007 | 3 Must-Have Shopify Apps for Beginners
In this episode, I share the 3 apps I believe every beginner Shopify store owner should have on their store. Many apps are nice to have, but these 3 are non-negotiable for beginners (obviously in my opinion). Those three apps are Klaviyo [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/klaviyo], Loox [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/loox/], and TaxJar [https://taxjar.com/].
Affiliate disclosure: I have affiliate links for Klaviyo and Loox. I may receive a small commission when you sign up by clicking my link. If you use my links, I really appreciate the support!
Thanks for tuning in. Make sure to subscribe if you want more of this podcast! If you have any ecommerce questions, hit me up on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Caleb’s Twitter [https://twitter.com/calebdueck]
Caleb’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-dueck/]
Also, if you need help with your email marketing, check out calebdueck.com [https://calebdueck.com].
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Here are some of my favorite ecommerce tools, including some of the tools mentioned in this episode. I do receive an affiliate commission when you click on some of the links, but I won’t suggest a tool I haven’t legitimately used before.
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Website Builder: Shopify [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/shopify]
There’s just no one better. Shopify is easy to learn, easy to set up, and yet incredibly customizable. Also, I’m 100% serious when I say I’ve never used a software tool that impressed me more (on all fronts) than Shopify. If you’re on Woocommerce or Bigcommerce and are waiting for a sign to switch, this is it. You won’t regret it.
Sign up for Shopify [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/shopify]
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Email Marketing & SMS: Klaviyo [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/klaviyo]
As a Klaviyo flow consultant [https://calebdueck.com], I’ve legitimately built my career on the back of Klaviyo. For those who have never heard of it, Klaviyo is arguably the most powerful email marketing tool available for ecommerce brands. It analyzes your store’s activity, and lets you use that information to send tailored, high-converting emails. Since Klaviyo has both email marketing and SMS functionalities, you can have those messages work in conjunction instead of having to use two separate tools. Your email list should be the core of your DTC business, and if I could only choose one app/plugin to install on my ecommerce store, it would be Klaviyo.
Sign up for Klaviyo [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/klaviyo]
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Reviews: Loox [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/loox/] (Shopify app only)
I’ve used both Judge.me and Loox, and I prefer Loox. Judge.me gets the job done, but I’ve never seen a tool display reviews as beautifully as Loox. Plus (once you’ve set it up) Loox sends beautiful review request emails that offer unique coupons when a customer adds a photo or video to their review. From my experience, Loox’s emails bring in a high volume of quality photo reviews, which is huge for boosting conversion rates. They’re an official partner with Google Shopping, and on Loox’s Scale plan, your reviews will integrate with Google so that they display when you rank in the SERPs.
Add the Loox App [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/loox/]
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Subscriptions: Loop [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/loop] (Shopify App Only)
Loop is what I use for handling subscriptions on Sperry Honey, and it’s great. It integrates really well with Klaviyo, so you can set up easy automated emails for when a customer is onboarding, pausing their subscription, or cancelling their subscription. Loop’s customer portal gives the customer complete control over their subscription, which is key for subscription-based DTC brands to reduce churn and maximize LTV. Store Honcho listeners get 10% off when you use the link below!
Sign up for Loop [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/loop]
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Sales Tax Collection: TaxJar [https://taxjar.com]
This is not accounting or legal advice.
You’re required by law to collect and submit sales tax for each of the states where you have achieved nexus. That said, knowing the different amounts owed for each of your customer’s states (and counties!) gets old fast. That’s where TaxJar comes in. Once you’ve filled out the proper paperwork for collecting sales tax in your various states, you can plug TaxJar into your store and it’ll automatically collect accurate and local sales tax. If you sign up for Automatic Filing, it’ll even submit your sales tax to the proper jurisdiction where it’s due.
Sign up for TaxJar [https://taxjar.com]
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Podcast Recording Software: Riverside.fm [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/riverside]
Not ecommerce, but I use Riverside to record all of my podcast interviews. It’s incredibly easy to invite and record guests, and Riverside will generate video clips from your podcast that you can use to post on social media. It will also automatically generate the transcript from your podcast, and that’s only scratching the surface of what you can do with Riverside.
(Riverside is not a podcast hosting tool, I use Simplecast for that)
Sign up for Riverside [https://calebdueck.com/recommends/riverside]
