Perhaps we should have called it BravoShop V2.0. We didn't. But perhaps we shold. The Customization Update is not just an improvement to the platform. It's a fundamental shift in how customization is achieved.
If you can't wait, go check it out right now →
Introduction
Until today, customization options have been added on a as-needed basis.
- "Merchants in the EU need to display a VAT notice on product pages" - We added a toggle
- "Fashion brands need to show a size guide on every product page" - We added a toggle
- "Some e-commerce owners want to show a link to their return policy in the menu" - We added a toggle
... and I could keep going. Brands are unique and require unique features
This resulted in a settings page the length of a New York Times bestseller. Not optimal!
Starting with this update, customizations are built into the very core of BravoShop.
Summary
- Blocks can be added to more screens, including the product screen and the cart screen (!)
- The app's default screens (like product details, cart, checkout, order details, and more) can all be customized
- The top bar, navigation and menu can all be customized
- Every single text in the app can be customized
- You can set up an announcement, which will be shown on most screens in the app
This is a big update and we're excited to see how you'll use it.
We won't be covering every single feature in this post - that would simply take too long. This post will provide an overview of the newly added features.
Let's get to it! 🚀
App screens
Previously you have only been able to add blocks to your app's Shop Pages, and customizations were done with "random" toggles hidden away in the settings.
By navigating to Builder → Screens, you can now customize the 7 app screens listed below. Blocks can be added to the screens marked with 🏗️.
- Product Details (🏗️)
- Product List (Search)
- Cart (🏗️)
- Checkout
- Blog
- Thank You
- Order Details (🏗️)
For the remaining pages, the ones not marked with 🏗️, we now offer waay more customization options. For example, check out the Product List screen:
We are continually adding support for more screens, expanding the options for already customizable screens, and adding block support for even more screens.
If you have any specific screens or customization options in mind, please reach out! We would love to hear your feedback.
Top bar, navigation, menu, announcements
Customizing specific screens in your app is nice. Cute, even. But you know what's awesome?
Customizing the two most noticable parts of the app: top bar and navigation. Both of these can now be fully customized to match your brand's needs.
Not just that, you can also add announcements and customize the More Menu.
Top bar and announcements
The top bar is an important part of your app, being one of the first things your customers see when they open it.
Previously, you almost haven't been able to customize it. Sure, you could change the logo. And the cart button would match your brand color. But that was it.
For many brands, that wasn't enough. Their logo wasn't square, or they didn't want the search bar, or... (insert a million other things here)
Now? Oh man, there are so many possibilities. Not only can you customize the look of the top bar, you can also remove elements that you don't want.
What if I want it to look the old way?
That's the beauty of it all - you don't have to change anything! If you want it to stay the same, it will.
Navigation
The navigation bar provides customers with a quick way to get to the most important pages of the app. But who are we to decide what the most important pages are for your app?
With the new Navigation Builder, you can set the navigation menu up just how you want it. Add more menu items? Sure!* Change the background color? Yup! Change the colors? Indeed!
* You probably shouldn't add more than 4-5, though. Gets messy on small phones!
More Menu
On most websites, the footer contains a list of "useful links". A lot of those are similar across website: Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, About Us, and so on.
However, there are also cases where a website needs a unique link. For example we have a link to our Product Updates.
The exact same thing applies to mobile apps. You might have a podcast for your brand - if so, you can now promote it directly in the app! In fact you can promote whatever you want.
Maybe you have a store locator page on your website? Link to it from the more menu! Or don't - the control is in your hands.
Texts
You have (almost) always been able to customize specific texts in the app. Now, you can customize all texts in the app.
Every text is customizable by default. This means that new texts will also be customizable. As of writing this, there are 510 unique texts ready to be customized.
Conclusion
I know this post was a bit repetitive. It could probably be summarized as "before, very limited - now, so many possibilities!"
This update is an enormous step forward on our path towards providing an app that works for as many brands as possible - without requiring any coding.
I want to say a huge thanks to everyone who has been so kind to provide us with feedback during the design and development phases of this project.
If you want to stay up to date about what happens with BravoShop, make sure to sign up for our monthly email recap.
Now, we will go back to the usual: Shipping awesome stuff to provide e-commerce brands with the best possible way to launch a mobile app. 🚀