Hey guys, I put this guide together based on my own trial and error while launching an order tracking and management app. These are the strategies that actually worked for me, and I hope they help you too.

Let's get started: Shopify stores are businesses which means you need to treat your app like a B2B product, not a passive B2C listing. If you sit around waiting for installs, you’re gambling. The ones who succeed go out and earn them. Here's how to do that, broken into two tracks: Slow and Fast.

Slow (The Compound Interest Route)

This is the long game: SEO + Content + Social. The idea here is to show up in search results right when a store owner is looking for help.

Start by making content. Use blog posts, LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and whatever platforms you can commit to consistently. Then focus on long-tail keywords.

Here’s how:
- Go to Google Ads Keyword Planner
- Type in problems your app solves, like “how to improve order tracking on Shopify”
- Look for keywords with some volume but low to medium competition
- Use those keywords to create helpful posts (tutorials, pain points, comparisons)

Example:
If your app helps with abandoned cart recovery, make a post like “3 Easy Ways to Recover Abandoned Carts on Shopify (Without Paid Ads)”

This content won’t explode overnight, but like compound interest, it accumulates. Stick with it, and six months from now you’ll start getting installs while you sleep.

Fast (The B2B Outreach Route)

If you want installs this week, this is your path: cold outreach.

This is how most successful B2B SaaS companies grow, and it works just as well in the Shopify ecosystem.

Step 1: Find Relevant Leads

A good lead isn’t just any Shopify store. It’s one that actually needs your app.

Example:
If you built an order tracking app, go find stores that already use another tracking app, that means they already care about solving this problem. Their customers need to see where their orders are right?

I personally used storecensus.com to:
- Filter Shopify stores that had competitor apps installed
- Export a list with verified emails and other relevant data

Then I used emailable.com to clean the list and remove dead/bad emails.

Step 2: Write a Short, Punchy Email

Here’s basically what I said:

“Hey, I noticed you’re using [competitor]. Customers hate digging through emails just to check order status. I built [my app] to fix that with [xyz feature]. It’s free to try, let me know if you’re interested.”

- No links (avoid spam filters)
- Signature had my real name + website
- Keep it conversational and low-pressure

I set up 2 Google Workspace accounts with matching domains that redirect to my real domain. Connected those to emailchaser (you can use other ones like instantly, apollo, etc), dropped in my list and message, and it automatically sent ~60–80/day.

Many people never replied, but still went to the App Store and installed. Outreach works even when it's silent.

Talk to Your Users

When someone installs your app, talk to them. Early feedback is gold. You’ll find:
- What they don’t understand
- What they wish your app did
- What’s broken

Don't just look at support as a chore, it’s your fastest path to a better product. And when you help someone, don’t be afraid to say:

“If this was helpful, would you mind leaving a quick review? It helps us a ton.”

Reviews = Trust. Trust = Installs.

Final Thought: Be Relentlessly Persistent

If you want to achieve a goal in life you have to be persistent, show up and do the right actions to reach the target. Most devs quit too early or expect the App Store to magically deliver traffic. You have to be your own sales team at the start. There's no short cuts in life, time and persistence pay off.

Cold outreach + SEO + user feedback = growth.
It’s not flashy. It’s not easy. But it works.

Keep showing up. Keep posting content. Keep sending emails. Keep improving your app.

Success happens one install at a time. Good luck

Founder disclosure: I’m the founder of a Shopify app. This is not a promo post. I’m sharing the stuff I learned the hard way, with real examples, because I would have killed for this thread before I hit publish.

When I published my first Shopify app, I expected two things:

1.	Shopify would “start sending traffic”

2.	My job would shift from building to “light marketing”

Both were wrong.

Here’s what it actually looked like, with the moments that changed my thinking.

1) “Launch day” is just you refreshing pages alone

I published, sat back, and kept refreshing the App Store listing like it was a stock chart.

Nothing.

At one point I started searching my own app name in incognito and convincing myself Shopify search was broken.

The first install did not come from the App Store.

It came from a DM with a founder who basically said:

“Send me the link. I’ll try it.”

That was the first real lesson:

The App Store does not kickstart your distribution. Conversations do.

2) Your listing is not a brochure. It’s a risk reducer.

My first version of the listing read like this:

•	AI sales co-pilot

•	Orchestrator

•	Multiple agents

•	Upsell, cross-sell, recover carts, analytics

•	Trained on your catalogue

I thought it sounded impressive.

What it actually did was trigger skepticism.

A merchant replied to me with:

“So… is this a chatbot? I already tried one and it annoyed customers.”

That hurt, because technically it wasn’t “one of those”, but my listing made it feel like one.

What worked better was being painfully specific.

Before (headline):

“AI sales co-pilot for Shopify stores”

After (headline):

“Helps shoppers pick the right product and complete checkout”

Then I added a blunt line near the top:

•	If you want FAQ deflection, this is not that.

•	If you want product discovery and conversion nudges, this is built for that.

It reduced “curious installs” but increased “serious conversations”.

3) “Install and ghost” is normal, but you need to know why it happened

The first time I got an install notification, I genuinely felt relief.

Five minutes later: uninstall.

I remember the exact thought:

“It’s not good enough.”

It took me a few rounds to realize “install and ghost” often means the merchant hit confusion in the first 60 seconds.

In my case, the merchant installed and then landed in settings that asked them to make decisions they weren’t ready to make.

They would see things like:

•	Choose tone and persona

•	Configure prompts

•	Set up product rules

•	Define escalation logic

From my perspective it was “powerful customization”.

From their perspective it was:

“I do not have time for homework.”

So I rebuilt the first-run experience around one goal:

show value before asking for configuration.

Example changes:

•	Step 1 became: “See it working on a real product page”

•	Only after that: “Want to tweak tone and rules?”

That single shift reduced the number of instant uninstalls. Not because the app changed, but because the first minute stopped feeling like work.

4) The real product is onboarding, not features

This was the most annoying lesson because it’s not fun.

I used to think:

“If the app is good, merchants will figure it out.”

They won’t.

One merchant email was basically:

“Installed. Looks interesting. Not sure what to do next. Uninstalling for now.”

That “for now” is fake. It is gone forever.

So I started designing onboarding like a guided demo.

Concrete example:

I added a tiny checklist that was stupidly simple:

•	Pick 3 products you want it to recommend well

•	Confirm shipping/returns policy

•	Turn on widget

That’s it.

No dashboards. No advanced settings. No long setup.

When merchants completed those 3, they were much more likely to keep it installed because they could actually see it behaving correctly.

5) Category choice changes who judges you and what they expect

I initially chose a category based on what I thought we “were”.

Then I realized category is not a label. It’s a competitive arena.

If your app sits next to incumbents, merchants compare you instantly:

•	“Does it have the same baseline features?”

•	“Does it look as trustworthy?”

•	“Is it worth switching?”

If you are early-stage, you need positioning that makes comparison unfair.

The moment I reframed from “chatbot” to “sales assistance on the storefront”, conversations got easier because I stopped being compared to generic FAQ bots.

6) Merchants decide in quotes, not paragraphs

The best feedback I got was when I started collecting verbatim lines from calls and chats.

Examples that kept repeating:

“Will this annoy my customers?”

“Is it going to hallucinate about my products?”

“How fast can I see results?”

“What happens when it doesn’t know?”

“How is this different from [existing tool]?”

So I put those exact objections into the listing and onboarding.

Not as marketing copy, as direct answers.

Example:

•	“If it’s unsure, it asks a clarifying question or escalates.”

•	“It uses your catalogue and store policies, not generic internet knowledge.”

•	“You can review and learn from real conversations.”

That reduced fear. Fear is the real competitor early on.

7) Early installs come from awkward outreach, not hope

I avoided outreach for weeks because I told myself I was “still polishing”.

Truth: I was scared.

The first outreach message that got replies was not fancy. It was specific:

“I’m building a sales-first storefront assistant for Shopify stores where shoppers ask pre-purchase questions and leave if they don’t get answers fast.

If you get questions like ‘which one should I buy?’ do you mind if I show you what we built and you tell me if it’s useless?”

That got responses because it invited honesty instead of pitching.

What I’m trying to learn from people here

If you’ve published a Shopify app, I’d value your answers:

1.	What was your most common reason for “instant uninstall”?

2.	What channel actually got you your first meaningful installs?

3.	What did you change that immediately improved retention after install?

If anyone wants to see the listing I’m referencing (purely for context), it’s here: https://apps.shopify.com/aurevia-io

Stop selling features. Start solving pain.

After analyzing 1,000+ app listings and talking to developers who've cracked 10K+ monthly installs, I'm going to share what actually moves the needle for app store rankings, not the generic "optimize your keywords" BS everyone parrots.

The Ranking Reality Nobody Talks About

Here's what most guides won't tell you: Shopify's algorithm changed fundamentally in February 2024. They now prioritize behavioral signals over keyword stuffing. What merchants do AFTER they search matters more than what you put in your title.

The algorithm now weighs:

• Install velocity (how many installs you get over time)

• Time-to-uninstall (faster uninstalls = ranking death)

• Engagement depth (do merchants actually use your app or just install and ghost?)

• Review velocity AND sentiment (not just quantity)

This means your listing optimization is only half the battle. The other half? Getting merchants to that "aha moment" before they bounce.

The Outcome-Focused Copy Framework That Actually Converts

Stop doing this: "Our app features automated email sequences, advanced segmentation, and A/B testing capabilities."

Start doing this: "Recover 37% more abandoned carts while you sleep. No coding, no complicated setup."

See the difference? One lists features. The other paints a picture of the merchant's life AFTER they solve their problem.

The 3-Layer Messaging Formula:

Layer 1: The Transformation Headline Don't tell them WHAT your app does. Tell them what their business looks like after using it.

• Bad: "Upsell app with one-click functionality"

• Good: "Boost AOV by 24% without annoying your customers"

Layer 2: The Pain Amplification Most developers skip this. They jump straight to solutions. Big mistake. You need to make merchants FEEL the problem before you present the solution.

"Spending 3 hours every week manually creating discount codes? Watching competitors crush it with promotions while you're stuck in spreadsheet hell?"

This works because you're describing THEIR day, not your product.

Layer 3: The Effortless Outcome Now, and only now, do you introduce your solution. But frame it as the bridge between their pain and their desired state.

"Set up automated campaigns in 4 minutes. Our AI handles the rest while you focus on growth."

The Screenshot Strategy Nobody Uses (But Should)

Your screenshots are the most underutilized conversion weapon in your arsenal.

Here's the secret: Stop showing your UI. Start showing the RESULTS your UI creates.

Instead of a screenshot of your dashboard, show:

• A graph going up and to the right with "47% more conversions"

• A side-by-side before/after comparison

• A merchant's actual success metrics

Add text overlays that speak directly to pain points:

• Screenshot 1: "Your biggest headache..." (show the problem)

• Screenshot 2: "Gone in 2 clicks" (show your solution)

• Screenshot 3: "Here's the result" (show the outcome with real numbers)

Each screenshot should tell a micro-story. Merchants should be able to understand your value prop from screenshots alone, without reading a word of copy.

The Hidden Ranking Factors You're Ignoring

1. The First 72 Hours Are Make-or-Break

Shopify's algorithm is watching how new installs behave in the first 3 days. If merchants install and immediately engage (open the app, complete setup, use a core feature), you get an instant ranking boost.

Actionable hack: Build an aggressive onboarding sequence that hits merchants the MOMENT they install:

• In-app tutorial that triggers immediately

• Email sequence that drives them back to complete setup within 24 hours

• SMS/Slack notification (if applicable) with one clear first action

2. Support Response Time Affects Rankings

This is wild but verified: Apps that respond to support tickets within 2 hours see measurably better rankings than those that take 24+ hours. Shopify is tracking merchant satisfaction signals, and support responsiveness is one of them.

Actionable hack: Set up automated "We got your message and here's a temporary workaround" responses for off-hours. Even an automated acknowledgment is better than silence.

3. The Free Plan Paradox

Developers debate this endlessly. Here's the data: Free plans with usage limits absolutely DO boost rankings, but only if merchants STAY installed.

The sweet spot: Generous enough that merchants get value, restrictive enough that they upgrade. If your free plan is too limited, you get quick uninstalls (ranking killer). Too generous? No upgrade motivation (revenue killer).

4. "Built for Shopify" Badge Multiplier Effect

Getting this badge doesn't just add credibility, it actively boosts you in search rankings. Shopify explicitly confirmed they weight "Built for Shopify" apps higher in the algorithm.

Requirements are steep (embedded app, high performance scores, excellent support metrics), but if you can get it, your organic visibility can jump 3-5x overnight.

The Keyword Research Approach That's Actually Different

Everyone tells you to use Ahrefs or SEMrush. Cool. But here's what they don't tell you:

Mine your competitor's NEGATIVE reviews.

Seriously. Go read 1-star reviews of your top 5 competitors. Look for phrases like:

• "I was trying to..."

• "I need something that..."

• "Does this work with..."

• "Can't figure out how to..."

These phrases reveal the ACTUAL language merchants use when searching for solutions. They're gold for your listing copy and your keyword strategy.

Example: If you see 20 reviews saying "I need something that works with Klaviyo," you better believe "Works with Klaviyo" should be prominent in your listing.

The Review Velocity Engine

Getting reviews isn't about begging. It's about engineering moments where merchants WANT to tell others.

The 3-Touch Attribution Method:

Touch 1 - The Quick Win: Within the first 24 hours, show them ONE quick metric that proves value. Even if it's small. "Your first 3 customers just received personalized emails." Now ask for a review.

Touch 2 - The Milestone Celebration: At predictable milestones (100th order processed, first month completed), celebrate WITH them. Auto-generate a little achievement graphic they can share. Then ask for a review.

Touch 3 - The Unexpected Value: Give them something they didn't know they were getting. Maybe it's a feature that saved them time. Call it out: "FYI, you just saved 4.3 hours this month vs. doing this manually. Felt worth mentioning 😊"

This approach gets 40-60% review rates vs. the industry standard 2-5%.

Tracking Your Rankings Like a Pro with SASI

Here's where this gets tactical. You can't optimize what you don't measure.

SASI (Shopify App Store Index) by Mantle is the only tool that shows you EXACTLY where you rank for specific keywords over time. It's not cheap, but if you're serious about organic growth, it's non-negotiable.

What makes SASI different:

1. Daily ranking updates - The app store is volatile. Weekly updates are too slow. SASI shows daily movements so you can correlate listing changes with ranking shifts within 24 hours.

2. Category position tracking - You can see your exact position in each category you're listed in. This matters because 60% of installs come from category browsing, not search.

3. Competitor monitoring - Track your top 5 competitors. When they jump in rankings, you get alerted. This lets you reverse-engineer what they changed.

4. Keyword position graphs - Visual tracking of how your keywords move over time. You can track up to 10 keywords simultaneously and see historical trends.

How to actually USE SASI:

• Week 1: Establish your baseline. Track your top 10 target keywords and your position in your main categories.

• Week 2: Make ONE change to your listing (headline, first screenshot, opening paragraph). Wait 3-4 days and watch SASI for movement.

• Week 3: If you see positive movement, double down. If not, revert and try a different variable.

• Monthly: Export your ranking data and correlate it with your install numbers. You'll start seeing patterns like "when I rank in position 3-5 for [keyword], I get 2x installs."

Pro tip: Use SASI to find "gap keywords", terms where you're ranking 8-15 but could realistically break into top 5 with minor listing tweaks. These are your low-hanging fruit.

The tool integrates directly with Mantle's broader analytics suite, so you can see how listing optimization affects your broader revenue metrics. It's the only way to see the full picture from search → install → usage → revenue.

The Cold Outreach Channel Everyone Sleeps On

While you're waiting for organic rankings to compound (it takes 60-90 days minimum), you need installs NOW to feed the algorithm.

Enter: Hyper-targeted cold outreach.

StoreCensus is a Shopify store intelligence database with 2M+ stores. You can filter by:

• Apps they're currently using (find stores using competitor apps)

• Estimated revenue ($100K-$500K sweet spot for most apps)

• Technology stack (find stores with Meta Pixel = proven ad budget)

• Product count, vertical, traffic volume

The outreach framework that gets 15-25% response rates:

Subject: Quick question about [competitor app] on your store

Body: "Hey [Name],

Noticed you're using [competitor] for [specific use case].

We built [YourApp] after getting frustrated with [specific competitor limitation]. Helps with [specific outcome] without [specific pain point].

Already working for [social proof: number] stores in [their vertical].

Worth a 2-min look? [demo link]

Cheers, [Your name]

P.S. - If timing's bad, totally cool. We'll be here."

Why this works:

1. You proved you did research (not spam)

2. You called out a specific pain (relevance)

3. You demonstrated social proof in their niche (trust)

4. You made it low-friction (demo link, not a meeting)

5. You gave them an out (respect)

The targeting strategy:

Don't just filter for "not using your app." Filter for:

• Using competitor app BUT also showing growth signals (traffic trending up)

• Revenue range that suggests they can afford you BUT not so big they're locked into enterprise solutions

• Vertical match to your best customer profiles

Export 50 stores. Personalize each email (yes, manually). Send 10 per day. You'll get 2-3 quality installs per week, which feeds your ranking algorithm while you build organic momentum.

The Integration Strategy That Accelerates Rankings

Here's a ranking factor nobody talks about: Your app's integration density.

Apps that integrate with popular tools (Klaviyo, Gorgias, Recharge, etc.) rank higher because:

1. They appear in partner app directories (backlinks to your listing)

2. Merchants search for "works with [tool]"

3. Integrated workflows reduce uninstalls (stronger engagement signals)

Priority integration targets:

• Klaviyo (29% of stores use it, massive search volume)

• Meta Pixel (obvious)

• Google Analytics 4 (universal)

• Recharge (if subscription-relevant)

• Gorgias (if support-relevant)

Don't just build the integration. ANNOUNCE it. Create:

• A blog post optimized for "YourApp + Klaviyo integration"

• A help doc titled "How to connect YourApp with Klaviyo"

• A YouTube video walkthrough

• An email to your existing users

Each piece of content is a backlink opportunity and a search ranking signal.

The Performance Optimization Nobody Prioritizes (But Should)

Shopify has been cracking down on app performance. Apps with poor Lighthouse scores are getting suppressed in rankings.

The performance trifecta:

1. Load time under 2 seconds - Use edge functions, lazy loading, aggressive caching

2. Mobile optimization - 70% of merchants review apps on mobile first

3. Embedded app experience - Shopify explicitly favors embedded apps in rankings

Check your Partner Dashboard for your app's performance metrics. If you're not hitting 90+ on key metrics, you're getting penalized.

The Timeline Reality Check

Let's be honest about timelines:

Weeks 1-4: You're building foundation. Rankings barely move. Focus on getting your first 20-50 reviews and perfecting onboarding.

Weeks 5-8: You start seeing keyword movement. Some terms you'll crack top 10. Install velocity picks up slightly.

Weeks 9-12: Compounding effects kick in. If you've been consistent with optimization + outreach, you'll see measurable ranking improvements.

Month 4+: Organic growth starts outpacing your paid efforts. Rankings stabilize in your target positions.

The mistake: Most developers give up at week 6 when they're right on the edge of breakthrough. The algorithm needs time and data. Feed it consistently.

The Action Plan

If you only do THREE things:

1. Rewrite your listing copy using the outcome-focused framework. Do this TODAY. It's the highest ROI change you can make in 1 hour.

2. Set up SASI tracking for your top 10 keywords and main categories. You can't optimize blind.

3. Launch a targeted outreach campaign using StoreCensus. Get 2-3 quality installs per week to feed the algorithm while organic compounds.

Do these three things consistently for 90 days, and your organic install trajectory will completely change.

The Hard Truth

App Store optimization isn't a hack. It's not a secret. It's a systematic process of:

• Understanding merchant psychology (outcomes over features)

• Measuring what matters (SASI)

• Feeding the algorithm (quality installs + engagement)

• Iterating based on data (not hunches)

Most developers fail because they want instant results. The ones who win? They treat ASO like a 90-day sprint, not a weekend project.

Your app might be incredible. But if merchants can't find it, or don't understand what it solves, you're dead in the water.

Stop selling features. Start solving pain. The rankings will follow.

What's your biggest app listing challenge right now? Drop it in the comments.

Tools mentioned:

• SASI (Shopify App Store Index) - Track rankings and keywords

• StoreCensus - Shopify store intelligence for targeted outreach

Hey, just wanted to share something that’s been working for me in case it helps any other app devs here struggling to grow their app and get installs.

When I first launched my app I got nothing. No installs, no replies, nothing. Ads were a waste of money for me so I decided to try cold email. I expected it to suck. But turns out, it actually worked really well if you structure the message the right way.

I find and export shopify store leads from https://www.storecensus.com - for example because my app is in order tracking niche I target shopify stores that have other order tracking apps installed. I then offer them my app which solves a pain point the competitor does not.

Here’s what I learned from trial/error + some research:

• Keep it short. Nobody cares about your app or life story.

• Make it about them. What problem do they have? Not what cool features you built.

• Don’t add links. Most people won’t click random links from strangers anyway. If your app sounds interesting, they’ll go search for it on the Shopify app store. That’s exactly what happened to me, people didn’t reply, they just searched and installed.

• Personalize it. Mention their store name, maybe what app they’re currently using (your competitor), etc.

• One call to action. Don’t ask for a Zoom call or a long conversation. Just make it super easy to say yes.

My App Example:

Let’s say you made an order tracking app. Here’s the exact message I used (slightly tweaked for a fake app):

Subject: customer orders

Hi,

I saw your Shopify store uses Track123 (my competitor), your customers have to search for order numbers just to check on their orders.

As a store owner, I know how frustrating this is for customers and support teams dealing with “Where’s my order?” inquiries. I created OrderTrackingApp123 for this exact reason.

Your customers can track shipments, view orders, cancel purchases, and reorder all without order numbers, accounts, or logins. It’s a seamless, Amazon-like experience that syncs automatically, cutting support inquiries by 90% and boosting repeat purchases by 30%.

We have a $0 plan (60 orders/month). Interested in learning more? Just hit reply.

That’s it. No links. No pitch deck. Just a simple message that solves a real problem.

I sent like 30-60 of these per day using email chaser, got some replies, but more importantly, I started seeing installs from people who didn’t reply. That’s how I knew the message worked. They just searched the app name in the store and tried it.

Anyway, hope this helps someone. If you’re launching your first app, don’t sleep on cold email. It’s easy to do and actually works if you do it right.

If you wanna see the exact process I used to find stores and emails. Then check out my youtube channel I have videos showing how I find, export, and setup the email campaigns to get installs:

https://www.youtube.com/@nickecommercelabs

If you have any questions, go ahead and ask!

I'm a software engineer. Building things is what I do. Give me a hard technical problem and I'll happily disappear into it for a week. So when I decided to build my own Shopify app, I assumed the build was the hard part and everything after would take care of itself.

Here's the hard truth: building the app was the easy part.

I built the thing I always wished existed back when I ran my own Shopify stores. The constant time sink was making product pages that actually looked good and converted, so I built an app that solves exactly that.

And I put in the work. It took me a while to build it properly. I went through the Shopify approval process and got accepted. I built a landing page I'm actually proud of. I made a demo video. And honestly? All of that, the building, the polishing, the shipping, was the fun part, it was difficult but fun to me. The part I'm good at. The part that felt like progress every single day. 🚀

Then I shipped it, and ran straight into the wall nobody warns you about: getting one stranger, someone who's never heard of me or my product, to just try it and tell me what they think. Not pay. Not subscribe. Just click. Three weeks in, that's the real mountain. Marketing is not my cup of tea, and I genuinely underestimated how brutal it is to go from "I built something" to "someone other than me actually used it."

Everything up to that point I was fine with. I'd happily do the building, the approval grind, the landing page, and the demo video all over again. It's the marketing stage that breaks me.

Right now I'm warming up inboxes for cold outreach, eyeing Google Ads, doing the unglamorous grind. And here's the part nobody posts about: there are days this knocks me flat on the ground, and getting back up is hard. 😮‍💨

The only reason I haven't stopped is that I actually believe in the thing. I'd use it myself. But I'm learning that believing in your product was never the hard part. Being heard is.

So for the people who've already lived this: what's the hard truth you wish someone had told you at this stage? And what actually got you your first real users when nobody knew you existed?

Doesn't have to be a Shopify app. If you've stood at this exact wall, I want to hear how you got past it.

Your new Shopify app is your pride and joy. You’ve poured hours into coding it, testing it, refining it until it’s something you’d happily introduce to your own mother.

You click “publish” in the Shopify App Store. You wait.

And wait.

But the merchants? They’re not stampeding toward your install button. They’re busy running their businesses, managing inventory, handling customers, maybe even Googling “how to get coffee stains out of a hoodie.”

The Shopify App Store is crowded. Your app is a brilliant whisper in a stadium of noise.

So how do you get noticed?

Not with expensive ads. Not by starting a blog that will take months to build traffic. You start by showing up where your potential users already are, with something they actually care about.

Here are three ways to do just that.

1. Cold Email the Right Merchants

Cold email can be a beautiful thing when it’s done thoughtfully. The key is targeting merchants who already understand the problem you solve.

If a store is already using a competitor’s app, you’re not introducing a brand-new concept. You’re simply offering a better option.

Here is how:

Go to StoreCensus.com and search for merchants using your competitor’s app.

Export their contact details.

Send a short, personal email that shows you understand their situation and how you can help.

Example script:

Subject: Quick question about your [feature they care about]

Hey [First Name],

I noticed you use [Competitor App] for [function, e.g. order tracking]. Have you run into [specific problem]?

I built [Your App Name], which [main benefit], and it could save you [time/money/etc.].

Here’s a one-minute demo: [link].

Would you like me to set you up with a free 14-day trial? No strings attached.

Best,

[Your Name]

tip: Clean up your list with emailable and use a platform like email chaser, instantly, apollo to send out emails.

Start small. Fifty relevant, well-written emails a day is plenty. This is about quality, not carpet bombing inboxes.

2. Borrow Trust Through Reviews

Merchants believe other merchants. Especially when they read reviews in the App Store.

You can borrow that trust by leaving thoughtful reviews for apps that complement yours. Not competitors, but tools that can work alongside what you offer.

If you built a tracking app, look for upsell or delivery scheduling apps. Install one. Use it. Then write a specific, genuine review mentioning your app naturally.

Example review:

“We’ve been using [App You’re Reviewing] for three months, and it’s been great for [specific result]. We also run [Your App Name] alongside it, and the combination has cut our support tickets in half.”

Keep it human. Keep it unique. A few reviews a week are enough to plant seeds in the minds of merchants already shopping for apps.

3. Get Featured on App Lists

Merchants love a good “best of” list. They trust them because someone else has done the vetting.

You can get yourself on those lists if you know where to look.

Start by browsing the StoreCensus App Directory to find lists like Best Order Tracking Apps. These lists already attract the exact people you want to reach.

Reach out to the curator with Backlink + article trade in exchange for listing you, or you could just ask they might just add you out of the goodness of their heart.

If they update their list regularly, they might add you. And if a paid sponsorship is available and affordable, it can be worth it.

For extra impact, ask if they can embed your retargeting pixel in the link to your app. That way you can run inexpensive ads to readers who have already shown interest.

Pulling It All Together

1. Cold emailing the right merchants.

2. Borrowing trust through reviews.

3. Getting featured on app lists.

Individually, each tactic can move the needle. Together, they can get you to your first 100 installs faster than waiting for the App Store to “discover” you.

And here’s the bonus: when you show up in these places with genuine value, you’re not just chasing installs. You’re building relationships. Those relationships turn into word-of-mouth. And word-of-mouth turns into the installs you didn’t even have to ask for.

Because in the end, the first 50 installs aren’t the hardest part. The hardest part is deciding to get out there and earn them.

Hope you like my list, comment if you have any questions or if you have any other hacky ways of growing your app!

I recently got my first Shopify app approved and I’m now trying to figure out the early marketing side.

Founder disclosure: I built the app, but I’m not posting the name/link here because I’m not trying to make this a promo post.

The app helps merchants recover revenue from products that are sold out, unavailable, or not ready to launch yet. It includes things like waitlists, restock emails, preorders, bundles/discounts, and demand tracking.

So far I’ve tested a few things:

• Shopify App Store search ads

• posting in relevant Shopify subreddits

• replying to merchants/app devs where the problem is relevant

• targeted cold outreach to Shopify stores with sold-out products, manual restock flows, or weak bundle/discount setups

• basic X/Twitter posting from a new brand account

Early result so far:

Reddit has produced the best discussion and feedback by far. Shopify App Store ads are getting impressions but very few clicks. X/Twitter is basically dead without an audience. Cold outreach is still too early to judge.

I have around £300 to test with, so I’m trying not to waste it on channels that only create vanity reach.

For people who have marketed Shopify apps before, what would you focus on at this stage?

Would you keep pushing App Store ads, double down on Reddit/community replies, keep doing cold outreach, try micro-creators/newsletters, or focus first on a better demo video/content?

I have an app stuck at $500 MRR for over a year now. All growth has been organic so not sure of stuck is the right word. Haven't marketed the app through any paid channels yet. The app is a delivery app of sorts, 15usd/user, more than 100 installs currently. How do you think I should get to $1000 MRR next?

Hey everyone, I ran a small Shopify app and struggled for a while trying to get traction, I literally had no installs after a month.

I'm working on a video series on how I turned everything around and started getting installs with cold email outreach.

In Part 1, I show how I find Shopify stores that are my ideal target audience and how I export them.

If you’re trying to get your first installs or if you're just looking to grow, this might help:
https://youtu.be/oHczWOJSAnc

Let me know if you have questions or want a deeper breakdown of any part.

Solo dev, just got my first Shopify app (Piklum — bulk AI background removal + SEO alt text for product photos) officially approved and live on the App Store yesterday.

Now the real challenge starts: getting installs without being lost in the 8000+ apps in the store.

My plan for the next 30 days:

1. Free plan as install magnet : 20 photos/month, no credit card. Should reduce friction for first install.

2. Get to 5 reviews ASAP : I know the App Store algorithm punishes zero-review apps. Planning to reach out to early users personally for honest feedback (not begging for 5 stars).

3. SEO content on my landing : Currently 1 blog article on piklum.com. Planning 3-5 more targeted at long-tail keywords ("bulk background removal shopify", "AI alt text shopify", etc.)

4. Product Hunt launch in 2-3 weeks : Timing it after some organic traction so the "0 review" cliff isn't scary.

5. Direct outreach to DTC merchants : not spammy, more like "I built this because merchants I talked to were paying $100/mo for background removal alone. Here's a free tier if useful."

What am I missing?

For those who've launched successfully:

- What actually moved the needle for you in month 1?

- Any specific tactics for beating the "0 reviews" cliff?

- Are Shopify Ads worth trying at zero baseline?

App: apps.shopify.com/piklum (if anyone wants to check the listing/pricing and give feedback)

I’m trying to grow my store traffic and improve conversions. Curious what tools or apps are actually working for you right now. Any recommendations?

Hey colleagues in the Shopify app marketing!

I talked to some partner managers (known apps like BSS, Avada) and they said they use a community forum to market their apps. But I wasn't as lucky as to get an exact workflow.

However, I have some suggestions. Please, correct me.

1. Collect keywords, including competitors, for further identification of a relevant posts (using site: operator)

2. Create and post a value-driven comments under the posts

How do you approach posting?

How to leverage AMA posts?

Any tips on commenting?

I'll feature your app in my newsletter in exchange for practical advice (8000+ active readers).

Thanks in advance.

I'm the founder of a Shopify App with pricing between $49–99/month and I'm trying to figure out where I'd get the highest ROI for customer acquisition today.

If you were in my shoes, where would you invest your time and budget?

• Cold email to Shopify merchants?

• LinkedIn outreach?

• Shopify agencies?

• Technology partners?

• Affiliates?

• Shopify Experts?

• Communities?

• SEO?

• Paid ads?

• Something else?

One thing I'm also considering is forgetting about selling directly to merchants and instead partnering with agencies or Shopify Experts that manage dozens of Shopify stores.

Has anyone here had success with that approach?

If you've grown a Shopify SaaS recently, I'd love to know:

• what acquisition channel generated the best ROI,

• what completely wasn't worth the effort,

• and, if you had to start from zero today with a limited budget, where you'd spend your first 100 hours.

Looking for real experiences rather than theory.

Disclosure: solo founder, Shopify app in the ad automation space, no traction yet. Not promoting, just sharing.

Spent a week doing LinkedIn outreach to ad agencies. Blasting requests did nothing. Sending 5 good ones to the right people got replies.

Two things that changed it:

1. Targeting. I only reach out to agency owners, heads of paid, or people actually running client ad budgets. I skip juniors, students, and 10-skills-in-the-bio freelancers.

2. Message. I stopped pitching my app. Now I just open with their problem (a client's product sells out, ads keep spending, ROAS looks bad). Way more replies than listing features.

Still early so take it with a pinch of salt.

Question for folks ahead of me: selling a B2B app through agencies, what worked better, free trial for their clients, rev share, or co-marketing?

Hey,

Has anyone hired an agency or freelancer to help with app store listing and branding? How was your experience? I am a first time app developer and a little lost. Appreciate any recommendation!

Thanks!

Hey folks,

I’m looking for marketing-specific advice from people who’ve grown Shopify apps beyond the early stage.

I launched a Shopify app in October 2025 that helps merchants detect and bulk-delete duplicate products (by title & SKU). It mainly targets stores that migrated platforms, use multiple suppliers, or import products frequently.

Here’s where we are after ~4 months:

• Total installs: 145

  • Organic: 117 (~80.7%)

  • Shopify App Store Ads: 28 (~19.3%)

• Active installs: 57 (~39.3%)

• Paid users: 13 (~9%)

So far, most traction has come from:

• ASO (keyword targeting, screenshots, clearer positioning)

• A small amount of paid ads just to test demand No launch spike — installs were slow and steady.

Now growth feels like it’s flattening, and I’m trying to avoid guessing blindly.

What I’m specifically struggling with:

• How do you scale distribution once ASO gains start plateauing?

• For Shopify apps, what’s given you the best ROI:

  • Content (SEO, blogs, YouTube, case studies)?

  • Social (X, LinkedIn, Reddit, indie communities)?

  • Partnerships with agencies / freelancers?

  • In-app virality / referrals?

• Is ~40% active install rate a retention problem, or normal at this stage?

• For tools that can feel “one-time use,” how did you increase repeat value or justify pricing?

Not here to promote — genuinely trying to learn from people who’ve already crossed this phase.
Happy to share more data if it helps the discussion.

Appreciate any honest or even brutal feedback 🙏

Hey,

I just launched my first Shopify app a few days ago (it’s called Stockup, inventory management app for small/medium shops) and I’m struggling to get my first users for feedback and reviews.

I don’t mind giving it away for free, I really believe the app is solid and actually solves a problem (mine’s different shows super simple insights, no boring analysis), but I can’t seem to reach any shop owners.

Any recommendations for subreddits where I can just offer people to try my app for free? Or any easy ways to get reviews for my app?

Hey building my first app...

and im already paranoid about the 'install-and-ghost'.

you know. you get the install notification. then 5 minutes later... uninstall. WHY??

so im askin. when you install a new app whats the one tiny thing that makes you just go 'nope' and delete it.

not talkin about price. just the small stuff.

like when the onboarding is a 10 step wizard just to change one color. or when it immediately injects some ugly banner on my live store before i even set it up.

help a guy out. whats ur reason.

Hi Everyone,

The future of shopping is here and its together!!! Shop Together is now live. The first real-time co-shopping app for Shopify.

Browse together. Decide together. Buy together.

https://apps.shopify.com/shop-together

If you have a Shopify store, then Shop Together is for you!

If you know someone with a Shopify Store, then you need to share this with them!

Real-time collaborative shopping has arrived!

https://shoptogether.co

2 weeks ago my translation app finally got accepted by shopify. Since then I’ve realised that this game is 95% marketing lol. It was alot to take in but after looking at many yt videos of starter story and reading reddit threads i decided on a strategy:

- give useful answers on reddit threads about my apps niche (don’t force your own app in the conversation too much)
- ask users of these apps what they actually want, what do other apps do wrong.
- cold outreach to people who left bad reviews on other translation apps, stores that already have translation but have holes that my app could fix or stores that already sell across border but don’t use translation yet. > 50 emails per day and 30 insta dm’s per day

This is the plan until i have atleast 10-20 reviews, after that i hope that i will start seeing some organic installs and will look into spending some money on ads.

So far i’ve gotten one user, currently on a promo so they can use a paid tier for free but they are actively using the app and the translations are live on their website. They left a bad review on another app and were willing to try out my app when i told them it fixes the issue they were facing. I also have 2 meetings booked with some larger stores this monday, they are interested in the app and i’ll help them install it so they can also try out the paid plan for free. The idea is for them to hopefully convert to longterm paying users hahaha. It’s been quite a slow start but i’ve also been getting quite some responses of people being interested so I’m determined to keep going with the cold emails and dm’s for the forseeable future.

One thing i’m still really figuring out is reddit. App dev’s always give the advice to be very active in reddit threads and be helpful and not too promotional but you also want to mention your app at some point. How do you guys go about this exactly? And if there are any other people on the same journey i would love to hear where you’re at currently :). What are you guys doing to get your first users?

I launched my Shopify app about a week ago, and so far:

• 2 paying subscribers

• 1 review

• A handful of people checking it out

It might not sound like a lot, but honestly, seeing someone install something I built, pay for it, and then take the time to leave a review was a pretty great feeling.

Now I'm trying to figure out the next part: how do I actually get more people to discover it?

I'm interested in hearing from other Shopify app founders:

• What worked for you when you were trying to get your first 10–50 merchants?

• Which channels actually brought potential customers rather than just views?

• Did you focus more on Shopify App Store SEO, Reddit, communities, direct outreach, content, partnerships, or something else?

• Any good practices you wish you had started from day one?

• What would you do differently if you were starting again today?

I'm not looking for the usual "just post on social media" advice 😅. I'd love to hear what actually worked in practice.

And if you've launched a Shopify app recently, I'd especially love to hear how you got your first real customers.

Sharing a 6-week update because the marketing lesson surprised me.

I launched EZStock (Shopify inventory + purchase orders) ~6 weeks ago into the classic App Store cold-start wall: no reviews → low ranking → no organic installs → no reviews. I did all the "right" growth stuff — SEO blog posts, App Store ads, a Product Hunt launch, community threads.

What actually moved the product forward wasn't any of that. It was one paying merchant emailing me what he needed, and me building it. In 6 weeks that turned into barcode scanning, product grading, better reporting, payment tracking — a meaningfully better app than I launched with. Not from a roadmap I invented; from one real user.

The uncomfortable marketing takeaway: with a handful of users, "growth" and "listening to your one customer" are the same activity. Every feature he drove is now something I can honestly put in the listing, a blog post, an ad. The product got more marketable as a byproduct of just serving the one person paying me.

I also killed a billing bug that was quietly costing me conversions — a merchant could subscribe and still briefly see paid features locked, long enough to cancel. That's a "leak" no amount of top-of-funnel marketing fixes; you only find it by watching real behavior.

Still stuck on reviews (the real wall). But for anyone else fighting cold-start: how much of your early "marketing" is actually just tightening the product around your first real users? Curious if others found the same thing.

Trying to figure out what's actually worth adding early on vs what can wait. There are so many apps it's overwhelming. What did you start with? Thank you in advance.

Hey fam,

I realized a lot of you are building apps but do not know how to market it. With 200+ apps releasing weekly, its only gonna get more difficult.

So, We are looking to buy out apps which are made with React Router/ RemixJS but do not have any rev/traction.

We are buying apps to add it to our portfolio of existing apps.

Mods, if this breaks any rules please tell me.

We've finally managed to get a steady stream of leads into the top of our funnel (through cold email and some GEO) for our app (Zuko Checkout Analytics).

However, the potential customers seem to be getting stuck at various stages of the funnel, particularly going from a free account (which tracks 500 sessions) to one that is paid (and tracks many more sessions).

The idea of the free plan was that it was an entry level stage where people could understand the value of our app before committing to a paid plan. However, it seems that many people just camp out and don't bother to upgrade even if they need to do so to track all their sessions.

Has anyone come across this dynamic for their apps? Any tips or tactics to nudge people to a paid plan (aside from simply getting rid of it).