Getting started with Vitals
Just installed Vitals and don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place. Here’s a general overview and some tips to get you on the right path.
- 1. Enable the Vitals app in the App Embeds section
- 2. Start with a quick recap
- 3. Find your way around Vitals
- 4. Check the tutorials and talk to our support team
- 5. Learn the first tricks
- 6. Enable your favorite apps
- 7. Decide the future of Vitals!
Take 20 minutes to read this article and familiarize yourself with Vitals. You won't regret it!
Step 1. Enable the Vitals app in the App Embeds section
Before anything else, ensure that the Vitals app will run on your store by enabling it on your theme's App Embeds section. Below is a quick video of how to do it:
It simply involves turning on the Vitals switch inside your Theme Editor. Once enabled, don't forget to save your change.
Step 2. Start with a quick recap
If you're like most merchants, you've been using various apps for the past few years. Then you might have decided to install Vitals after hearing that you'll pay significantly less compared to using multiple individual features. But there are more benefits under the hood, and it's best to know them right from the start:
- You get an improvement of up to 4x in load time compared to using multiple individual apps.
- All the apps are fully integrated so you won't get conflicts or overlaps. (this is way more important than you might think!)
- Last but not least, no more talking to multiple app developers with different response times. With Vitals, you have a single point of support available 24/7 via email and chat.
Step 3. Find your way around Vitals
As with any new software, it might look overwhelming initially, but it’s pretty simple and user-friendly. We've used Polaris, the design system created by Shopify, to help you quickly navigate all the apps and features. The Vitals app is also embedded inside your Shopify Admin, providing seamless transition and navigation without opening a new browser tab or window.
When you open the Vitals Dashboard, you will immediately see quick statistics about your enabled Vitals apps. Highly useful information like summarized information of revenue generated with the help of our apps, the number of live visitors recorded by the Visitor Replays app, the number of reviews received by the Product Reviews app, and other critical information can be seen.
Scrolling down further provides gives you access to the Vitals app's search function - a very powerful tool that helps you become more efficient with our apps!
Simply type anything related to what you want to do in our app, and it will yield the closest and most accurate results immediately. It can show a variety of information, such as the apps that are related to your search, the specific settings, or tutorial articles for you to look over.
If you are looking to browse all of our 40+ apps and a quick introduction of their use, you can simply click the Apps link on your Shopify admin's sidebar, and you will see all of our apps that can also be filtered according to category:
Step 4. Check the tutorials and talk to our support team
As you’ve probably seen, we have a comprehensive Help Center. On top of this, you'll find an exceptional collection of video tutorials on YouTube.
As for talking to our support team, this is a must, even if it's just to say 'Hi!' 😀95% of the reviews we receive mention our support team, and there are 6,000+ of them with a crystal-clear 5.0 rating.
Whenever you need us, we're here for you. Just click the floating bubble on the bottom right↘️and reach out to us via chat or email.
We're available 24/7, and we answer most requests within minutes. If you haven't heard from us in a few hours, check your Spam folder.
If you would like to reach out to us directly, our email address help@vitals.co can also receive your concern, but the support beacon above is much easier.
Step 5. Learn the first tricks
Most Vitals apps are fully customizable in terms of look and placement. The Vitals Editor is straightforward and super easy to use.
Need to translate Vitals? You can translate almost all the apps - here's how.
Want to display some apps on specific products only? You can do that.
Want more fine-tuning? You can use CSS and Javascript to refine Vitals further, but if you're not an experienced developer, ask us for help. If you want to custom place an app or adjust the styling, reach out to our support team. We can make that happen!
Step 6. Enable your favorite apps
With 40+ apps, you could get lost trying to make heads or tails of Vitals. Here are our recommendations for a complete beginner. The following apps are essential to any store and a great starting point, especially since they'll help you familiarize yourself with Vitals:
Convert more with the Sticky Add to Cart app
The app allows you to place a Sticky Add to Cart Bar on your store, making it easy for visitors to add their desired products to their carts, even as they're scrolling down. The Sticky Add to Cart Button can mimic the look & feel of your default Add to Cart Button so that it blends seamlessly with the design of your store. Plus - it's integrated with our Product Reviews app, of course.
Capture leads with the Spin the Wheel app!
Create an engaging shopping experience for your visitors by offering them the chance to play a fun and interactive game. The pay-off? You get to build your email list and re-target those customers. The emails that we collect are sent automatically to Shopify in your customers' list, and they are all tagged with VITALS
. You can also connect third-party services, such as Mailchimp and Klaviyo, to have your emails automatically sent there. With just a click, you should be able to connect either of these two services.
Build trust with the Product Reviews app!
Whether you are a popular brand or just started, product reviews play a crucial role in your eCommerce business. Product Reviews is one of the more complex apps in Vitals. To fully understand it, read these articles from our Help Center, or watch the video tutorials. Already using a reviews app? Chances are you can export the reviews from there and import them into our app as well.
Reduce abandonment with the Cart Notice app!
The Cart Notice app in Vitals provides your store the possibility of having a countdown timer in the cart and a clear message - buy now or risk losing your desired products. Your visitors’ fear of missing out could lead to a higher conversion rate for your online store. Employ FOMO!
Boost Revenue with the Upsell Builder app!
The Upsell Builder comprises five upsell offer types: Product Bundles, Volume Discounts, Buy X Get Y, Goal, and Gift. I encourage you to head over to our Help Center, read the articles for a more in-depth explanation, or watch the tutorials. Check out the best practices when creating our upsell offers.
Now that you know which apps to start with, all you have to do to activate them is flip a switch! Force refresh the store every time you make a change to see it live on your store.
If you’re worried that by using Vitals and its 40+ apps, you will slow down your store, don’t be. First, the information is sent to the store in a single request. That reduces load time compared to multiple individual apps. Secondly, only those apps that you have active are sent in that request, not all 40+.
Step 7. Decide the future of Vitals!
If you’re like us and look to the future, our roadmap is publicly available. Go ahead and take a look. We’re permanently developing new apps, and you can actually have a say in this. Just visit this section, upvote the features you're most interested in, and submit your ideas.
Thank you for being with us -- and happy selling!