Cut your Shopify Tech Stack Cost in Just 3 Steps!

While Shopify offers a fully customizable storefront and backend,87% of Shopify merchants in 2024 use apps from the Shopify store. The average monthly spend is $120, but costs can skyrocket as the brand grows. Does this mean that the higher the revenue received leads to a higher app expense? Surprisingly, no! Here we will show you 3 easy cost saving tips to help you slash these expenses and maximize revenue.

1. Review and Remove

The first step in optimizing your tech stack is to audit all paid apps and tools, removing any that aren’t essential. With an average of 20 apps per merchant and many offering low-cost basic plans, it’s easy to install and forget to uninstall unused apps. Create a list of your installed apps, note their costs, and decide which ones can be eliminated. Consider consolidating and pay slightly more for a more robust solution rather than paying for multiple basic ones. 

For instance, if you need a simple sticky cart, SlideCart by Amp is a great option at $19.99/month. But if you want your cart to be part of a larger upsell and cross-sell strategy, Upsell by Amp is a more comprehensive solution starting at $75/month. It includes pre and post-purchase upsells, customizable cart, automated upsell triggers, post-purchase surveys, and more. In this case, paying for one solution instead of several saves you both money and time. In this case paying for one solution as opposed to 4 saves you both in terms of cost and efficiency. 

2. Choose Platform Solutions for Maximum Value

To save both money and time, consider adopting a “platform approach” with your Shopify apps. This means that you can leverage one solution provider to address various eCommerce challenges, be it marketing, subscriptions, loyalty, reporting etc. 

One example of a platform solution provider that many Shopify merchants use is Yotpo. Yotpo is a platform that offers subscription management, loyalty and referral programs and review management for stores. This consolidated approach is not only more efficient but can also be more cost-effective in the long run.

Amp platform solutions Lifetimely by Amp and Upsell by Amp offer the same type of benefits. Using the two platform solutions saves you potentially hundreds of dollars a month. This will empower you and provide integrated data to inform your growth strategy, while offering enhanced support.

• Price

On the highest plans, Upsell by Amp and Lifetimely by Amp will cost you just $298/ month no matter how large your business. For $298/ month you get a full featured suite of pre and post-purchase upsell solutions, including checkout upsells for Shopify Plus. In addition to comprehensive LTV analytics, 5+ customer behavior reports, AI generated LTV projections, month-to month sales forecasts by cohort, integrations with Klaviyo and more. 

• Strategy

Leverage Lifetimely by Amp’s customer journey reports like repurchase rate by product or by promotion to understand which products to offer as upsells and to determine which promotions are driving sales- thus optimizing your upsells on Upsell by Amp 

• Support

 With Amp, you have a single point of contact for both Upsell and Lifetimely, ensuring efficient support and guidance. Plus merchants also receive unmatched checkout extensibility support.

3. Never say no to a freebie

Trying out apps with free plans is an effective way to keep costs down, especially initially.  Many robust apps on the Shopify App Store offer “free to install” plans with basic functionality, allowing you to assess their usefulness and potential ROI before upgrading.

Klaviyo is one of the most popular email marketing apps on the app store that offers a great free plan. It is free to install with free emails for up to 250 contacts and free SMS for up to 150 SMS/MMS credits. 

Lifetimely by Amp is a leading shopify profit and LTV app that also has a free plan. Lifetimely’s free plan comes with a real-time KPI and profit dashboard and integrates with Facebook & Google ads.

Example of a Consolidated Tech Stack

Here’s an example of an optimized tech stack combining free plans, a platform approach, and transparent pricing:

• KlaviyoKlaviyo is a marketing platform that automates eCommerce SMS and email marketing to help businesses acquire, retain and grow their customers. Klaviyo has a lot of advanced features such as email segmentation, email automation, pre-built reports, and drip campaigns.

• YotpoWith Yotpo, you can collect and showcase customer reviews, ratings, and photos and leverage social proof and user-generated content to increase conversions and engagement. Yotpo’s suite of tools includes review collection and management, loyalty and referral programs, social commerce, and visual marketing.

• Lifetimely by AmpLifetimely by Amp equips consumer brands with insights and reports for critical business decisions to scale growth. Track profit, calculate precise lifetime value (LTV) and marketing analytics, and identify patterns in customer purchase behavior. Comprehensive integrations pull the metrics that matter into one app, with an automated P&L dashboard, shareable email reports, CAC payback tools, and industry-leading cohort analysis.

• RechargeRecharge is a subscription payment platform that helps eCommerce businesses easily set up recurring customer orders and generate recurring revenue. Within minutes, you can integrate Recharge with your email service provider, payment processor, and other platforms in your tech stack.

• Upsell by Amp Upsell by Amp is a leading Shopify upsells app that boosts your average order value in minutes with impactful pre and post purchase upsells. Prompt your customers to add related products/ accessories across Product page, Cart and Thank you pages, and increase units per transaction.

By implementing these 3 steps, you can effectively increase efficiency and cut costs related to your Shopify tech stack.