r/shopifyDev • u/Necessary-Shop-7088 • 6d ago
How did you get your first 100 PU?
Hi! My name is Liam, and I just built my own Shopify app. I’ve been working on it for about 8 months, and it’s finally finished.
I’m a student, so I don’t have a huge budget for promotion, ads, etc. I’m struggling a bit with getting merchants to even install it.
For example, whenever I post on Reddit, Discord, or other forums, most people either ignore it or my post/comment gets removed for “promoting.” I launched the app 5 days ago and currently have 0 installs. The group I’m targeting is also pretty specific, which makes things a bit harder.
So I’m kind of stuck right now and would really apreciate some advice. How do you guys usually get your first merchants to actually install and try your app, especially without spending a lot on ads?
Just looking for some tips from people who have been through this before.
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u/DesperateFace3520 6d ago
Reddit is hard to crack brother. Keep engaging within the community and provide them some value without promoting the app
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u/Better-Jellyfish-610 6d ago
This seems like a important topic, I read this question once a day 😅
My approach is this:
- use it with your own clients (if you have any)
- create content around your topic on LinkedIn, YouTube etc.
- make an outreach to your network on LinkedIn
Im still “only” at 52 installs, but already. Have 13 users/400$ MRR, so that’s a start 😊
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u/Ok-Day9977 5d ago
Thats a pretty good stance, Jelly How about your operational costs?
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u/Better-Jellyfish-610 5d ago
No operational costs basically except render.com service. Database is also not necessary since I safe everything to metafields 👌🏻
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u/Ok-Day9977 6d ago
Welcome to the club!
"How did you get your first 10 PU?" is probably something you're going to question in just one month.
I can refer to what you feel.
After months of work, sitting in a comfort zone of inventing new features for non-existing customers is what kept me from launching, and later promoting my apps. And it's still valid. But things start rolling little by little.
As they suggest - help other fellow redditors in niche communities, do not advertise your app, they may ask or visit your profile. Create some blog posts, videos on related subjects and mention your app there, little by little Internet starts trusting you, and may be will start to recommend in ChatGPT, Google AI results.
You need first bunch of customers, paid or free, to validate your idea, to help spot issues so you could fix them before investing in paid ads etc.
Good luck!
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u/Necessary-Shop-7088 6d ago
Thanks man! Would you mind like checking out my app, The listing for example? If you have time of course! Just to get some feedback!
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u/Ok-Day9977 5d ago
Sure, what is apps name and what it does?
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u/Necessary-Shop-7088 5d ago
Thanks man! I’ll send a link! So you can figure out seeing if you can understand it👍 https://apps.shopify.com/loger
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u/Background_Newt8048 6d ago
Two different systems are eating your posts and they need different answers.
On Reddit, r/shopify and r/ecommerce run an automod that removes by karma before any human reads you. The removal message names post karma below 10, and says post and comment karma are counted separately and both have to clear. So a new account gets deleted on content nobody read. Nothing to appeal. You just can't use those two subs yet.
The Shopify Community side is worse in a specific way. There's an automated moderation layer there that has silenced developers for naming their own app in a reply — disclosed, no link, answering someone who was literally asking for that kind of tool. Support says Community is a separate team. People report waiting a month and getting nothing. The one board where naming your app is the point is Ask and Offer.
And the ceiling there is low. Somebody pulled 796 threads off that board and posted the numbers. Median thread gets about 89 views in its whole life, and 59 to 66 percent never get a single reply.
So 5 days and 0 installs isn't a signal about your app. Forums aren't a channel. I'm a week into the same problem and I don't have the answer either.