Beginner Shopify App Development Tips: Enhance Your Online Store After Attracting Customers with Your LED Sign

As a retailer who uses LED signs to attract customers, you understand the importance of creating a cohesive and engaging experience both in-store and online. If your business also has an ecommerce component through Shopify, it's crucial to ensure that your online store is just as seamless and professional as your physical storefront. In this blog post, we’ll share key Shopify app development tips—focusing on App Bridge, the differences between embedded and external apps, and how Polaris can help you maintain a consistent design. These insights will help you enhance your Shopify store, making it easier to manage and more user-friendly for your customers, ultimately driving more sales and growing your business.

1. Shopify App Bridge: Integrating with the Admin Interface

Shopify App Bridge is a powerful tool that allows your app to connect and interact with the Shopify Admin interface. With App Bridge, your app can perform actions such as opening modals, navigating between pages, and sending notifications—all within the Shopify environment. This integration makes your app feel like a natural part of Shopify, offering a smooth and cohesive experience for merchants.

For example, consider a page builder app that uses App Bridge. In this app, the sidebar and top bar are rendered by Shopify, while the rest of the page is generated by the app itself, embedded as an iframe. This division allows the app to seamlessly blend into the Shopify Admin interface, enhancing usability and consistency.

2. Embedded Apps: Seamless Integration with Shopify

An embedded app is an app that runs directly within the Shopify Admin area. When a merchant uses your app, it opens inside Shopify, making it feel like a native extension of the platform. To build an embedded app, it's essential to use Shopify App Bridge, which allows your app to interact directly with Shopify's interface.

For instance, the Test Flight page builder app is an example of an embedded app. It uses Shopify App Bridge to integrate with the Shopify Admin, ensuring that the app's interface feels like a natural part of Shopify.

3. External Apps: Flexibility Outside the Shopify Admin

Unlike embedded apps, external apps run outside the Shopify Admin area. These apps have their own interface and do not directly integrate with Shopify's UI. While external apps offer more flexibility in terms of design and functionality, they require merchants to leave the Shopify interface to use the app.

A good example of an external app is the Zen Form app. Although it's a Shopify app, it runs independently of the Shopify Admin, offering a separate user interface for its functionality. This separation can provide more design freedom but requires careful consideration of the user experience, as merchants need to switch between interfaces.

4. Polaris: Consistent Design with Shopify

Polaris is Shopify's design system, providing ready-made components like buttons, forms, and modals. By using Polaris, you ensure that your app's look and feel are consistent with Shopify's own design language. This consistency not only makes your app more user-friendly but also gives it a professional appearance.

For example, if you look at the Test Flight page builder, you'll notice that the buttons it uses look identical to Shopify's buttons. This similarity is because both the app and Shopify are using Polaris components. By adhering to Polaris, your app can blend seamlessly with Shopify's design, offering a cohesive experience for users.

Conclusion

Choosing between an embedded app and an external app depends on how you want merchants to interact with your Shopify app. Embedded apps, which use Shopify App Bridge, offer a seamless integration within the Shopify Admin interface, making them feel like a natural extension of Shopify. On the other hand, external apps offer more design flexibility but require merchants to leave the Shopify interface.

Additionally, using Polaris for your app's design ensures consistency with Shopify's look and feel, enhancing the overall user experience. Understanding these key concepts will help you build Shopify apps that are both functional and user-friendly, providing value to merchants and contributing to the success of their stores.

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions or want to share your thoughts, feel free to leave a comment below.