Customers value a good deal. They may search the web for coupons or wait for sales and markdowns before making large purchases. As a shopper yourself, you probably understand how frustrating it is to purchase an item, only to see prices drop a few days later.
As a business owner, you can help your customers save money while also luring them to your ecommerce site. The key is price-tracking technology. With the help of some user-friendly price tracking apps, you can send your customers price drop alerts—just like the major retailers do.
What is a price alert app?
A price alert app is software—often a browser extension or standalone app—that can track prices and notify users when prices change or fall. Price alert apps help shoppers track prices across the internet, alerting them to the best deals on things like consumer goods, flights, and hotel bookings. As a user, you can set specific conditions, like a target price, and the app will monitor product prices and provide updates, helping you find good deals without constant manual checking.
Business owners also use these tools as price comparison apps because they often aggregate data from multiple stores, offering a comprehensive overview of pricing trends. So if the current product you’re tracking goes on sale at a competitor’s shop, the app will alert you. Let’s say you sell a certain brand of bath towels, and a rival website runs a sale on the same make and model. Your price alert app can flag the new price difference, giving you the opportunity to respond with a bath towel deal of your own.
Why a business should use price alert apps
Offering price alert apps gives your customers the best possible experience while also steering them to your online store. By giving usersprice alerts when you roll out discounts, you offer transparency and potentially increase conversion rates. As a business owner, you should assume that many of your customers already use apps like Rakuten and Capital One Shopping to find coupon codes and watch for price drops on everything from travel services to Amazon products.
Additionally, if you sell price-sensitive products or services, you can set up price watches and track other retailers. Some of the tools can adjust your prices to match or even undercut the competition.
Top price alert apps for ecommerce stores
You can access several price alert apps through the Shopify App Store. These tools let your customers compare prices while helping you draw them away from rival marketplaces like eBay or Amazon. It’s a win for both you and the shopper.
The Watchlyst
The Watchlyst tracks product prices for ecommerce store visitors, and it sends alerts without you lifting a finger. Its many features include a Price Drop Alert button on product pages that lets site visitors take advantage of sales promotions. It can also email users when your price reaches a target figure they can set on their phone app.
Pricing: $5 per month, with a free trial available.
Wishlist Hero
Wishlist Hero lets customers add products to a wishlist. When those products go on sale or reach a low stock threshold, Wishlist Hero emails your customers and encourages them to buy.
Pricing: Wishlist Hero has a free plan with limited features. Paid plans run from $4 per month to $29 per month.
SpurIT
For a free price monitoring tool, consider SpurlT. Its premise is simple: If customers browse your online store and see products that exceed their price range, they can sign up for an email alerting them to price cuts. If any of their desired items become cheaper, SprulT’s discount reminder sends them a notice, and they may return to your site to complete the purchase.
Pricing: Free.
Latori
The latest version of the Latori best price indicator comes with performance enhancements that let you automatically store 30 days of price history. That means customers who use Latori when perusing your Shopify store can see the lowest price for an item during the past month. If you’re already offering the lowest price, they may be ready to purchase right then and there. If the price history suggests they can pay less in the future, they may return when you have a sale.
Pricing: There’s a free plan available, and paid plans start at $9.99 per month.
Pricefy
Why do businesses bother monitoring prices? In part, it’s to make sure that they aren’t losing out to competitors. The Pricefy price monitoring tool keeps tabs on your competitors and helps you adjust pricing. Use the tool to access extensive product data and receive updates whenever a monitored store changes its prices on an item you offer. This can help you stay ahead of the curve so that your price always matches or beats your competitors.
Pricing: Pricefy starts with a free plan, with paid plans ranging from $49 to $189, depending on the number of products you want to monitor.
Price alert app FAQ
How do I set up a price alert?
To set up a price alert, choose an app or website, search for the product or service you want to track, and set your desired price threshold. The app will monitor the item and notify you when the price meets or falls below your target.
Is there an app that notifies you when something goes on sale?
Yes, there are many apps, such as Honey and CamelCamelCamel, that notify consumers when items go on sale or reach a desired price. If you’re an ecommerce merchant, you can use apps like Pricefy and The Watchlyst to see when your competitors are putting items on sale.
What should you look for in a price alert app?
When choosing a price alert app, look for features like real-time notifications, multiplatform tracking, customizable alert settings, and overall ease of use. Peruse the Shopify App Store for customer feedback and reviews to understand the pros and cons of various apps.
