Shopify

Overview

Shopify had struggled with out-of-the-box internationalization. Stores relied on dozens of disconnected plugins to build a pseudo-global presence. We built Shopify Markets—a tool to take a store international without plugins or complicated apps. It includes tax tools and an AI translation tool to convert products from one language to another.

Problem

Before Shopify Markets, merchants wanting to sell internationally faced significant challenges:

• No native solution for internationalization—had to rely on dozens of disconnected third-party plugins
• Complex tax and customs requirements varied by country
• Translation and localization required manual work or expensive services
• No unified way to manage different markets within the Shopify admin
• Merchants couldn't easily see which markets were viable for their business

Goals

• Build a single solution to take a store into new markets through simple steps—all within the admin
• Create a product experience that makes international selling as easy as domestic selling
• Implement a "show, don't tell" approach to onboarding using in-admin demos and waitlist flows
• Ensure the product was well-known among merchants outside of our seed groups
• Design a just-in-time approach to onboarding that moved away from traditional "Sell Pages"

Process

Our internal team set out to build a single solution to take a store into new markets through simple steps—all within the admin.

My role was to help shape the product experience from inception through GTM including how users would learn about, apply for, install, configure, and manage the product. I was also responsible for ensuring that the product was well-known among merchants outside of our seed groups through changing our typical product launch process from Sell Pages (in admin brochure micro sites) to a new just-in-time approach to onboarding and waitlisting.

We worked with product development and engineering to name, design, and place the product functions in a single admin view—one of the first major additions to the Shopify admin in years.

As an extension of the Markets product, we designed and built Shopify Translate & Adapt. This powerful and simple tool translates product content from one language to another using AI LLM. It can also localize language, for example changing pants to trousers for the US to UK, respectively.

Solution

Simple Badging and Waitlist System

Shopify has many products that have dependencies—typically on Shopify Payments or Location. Markets is no different, and the Pro version of the product—which offers guaranteed duties, faster customs, and liability sharing—couldn't be available to everyone at launch, whether they were eligible or not.

We created a simple badging system and notification process, similar to a waitlist, to help users understand if and when they could get the product. Just so they knew it was worth the wait, we broke down the entire program for them right in the admin—no messy landing pages required.

Refined Flow with Three States

• You are eligible for Markets (based on a few factors) and we add it to your admin. Your home market is present no matter what
• If you are eligible for Markets and have the right factors to sell internationally in any market, you get recommendations and the add market function is the only highlighted CTA
• If you have installed Markets and are using it, you may be eligible for Shopify Markets Pro. If so, then you can simply complete the application and agreement right in the admin and it's active

Don't Get Cute

We had all sorts of temptations and chances to complicate the product. From custom icons to fancy forms and onboarding, all sorts of wow was on the table. Instead, we stuck to our Polaris design system, leveraged the easiest indicator possible (Flags!!!), and used a simple card interface to keep the product clean and easy to navigate.

The recommendation column, used to great effect in other admin tools using Polaris, proved a great place to use our enhanced data models to encourage and make it easy—look at the one-click option to open your business in Australia.

Shopify Sales Tax

The final piece of the Markets launch was the new standalone Shopify Sales Tax tool. To offer guaranteed duties and liability support with Markets Pro, Shopify had to develop its own tax product. Using powerful data and machine learning, one of the most stressful parts of running a store could be relieved with just a few clicks. We integrated the Sales Tax interface with Markets and developed a sister design style and system for the launch.

Result

Shopify Markets did 3x the forecasted business in the first 30 days and saw the highest adoption rate of any native app in four years. Markets quickly became a favorite of Shopify Partners throughout the globe and was instrumental in both retention and acquisition efforts for merchants.