How do I get Shopify agencies and partners to recommend my app?
Agencies install apps for dozens of merchants. One agency that trusts you can bring steady installs.
- How do we reach Shopify agencies?
- What do agencies want from apps?
- Should we pay referral fees?
Offer agencies what makes their job easier: free use on development stores, priority support, implementation guides and a partner contact. Run a partner program with referral tracking and, if it fits your margins, revenue share. Reach agencies through Shopify partner directories, events and LinkedIn. Co-market with case studies of their client stores. Track installs and revenue by partner.
What agencies want
- Reliable app that won't embarrass them.
- Fast support for their clients.
- Clear docs and setup guides.
- A contact person.
- Optional referral rewards.
Partner program
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dev store access | Free |
| Support | Priority channel |
| Referral tracking | Links or codes |
| Rewards | Revenue share or credits, if viable |
| Co-marketing | Joint case studies |
How we look at it at ShoutEx
We build partner pages, outreach and tracking. Partners and marketplaces covers the method in another industry.
- No partner program.
- Slow agency support.
- Untracked referrals.
- Mass cold emails to agencies.
- Dev store access.
- Priority support.
- Tracked referrals.
- Joint case studies.
What developers and Shopify say
Here is what developers and agencies say.
Outreach to agencies by email needs to follow CASL in Canada.
Read the CRTC page →Community summaries describe recurring themes in public threads, not individual posts. Vendor pages describe vendor claims, so test them on your own calls.
Read next
Go deeper in the ShoutEx guides, or check the sources behind this answer.
We'll build a partner program and outreach.
Book a call →Follow-up questions
Do agencies expect revenue share?
Some do. Many value support more.
How many agencies to target?
Start with 20 to 50 that fit your category.
Should we list agencies?
A partner directory can help both sides.