Reaching 100 five-star reviews for our Shopify app Rubik Variant Images in just eight months wasn’t easy, especially with Shopify’s updated review system, which often results in many reviews not being published. But we made it happen, and I want to share the strategies and mindset that got us there.

Whether you’re building a Shopify app or any other SaaS product, these lessons can help you create a product that customers love and actively recommend.

1. Start with Product-Market Fit

Before anything else, your product must solve a significant problem for a substantial market. This is foundational if you’re struggling with product-market fit, no amount of optimization will help you get those five-star reviews.

We made sure our app addressed a real pain point that many Shopify merchants face. Without this foundation, all the tactics in the world won’t generate genuine enthusiasm from your users.

2. Build a Great Product (No Shortcuts)

Your product needs to be exceptional. It’s incredibly difficult to accumulate positive reviews if your app is buggy or hard to use. Here’s what we focused on:

• Simple onboarding: New users should understand your app within minutes
• “Magic” moments: When merchants use our product, it should feel effortless
• Continuous improvement: We update our app almost daily based on customer feedback
• Quality standards: Getting the “Built for Shopify 💎” badge was a priority

We’re obsessed with our product quality, and it shows in our reviews.

3. Deliver Lightning-Fast Customer Support

Speed matters more than you think. Here’s our support philosophy:

• Live chat availability: Be there when customers need you
• Instant replies: Don’t make customers wait
• Quick problem resolution: Solve issues in minutes, not hours

We are a two-person team, and to achieve this level of service, we invested heavily in internal tools. We built a mobile-friendly dashboard that enables us to manage all customer customizations and quickly identify any issues. For example, if the app isn’t enabled on a customer’s theme, we can spot it immediately.

4. Implement Smart Debugging Tools

For apps that run on the storefront, debugging can be challenging. We developed a logging system that displays console logs based on a query string variable. This approach:

• Keeps the storefront clean for other developers
• Allows us to debug issues quickly
• Reduces back-and-forth with customers
• Speeds up problem resolution

This technical investment pays dividends in support efficiency and customer satisfaction.

5. Master the Art of Calm Support

Not every customer interaction will be pleasant. Some customers will test your patience, and it’s crucial to:

• Never take rudeness personally
• Maintain a consistently positive and respectful tone
• Stay calm regardless of the customer’s behavior
• Remember that their frustration isn’t about you

We’ve learned that customers who are chronically unhappy will likely never be satisfied, regardless of what you do. Don’t waste energy arguing — focus on helping those who appreciate your efforts.

6. Ask for Reviews (The Right Way)

While you can’t ask for five-star reviews specifically, you can and should ask for feedback. Here’s the reality:

• Unhappy customers will leave reviews without prompting
• Happy customers rarely leave reviews on their own
• A simple, genuine ask can make a huge difference

We tell our customers that reviews are important and helpful to us. Most are happy to oblige when they’ve had a positive experience.

7. Go the Extra Mile

During support interactions, we often help customers improve their stores in ways that aren’t directly related to our app. This approach:

• Creates warm relationships with merchants
• Demonstrates our Shopify expertise
• Takes minimal extra time
• Often leads to glowing reviews

It’s low-hanging fruit that pays huge dividends in customer relationships.

8. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Quick Calls

Sometimes, chat support isn’t enough. We’re always ready to jump on a quick call when needed. Video or voice calls:

• Solve complex problems faster
• Build stronger merchant relationships
• Increase the likelihood of positive reviews
• Provide insights into how merchants use our product

These conversations also help us improve our product based on real user workflows.

9. Founders Should Do Support (At Least Initially)

As a two-person team with my co-founder Umid, we handle all support ourselves. This might seem inefficient, but it’s actually strategic:

• We understand our product deeply through customer interactions
• We identify improvement opportunities firsthand
• We build better internal tools based on real needs
• We’ll be able to train future support staff more effectively

Every support interaction is a learning opportunity that helps us improve both our product and our processes.

10. Storefront Apps Get More Reviews

This was an interesting discovery. Our previous apps ran on the backend, but this is our first storefront app. While storefront apps come with challenges:

• More support volume due to theme/app incompatibilities
• More complex debugging scenarios
• Higher customer interaction frequency

These increased interactions actually translate to more reviews. When you solve a tricky storefront issue for a merchant, they’re often grateful enough to leave a review.

The Bottom Line

Reaching 100 five-star reviews in eight months required dedication, obsession with quality, and genuine care for our customers. It wasn’t about gaming the system — it was about building something merchants love and providing support that exceeds expectations.

Remember: reviews are a lagging indicator of customer satisfaction. Focus on creating an exceptional product and support experience, and the reviews will follow.