Publish an app

So you have finished development and you’re ready to accept customers? Then lets talk about publishing your app!

1. Determine the price of the app (Billing)

Together with our partnerships team, you will determine a fair price for the built app. Billing can be totally automated by Lightspeed eCom, which is not only convenient for developers, but for our merchants as well. It is also possible to manage billing yourself, please contact your partner manager for more information. You will need to indicate your choice in the partner portal under Billing: ‘By Lightspeed eCom’ or ‘By Partner’.

When we do the billing, you can set up a trial period for the app, which can be 14 days or 30 days. Within these time limits, merchants won’t be billed for using the app. Note: merchants are not billed for an app when they uninstall the app within 12 hours of initial install, whether there’s a trial period or not.

If the app is free or you do your own billing, you can choose ‘Variable price’, ‘Performance-based,’ or ‘Free’ from the dropdown. You can also add a short description which becomes available on the app page in the price section. You may enter this short description in all necessary languages. You can also add a URL to an external pricing page.

2. App Listing: Complete all required fields

Before publishing your app, you are required to fill in a summary and a description of your app, but you should also add appealing visuals. These fields are important, so here we provide you with some tips and tricks that you should follow to get the most out of the app listing experience (see also example image).

Note: the summary and description should be completed in the different languages the app is available in (change under ‘edit’) In addition to the native language of the app, we advise to also provide text in Dutch, German and English.

To make it simple, we have created a guide. DOWNLOAD IT HERE.

Under ‘edit’:

• Provide a brief summary of the app (sales pitch). This summary is visible when hovering over the app in the App Store. It is the first description of your app that merchants will see.
• Provide the documentation URL (link to HTML- or PDF-format): add the app installation setup instructions, a FAQ, a tutorial video, etc. This will greatly reduce support tickets on your end.
• Mention external requirements. When your app requires additional software or an external account other than Lightspeed eCom, this should be noted. Provide the name, where it’s located (URL), and if it is free or paid.
• Write an elaborate description of the app using the WYSIWYG editor:
  • Include an instructional video, preferably on top of the page in an <iframe>.
  • Provide three key taglines for your app.
  • Start with a general introduction/about the app section.
  • Mandatory: use bold or underlined headings for the following items: USPs/benefits, pricing, and third-party requirements.
  • Use bulletpoints to show the USPs (unique selling points) of your app, but also from possibile third-party software. Merchants want to read that an app will save them time or make them money.
  • Important: List possible prices of required third-party software (e.g., accounting/email marketing software needed for using the app). If the app is only a connector, this should be clear. Be transparent for our merchants.
  • Use hyperlinks to navigate to certain pages.
  • Include a link to the app documentation in the app listing description (this will greatly reduce support tickets on your end).

Do not forget to save the changes (top or bottom) before going back to general settings. On the overview page you can preview the text page as it would appear in the App Store (including HTML output).

On the overview page:

• Choose an app category.
• Provide Visuals: A good icon (175x175px) and banner (288x162px), both preferably with colored background. Using screenshots (480x360px) in the portfolio section improves adoption. Our merchants want to know what they are dealing with, and screenshots provide a good overview.
• Provide all necessary app URLs (success, cancel and uninstall URL of the app, and app website).
• Determine permissions of the app (read/write): this is important, so fill it in correctly. We do not want to confuse our merchants.
• Save changes at the bottom of the page.

3. File your app for beta testing

If required, your app can be launched in the beta section of the app store (found in the category dropdown). The app will then only be visible when visiting the beta category section. Merchants that are willing to beta test the app can discover bugs and provide you with recommendations for improving the app.

Note that the app needs to be fully functional and must already be thoroughly tested by both the developers and the Lightspeed eCom team. This stage is about checking whether the functions fulfil the needs of the end-users.

4. Provide accurate contact details

Give your contact details in your account (under ‘Edit account’ section). The email address and phone number shall be visible for support issues. Without this, the app cannot be published! Please do not click the checkbox ‘Visible in the expert area (for approved agencies only)’, without approval. Do not forget to save changes at the bottom of the page.

5. Launch the app

After completing the above, you are ready to publish the app. Use the blue publish button on the top-right corner of your screen. After publishing, you’ll notice a submitted, waiting for confirmation button. Please send an email to your partner manager so they can do a final check on your completed fields and test the app. Once confirmed, you’ll be able to see the page as it will be shown in the App Store within your partner account. Following this, Lightspeed eCom can publish the app in the App Store.

Note: if you want to make changes to any of the app’s fields (e.g., change icon or add to description), after doing so, always republish the app using the green approved, republish button on the top right corner of your screen.

6. Final requirements

Lightspeed eCom partners are expected to fulfil a number of requirements after publishing the app. Lightspeed eCom is a growing company. To continue growing, we require that our partners:

• Add the Lightspeed eCom logo, including a link and information, to their homepage or partner section (please ask about the partner package).
• Communicate the new app through their media channels.

Further information on partner requirements will be thoroughly outlined in the partner agreement.