Built an AI SMS app for abandoned carts, struggling to get Shopify stores to test it
I built an AI-powered SMS app for Shopify stores focused on abandoned cart recovery.
The idea is pretty simple: when someone abandons checkout, the AI immediately starts a two-way text conversation while purchase intent is still high. It can answer product questions, handle objections, recommend products, ask why they left, offer support, etc. Basically trying to replicate a retail sales associate over SMS instead of sending another generic “you left something behind” message.
From a dev standpoint, building it was honestly the easy part.
The hard part has been distribution and getting merchants to actually test it.
I’ve been doing direct outreach to Shopify stores and even building personalized demos trained on their actual store/products before contacting them. I thought that would massively increase engagement, but response rates have basically been zero. Most don’t even click the demo link.
I’m starting to realize this might be more of a trust/distraction problem than a product problem. Store owners are bombarded with apps/tools constantly.
For those of you who have built Shopify apps or SaaS products in the ecosystem:
- What actually got you your first real users?
- Did cold outreach work at all?
- Was the Shopify App Store your main acquisition channel?
- Did partnerships/agencies/content work better?
- Any lessons learned getting merchants to trust a new app?
At this point I’d happily let stores use it for free just to get real-world feedback and usage data. I am positing it as a Beta where I will customize, implement, and recover 250 carts for free.
I feel dejected because I am excited about it, I know it works, but I cannot seem to get to store owners to use it! I'm just frustrated.