eCommerce is a sector where one must always contact the customers to realize the best results. A must or must-have tool for audience engagement is push notifications that, if implemented strategically into your Shopify mobile app, would double up user engagement and app retention. But this magic can only be achieved with a sound backend infrastructure.
Thus, Firebase has successfully filled this gap. Its ability to sync data, communicate between devices, and provide background services for apps delivers a comprehensive platform that helps developers take their mobile projects to the next level.
Firebase is a platform that provides a complete set of services, such as hosting, databases, authentication, and cloud messaging, which play a crucial role in deploying push notifications. With the use of Firebase in the Shopify mobile app builder you can simplify the procedure of creating and sharing Firebase projects and make it possible to get the push notifications advantage, thereby aiding in the stimulation of growth and customer engagement.
This blog post aims to take you through building a Firebase project for a Shopify mobile app builder from the beginning to getting your push notifications to integrate nicely into your app interface. Even if you are an expert developer or beginner, our guide will empower you with whatever you need to use to maximise what Firebase can offer. This is to supercharge your Shopify mobile app with engaging push notifications. Let’s dive in!
An Overview of Firebase: Empowering Developers Everywhere
Google Firebase, which has become an unavoidable asset for a developer to build quick and efficient apps of high quality, is a package of tools and services.
With its well-established infrastructure and the perfect synergy of openness and integration with the leading platforms, it is the favourite choice of developers worldwide. Another great attribute that makes Firebase is the real-time database developers use to store and synchronise information across different devices.
Source: Google
This is a unique feature for apps requiring immediate updates, such as messaging apps or collaborative tools.
For example, an app that supports team collaboration relies on Firebase to maintain the same version of documents or project updates for every team member so they can see the changes in real-time.
Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) is a powerful tool that is very useful for sending push notifications that aim to get users involved and informed about important announcements or promotional activities.
Imagine a shopping app from Firebase that sends customised push notifications to customers depending on the history they feed or the items they put on a wish list, resulting in increased customers and a better experience for them.
In summary, Firebase’s all-inclusive service offerings, coupled with flexible integration with different systems, constitute the main reasons developers are likely to turn to this tool to create their app with great features.
Through the constant innovation and refinement of its tools and services, its position as a central platform in the app development landscape has been secured, providing developers anywhere with the instruments and infrastructure they need to create cutting-edge and immersive user experiences for audiences worldwide.
How to Create a Firebase Project?
Firebase is, without a doubt, a highly advanced platform that can provide application development with a myriad of services that include hosting, databases, authentication, and cloud messaging.
Launching a Firebase project is a prerequisite for tapping the full potential of this platform for your app. Below are the simple steps to create your Firebase project:
Step 1: Login to Firebase by Console
Source: Kii Documentation
- Launch your web browser and navigate to the Firebase Console at console.firebase.google.com.
- Create an account with your Google ID. If you don’t have a Google account, you will have to create one right now.
Step 2: Add “New Project”
Source: Kii Documentation
- From there, click on the button that reads “Add project.”
- Add your project’s name. Select a name that will be descriptive and easy to remember for your Firebase project. The name will be used to identify the project.
- Moreover, it’s optional to edit the project ID, or you may use the auto-generated ID supplied by Firebase.
- Pick a country/region and turn on Google Analytics to use it in your exercise.
Congratulations! You have successfully created a Firebase project and, accordingly, have integrated Firebase services into your Android app which further enhances its capabilities. Powered by the rich set of robust features and a user-friendly interface, Firebase becomes an invaluable tool that app developers use to design and build scalable as well as feature-rich apps.
Continue to explore the functionalities of Firebase so that your app serves its objective better and creates an excellent user experience.
How to Share the Firebase Project?
After creating and adequately configuring your Firebase project that includes all needed services, you may want to do the same with a team of developers working from the outside.
Collaborative development of the application and smooth collaboration with sharing your Firebase project is ensured securely. Below are the steps to share your Firebase project effectively:
Step1: Access Firebase Console
- Click your web browser and pick the Firebase Console (console.firebase.google.com).
- Sign in with your Google account; then to the Google project you want to share navigate.
Step 2: Invite Collaborators
Source: MageNative
- In the Firebase Project Dashboard, click on the settings icon (that looks like a gear) next to the Project Overview in the left sidebar.
- Choose “Project settings” from the menu.
- On the Project tab of the settings page, go to the “Users and permissions” subsection.
- Hit the “Add Member” button to invite potential collaborators.
- Please enter the email address of the person you are inviting into your story and pick their role (Owner, Editor, Viewer).
Owner: Core access to manage project members, assign permissions, add or remove members and perform admin tasks.
Step 3: Define the Permission and Access Levels
- Once you add another member, you can, however, control their permissions and the level of access to match your project’s regulations.
- Click on the downward-facing arrow next to the member’s email address to change or delete them from the project.
- When you need to be sure about tasks that require high sensitivity or administrative tasks, the number of owners should be limited or give the editor and/or viewer roles to collaborators as required.
Step 4: Agree to Invitation (Collaborator’s Point of View)
- This project will be joined with the conducted invitation email, and the collaborator with the invited function will receive the email on joining this project.
- They should click on the invitation link and sign in with the same Google account or ID connected to their Firebase account.
- After they accept the invitation, they will be given permission to the Firebase project pertaining to their positions.
Step 5: Manage Collaborators
- While configuring the project as a project owner/editor, you can see the list of team members and access logs from the “Users and permissions” tab in the Project settings. In case, you have to remove any team member you may do so.
- Review permissions from time to time and make sure that the team can work safely, whilst being productive with the Firebase project.
Sharing your project on Firebase makes you able to work together with your team members and remote developers productively, thus, better app development and management will be achieved. Implementing the steps defined earlier will help you add collaborators, set up permissions as desired, and make the collaboration run smoothly throughout the progress of your project that uses Firebase.
Conclusive Thoughts
In this step-by-step guide, we have gone through the critical stages of the project deployment effortlessly. Firebase showcases its immense flexibility and dispensability from start-up to partnership by entering the modern app development arena as a universal tool.
To increase the abilities of Shopify app builders, integrating Firebase offers an unparalleled opportunity, mainly due to features like push notifications, real-time data synchronization, and in-app security.
In turn, Firebase comes in handy if you wish to spice up the mobile app’s performance in terms of usability, interaction, and user experience. Whether you are an expert developer or just starting the app-creating journey, Firebase saves you the trouble of backend infrastructures and places you in front of the field to bring new innovations and give out exciting experiences for your users.
Allow your creative mind and make the Firebase your top choice when it comes to creating Shopify mobile apps for the future generation that has the power to engage, entertain, and inspire. The options are numerous, and the future will never be the same – give it a try and enjoy the endless options and opportunities that Firebase brings to the table.