they feel they need to act before time runs out.
Apps like Countdown Timer Ultimate and Rushy Scarcity Countdown Timer display timers next to products or on your cart page. These timers show shoppers exactly how long they have left to take advantage of a sale price, promotion, or free shipping cutoff. The ticking clock taps into our fear of missing out and can incentivize shoppers to complete their purchase now rather than leave items sitting in their cart.
Countdown Timer Ultimate lets you set up flexible timers that can be based on inventory levels, product launch dates, sales deadlines, and more.
You can also customize the color, text, and position of the timers.
Rush Scarcity Countdown Timer specifically puts a timer on your cart page so shoppers feel motivated to checkout before they miss their chance.
Research shows that countdown timers can increase conversion rates from cart abandonment by up to 332%. They also boost sales of time-sensitive offers by up to 400%.
The urgency created by a ticking timer is remarkably effective at turning shoppers into paying customers.
Adding countdown timer apps is an easy way to maximize holiday sales. The visual cue and extra motivation can convince hesitant buyers to complete their purchase instead of delaying.
Timers let shoppers know an opportunity is fleeting, which makes them more likely to act now.
Recommendation Engines Keep Customers Engaged
Recommendation engines are a must-have for any e-commerce store during the holidays. These apps analyze customer behavior and use filters, tags, and predictive analytics to recommend relevant products to each individual shopper.
Personalized product suggestions can increase order value, conversion rate, and repeat purchases.
Two great recommendation engine apps to consider are:
Fera.ai - I’m bringing this app here too because it provides intelligent recommendations based on factors like search terms, category views, past purchases, and more. It continually improves its suggestions with machine learning. Fera offers real-time recommendations and bulk actions to tag products.
Wiser - With Wiser, you can display personalized recommendations throughout your store, including the home page, product pages, cart, and post-purchase pages. It lets you customize the look and logic behind the recommendations. You can choose to recommend best-sellers, frequently bought together, recently viewed, items in cart, and more.
Recommendation engines keep each customer engaged with products tailored just for them. These apps are proven to boost sales, especially during the high-traffic holiday season.
Consider adding one to your Shopify store this year to increase average order value.
Email Capture
Collecting customer emails should be a top priority for any e-commerce store.
Email marketing has one of the highest ROIs of any marketing channel, so building an email list provides huge value.
With your customers' permission, you can market to this list for years to come.
Some of the top Shopify apps for email capture include:
Privy - Privy offers a range of pop-ups and forms to capture emails. It integrates with email providers like MailChimp to store your list. Key features include exit-intent popups, wheel of fortune popups, and timed overlays. Privy makes it easy to create stylish opt-in forms that convert.
MailMunch - MailMunch is a dedicated email list building app. It allows you to create custom opt-in forms and spin-a-wheel popups. MailMunch seamlessly integrates with all major email providers. Advanced features include granular targeting, multi-step campaigns, and advanced analytics.
Email Octopus: Email Octopus provides hosted opt-in forms and email automation. It has pre-built templates and drag-and-drop customization. Email Octopus integrates with CRMs like Klaviyo and omni-channel platforms like Mailchimp. It's easy to get started with professional opt-in forms.
The key is finding an app that makes it easy to create high-converting email capture opportunities throughout your store.
Test different opt-in form locations like cart pages, product pages, headers, footers, and popups. Offer an incentive like a discount code or free gift to encourage signups. Then market to this list with emails, retargeting, and more.
In Conclusion
As I wrap up this article on the best Shopify apps to maximize holiday sales in 2023, let's do a quick recap of the top recommendations:
- Abandoned Cart Recovery - Recover lost sales through automated cart abandonment emails and offers. Apps like Keeper and Retainful are great options.
- Loyalty & Rewards Programs - Increase repeat purchases and word-of-mouth promotion through points or tier-based rewards programs. Smile Rewards is a popular app.
- Social Proof Notifications - Display recent sales, stock scarcity, and peer purchasing activity to create urgency and social validation. Fomo, Boost Sales, and Fera.ai are go-to's.
- Reviews - Collect and showcase authentic customer reviews to build trust and credibility. Judge.me and Stamped.io make it easy.
- Countdown Timers - Create limited-time promotional offers with visible ticking countdown timers to entice quick purchases. Countdown Timer Ultimate and Rushy Scarcity Countdown Timer are slick options.
- Recommendation Engines - Suggest relevant products using on-site behavior and purchase data for personalized upsells. Wiser nails it.
- Email Capture - Grow your email subscriber list with pop-ups and offering incentives for signups. Privy and MailMunch are well-known.
As you evaluate these and other apps, be sure to thoroughly test their impact and track key sales metrics to identify what works best for your store and audience.
The right apps, combined with compelling holiday promotions and products, can significantly boost your e-commerce revenue this season.
Wishing you a prosperous holiday selling season!