Savvy retailers are leveraging software that not only helps them create their digital storefront, but also helps them sell more.
While a robust ecommerce platform is a good place to start, many merchants are turning to their platform's app marketplace to extend and improve the functionality of their online stores. After all, the right extensions can help merchants deliver experiences that are personalized, modern, mobile and flawlessly executed across channels in a secure environment.
For some inspiration, check out the dozen ecommerce platform extensions featured below:
Ecommerce Platform(s): Magento, Shopify, Bigcommerce, OpenCart, PrestaShop, 3dcart, Ecwid and more
Merchants can automate shipment tracking with the AfterShip extension, which is free for the basic version. The extension is available for many popular ecommerce platforms, and enables both merchants and consumers to track packages. What's more, the premium version can be leveraged to send out delivery notifications. The extension supports tracking for more than 335 couriers.
Ecommerce Platform(s): Magento
Blogging is an important part of ecommerce, as blog content can improve merchants' ranking in the search results and help to drive conversions. Magento merchants can add a blog to their stores with the Blog Pro extension, which is SEO friendly, responsive and comes with social-sharing functionality.
Ecommerce Platform(s): PrestaShop
Merchants can increase engagement and conversions by allowing customers to customize products. This Custom Product Design module for PrestaShop, for instance, enables merchants to sell customizable products like business cards, posters, cups and T-shirts. The module also enables merchants to set up extra fees for custom products, as well as provides customers with a live preview and price calculation for their creations.
Ecommerce Platform(s): Magento
Magento merchants can simplify their checkout (and increase conversions) with the Express Checkout extension. The extension provides merchants with a customized checkout by shrinking the typical six steps into just one.
Ecommerce Platform(s): Shopify, Bigcommerce
By offering back-in-stock reminders, merchants can ease customer frustration when a product is unavailable. The extension enables customers to register an email address for an alert when the product is back in stock. The In Stock Reminder extension is available in three tiers, and is available for a seven-day free trial.
Ecommerce Platform(s): Magento
Merchants can enhance security by leveraging the two-factor authentication extension from miniOrange. The extension helps protect backend and frontend from hacks and unauthorized login attempts, as the extension can be enabled for both administrators and website users.
Ecommerce Platform(s): Magento, Shopify, Bigcommerce and more
Merchants can let their customers haggle with the PriceWaiter extension. PriceWaiter enables customers to negotiate the price of products. Merchants have the ability to control the appearance and placement of the PriceWaiter button and have access to analytics to see how the functionality impacts their sales. What's more, merchants can choose from a variety of campaign types, including "make an offer," "name your price," "volume discount," "price match" and more.
Ecommerce Platform(s): Demandware, Magento, Shopify, Prestashop, Bigcommerce, Volusion, 3dcart and more
ShopSocially offers social, referral and loyalty extensions for many ecommerce platforms. The extension can help retailers provide access to referral and loyalty programs and increase social engagement with modules like visual commerce, social login, customer Q&A, gamification and more.
Ecommerce Platform(s): Shopify
While there are store pickup apps available in most app marketplaces, this one for Shopify enables customers to pick up items from a merchant's physical store or have their orders delivered if they are local. The extension offers a unified checkout experience for pickups, deliveries and shipped orders. Plus, merchants can use the extension to support pickup only or delivery only.
Ecommerce Platform(s): Shopify
Facebook Messenger is becoming a popular customer service channel, and the Quick Facebook Live Chat extension enables Shopify merchants to bring that functionality to their online store. The extension is mobile friendly, enables merchants to chat with customers and view customers' Facebook profiles.
Ecommerce Platform(s): Magento, Shopify, Bigcommerce, Opencart, Volusion, PrestaShop
Merchants can increase conversions with the Unlimited Upsell extension, which offers relevant products to customers when they are ready to checkout. For instance, when a customer clicks "checkout" they are presented with a pop-up window that recommends additional products based on the contents of their shopping cart. This helps customers find products that they may have missed while shopping, while also increasing merchants' average order values (AOV) and conversions.
Ecommerce Platform(s): Magento, Shopify
The Yotpo Reviews extension, which is available for both Magento and Shopify, helps retailers generate product reviews and other user generated content. What's more, the extension is optimized for mobile, which means customers can leave reviews from any device. Yotpo's premium package offers a variety of additional features, including the ability for merchants to collect and showcase customer photos, an integration with social, community Q&A and more.
What is your favorite ecommerce extension? Let us know in the Comment Section below.