How to Add a Waitlist to Your Shopify Store

A Shopify waitlist is a surefire way to increase customer loyalty and keep them coming back for more.

When Shopify backorders are enabled for a product, customers can add it to their cart and proceed to checkout as usual. As soon as the product becomes available, the order will be fulfilled.

Adding a waitlist allows customers to sign up to be notified when a product becomes available. This helps increase demand for your products and creates a sense of exclusivity.

Ultimately this results in customer satisfaction – a welcome outcome for any business. Based on a Salesforce survey of over 15,000 consumers worldwide, 89% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a company again after a positive experience with their service.

There is no doubt that the process of implementing a waiting list, while time-consuming, can transform your business when carried out properly.

In today’s guide, we will discuss in full detail the benefits of using waitlists on a pre-launch for your business, as well as the simplest way to implement them for your Shopify store. 

Jump to section:


Benefits of Using Waitlists on a Shopify Pre-Launch

As a business owner, you are always looking for ways to improve your product and increase your profitability. One way to do this is by using waitlists on your Shopify pre-launch.

By pre-launching your products, you shift the focus away from selling items once they have arrived to generating interest earlier on. In the long run, this can prove to be an invaluable asset to your business. 

Builds Anticipation

A waitlist is a great way to build anticipation for a pre-launch. By providing a way for people to sign up for updates or be notified when the product is available, you create excitement and generate buzz. This could get people talking about your product before it’s even available, which can lead to more sales and a better launch.

Creates a Sense of Exclusivity

Almost everyone enjoys having exclusive access to things, and a waitlist gives them just that. You can control how many people will be able to access your product before it becomes publicly available by requiring interested customers to sign up for a waitlist.

This creates anticipation among those who are lucky enough to be on the list leading up to the launch.

Measures Demand

Introducing a pre-order model can be an effective way to measure demand for the product. Simply put, you get a sense of how many people are interested in the product. 

This can help the business decide how much stock to order for the product’s launch and whether to continue developing it. This, in turn, reduces costs and eliminates excess inventory.

Allows for Market Research Opportunities

Customers who sign up for your waitlist are likely to fall within your ideal buyer profile. Because of this, valuable market research opportunities will present themselves, such as surveying customers to gather vital information that can be used to improve your product and business.

Using this data, you can determine what features your target market is most interested in and get feedback to better position yourself.

Expands Your Email Marketing List

Not using email marketing yet? You should be. It provides a significant return on investment (ROI), with an average return of $42 for every $1 spent!

Adding a waitlist can help you gain high-quality contacts that should result in better engagement and conversion rates when you begin your email campaign. Your customers will also be able to learn about progress, updates, and special offers related to your products.

Steps to Add a Waitlist to Your Shopify Store

Now that you know the benefits of adding a Shopify waitlist, where do you start? The ability to pre-order products is not yet integrated into Shopify, so you will need to add a Shopify Pre-Order Manager to make this possible.

By using a useful tool such as the Pre-Order Manager, you can customize your pre-ordering process to match your Shopify theme while taking advantage of features that simplify seamless integration.

To get started, follow the steps below to add a waitlist to your Shopify store:

1. Get the Pre-Order Manager App

As mentioned, the best way to streamline the pre-order process is by installing the recommended Pre-Order Manager. Once added, you will be able to access the management dashboard to begin the setup process.

2. Set up and Customize the Pre-Order Process

For a product to be available for pre-order, toggle the ‘Pre-order’ setting to green and select the “Default Settings” option. 

Several customization options are available for the “button text” and “display message” to match your custom Shopify theme. You can also include terms & conditions, set a pre-order quantity limit, and apply discounts for pre-orders.

3. Organize a Waitlist Email

A notable feature of the Pre-Order Manager is the ability to enable “Notify Me” and “Coming Soon” buttons that enable customers to receive customized messages when they subscribe via email for stock updates on your product.

When you create a waitlist email for your pre-launch product, you are providing customers with the opportunity to receive notifications for your product. In this way, your business can generate more hype as well as increase customer engagement.

Final Thoughts

By adding Shopify reserve items or a waitlist, you’ll be able to capture the interest of potential customers and increase the chances of converting them into buyers.

Remember to make sure that your waitlist is well-designed and easy to use so that customers will be more likely to join. You can also use marketing techniques to encourage people to sign up for the waitlist, such as offering exclusive discounts to those who do. 

With a well-executed waitlist strategy, you’ll be able to increase your shop’s sales and grow your business.

Now that you know how to add a waitlist to your Shopify store, it’s time to put it into action by getting the Pre-Order Manager. For questions or concerns you might have, the app offers 24/7 customer support that will ensure seamless integration of the app into your business.

Add Waitlists to your Shopify Store!
Install the app