A Complete Guide to Successful Mobile eCommerce App

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A Complete Guide to Successful Mobile eCommerce App

This is the age of smartphones, as every Tom, dick, and Harry owns one. Smartphone usage has witnessed huge penetration in the last few years. The number of smartphone users crossed the 6.92 billion mark in 2023,  poised to reach 7 billion in the next few years. This trend proves that people largely resort to mobile phones, even for rudimentary activities.

A Complete Guide to Successful Mobile eCommerce App

This also stresses the fact that how important it is for businesses, especially eCommerce, to develop mobile applications to target their audience in a better way. Mobile applications have become mandatory for eCommerce ventures as mobile users spend most of their time on apps. Regarding buying, 62% of people are using their gadgets. So this makes mobile apps indispensable to eCommerce businesses.

Three chief reasons for an eCommerce business to develop a mobile app

The importance of apps as part of eCommerce businesses is paramount. Apart from luring customers, the app offers eCommerce ventures many other advantages. So, let us understand three vital reasons to develop an eCommerce mobile application.

Connect with your audience easily.

These days the main source of online traffic comes from mobile apps, implying that smartphones are increasingly used to visit websites. So, it makes sense to develop your own eCommerce mobile app as there are no other means be real-time apps to connect with customers easily in real-time.

Also, the apps are quicker than most responsive websites as they store photos and other assets on the devices. This ensures that users don’t have to access data from servers every time they visit your eCommerce app. This is one of the reasons why your online store requires a mobile application.

Offer user experience to cherish forever.

With a mobile application, you can choose the kind of user experience you want to offer. An efficient app can make everything related to purchasing simple and easy. Such an app goes a long way in building a brand for your business and making your customers loyal. It has to be noted that building an app might not be a one-time task as you have to fine-tune certain features according to the changing business Ifs to enhance the appeal of Apple; in your case, you develop a potent UI mobile app; then your business will only go from str. strength to strength.

Figure out user behavior.

Accessing data has become quite vital these days. The mobile eCommerce apps allow you to quickly acquire key information about your users, subpatterns & performance. You can easily figure out the most viewed products and the demand for any product through apps. This helps you in delivering exactly what customers want.

Must-have features for any mobile eCommerce app

You can have an eCommerce mobile application for the heck of it, but it won’t do you any good. The mobile application of y, our eCommerce business, has to have certain features without which it won’t make the desired impact. What are these essential features? Let us go through them individually.

Easy registration process

Nobody likes to go through a maze of formalities to register themselves on an eCommerce mobile platform. If the app in question has a cumbersome process of registration, then it can easily put off users or buyers. So to attract and retain customers, it is advisable to have a few easy steps for registration. This also addresses the problem of the drop-off to a large extent. Some common and convenient registration procedures are: sign up through email id and phone number, Sign in via social media, and Single Sign-on via Google.

Easy registration process

 

Efficient search and filter functionality

 A potent search and filter functionality is a must for an eCommerce website. This helps in meeting users’ needs vis-à-vis your existing inventory. If your mobile application lists only 50-100 items,  it still permits users to find products in line with the desired price discount and delivery slots. Your eCommerce mobile app should help customers find what they want with ease; for this, a potent search and filter functionality is a must.

Efficient search and filter functionality

 

Flexible cart facility

A cart is a very critical aspect of eCommerce mobile platforms, and the customization of the same is also very critical. The buyers should be able to change the product’s color, size, and quantity from the cart. If a buyer wants to remove one or two products from the cart, they should be able to do the same easily. As for the wishlist, it is another crucial aspect of contemporary eCommerce mobile apps. It is a huge part of only building brand equity and inculcating customer loyalty and equity and inculcating loyalty among customers.

Flexible cart facility

 

Safe and secure payment modes

An eCommerce mobile application should provide diffThe mobile application is responsible for making responsibility of the mobile application to make the e-payment process as simple and safe as possible. So, it is pertinent to provide potent security and review code constantly to accord maximum protection to a customer’s card details and residential or office addresses from cyber stealth. Again just like the registration process, the payment procedure should not be lengthy as well.

Safe and secure payment modes

 

Online tracking facility

This one is an absolute must. An eCommerce application without a tracking facility is akin to a rudderless ship. Your actual responsibility begins when a customer places an order on your eCommerce mobile application. Your commitment to the customer ceases only when the product reaches the recipient in good shape. Hence, your app provides customers with actual product details in transit. In case of any hiccups due to extraneous factors, the app should also provide constant updates about the product’s progress in transit.

Online tracking facility

Things to factor in while planning E-commerce Mobile App Development

Let us delve into various facets that every business owner should consider before developing a mobile application. These things go a long way in giving the entrepreneur a clear picture before creating the mobile app for their online stores.

Which platform to use?

The chief objective of any mobile app is to make it accessible to as many people as possible. In this endeavor, choosing an appropriate platform to build the same is an absolute must. The mobile platform plays a crucial role in the success of your app. Hence, certain factors must be considered before selecting one, such as age group, country, kind of business, etc. However, two widely used mobile platforms are Android and iOS, so it makes sense to focus on these.

What to choose: Native or Hybrid?

Now you would be wondering what these Native and Hybrid apps are. Let’s dissect the same one by one. Native apps are developed specifically for a mobile operating system and don’t have to connect frequently to a network. They are essentially modeled in line with the defined operating system. As for the Hybrid apps, they are web-based. These apps are created using HTML, Javascript, & CSS, which are configured to fit into smartphone platforms. These apps are gaining in popularity currently. However, before electing one, it is best to consult your app developer, keeping your business goals in mind on how to give the best user experience.

For mobile applications, user experience is very significant. It presents a post on their experience for users depending upon their experience. So, as an eCommerce entrepreneur, you need to think of different ways to provide an out-of-the-world experience to those who come to your mobile application. In such a scenario, developing ideas to make your app more appealing to the target audience is worthwhile. If you ignore this aspect, expect your app to become oblivion sooner or later.

Who is your Target Audience?

Before developing a mobile app for your eCommerce venture, you need to know your target audience,  their expectations, and the technologies they use. This is important because if your app disappoints users, they will take down the app from their smartphones. So, develop an app that satisfies the needs and requirements of users.

How can you stand apart?

There is an innumerable number of apps today on various platforms. For example, the number of apps in the iOS Store happened to be 1.6 million in July 2023, and there were 2.6 million in the same period in Googe Play Store. There are many apps relating to eCommerce as well. The key is to stand apart from the crowd. This is possible only if you study your competitors closely. Then only you can conjure up something unique. You can get many ideas and learn a lot by observing what your competitors are doing. So, understand your business rivals thoroughly to be distinct.

Upcoming trends for mobile e-commerce applications development

We have so far been through the features and various other factors involved in mobile app development for eCommerce ventures. Now let us shift our focus to some eCommerce app development that will befall us in the future.

Geo-fencing

Despite being an upcoming trend in eCommerce mobile applications, the phenomenon is not new. Geo-Fencing can be used by e-tailers to drive traffic to their online stores. The term implies the usage of GPS or RFID technology to form a virtual boundary around a specific location to evoke a response if a customer comes within a specific location. Geo-fencing is also very helpful in tracking the arrival or departure of goods in a warehouse.

Geo-fencing
Geo-fencing

Voice-based assistance

These days one can get help through machines by sending out some instructions. The voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa have gained currency among people worldwide. So, it would not be bad for e-commerce majors to adopt this emerging trend and enhance the user experience by enabling several facilities through voice.

Voice-based assistance
Voice-based assistance

Internet of Things

There is a deluge of IoT-based devices in the market, such as smartwatches and refrigerators, connected cars, etc. IoT serves the purpose of a bridge, linking machines, appliances, and several types of stuff. Through digital connectivity, e-commerce can gain significantly, besides boosting e-commerce investment in automation. This enables a control like spotting dashboard, influencing real-time inventory, spotting faults and malfunctions, and offering enjoyable customer service.

Internet of Things
Internet of Things

 

AI-based assistants and suggestion-inducing engines

When it comes to customers, they prefer personalized experiences on any digital platform, especially mobile applications. The e-commerce apps can take recourse to AI-powered chatbots to better understand customers’ requirements and address their issues. By employing intelligent chatbots on eCommerce mobile apps, human interaction can be avoided greatly while dealing with customers. As for Recommendation Engines, they can utilize AI to predict the pattern of consumer behavior and analyze search history to know their tastes and preferences. This data will help catalog visibility foundations and increase the catalog’s visibility.

AI-based assistants and suggestion inducing engines
AI-based assistants and suggestion-inducing engines

Augmented Reality or AR

Currently, AR is gaining traction all across the industry. Besides the gaming domain, technology is also increasingly integrated into eCommerce apps. This can make the user experience very entertaining and engaging. One prominent example is IKEA using an AR e-commerce mobile app to permit buyers to check out furniture sitting at their abodes.

Augmented Reality or AR
Augmented Reality or AR

 

Factors to keep in mind while fixing the budget for e-commerce app development 

Developing an e-commerce mobile platform requires significant money for any business. As a result, proper planning is mandatory when it comes to costs and resources. So, we are giving you some crucial things to analyze while fixing the budget for your mobile e-commerce app development.

Inclusion of features

We have already spoken about the features required on the eCommerce apps. But how much effort is required to get these things right? Does anyone know that? Let us understand the efforts involved in developing the features:

    • User Accounts containing shoppers’ details and past order details require 35 to 50 hours to develop.
    • The cart needs integration of several payment options, requiring something between 70 and 110 hours to set up.
    • The main screen, useful for searching and filtering products on various catalogs, needs close to 45 hours.
    • Product Details Screen having photo sliders, ratings, reviews, and social media sharing provisions can take 20 to 40 hours.

Not only these, but other features are also involved, and even their integration is crucial to the smooth functioning of your eCommerce app. So, it would be best to analyze the efforts involved in these tasks before allocating a budget for app development.

Hybrid VS Native

These are two approaches in app building; you need to consider your requirements before choosing one option. Hybrid development is quicker than native, but for an enjoyable user experience, the latter comes in very handy. If you want a huge consumer base, you ought to have different native applications for Android and iOS platforms. However, native apps are more expensive than a hybrid. Now, make a decision based on these factors.

Outsource orin-house development

Entrepreneurs can decide whether they require internal staff or external agencies to do the app job for them. Owners can go for any option, in-house or external, but the app developer should have these people:

    • UI and UX designer
    • QA engineer
    • About 2 to 4 developers
    • Backend developer
    • Project manager

Before taking a call on the vendor, analyze key factors such as reputation, capability, past works, and domain knowledge.

Conclusion

So, developing a mobile application for the eCommerce venture is a must to survive the existing cut-throat completion. The app should be relevant for your business, as developing the same for a namesake won’t yield the desired results. Also, analyze your needs and preferences before creating a mobile application.


Ajeet
Ajeet

Author Bio:

Ajeet is a senior web developer at WordPressIntegration – a WordPress Mobile App Development Company– responsible for writing custom JavaScript code during conversion. In his spare time, he writes on different topics related to JavaScript, WordPress, and Web Design to share his work experience with others. You can follow WordPressIntegration on Facebook.

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