Running an ecommerce store requires you to handle a lot of tasks at the same time. Most of these tasks can be tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming. Sometimes, they even distract you from focusing on the growth aspect of your business.
With Shopify Plus, you have access to Shopify Flow which allows you fully automate your ecommerce tasks. You can simply automate the backend tasks, increase your store's efficiency and focus your energy on other operations. It’s 100% free if you are on the Shopify Plus package.
What is Shopify Flow?
Shopify Flow is a system that allows you to automate the workflow on your Shopify Plus store. With this app, you can automate marketing campaigns and other business processes in your ecommerce store and across your apps. The good news is that you do not need to be a coding or programming expert to use it. The app offers basic functionality, so anyone can easily access and use it.
From our perspective, Shopify Flow is among the most exciting features of Shopify Plus. Have you ever used Zapier to automate your ecommerce processes? Shopify Flow offers the same functions, only it’s faster, better, and offers excellent functionality. It is built by and within Shopify. With the Flow app, you can automate any task you dream up, including:
- Requesting reviews
- Scheduling an email campaign
- Tagging and tracking your customers
- Incorporating discounts, gifts, and notes to orders
- Managing your inventory
- Canceling orders
If you are already on Shopify Plus, you enjoy tremendous benefits, including lower transaction fees, better speed, Shopify Script, a free-form editor, and many more. Shopify Flow has its own perks and could be the key to increasing your profits. Some of its benefits include:
- Saves time
- Saves money on staff
- Saves money on transaction fees
- Increases efficiency
How does Shopify Flow Work?
You should find the Flow app on your dashboard if you have the Shopify Plus plan. It will take minutes to set up the templates. The app works based on three workflow components: trigger, condition, and action.
A trigger describes an event that sets off the workflow. For example, a customer placing an order. The Flow app has nine triggers, but the number can increase with third-party integrations.
A condition is a statement that must be fulfilled before an action can be taken. For example, the condition could be that the customer order should be over $200 for an action to be taken. Shopify Flow has over 100 conditions for you to choose from, each with its own variation.
An action is a task that automatically happens when specific conditions are met. For example, sending a VIP tag to a customer whose order is over $200. Shopify incorporates actions for 10 Shopify-related tasks. Six actions link to third-party apps, including Trello, Slack, Asana, and Google Sheets.
Also, Shopify Flow has a pre-made library, allowing you to automate your tasks quickly and without the help of a developer. The Flow templates are organized depending on various business areas. For instance, there are templates for buyer experience, inventory, loyalty, and promotions. Each Flow template offers specific components that you will need to track various operations, and all you need to do is customize them depending on your brand’s needs.
How to Create Custom Workflows on Shopify Flow
Creating custom workflows on Shopify Flow is pretty straightforward. Use the following steps to create a new workflow:
- Open the Shopify Flow app on your Shopify Plus dashboard
- Tap on the “Create Workflow” button
- Click on the “select a trigger” prompt and choose the trigger you want to create
- Click the plus sign (+) icon and select the condition that should be fulfilled before any action is performed
- After choosing and adding the condition to be met, select the action you would like to take.
- Click Otherwise to add to your workflow if the condition you set up is false. This step is optional. Also, you can add as many actions and conditions as you need.
- At the top of the page, click New Workflow and add a title to the workflow you’ve just created.
- Click the “Turn on workflow” button to start your workflow.
Shopify Flow’s goal is to increase efficiency and save time for your business, so you don’t have to follow all these steps whenever you want to create a workflow. You can always use the premade templates and customize them based on your needs. You just need to choose the Flow templates for the business area that you are looking to customize. Some of the best Shopify stores use these templates. To increase your workflow’s functionality, you can use Shopify Flow Connectors.
What are Shopify Flow Connectors?
Shopify Flow Connectors refer to third-party applications that you can add to your new workflow to increase its functionality. With connectors, you can use specific apps in the Shopify store to create triggers based on information from the app or create an action that uses a particular app. You can find Shopify connectors within the platform’s app extensions and workflow.
In this case, linking your Shopify Plus data with a specific e-commerce application makes it easier to synchronize your store's customer information, shipping, inventory, and other services. Building a Shopify Flow connector allows you to enjoy top-tier commerce tools in the business ecosystem.
Shopify Flow Examples that you should know
So, now that you have understood how Shopify Flow works and how to create a customized workflow, let's identify some of the most popular Shopify Flow examples:
- Tracking and rewarding your top customers
- Receiving notifications when there’s low inventory
- Tracking pre-order purchases and initiating email campaigns
- Analyzing and addressing customer refunds.
Tracking and Rewarding Top Customers
Customer engagement and loyalty are crucial components of business success in ecommerce. With Shopify Flow, you can track your loyal customers and reward them by texting them a discount code - ideally after their second purchase or on their birthday.
This Shopify Flow example taps on SMS and email marketing techniques and operates on a simple principle: whenever a customer places their second order or has a birthday, the workflow enables you to appreciate their loyalty by texting them a discount code through apps such as SMSBump.
This form of marketing is advantageous and allows your store to maintain intimacy with its customers. SMS and email marketing are tools for increasing customer engagement, and Shopify Workflow enables you to leverage both to cultivate a lasting relationship with your customers.
Receiving Notifications When Your Inventory is Low
This Shopify Workflow makes use of Shopify Flow connectors. Thankfully, various apps on Shopify Plus have custom triggers and actions that you can use to increase the functionality of your workflow. One of these apps is Asana, a project management tool.
You can create a workflow that starts whenever a given product’s inventory decreases to a level considered low (for example, eight units). In this case, the workflow will create a task in Asana when the product inventory is low. This notification allows you to effectively manage your stock and prevent stockouts during high traffic influxes.
Tracking pre-order purchases and initiating email campaigns
Most ecommerce retailers use pre-orders to build excitement around upcoming products. With this Shopify Workflow, anytime you tag an item as a pre-order, it is automatically tracked in a spreadsheet, and all the information is forwarded to your preferred email marketing app. This way, you can start a nurture campaign for your pre-order customers and ensure they maintain excitement about their purchase.
Analyzing Customer Refunds
You can use the Shopify Workflow to understand your returns. For example, you can use it to identify customers who have refunded over $150 in an order. Consequently, you can create a customer service ticket to communicate with the customer and understand why they were unhappy with your product. This way, you can improve your services and enhance the buying experience for your customers.
Conclusion
Shopify Flow makes ecommerce better for everyone. You can focus your energy on business growth by automating mundane tasks. The app offers purpose-built templates that you can easily customize depending on your brand’s needs. You can also sync your workflow with existing apps to improve functionality and get more done. With Shopify Flow, you get to focus all of your attention on your business’ growth.
