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Clever Techniques & Top Tools for Shopify App Idea Research
Generating ideas, validating them, or finding market gaps, your Shopify app research defines your success.
Do you know how you beat the odds in your favor?
By using the right tools and techniques in the process.
They’ll even give you ideas around underserved niches. i.e., Gold mine.
Let’s take your ideas to another level, where you need more than just creativity as you’ll have structured research.
We’ll make sure your ideas are actually worth a shot.
Top Tools and Techniques for Shopify App Idea Research
Knowing techniques and having tools can make your life easier. Not knowing where to start and what to look for can only waste valuable time.
Here’s a structured list of tools and techniques that can help you research your new app idea:
1. Tools for Shopify App Store and Market Research
Your app research usually starts with market research that involves scheming through the app store too.
SaSi by Mantle
SaSi is a powerful tool for analyzing Shopify App Store trends, app performance metrics, and category data.
It tracks historical data of all the apps listed on Shopify app store. You can research your competitor apps or by keywords.
Need to know certain data as they change? SaSi will notify you on that too.
Use case of SaSi: Keep an eye on app rankings to identify top-performing categories and uncover underserved niches.
Pay attention to the growth trajectory of the newer apps to see how some are growing better than others. You might spot an emerging trend or a new app idea.
Example: Let’s say the "Productivity" category has several apps but only a few with high ratings. Now, investigate what those successful apps are doing and what’s missing in the others.
Some other similar tools are: Appscout, AI App Finder.
Leverage the Shopify Forum
Both merchants and developers discuss challenges, insights, and experience in the Shopify Forum.
That makes the forum an invaluable hub for you as you research your next app idea.
How to Use It: Search for threads where merchants share some frustrations, or better yet: request app recommendations!
Want a better idea?
Why not engage in discussions yourself and ask merchants about their biggest pain points?
Example: A recurring complaint about poor inventory management might give you an idea for a specialized solution.
2. Tools for Getting Community and Merchant Insights
Keeping up with the merchants and the Shopify community will deliver and validate ideas that no tool can ever do.
We’ve mentioned before about getting involved with merchant communities while discussing Shopify app idea generation.
While you don’t get to attend events every other day, you can make things easier by using:
X (Formerly Twitter)
X is a goldmine for connecting with thought leaders and staying up to date with latest eCommerce trends and market gaps.
All you have to do is be in the right circle with the intention of getting new ideas.
Use case: Create a list of Shopify thought leaders, developers, merchants, and influencers, and involve in discussions whenever possible.
Monitor hashtags like #ShopifyApps or #eCommerceTips for to know the trending issues.
Pro Tip: Participate in X Spaces hosted by eCommerce experts to hear merchants’ concerns in real time.
Subreddits like r/Shopify and r/eCommerce are communities where merchants share their challenges, wins, losses, and learnings.
Don’t limit yourself, though. Use the search function to find niche topics within larger discussions.
Look for issues or feature requests in posts and comments. Pay special attention if you see some recurring frustrations.
Example: A thread about abandoned cart recovery frustrations could give you an app idea of advanced recovery features.
Facebook Groups
Facebook groups for Shopify merchants, Plus users, even general eCom store owners, can be a great place to gather user data.
Join the groups, observe what people talk about, and interact with merchants with the intention to help.
Offer free advice to build trust and gather insights on merchant needs. Don’t forget you’ll need the community while validating your app idea too.
Example: If several members post or comment about struggling with upselling, there might be an app idea for streamlining the process.
Bonus: ChatGPT
Researching new ideas, summarizing trends or analyzing user data, AI tools like ChatGPT can make it a breeze.
How to Use It: You can prompt ChatGPT to brainstorm solutions for specific pain points and analyze merchant reviews.
For example, you can prompt “Summarize the common complaints for an app idea.”, and then give ChatGPT the data or URL to Shopify app reviews in your target category.
Pro Tip: Refine prompts for deeper insights, such as asking for actionable app feature suggestions.
3. Techniques for Analyzing Competitor Feedback
Analyze your competitor feedback because it’s where you find your golden opportunities. Let’s give you the actionable methods to work with:
Competitor Feedback Analysis
Reviews on top-performing apps are a treasure of insights of what merchants actually are struggling with.
They might be frustrated with an app, but stuck with it without a good alternative. Same goes for your own app if you have one already.
How to Use It:
- Positive Reviews: Features merchants love (The must-haves for your app.)
- Negative Reviews: Bad UX or missing features (The features your app should have.)
Example: If multiple merchants criticize a popular SEO app for being too complex, a simplified alternative could fill that gap.
Category-Specific Gap Analysis
Once you have the category of your next app figured out, this should be your next step.
Compare apps within the same category to identify functionalities that can make your app the best solution in that category.
Use case: List the features of top apps and look for missing capabilities.
For example, If most subscription apps don’t offer dynamic discounting, consider building one that does.
Pro Tip: Check the "Frequently Asked Questions" section of competitor apps for hints about user challenges.
4. Techniques for Networking and Engaging with Shopify Users
Join Community Events
Events like Shopify Unite or local meetups connect you with merchants and developers.
The most efficient way of doing is preparing specific questions for merchants beforehand. Familiarize with frustrations in their daily lives as they run their stores.
Example: Ask merchants about their biggest operational bottlenecks and the tools they wish existed.
Pro Tip: Follow up with attendees on LinkedIn to nurture relationships and gather ongoing feedback.
You can even find beta testers for your app after you develop and launch your MVP as you interact with people.
Host Surveys or Polls
Data is your biggest friend when you’re building an app for the mass. And there’s no better way to pull real data than hosting surveys.
With polls and surveys of any kind, you can collect specific data directly from merchants. Avoid the guesswork and talk to the users beforehand.
How to Survey: Use platforms like Typeform or Google Forms to create short, focused surveys. You can also do polls on your social profiles like Facebook or LinkedIn.
Example: You can ask merchants in Facebook groups or forums what features they’d prioritize in a new app in your target category.
If you’re doing a survey that will take time and effort, offer an incentive. It can be a free resource or entry into a giveaway. This will encourage people to participate more.
Mistakes to Avoid During App Research
Using tools and techniques to accelerate your app idea research is all fun and games, until you go the wrong route. Here are some mistakes rookie developers make and you won’t:
Don’t Overlook Niche Trends
You should not focus too broadly in a niche to miss out on smaller but high-demand niches. Use tools like Google Trends or niche-specific forums to spot micro-trends in eCommerce.
Don’t Ignore Merchant Feedback
Don’t rely solely on competitor analysis without understanding merchant-specific pain points. Engage directly with merchants through surveys, forums, and social media to validate ideas.
Don’t Undermine Technical Feasibility
Don’t just develop ambitious features without knowing the technical complexity. Collaborate with experts early to ensure features are feasible within your budget and set timeline.
Jouleslabs has a team of such experts for sophisticated Shopify app development. Do reach out to us to leverage our experience.
Don’t Overlook Competitor Differentiation
Creating an app that is too similar to existing solutions can be a pitfall. Define your own USP (unique selling point) during competitor analysis and focus on features that set you apart.
Don’t Skip Market Validation
You can’t effort to invest heavily in an idea without testing demand. Use MVPs, prototypes, or pre-launch campaigns to gauge interest and gather feedback and validate your app idea.
Final Advice
The idea of launching a successful Shopify app is as good as your research. Use all the tools at our disposal that make it not only easier, but also more concrete.
Keep the common mistakes in mind and validate every step of the way. Also, misjudging the strengths and weaknesses of your competition can be a big mistake.
Now that you have your idea, the tools, and the mistakes to avoid, go get your app in the market.
Do reach out to us if you feel like you could use a team that has built over a dozen successful Shopify apps already.