I developed a Shopify app: OK Product Personalizer, for merchants selling customizable products

In 2023, I found myself unemployed and received a small gift package. This prompted me to consider my future and the need for a consistent source of income for myself and my small team. After discussing with my partner, we decided to leverage our expertise and experience to develop a product together. I took charge of product planning, design, and some front-end work, while my partner handles both front-end and back-end development. We ventured into creating WeChat small programs, but the results did not provide substantial income, leaving us feeling increasingly anxious.

In early 2024, my partner and I discussed the need to focus on a familiar field, particularly our years of work in cross-border e-commerce serving customized product sellers on Amazon. This led to the idea of developing applications to support similar sellers on Shopify and to aid Amazon sellers in expanding to Shopify. We chose Shopify due to its relevance in cross-border e-commerce and its function as an application marketplace for merchants and developers. Notably, several small teams and companies have achieved success in the Shopify App Store.

I initiated the project soon after the Chinese New Year, setting a 3-month project cycle to allow for thorough familiarization with Shopify app development specifications and the fine-tuning of the initial app. By early March, I had perfected the prototype and requirements document using Figma for design and Whispering Sparrow for document management. The subsequent communication and timeline setup established a clear trajectory for the project. As we aimed to simplify the user experience, we tailored our product design to emulate Amazon's customization functionalities. By early May, our team expanded to include another member, allowing for comprehensive testing and ensuring the project's successful launch in early June.

I am excited to introduce our Shopify app, named OK Product Personalizer. This tool application empowers merchants selling customized products on Shopify, offering a range of customization options such as creating templates, configuring text and image zones, customizing product options, and real-time preview of customization results. OK Product Personalizer boasts the following features:

- Unlimited products, templates, variants, and customization zones

- Flexible configuration of color, image, quantity, style, and material options

- Text and image upload customization, spread function, mask feature, and real-time previews

- Template samples, learning tutorials, help center, and 24/7 online support

To initiate the process, follow these guidelines:

1. Navigate to the introductory page of the app on the Shopify app store and select Install OK Product Personalizer.

2. Activate the app within the Merchant Administration backend by accessing the Dashboard page of the app.

3. Create a template, generate preview images and masks, and incorporate customized sections for text, images, and options.

4. Connect the products in the store to observe the customization process.

5. For personalized orders, download the customer's personalized data package from the order list page and proceed with production and shipment of the products.

Regarding operational promotion:

We have recently begun experimenting with a Blogger blog and have drafted numerous English articles introducing OK Product Personalizer and other associated Shopify apps. We are contemplating the potential for launching videos and establishing a YouTube channel to utilize content for marketing, recognizing that it's a gradual process and a test of our capabilities.

Concurrently, we have been conducting tests on direct application ads within the Shopify developer's backend to evaluate their effectiveness. The suggested price from official channels is quite high, with potential costs ranging between 4-7 dollars per click. Nevertheless, we are planning to allocate a budget to test the return on investment.

Additionally, current circumstances have impacted our decision-making. Despite initially planning to develop a new Shopify application in July and even having a well-prepared prototype and requirements, we have chosen to postpone the development for now.

App Name: OK Product Personalizer

Link: apps.shopify.com/ok-product-personalizer