In the cut-throat world of online retail, Shopify Flow emerges as the unsung hero. It’s the behind-the-scenes powerhouse that transforms mundane, manual tasks into a seamless, automated symphony.
For the busy webpreneur, it’s not just about having an online store; it’s about having a store that works smarter, not harder. Let’s dive into how Shopify Flow is revolutionising the game, giving merchants back their time to focus on what truly matters – growing their empire.
So firstly:
What is Shopify Flow?
Shopify Flow is an e-commerce automation platform designed to take the grunt work out of running an online shop. It’s a bit like having an extra pair of hands on deck, allowing you to set up custom rules that automatically handle the repetitive tasks that can bog down your day.
At its most basic, this app effortlessly automates tasks, from order sorting to inventory management, and even customer engagement—all without the need for coding expertise.
Initially exclusive to Shopify Plus merchants, Flow has now rolled out across all Shopify plans, inviting every merchant to harness the power of automation and propel their business forward.
Benefits of Flow
So, let’s get into it—as a Shopify store owner, why should you download and use Flow?
It saves time
As we’ve already mentioned, Flow takes over routine tasks, freeing up your schedule, so that you can focus on other tasks outside of the daily grind. This can be a real game-changer for time-crunched store owners, and may even alleviate the need to add a member to your time.
It cuts back on errors
As talented as we are sure that all of you Shopify owners are, humans still make mistakes. Whether we are tired, distracted, or simply hit the wrong key, we’re liable to make an error at some point. Flow, however, is exempt from these human weaknesses and can reduce your rate of error.
It can enhance your customer’s experience
Automatically personalise shopper interactions without breaking a sweat. Some examples of how you might do this include:
- Sending customers rewards when they purchase items or refer friends to your website
- Alerting customers with personalised offers or purchase incentives (especially for your unengaged members)
- Adding new customers to your loyalty programme
We go into details about this just below, too, so you can get a better idea of how to implement these strategies.
It scales with your business size
Some apps and tools can only accommodate a business of a certain size. However, Shopify Flow adjusts as you grow, and that means that once you start using it, you won’t have to jump to another app if you experience successful growth.
It integrates easily
This may be one of the most important things for Shopify store owners who want to hit the ground running, and not cause too much work disruption. Shopify Flow gets along famously with other apps you’re using, making it a team player in your tech stack.
How our customers use Flow
Customer VIP Treatment
With Shopify Flow, you can roll out the red carpet for your top spenders. It identifies and tags your premium customers, enabling you to automatically reward them with exclusive deals and first dibs on new products.
As an example of what such a reward could be, consider this email from pottery retailer Emma Bridgewater, which alerted email subscribers about their new Halloween collection the day before it went on sale:
This can be a great way to entice customers back for more, and also just build effective, long-lasting relationships.
Inventory Alerts
No customers likes to read OUT OF STOCK on your catalogue listing. Shopify Flow allows you to stay ahead of the game with automated alerts when your stock levels dip. It’s the equivalent of a friendly reminder to top up your inventory before customers notice the shelves are bare.
Back in Stock Notices
On the topic of stock, another way to build good customer relations and increase sales is by giving your audience notice that a favourite item is back in stock, if it should sell out. Shopify Flow allows you to set this up so that customers are notified automatically, thus keeping momentum going and sales flowing.
Fraud Prevention
Our customers also appreciate Shopify Flow’s fraud detection alerts. They have set up real-time alerts for any fishy transactions, allowing them to react and respond quickly. Shopify Flow, therefore, acts as your virtual security guard, keeping a vigilant eye out for fraud.
Order Management
Automate sorting and tagging of orders based on their value, destination, or priority level, making fulfilment a breeze.
B2B Automation
Flow also allows you to streamline your wholesale operations by automatically tagging B2B orders and customising the workflow to suit their unique requirements.
Conclusion
We’re already huge fans of Shopify Flow and how it elevates not only the Shopify store owner’s experience, but their customers’ experiences, too. It integrates very easily and grows as the business does, making it a great, no-hassle add-on to your tool stack.
If you want to get in touch with us to discuss Shopify Flow further, or to even talk about another issue or topic around Shopify, please reach out via our website.
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