Launching a Shopify store is a big milestone, but getting everything ready before your store goes live can be stressful. The good news? There are plenty of apps designed to make this process smoother. These apps help you manage pre-orders, engage potential customers, and automate marketing—all essential for building hype and driving sales before launch.
In this article, we’ll cover 8 essential Shopify pre-launch apps that can help ecommerce store owners, Shopify agencies, and D2C brands prepare for a successful debut. Whether you’re looking to build anticipation with pre-orders, streamline your email marketing, or gather early customer feedback, these apps are the foundation of a solid pre-launch strategy.
Shopify merchants have installed over 10,000 store design and marketing apps, enhancing customer experiences.( Source )
key feature of shopify pre launch app
Key features of Shopify pre-launch apps focus on building excitement, capturing early sales, and preparing for a smooth store launch. Here are some common features across popular pre-launch apps:
Pre-Order Management:
Apps like Pre-Order Alpha and Timesact allow customers to order products before they’re available. These apps offer:
- Automated pre-orders based on stock levels.
- Customizable pre-order buttons and countdown timers.
- Scheduling features to control when pre-orders open and close
Email & SMS Automation:
Apps like Klaviyo and Mailchimp help store owners build their email lists and automate marketing:
- Segmentation to target specific audiences.
- Pre-built workflows for welcome emails, product launch teasers, and abandoned cart reminders.
- Multi-channel capabilities, including email, SMS, and even push notifications
Landing Page Creation:
Tools like PageFly enable store owners to create custom landing pages for collecting leads:
- Drag-and-drop builder with no coding required.
- Mobile-optimized templates to ensure high conversion rates across all devices.
- A/B testing to identify the most effective page designs
User-Generated Content & Reviews:
Loox allows store owners to collect and display customer reviews with photos:
- Automated review requests.
- Customizable display options for UGC galleries.
- Integration with social media and email campaigns to showcase reviews.
These features ensure that Shopify store owners can engage potential customers, build hype, and manage logistics before officially launching their stores.
8 Best Shopify Pre-Launch Apps
1. Pre-Order Alpha: Capture Early Sales with Ease
Pre-Order Alpha is a Shopify app designed to help store owners offer pre-orders on out-of-stock or soon-to-be-released products, ensuring you capture sales before your products are ready for shipping. This app is especially useful for ecommerce brands that want to keep momentum going even when inventory is low.
- Key Features:
- Unlimited Pre-Orders: Pre-order any product with no limitations on the number of customers who can reserve items.
- Scheduling Options: Automate pre-orders to start and end at specific times based on product availability.
- Inventory Tracking: Automatically turn off pre-orders when stock replenishes, removing the need for manual updates.
- Customizable Banners and Buttons: Easily place pre-order buttons on any page, including home and product pages.
- Pricing:
- Free Plan Available: Includes unlimited pre-orders with basic features.
- Paid Plans: Start at $14.99 per month, which unlocks additional customization and advanced inventory tracking.
- Rating:4.8/5
- Why It’s Essential:By offering pre-orders, you create excitement and a sense of exclusivity around your upcoming products. Pre-Order Alpha allows you to seamlessly manage these orders, offering both flexibility and automation, so you don’t miss out on revenue while getting ready for launch.
2. Timesact: Automate Pre-Orders and Stock Alerts
Timesact is another excellent pre-launch app for Shopify, designed to make managing pre-orders and restock notifications effortless. It allows businesses to automate much of the manual work involved in tracking product availability, making it an ideal solution for busy store owners and agencies.
- Key Features:
- Automated Pre-Orders: Easily set up pre-orders that automatically switch on and off based on inventory levels.
- Countdown Timers: Create urgency with customizable countdown timers for “coming soon” products.
- Back-in-Stock Alerts: Notify customers as soon as products become available, ensuring you don’t miss out on sales from eager buyers.
- Partial Payments and Discounts: Enable partial payment options for pre-ordered products and offer exclusive discounts to early buyers.
- Custom Setup Assistance: Timesact offers a free setup call with a specialist to help configure the app for your store.
- Pricing:
- Free Plan: Includes basic features, such as unlimited pre-orders and inventory automation.
- Paid Plans: Start at $6.65 per month, which unlocks premium features like advanced customization and priority support.
- Rating:4.9/5
- Why It’s Essential:For ecommerce brands looking to manage pre-orders without manual oversight, Timesact is a lifesaver. Its automation features allow store owners to focus on other aspects of their launch, while the app handles everything from pre-orders to restock notifications. The option to set partial payments also adds flexibility for customers who want to secure items early.
3. Mailchimp for Shopify: Build Your Audience Before Launch
Mailchimp for Shopify is a powerful email marketing app that helps store owners capture leads and engage with potential customers even before their store officially goes live. This app allows you to build mailing lists, create automated campaigns, and keep your audience informed with updates, product launches, and promotions.
- Key Features:
- Audience Segmentation: Segment your mailing list to send personalized email campaigns based on customer behavior and interests.
- Pre-Built Templates: Access a library of customizable email templates to create professional-looking emails quickly.
- Automated Workflows: Automate email flows such as welcome sequences, abandoned cart reminders, and “coming soon” announcements.
- Email & SMS Marketing: Integrates email marketing with SMS campaigns for a multi-channel pre-launch strategy.
- Advanced Analytics: Track open rates, clicks, and conversions to optimize your pre-launch email campaigns.
- Pricing:
- Free Plan Available: Includes up to 500 emails per month with basic segmentation features.
- Paid Plans: Start at $11 per month, with additional features like advanced segmentation, behavioral targeting, and 24/7 support.
- Rating:4.5/5
- Why It’s Essential:Building your email list before your store goes live is critical for a successful launch. With Mailchimp, you can nurture leads and keep potential customers engaged through regular updates and promotions. Whether it’s sending out sneak peeks of upcoming products or announcing early access deals, Mailchimp helps you maintain excitement leading up to launch day.
4. Loox: Build Social Proof with Photo Reviews and UGC
Loox is one of the most popular apps for collecting and displaying customer reviews and user-generated content (UGC). This is especially important pre-launch, as showcasing social proof helps build trust with potential customers who may be hesitant to purchase from a new store. Loox enables you to gather customer reviews with photos, helping create an authentic and engaging shopping experience.
- Key Features:
- Photo Reviews: Automatically send review requests to customers after purchase, asking them to include photos of their products.
- UGC Galleries: Display photo reviews in a visually appealing gallery on product and landing pages.
- Incentivized Reviews: Offer discounts or other rewards to customers who leave reviews, encouraging more engagement.
- Seamless Integration: Works across Shopify’s storefront, email campaigns, and social media platforms to showcase reviews.
- Customizable Display: Tailor how reviews are displayed on your site to match your brand’s aesthetic.
- Pricing:
- Basic Plan: Starts at $9.99 per month, which includes photo reviews and automatic requests.
- Advanced Plans: Higher-tier options unlock more customization and analytics features.
- Rating:4.9/5
- Why It’s Essential:Loox helps you gather valuable social proof even before launch day by showcasing customer reviews and photos. This kind of content builds credibility and trust with new visitors, which can be crucial for a successful ecommerce launch. Additionally, incentivized reviews ensure that customers are motivated to leave feedback, giving you a steady stream of UGC to use for future marketing campaigns.
5. Klaviyo: Advanced Email and SMS Marketing Automation
Klaviyo is a leading email and SMS marketing platform, widely used by Shopify store owners to build and maintain customer relationships. Its powerful automation capabilities allow you to create highly personalized marketing campaigns, making it an essential tool for driving engagement before your store officially launches.
- Key Features:
- Email and SMS Workflows: Set up automated marketing flows for email and SMS, such as welcome series, product launch announcements, and abandoned cart recovery.
- Advanced Segmentation: Target customers based on specific actions, behaviors, and preferences, ensuring more relevant and personalized messaging.
- Customizable Templates: Use a variety of pre-built email and SMS templates that are easy to customize to fit your brand’s voice.
- Detailed Analytics: Track campaign performance with real-time analytics, allowing you to see what’s working and make adjustments accordingly.
- Integrations: Seamlessly integrates with Shopify to sync customer data and automate marketing based on site activity
- Pricing:
- Free Plan: Available for up to 250 contacts and 500 emails per month.
- Paid Plans: Start at $20 per month, with pricing increasing based on the number of contacts and features included
- Rating:4.6/5
- Why It’s Essential:With Klaviyo, ecommerce store owners can create highly targeted marketing campaigns to keep potential customers engaged during the pre-launch phase. Whether you’re sending early access invitations, product updates, or exclusive discounts, Klaviyo helps ensure that your audience stays excited and ready to buy when your store officially goes live.
6. ReConvert Upsell & Cross-Sell: Maximize Revenue Before and After Launch
ReConvert Upsell & Cross-Sell is an app that focuses on increasing your average order value by offering upsells and cross-sells at strategic points in the customer journey. While this feature is often used after purchase, setting it up pre-launch ensures that you can take advantage of every sale as soon as your store is live.
- Key Features:
- Email and SMS Workflows: Set up automated marketing flows for email and SMS, such as welcome series, product launch announcements, and abandoned cart recovery.
- Birthday Reminders: Send automated birthday messages to customers with special discount codes, creating a personal connection and encouraging repeat business.
- Pop-ups and Widgets: Add one-click upsell pop-ups and cross-sell widgets to various pages, including the cart, checkout, and thank-you pages.
- Post-Purchase Upsells: Offer upsells immediately after a customer has completed their order, without disrupting the checkout process.
- Advanced Analytics: Track the performance of upsell and cross-sell campaigns to optimize your strategy over time.
- Pricing:
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- Free Plan: Includes basic post-purchase upsells and thank-you page customizations.
- Paid Plans: Start at $7.99 per month, offering advanced features like A/B testing and custom thank-you pages.
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- Rating:4.9/5
- Why It’s Essential:ReConvert ensures that you’re not leaving money on the table, offering smart upsell and cross-sell opportunities at crucial moments. Setting up these features before launch means you can immediately maximize revenue once customers start purchasing. Whether it’s a post-purchase upsell or a personalized product recommendation, this app helps boost profitability from day one.
7. PageFly Landing Page Builder: Design High-Converting Pre-Launch Pages
PageFly is a powerful drag-and-drop landing page builder for Shopify, perfect for store owners who want to create custom “Coming Soon” or “Pre-Launch” pages without needing to write a single line of code. It allows for the creation of visually appealing, high-converting pages that capture email leads, build anticipation, and drive pre-launch engagement.
- Key Features:
- Drag-and-Drop Editor: Easily create and customize landing pages using a drag-and-drop interface, no coding skills required.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure that your pre-launch pages look perfect on any device, including smartphones and tablets.
- Pre-built Templates: Access a wide range of pre-designed templates for landing pages, product pages, and more to help you get started quickly.
- A/B Testing: Test different versions of your landing pages to see which design and copy converts best.
- Integrations: Seamlessly integrates with Shopify apps like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and Google Analytics, allowing you to gather leads and track performance.
- Pricing:
- Free Plan: Available with limited access to features and templates.
- Paid Plans: Start at $24 per month, offering full customization options, premium templates, and priority support.
- Rating:4.9/5
- Why It’s Essential:Your pre-launch landing page is often the first interaction potential customers have with your brand, so making a strong first impression is crucial. With PageFly, you can create high-converting, visually stunning pages that capture emails and build excitement, helping ensure a successful store launch. Whether you’re collecting email sign-ups or showcasing sneak peeks of products, PageFly gives you the tools to get it done effortlessly.
- Drag-and-Drop Editor: Easily create and customize landing pages using a drag-and-drop interface, no coding skills required.
8. Omnisend: Multi-Channel Marketing for Maximum Pre-Launch Engagement
Omnisend is a robust marketing automation platform that combines email, SMS, and push notifications to help you engage with your customers across multiple channels. For pre-launch campaigns, it’s a powerful tool that allows you to nurture your leads, promote upcoming products, and build excitement through a mix of personalized messaging and automated workflows.
- Key Features:
- Multi-Channel Automation: Create integrated campaigns that use a combination of email, SMS, and push notifications to engage with potential customers before your launch.
- Pre-built Automation Workflows: Omnisend offers pre-made workflows for welcome emails, product launch announcements, and abandoned cart recovery, all customizable to fit your brand.
- Segmentation and Targeting: Advanced segmentation allows you to send targeted messages based on customer behaviors, preferences, and demographics.
- SMS Marketing: Incorporates SMS into your campaigns, ensuring you reach customers directly on their phones with time-sensitive updates or product announcements.
- Detailed Analytics: Provides insights into campaign performance across all channels, so you can track open rates, click-through rates, and overall conversion.
- Pricing:
- Free Plan: Available with email-only campaigns for up to 250 contacts.
- Paid Plans: Start at $16 per month, with access to multi-channel features like SMS, push notifications, and advanced reporting.
- Rating:4.8/5.
- Why It’s Essential:Omnisend’s ability to automate multi-channel marketing makes it indispensable for brands looking to build relationships with potential customers during the pre-launch phase. By combining email, SMS, and push notifications, Omnisend ensures that your audience stays engaged across all platforms, increasing the chances of a successful launch. Whether you’re announcing a new product line or offering early-bird discounts, Omnisend helps you deliver your message effectively and efficiently.
FAQs:
What are the best free Shopify pre-launch apps?
Several of the apps mentioned offer free plans that are perfect for store owners just starting out:Pre-Order Alpha: Free plan for managing unlimited pre-orders with basic features.
Timesact: Free plan that includes essential pre-order and back-in-stock notifications.
Loox: Starts at $9.99 per month but offers a trial, making it accessible for collecting UGC and reviews. These apps provide strong core functionality even on their free tiers, making them ideal for getting your store off the ground.
Can I automate pre-orders on Shopify?
Yes, apps like Pre-Order Alpha and Timesact allow you to automate the entire pre-order process. With these apps, you can:
Set specific start and end dates for pre-orders.
Automatically update product availability based on inventory.
Enable countdown timers for upcoming launches. This saves you time while ensuring customers can still place orders before your stock is ready.
Why should I collect user-generated content (UGC) before launch?
Building trust is crucial for any new ecommerce store, and Loox helps you do just that by collecting UGC in the form of customer reviews and photos. Early reviews, even from beta testers or product samples, can:
Build credibility.
Create social proof.
Boost conversions once your store goes live. Customers are more likely to purchase from a brand that already has positive feedback from other buyers.
Do I need a landing page builder for my Shopify store?
Yes, using a tool like PageFly is important because it allows you to create a high-converting landing page that captures leads, builds excitement, and generates pre-launch buzz. A good landing page is:
Designed to collect email signups.
Optimized for mobile to ensure great user experience across devices.
Perfect for showcasing product sneak peeks or announcements.
Is it necessary to use multi-channel marketing before launching?
Yes, multi-channel marketing can significantly improve your reach and engagement. Omnisend allows you to integrate email, SMS, and push notifications, so you can target your potential customers across multiple platforms. This makes it easier to:
Build anticipation.
Provide updates.
Ensure no one misses out on key announcements or exclusive offers.
Conclusion:
Launching a Shopify store is an exciting milestone, but it comes with a lot of moving parts. The right apps can streamline your pre-launch efforts and set you up for success from day one. From managing pre-orders to engaging potential customers via email and SMS, these 8 Shopify pre-launch apps offer essential tools to optimize your launch strategy:
- Pre-Order Alpha and Timesact make it easy to manage pre-orders and back-in-stock alerts, ensuring you never miss a sale.
- Mailchimp for Shopify and Klaviyo enable you to automate personalized email and SMS marketing, keeping your leads warm.
- Loox helps build trust with user-generated content and photo reviews, while ReConvert maximizes your revenue with upsell and cross-sell opportunities.
- PageFly provides you with the flexibility to create custom, high-converting landing pages, and Omnisend integrates your marketing channels to keep engagement strong across multiple platforms.
By integrating these apps into your pre-launch strategy, you can focus on creating excitement, capturing early sales, and preparing for a successful debut. Whether you’re a new store owner, a Shopify agency, or a D2C brand, these tools will help you navigate the pre-launch phase with ease and confidence.
