When launching a new product on Shopify, are you facing challenges like "not being able to publish the product page before launch" or "having trouble manually handling a late-night sale start"? A launch-announcement app can solve these problems all at once.
This article thoroughly explains 3 concrete benefits of launch-announcement apps, 3 points for choosing an app you won't regret, and 2 recommended fully Japanese-supported apps for peace of mind. It's a practical guide to boosting your new product launch's success rate and maximizing customer anticipation.
Benefits of using a launch-announcement app
Publish the product page before launch
On Shopify, to prevent a new product from being ordered before it launches, you need to either "hide the product page until the launch date" or "set inventory to 0 to make it appear sold out." The former means you can't publish the product page, and the latter risks customers mistakenly thinking the product has already launched and is out of stock.
With a launch-announcement app, you can publish the product page in a state where it can't be ordered yet. Some apps can also display a countdown to the launch.
Makes running your store easier
Without a launch-announcement app, you'd need to manually switch the product's status to "selling" on the launch date. If the launch time is midnight, staff would need to stay up until then.
With a launch-announcement app, the status automatically switches at the launch time you've set, eliminating the need for manual changes and the need for staff to stay up late.
Can expect earlier indexing by search engines
Being able to publish the product page before launch with a launch-announcement app is also a major SEO benefit.
If you're relying on search engines like Google Search for customer acquisition, your product page needs to be indexed in the search engine's database for it to appear in search results.
If the product page stays unpublished until launch, it can't be indexed, which delays when it starts appearing in search results.
The article below introduces the basics of SEO and SEO measures you can take on Shopify.
Points for choosing a launch-announcement app
How far do you want to take your launch announcement?
The app you should choose depends on whether "simply publishing the product page in an unorderable state until launch is enough," or whether "you want to display the time until launch as a countdown."
First, consider how far you want to take this for your store.
How much does it cost?
Consider how much you're willing to pay for the features you want in a launch-announcement app.
Does it support Japanese?
Choosing an app carelessly just because it's cheap can lead to hidden work costs (translating into Japanese, contacting support when issues arise, etc.), so be careful.
First, check whether the following are supported in Japanese.
- The storefront (the part customers see on your site)
- The app's admin dashboard
- The help pages
- Support contacts
2 Shopify apps for launch announcements
RuffRuff Selling Periods
RuffRuff Selling Periods is a selling-period app that lets you set a start and end date per variant. It fully supports Japanese, and a simple 3-step setup lets you implement new product launch announcements and limited-time sales.
It's also Japan's first selling-period app to use the Cart and Checkout Validation API, so it can prevent out-of-period purchases even in cases existing apps can't handle.
With RuffRuff Selling Periods, you can display a "Coming Soon" message before launch, or show a countdown to launch.
A demo product using RuffRuff Selling Periods for a launch announcement
Below is a demo product that's actually using "RuffRuff Selling Periods" for a launch announcement. Feel free to use it as a reference.
How to run a launch announcement with RuffRuff Selling Periods
The blog article below explains in detail how to run a launch announcement using "RuffRuff Selling Periods." Feel free to use it as a reference.
RuffRuff 予約販売
RuffRuff 予約販売 is an app that lets you easily implement pre-order sales on your Shopify store. With this app, you can support a wide range of sales formats, including "launch announcements," "limited-time sales," "recurring sales," "member-only sales," "VIP-only sales," and "deferred payment."
It's packed with unique features not found in other pre-order apps, such as "deferred payment," which lets you collect payment before the product ships, and a "countdown timer" feature that shows the time remaining until launch or the end of a sale.
It has earned "Built for Shopify" status, Shopify's official mark of top-quality apps that meet criteria for speed, ease of use, and reliability.
A demo product using RuffRuff 予約販売 for a launch announcement
By making good use of "RuffRuff 予約販売"'s pre-order rules, you can implement a launch announcement. The page below is a demo product that's actually running a launch announcement. Feel free to use it as a reference.
How to run a launch announcement with RuffRuff 予約販売
The help page below introduces how to run a launch announcement using "RuffRuff 予約販売." Feel free to use it as a reference.
Conclusion
A launch-announcement app is a reliable partner for making your new product launch a success. Publishing your product page ahead of time builds customer anticipation, automating your operations saves valuable time, and improved SEO strengthens ongoing customer acquisition.
Both "RuffRuff Selling Periods" and "RuffRuff 予約販売," introduced in this article, fully support Japanese and offer solid support. Using the countdown timer feature can further boost customer purchase intent and help maximize sales on launch day.
Launching a new product is a valuable opportunity to grow your store and deepen trust with your customers. Start preparing today and make your next launch a big success.
