In the bustling world of e-commerce, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. For Shopify merchants, the power of pre-orders is undeniable—it’s a strategic tool that generates buzz, secures sales, and gauges customer interest before a product even hits the shelves.
Harnessing this potential often involves the use of specialized apps tailored for Shopify, empowering businesses to streamline their pre-order processes seamlessly.
In this article, we delve into the realm of pre-order apps, exploring some of the best options available for Shopify users. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting your online store, these tools can be the key to unlocking the full potential of pre-orders, enhancing customer engagement and boosting revenue.
What are Pre-Order Apps for Shopify?
Pre-order apps for Shopify are specialized software solutions that empower online merchants to offer products for sale before they become available or are restocked. These apps seamlessly integrate with a Shopify store’s framework, providing functionalities such as showcasing upcoming or out-of-stock items, adding pre-order buttons to product pages, and managing pre-order inventory distinct from regular stock.
They enable businesses to communicate transparently with customers by setting custom messages regarding release dates, shipping details, and pre-order terms. Additionally, these apps often automate notifications to keep customers informed about their pre-order status, from purchase confirmation to shipping updates.
Flexible settings for payment processing, inventory management, and duration of pre-order availability are also common features. Essentially, these apps equip merchants with the tools to efficiently handle pre-orders, streamline customer experiences, and capitalize on sales opportunities for upcoming or high-demand products.
Also See: Best Marketing Tools For Shopify
What are the Advantages of using Pre-Order Apps for Shopify?
Using pre-order apps on Shopify can offer several advantages to online merchants:
- Anticipate Demand: Pre-order apps enable businesses to gauge customer interest in upcoming products, helping merchants anticipate demand and make informed inventory decisions.
- Generate Revenue Early: By allowing customers to pre-order items, merchants can secure sales and generate revenue before the product is officially released or restocked.
- Boost Marketing and Buzz: Pre-orders create anticipation and buzz around forthcoming products, serving as a marketing tool to generate excitement and engage customers even before the item is available.
- Customer Engagement: Offering pre-orders fosters a sense of exclusivity and involvement among customers, encouraging them to be part of a product’s launch or restocking.
- Strategic Planning: Insights gained from pre-order data can inform business strategies, such as production planning, marketing campaigns, and inventory management.
- Reduced Risk: Pre-orders help mitigate risks associated with launching new products by validating market demand before investing heavily in production or restocking.
- Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Clear communication about pre-order terms, delivery timelines, and updates on order status fosters transparency and enhances the overall customer experience.
- Efficient Inventory Management: Separate tracking of pre-order inventory prevents overselling and allows for better control and management of stock levels.
- Sales Optimization: Leveraging pre-orders can lead to higher initial sales volumes, boosting a product’s visibility and potentially increasing its ranking in search results.
- Adaptability and Flexibility: Pre-order apps often offer customizable settings, allowing merchants to adapt pre-order strategies to suit their specific business needs and market conditions.
How Do Pre-Order Apps Work For Shopify?
Pre-order apps for Shopify enable merchants to offer products for sale before they’re officially released or while they’re out of stock. Here’s a general idea of how they work:
Setup and Configuration
- App Installation: After installing a pre-order app from the Shopify App Store, merchants configure it within their Shopify dashboard.
- Product Selection: Merchants choose specific products or variants they want to offer as pre-orders.
- Customization: They set pre-order terms, such as expected availability dates, deposit amounts, and any special messages for pre-order customers.
Customer Experience
- Product Visibility: Pre-order apps typically replace the “Add to Cart” button with a “Pre-Order” button for out-of-stock or upcoming products.
- Order Placement: Customers visit the product page and place pre-orders by clicking the designated button.
- Communication: Customers receive confirmation emails or notifications about their pre-order, estimated shipping dates, and any additional details set by the merchant.
- Fulfillment: Merchants are notified of pre-orders and manage them separately. When the product becomes available, they fulfill pre-orders based on the set terms.
App Features
- Partial Payments: Some apps allow customers to pay a deposit or partial amount during the pre-order phase.
- Inventory Management: Apps might automatically update inventory levels when pre-orders are placed to manage stock efficiently.
- Customization Options: Merchants can often customize the pre-order button, messages, and terms to match their store’s branding.
Best Pre-Order Apps For Shopify
Notify Me! Restock & PreOrder
The Notify Me! Restock & PreOrder App for Shopify is a versatile tool designed to enhance pre-order capabilities for merchants. This app proves incredibly useful for managing product availability by allowing customers to sign up for notifications when out-of-stock items are restocked or become available for pre-order.
Its intuitive interface seamlessly integrates into Shopify stores, enabling merchants to engage customers effectively and capitalize on demand for popular or upcoming products. The app offers key features such as customizable email notifications, enabling automatic alerts to customers once the desired items are back in stock or available for pre-order.
Top Features:
- Customizable Notifications: Personalize email alerts to customers when products are restocked or available for pre-order.
- Pre-Order Management: Efficiently manage pre-order inventory separately from regular stock, preventing overselling.
- Automated Alerts: Automatically notify customers who sign up when the desired items are back in stock or ready for pre-order.
- Customer Engagement Tools: Engage customers effectively by allowing them to sign up for notifications, fostering anticipation and loyalty.
Pricing Plans:
- Free Plan: Basic functionality, limited notifications or subscribers.
- Starter/Tiered Plans: Offering moderate features, higher notification quotas, and additional customization options at a monthly subscription fee.
- Pro/Advanced Plans: Advanced features like advanced analytics, more extensive notification capacities, and priority support at a higher monthly cost.
Advanced PreOrder(Partial Pay)
The Advanced PreOrder-Partial Pay app is an invaluable tool for Shopify merchants looking to manage pre-orders seamlessly. This app facilitates pre-orders for products out of stock or not yet available by allowing customers to sign up for notifications and make partial payments on these items.
With a user-friendly interface, it supports variants, provides geo-location-based features, and offers a “Notify Me” option for customers awaiting product availability. The app’s pricing plans range from a free tier with limited functionalities to paid tiers with increased pre-order capacities, coupon options for partial payments, and advanced geo-location features.
The Platinum tier offers unlimited pre-orders, coupon options on partial payments, enhanced geo-location features, and premium support. Overall, this app streamlines the pre-order process, enhances customer experience, and aids in managing inventory effectively for Shopify stores.
Top Features:
- Product Pre-Orders: Enable pre-orders for items out of stock or not yet available, including variants.
- Partial Payments: Allow customers to make partial payments for pre-ordered items, enhancing purchasing flexibility.
- Availability Settings: Set availability for pre-orders and “Coming Soon” labels to manage customer expectations.
- Notification Signup: Customers can sign up for in-stock notifications using the “Notify Me” feature.
- Geo-Location-Based Functionality: Show pre-order or partial payment options based on the customer’s selected geography or country.
Pricing Plans:
- Free Plan: Includes limited functionalities with 4 published pre-orders and a sales counter.
- Small Plan: Priced at $3.99/month for non-Shopify Plus users and $10.99/month for Shopify Plus users, offering 15 published pre-orders, a sales counter, and email support.
- Standard Plan: Available at $9.99/month for non-Shopify Plus users and $19.99/month for Shopify Plus users, providing unlimited pre-orders for 15 partial products, a coupon on partial payments, geo-location features, “Notify Me” functionality, and email support.
- Platinum Plan: Priced at $17.99/month for non-Shopify Plus users and $30.99/month for Shopify Plus users, offering unlimited pre-orders and partial payments, coupons for partial payments, enhanced geo-location features, “Notify Me,” and premium support.
Deposits & Pre Order – Depo
The Deposit & Split Payment Depo app for Shopify is a powerful tool designed to manage partial/split payments, pre-orders, and deposits seamlessly. It empowers merchants to take deposits on their store, allowing for partial payments and enabling pre-orders with automated invoicing.
The app supports various functionalities, including sending pending payment invoices, managing draft order deposits, and implementing subscriptions with flexible schedules. Its pricing plans offer scalable options, with the Lite plan providing unlimited orders, deposits via draft orders, bulk import collections, and email sending capabilities.
The Pro plan extends the features with refundable deposits and reduced processing fees, while the Enterprise plan offers zero processing fees, priority support, and a dedicated account manager. Overall, this app streamlines payment management, increases average order value (AOV) with deposits, and enhances sales opportunities for Shopify stores.
Top Features:
- Partial/Split Payments: Facilitate partial or split payments for orders, enabling flexible payment options.
- Pre-Orders and Deposits: Enable pre-orders and deposits, automating invoicing for pending payments on orders.
- Draft Order Support: Manage deposits on draft orders created via Shopify’s admin panel.
- Subscription Management: Implement subscriptions with customizable schedules for recurring payments.
Pricing Plans:
- Lite Plan: Priced at $12.50/month, offering unlimited orders, deposits via draft orders, bulk import collections, and email sending capabilities with a processing fee of 1.5% + 15c.
- Pro Plan: Available at $50/month, providing the features of the Lite plan with reduced processing fees of 1% + 10c and refundable deposits.
- Enterprise Plan: Priced at $300/month, offering zero processing fees, priority support, and a dedicated account manager along with all the features of the Pro plan.
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PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock
The PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock app for Shopify is a versatile solution tailored for managing pre-orders and restock alerts effortlessly. It empowers merchants to easily configure pre-orders based on inventory and set up back-in-stock notifications, streamlining customer engagement and sales.
With a user-friendly interface, the app allows for the seamless display of pre-order buttons and countdown timers, enhancing the customer experience. Its flexible pricing plans cater to various needs, offering features like partial payments, discounts on pre-orders, and a specified number of pre-sales and back-in-stock emails per month.
This app is praised for its ease of use, reliable performance, strong customer support, and adaptability across businesses of all sizes, making it an invaluable tool for Shopify store owners seeking efficient pre-order and restock functionalities.
Top Features:
- Pre-Order Configuration: Easily set up pre-orders based on inventory levels and specific start/end dates for availability.
- Back-in-Stock Notifications: Automatically notify subscribed users via email or SMS when a product becomes available again.
- Pre-Order Button Activation: Enable pre-order buttons for out-of-stock products, enhancing customer engagement and sales.
- Partial Payment & Discounts: Offer options for partial payments and automatic discounts on pre-orders and back orders.
- Customizable Delivery Notes: Display custom delivery notes, such as “Delivery in 21-30 days,” below the pre-order button.
- Mix-Cart Warning: Warn customers about mix-cart situations involving pre-orders and in-stock items.
Pricing Plans:
- FREE Plan: Includes the first 10 pre-sales for free, 20 SMS notifications, unlimited products and variants, multi-language support, and 50 back-in-stock emails.
- BASIC Plan (Discounted): Priced at $6.70/month or $67/year (17% off), offering all features with 25 pre-sales per month, 500 back-in-stock emails, and reduced SMS prices.
- PREMIUM Plan (Discounted): Available at $9.90/month or $99/year (17% off), providing all features with 50 pre-sales per month, 1000 back-in-stock emails, and similar SMS pricing.
- PRO Plan (Discounted): Priced at $19.90/month or $199/year (17% off), offering all features with 500 pre-sales per month, 3000 back-in-stock emails, and consistent SMS pricing.
Pre-Order Sales – Fortescue
The Shopify Pre-Order Sales App is a robust solution designed to capitalize on product demand and increase revenue by offering pre-order options for products that are temporarily out of stock or upcoming.
With an easy installation process, it seamlessly transforms the “Add to cart” button into a “Pre-order” button, allowing customers to secure products in advance. The app offers versatility by permitting pre-orders for specific products or variants, ensuring a smooth customer experience through customizable pre-order labels and informing customers about expected shipment dates.
Its pricing plans cater to various business needs, offering features like bulk settings, analytics, unlimited pre-order products, and premium support. The app’s simplicity, coupled with its ability to drive sales through pre-orders, makes it a valuable addition to any Shopify store seeking to maximize revenue and customer satisfaction.
Top Features:
- Easy Installation: Seamless integration without complex coding, instantly transforming the “Add to cart” button into a “Pre-order” button.
- Customizable Pre-Order Options: Enable pre-orders for specific products or entire variants with tailored pre-order labels, ensuring clarity for customers regarding shipment dates.
- Versatile Pre-Order Management: Unlimited pre-order and coming soon products with quantity limits, bulk settings, and collection page badges for enhanced visibility.
- Enhanced Analytics: Access comprehensive analytics in a single dashboard, allowing merchants to track pre-order emails and revenue for informed decision-making.
- Email Notifications: Automated pre-order emails and “Notify Me” features ensure seamless communication with customers about order processing and shipping updates.
Pricing Plans:
- Free Plan: $0 per month, offering 1 pre-order product, 1 coming soon product, pre-order quantity limits, and email tech support.
- Basic Plan: Priced at $5.99 per month, providing unlimited pre-order and coming soon products, pre-order quantity limits, bulk settings, and email tech support.
- Starter Plan: Available at $11.99 per month, featuring all features from the Basic plan with additional collection page badges and analytics.
- Premium Plan (Recommended): Priced at $19.99 per month, offering all Basic and Starter plan features along with product page badges, unlimited pre-order emails, “Notify Me” options, and premium support.
Also See: 5 Easy Ways To Build Social Proof For Your Shopify Store
Appikon ‑ Pre‑Order
The Appikon Pre-Order app for Shopify simplifies the creation of waitlists and pre-order lists for products that are sold out, out of stock, or arriving soon. It seamlessly replaces the ‘Add to Cart’ button with a ‘Pre-Order’ option, enabling merchants to gauge customer interest and gain valuable insights for inventory management through pre-orders.
With no coding or theme customization required, it’s user-friendly and facilitates the incentivization of purchases by offering discounts on pre-order items.
The app captures customer emails, allowing merchants to send pre-order confirmation messages effortlessly. Pricing plans are scalable, starting from a free option up to a premium tier with unlimited pre-order product capabilities, providing flexibility for businesses of all sizes.
Top Features:
- Waitlist Creation: Automatically generate waitlists or pre-order lists for products marked as sold out, out of stock, or arriving soon.
- Pre-Order Button Integration: Seamlessly swap the ‘Add to Cart’ button with a ‘Pre-Order’ button for out-of-stock or backorder products.
- Simple Setup: Easy installation and setup without the need for coding or theme customization, ensuring merchant-friendly operation.
- Discount Incentives: Drive purchases by offering discounts specifically on pre-order and back-ordered products.
- Email Collection: Capture customer emails efficiently to facilitate communication through pre-order confirmation messages.
Pricing Plans:
- Free Plan: $0 per month, offering functionality for 1 product to be marked for pre-order.
- Starter Plan: Priced at $7.99/month, allowing management of up to 5 pre-order products.
- Pro Plan: Available at $14.99/month, enabling management of up to 10 pre-order products.
- Premium Plan: Priced at $24.99/month, offering unlimited pre-order product management capabilities.
PreOrder Wolf – Pre-order Now
Preorder Wolf is a Shopify app designed to seamlessly accept orders for products not immediately available while ensuring transparent expectations for delivery. This user-friendly tool allows merchants to enable pre-orders for specific products or collections, set start and end dates, control order limits, and display delivery details across product pages, cart, and checkout.
With no coding needed, it integrates effortlessly into Shopify stores, offering 24/7 support and versatile functionalities like boosting revenue with out-of-stock sales, creating pre-release hype, testing new products’ demand, or facilitating made-to-order sales without altering the theme.
Top Features:
- Preorder Enablement: Accept orders for products not in stock immediately.
- Transparent Expectations: Set delivery dates to inform customers when to expect their orders.
- Flexible Configuration: Enable pre-orders for specific products, collections, or all items.
- Conditional Pre Orders: Control pre-orders based on stock availability or incoming inventory.
- Limit Preorders: Set limits on the number of pre-orders accepted.
- Delivery Details: Display delivery information on product, cart, and checkout pages.
- No Coding Required: Easy integration without altering the theme.
- 24/7 Support: Access to support for assistance.
Pricing Plans:
- Free Plan: No cost; allows 1 product for pre-order.
- Starter: $7.99/month; supports 5 pre-order products.
- Pro: $14.99/month; allows 10 pre-order products.
- Premium: $24.99/month; enables unlimited pre-order products.
Also See: Benefits Of Recurring Revenue Business Model On Shopify
Preorderly ‑ Pre-Order NOW
Preorderly is a robust Shopify app designed to maximize sales potential, especially during peak times like Black Friday, by seamlessly enabling pre-orders for both out-of-stock and upcoming inventory.
It offers customized pre-order buttons/messages, the ability to schedule fulfillment dates, and options for flexible payment structures like partial payments or discounts.
The app stands out for its ease of use, extensive functionality, and excellent customer service. With various pricing tiers tailored to different Shopify plans, it’s a versatile tool for merchants aiming to leverage pre-orders effectively.
Top Features:
- Customizable Pre-Order Setup: Configure pre-orders for out-of-stock or upcoming items easily. customise the pre-order button and message to match your store’s aesthetics.
- Order Management Tools: Schedule fulfillment dates and manage start/end times for pre-order items. Set quantity limits per customer/product and tag items for easy identification.
- Customer-Friendly Options: Offer partial payments or apply automatic discounts on pre-order items. Display pre-order buttons/badges on homepage, collection, and product pages.
- Seamless Integration and Support: Simple setup directly within the Shopify admin; no coding required. 24/7 customer support, including live chat, for assistance and troubleshooting.
- Flexibility and Compatibility: Works well with the latest Shopify themes and doesn’t affect store performance. Ability to set conditions for enabling or disabling pre-orders based on inventory status.
EasyOrder ‑ Order Form | COD
EasyOrder simplifies the purchase process for cash-on-delivery (COD) orders and pre-orders, replacing lengthy checkout forms with a customizable, single-step quick order form.
By integrating a one-page checkout popup, it streamlines the order submission for customers, reducing abandoned carts and facilitating quick transactions.
The visual drag-and-drop form builder allows merchants to tailor the form, collect pre-orders or draft orders, and automate sending order confirmations or invoices. The app ensures a seamless experience for COD-based transactions and pre-orders, enhancing the overall purchasing journey.
Top Features:
- Single-Step Quick Order Form: Replace complex checkout processes with a simplified, customizable order form, reducing the number of fields customers need to fill.
- Customization: Visual drag-and-drop form builder allows customization of the form fields, layout, and appearance to suit specific needs and branding.
- COD and Pre-order Support: Tailored for cash-on-delivery orders and pre-orders, making it easier for customers to place orders without a lengthy checkout process.
- Abandoned Cart Tracking: Monitor and track abandoned carts to understand customer behaviour and take measures to reduce incomplete orders.
- Order Automation: Collect pre-orders or draft orders directly from the custom form, streamlining the order collection process.
- Automatic Communication: Automate the sending of order confirmations or invoices to customers, ensuring seamless transactions.
Pricing Plans:
- Premium Plan – $10/month: Offers a simple single-click order popup, quick checkout for COD payments, and all-inclusive features with no hidden fees.
Timesact | Pre-Order & Restock
Pre-Order Notify Me T Preorder is a versatile app tailored for effortless pre-order and back-in-stock notifications. Seamlessly transition between pre-sales, in-stock, and backorders with automated emails, countdown timers, and order management.
The app offers a user-friendly interface, flexible plans, and outstanding 24/7 support, empowering businesses to effectively manage pre-orders and restock alerts hassle-free. With features like partial payments, discounts, and a guided setup call, it’s an ideal tool to engage customers and optimize inventory management.
Top Features:
- Versatile Pre-Order Management: Seamlessly handle pre-orders, back-in-stock, and restock notifications in one platform.
- Automated Flows: Easily transition between pre-sales, in-stock, and backorders with automated emails and countdown timers.
- Partial Payments & Discounts: Offer partial payment options and apply discounts to incentivize pre-orders and backorders.
- Customizable Setup: Tailor the pre-order settings, email templates, and product availability based on your store’s needs.
- Guided Setup Call: Receive a 30-minute guided setup call with a specialist for a smooth onboarding experience.
- Flexible Plan Options: Access to various subscription plans catering to different email quotas and support levels.
Pricing Plans:
- Free Plan: TIMESACT FREE Cost Free Includes10 pre-sale orders, 10 in-stock orders, 50 back-in-stock emails, and unlimited “coming soon” products. Offers 24/7 email and chat support.
- Paid Plans: TIMESACT 10P, TIMESACT 500B, TIMESACT 10S Cost $6.65/month Each plan includes the features of the free plan, with additional quotas such as 10 pre-sale orders/emails, 500 back-in-stock emails, or 10 in-stock orders/emails per month. Support provided via email and chat with a response time of up to 12 hours.
Also See: How To Create A Sitemap In Shopify
Conclusion
Pre-order apps for Shopify offer an efficient way for merchants to sell products before they’re officially launched or when they’re out of stock. These apps streamline the pre-order process, allowing merchants to engage customers, generate revenue, and manage inventory effectively.
By providing a smooth customer experience, customizable features, and insights into demand, these apps play a vital role in boosting sales and enhancing customer satisfaction for Shopify store owners.
