Shopify will run tests on how its merchants find third-party solutions, and the ecommerce platform will share the results of those experiments with third-party developers.
Unlike traditional online marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, and Etsy, which are virtually closed platforms, Shopify has embraced its “ecosystem” of third-party developers and makes their tools (“apps”) easily findable for the sellers who need them.
Shopify paid over $441 million to developers who create apps for users of its platform last year.
In an announcement this week, Shopify explained its plans:
“We want to make it easy for merchants to find apps and themes that solve their business’ unique challenges. To do that, we’ll be experimenting across Shopify surfaces to learn how merchants get what they need from the ecosystem. Whenever possible, we’ll share the details of those experiments —what we’re testing and what we learn—directly to the developer community through email, blog posts, and social channels.”
The average Shopify merchant uses 6 apps to manage their business. “This natural alignment between merchant and developer success is a cornerstone of our platform strategy,” Shopify said. “We’re going to be experimenting with new approaches so we can learn how best to help merchants and make our ecosystem safe, simple, and personalized.”
You can read the full post on the Shopify blog.
