A lazy Saturday evening. You turned the last page of your favorite novel – a pang of happiness as you gain closure and a bite of sorrow knowing you won’t ever know what happens to the characters after you close the book.
A deep sigh leaves you and you are grounded back to reality – you were supposed to go grocery shopping. Damn your author! You quickly pick up your phone, open your app, and place a repeat order just like your last time. With your COD in place, you breathe a sigh of relief.
From repeated orders to the leverage of mobility-based convenience, these days e-Commerce platforms have embraced your living style. Their steady shift to mobile version apps has made access even more convenient. Why wouldn’t you want this mode of e-shopping?
True, we started just like e-shopping and e-Commerce are in today’s lingo – no stats, no establishing its pandemic dominance – because it is rhetorical! Social distancing only fueled its pace and before we even came to know, we became the happy clients heavily relying on it.
However, we, as homo sapiens are always looking for further development on our existing luxuries. Look into coolers turning its ACs, desktops turning into laptops turning into iPads – and the list is extensive. That’s how mobile e-Commerce came to us, hiding in the shadows cast by e-Commerce. And to say the least – we love it!
So, all those e-Commerce owners who are still feeling content with their sites or no apps – here is something to unsettle your peace! In our defense – by the end of the read you will have something (read ‘eCommerce app development’) that will spike your ROI. So, are you ready to roll?
The Market Craze Surrounding E-Commerce Sites
We kickstart with some stale news – e-commerce in the pandemic era. Trust us, we see you rolling your eyes considering by now you have read up 100s of articles on this! But we can offer you something better – here’s presenting some statistics!
While the pictures above have voiced out the e-commerce story of trillions, to wrap it up in a nutshell, we can safely say that with COVID-19, the e-Commerce story has paced an estimated 5 years in a matter of a few months.
Needless to say, the offline stores located a significant fallback in this pandemic stricken era. Let’s say, social distancing, self-quarantine, health safety guidelines – and a buffet of other such factors acted as the perfect catalyst.
However, as and how e-Commerce gained popularity, site owners looked around to add on specific leverage to gain ground with their competitors. This is how m-Commerce or mobile-based e-Commerce came to the surface, in other words, the app version of e-Commerce sites gained pace.
From E-Commerce to m-Commerce
Online shopping has led the show for a long time now. entrepreneurs, as usual, are seeking to adjust in a heavily dynamic environment. This is well-laid out by their steady increase of interest in mobile shopping.
As of recent, an estimated 60% of mobile users bank on their mobiles to look into the price of products and services and also purchase the same. The idea here is not to lose prospective clients and ensure that you reach out to the new markets.
And we cannot emphasize it more that we are not talking about replacing e-Commerce with m-Commerce, it is all about adding the latter option considering the tally on shopping cart abandonment.
With all the smartphones, the talk about approaching the top mobile app development company in New York, and seeking mobile-friendly versions of websites, what can be better than adding on your app? Look at Amazon, Flipkart, and all the others pacing for the top 5 ranks in e-commerce mobile apps, and you will understand why!
When you have an option of increasing the leads and your conversion rate, why not jump into it?
Types of eCommerce Mobile Apps
While m-Commerce is so ‘jamming’ right now, unless you have a better understanding of its classification, the investment you make towards eCommerce app development is going down the drain.
While there are multiple ways to classify m-commerce, here is the most popular one –
Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
Considered one of the most popular e-commerce types, this B2C category is all about the professional interaction between end-users and an organization.
The popularity of this type of m-Commerce can be attributed to the fact that companies these days do not rely on normal stores to reach out to clients. Enterprises are more likely to create apps that will help them make the selling process far more effective for their diverse products and services.
Consumer-to-Business (С2В)
One of the most unusual e-Commerce forms, C2B is all about consumers selling off their goods and services to ensure that they are approached by brands.
Business-to-Business (B2B)
In this case, the transaction is between organizations. Manufacturers can advertise their services and merchandise and their purchase party selects their preferred services and products that can be further supplied to their end-users.
As the payment mode between organizations is more reliable, the business opportunity, in this case, is boosted.
Consumer-to-Consumer (С2C)
In this model of e-Commerce, the sale of services and merchandise is carried out between the various consumers. These platforms mainly include ones that carry out P2P marketplaces and online auctions.
Pros of having eCommerce Apps
As an estimated 60% of mobile phone owners go knee-deep into mobile shopping, revenue is one of the pros of mobile e-Commerce app development. However, the leverages are not merely limited to this. A long queue awaits –
Help in Building Clients Loyalty
Mobile e-Commerce is all about creating brand loyalty. As per the research conducted, an estimated 67% of online shoppers prefer to go for applications that are offered by their preferred brands.
With this strengthened bond between users and their brands, the latter can rely on the installation of their apps. As added incentives, enterprises can always fall back on offering limited discounts and exclusive proposals to loyal customers.
Additionally, clients also have convenient access to well-designed, personalized, and highly optimized apps that have a lot to do with the enhanced user experience.
The perks of this kind of app come to –
- Personalized content
- Mobility
- Easy offline access
- Reduced loading time
Detailed Analytics
Those with an in-depth idea about the data collection would know the pain of assembling data from websites. And the same people know about the ease of data collection from mobile commerce apps.
Mobile functionalities offer individuals with the ease to monitor the interaction of users. One can also have the capability to gain easy access to information on user interactions that includes –
- Audience composition
- Responsiveness to particular feature and content
- Session length, and
- Feedback
The pros of such gathered detailed analytics are manifold –
- Creating personalized content
- Developing efficient promotional campaigns
- Deliver updates and enhancements
- Work on advanced marketing strategies
Easily Sent Notifications
One of the best features of e-Commerce apps is push-notifications. It enables you to stay in the mind of your users even if they do not have you in the prominent sight. Any message or update about the products and your apps will be directed at their phones irrespective of if their apps are in use or not.
The purpose of the push notifications is to fetch users to your app and give them the slight nudge towards filling up their shopping cart, and hence the name ‘push’ notification (that’s our version of the explanation anyway)!
Better Efficiency and Increased Revenues
What did you say? “Mobile app building is expensive?” Well, that’s a myth.
All you need to do is approach a pro mobile app development company and seek their guidance for mobile app development that would not just be inexpensive in its process, but also fetch increased sales and a boosted turnover for the company in question.
The correlation associated with apps is simple enough – a suitable app with the perfect functionality and concept to fetch more clients. The clients leading to increased purchase and in a domino effect, the revenue of the enterprise increases considerably.
Improved User Experience
As and how mobile applications get more convenient, more and more people seem to be inclined to this option. Irrespective of the location one is in, apps are easily accessible considering that one only needs a few clicks to open it.
With such ease of usage, it gets more likely that the concerned user will make purchases from the e-store. To boost this leverage even further, all that app owners need to keep in mind is, it always serves better to design apps that are specific to iOS or Android requirements.
We are talking about seamless user experiences, easy and fast loading, convenient access, and optimum app functioning to fetch more potential clients down the sales funnel.
GPS, AR & Other Technologies
- GPS:
“Enjoying Burger with @XYZ at ABC joint”
“Day Out with friends at New York”
These are the most common taglines for photos and posts on social media platforms, plus throw in a few hashtags. This helps users feel more connected with their followers or friends – letting them be a part of their journey!
While this is from the user’s perspective, here’s a glimpse of what it does to the businesses tagged. Two simple words – free marketing! While other businesses are closing to losing their marbles over gaining followers with apt social media marketing, the tagged businesses gain free publicity.
The result? Increased conversion rates.
It seems that this tactic worked well for voice search (with its “near me” phrases) and social media marketing. Taking a cue from this, mobile commerce followed the footsteps!
And its offered feature includes – showing the nearest shops to users with the use of the GPS location. This has inevitably led to increased in-store sales and noticeable enhancement in client engagement.
- AR & Other Technologies
The next point is the inclusion of the latest technologies in mobile commerce apps. This suggests AR that offers an exclusive experience for users that is closer to reality and offers them with the assurance of the product to be purchased that is much-required in online shopping.
Social Sharing
‘Heard from the horse’s mouth’ – that’s the lingo that goes around, right?
Well, in the digital marketing realm, with all the influencer marketing getting a hit, that transforms to ‘word of mouth’. With social sharing to your advantage, thanks to m-commerce apps, and users going vocal about their shopping experience on their social handles, the credibility of brands is convenient to establish.
Since free promotion leading to considerable client conversion rate is all that businesses dream of – this is your piece of Heaven here!
Pro tip: You can always include the login option via social media channels. This will accelerate your brand’s success in marketing!
Brand Recognition
Mobile applications establish a strengthened connection between users and brands. This makes it feasible for users to be much more inclined towards providing their feedback for services and reflect their shopping experience on their social media handles.
And considering the marketing potential that the social media platforms hold, such free marketing will fetch you more leads leading to increased chances of boosting the conversion rates.
Offline Access
“No internet connection? No issues, you can continue with us!”
Such promising words are straight out of the books of e-commerce apps that offer the dream to surf through products irrespective of the internet connection. As clients go through their saved list of items and ponder upon their purchase decisions, they have constant access to your app over some basic functionalities.
Contactless Payments
With the invention of mobile technologies of contactless payments, it seems like cash and credit cards are soon feeling ignored. All thanks to smartphones, the payment apps have now walked into the lives of online shoppers with the convenience of –
- Security
- Ease
- Speed
By the end of mobile shopping, all that you need to do is either opt for Cash On Delivery (where you can opt for UPI based payments) or pay over UPI IDs.
This contactless mode of payment seems appealing enough especially during a time when the entire globe is opting for a Wakanda salute instead of a handshake.
E-Commerce Mobile App Features To Harness Success For Your Site!
By now the idea of going with the app-approach must start feeling like a ‘Hogsmeade-visit day’. Exciting and promising laden with numerous scope. However, hit on your brakes!
Remember approaching Hogsmeade too requires a prior-sorted out list of purchases. Notch up your organizational skills to a Granger-level, will you? Thus, in the case of approaching an app, before you rush to the best enterprise offering Mobile app development services, it is ideal to sort out your desired features.
As and how mobile apps grow like mushrooms, the successful ones have something in common – their features are in perfect accordance with their business requirements.
So, make sure not to fall prey to all the listed eCommerce mobile app features though they make all seem appealing!
Easy Login & Registration
Don’t get your users all befuddled with a complex registration procedure at the start of the app. It would be best to streamline the procedure into a simple form that would offer users the convenience of multiple options for login –
- External accounts like Google or Facebook
- Individual passcodes, etc.
- User benefit: No need for redundant information fill-in during registration, making the app more accessible.
- Entrepreneur benefit: Convenient access turning into boosted conversion rates over increased leads.
Barcode Scanning
More than often, the product description fails to suffice the queries in the mind of potential customers. With a barcode for the brand concerned, they can easily draw an in-depth idea if the store has their required product or service sans the pain of standing in a queue.
- User benefit: The benefit of listing – a queue or approaching a sales representative – as redundant to obtain information on if the store has the desired product. This has a significant cushioning on the time spent in the purchase process.
- Entrepreneur benefit: With such convenience over the mobile apps, clients, who value their time, will showcase their preference towards your brand and vocalize the same on their social media handles.
Personalized Product Recommendations & Item Feeds
The evolution of AI in the eCommerce Industry has brought in sophisticated recommendations based on the past purchase-choices of users. This personalization-based acquaintance during or post the purchase of items surely influences their next buy-list.
- User benefit: The relevant and informed recommendations offer advantages to users in gaining convenient access to products that cater to their preferences, ensuring a quicker completion of the purchase process.
- Entrepreneur benefit: Personalization helps with boosting brand engagement with clients and pushing the reach of your enterprise. In turn, these factors drive client loyalty, enhancing conversion rates.
Easy Customer Service Access
One of the crucial components and aims of e-commerce mobile apps is the establishment of a transparent and strengthened interaction between the brand representatives (customer care) and clients.
- User benefit: Easy access to the store in cases of queries regarding their shipment, products, or payment options.
- Entrepreneur benefit: An easily established brand-client loyalty considering the convenient access the latter has.
Integration with an Online Store
Mobile e-commerce apps are all about enunciating the convenience quotient for users. Along these lines, it always serves best to develop mobile apps for e-Commerce stores that include the feature wherein users are allowed to switch their devices seamlessly and yet have easy access to their products.
- User benefit: Caters to the much-needed requirement of shifting from desktop sites to mobile apps sans losing the string of purchase.
- Entrepreneur benefit: The proactive addressing of the preferences of clients, offering an enhanced shopping experience despite shifting from one device to the other, establishes your brand’s credibility, loyalty and increases chances of boosted sales.
Item Availability Reminder
Speak from personal experience – how often have you had your eyes on a product, clicked it to be added to the cart, only to find out during checkout that the product doesn’t deliver to your location?
The experience is frustrating and the urge to bounce back to a similar m-Commerce platform is intense. To avoid this at all costs introduce an element in your app that will aid with the checking of items available in the client’s location.
- User benefit: With Geolocation at the aid, users can easily check on the closest store that has their desired product and how to procure the same.
- Entrepreneur benefit: Streamlining the purchase process will fetch users to your app considering the credibility associated with the brand and the transparency of information that is much appreciated.
Membership Options
The best way to establish a rapport with your potential and existing clients is by offering VIP memberships that bring with it the exclusive opportunity with multiple products.
- User benefit: Much like numerous mobile e-commerce apps, users with exclusive membership options enjoy access to promotions before normal users, gain special discounts on products and services and many such similar advantages.
- Entrepreneur benefit: A unique chance to establish brand loyalty over enhanced relations established with the users.
Wishlist
A wishlist is a user’s splurging alter-ego. With a better wishlist design in your app, you may just provide them with the needed nudge to move their products to their shopping cart and then proceed to checkout.
- User benefit: Keeping a tab on the to-buy list without adding the products in the cart.
- Entrepreneur benefit: A chance to gain a better shot at brand-marketing owing to enhanced experience leading to more potential clients and hence, boosted purchase volume.
Flash sales and Discounts
Irrespective of the genre of business one is in, discounts and sales sell like hotcakes. With mobile e-commerce apps, you can always send push notifications regarding the upcoming flash sale. While this improves purchase behavior, it gets you a shot at enhancing the e-Commerce Customer Experience.
- User benefit: An attractive opportunity to purchase the desired products at a discounted price.
- Entrepreneur benefit: With the help of advanced analytics tools, you can go ahead with personalized notifications about products that are about to go under flash sale or discount. Here is your chance to boost your ROI.
Conclusion
As the e-Commerce section gains its repute among the online shoppers, they will inevitably be leaning towards modes that will offer them more ease. It is here that m-commerce apps will make the hit for the top.
And as the mobile eCommerce Trend continues to hit the zenith, falling behind on this wave should never really be an option for any entrepreneur eyeing this industry.
So, what say, you ready to get your training wheels up on eCommerce app development?
