How to Develop an eCommerce Mobile App?
The retail game has changed. Today, you will be hard pressed to find many wholesalers who don’t have an online presence, either through a website or now more commonly; a mobile app. Users are now funneling their attention to the latter. With mobile users spending 90% of their time inside apps and only 10% within the browser. This is because an app provides a much slicker process from start to finish if it’s been built correctly. So if you have an e-commerce business, then creating a perfectly balanced app to cater to all needs should be one of your top priorities and today, we will be exploring exactly why this is the case.
Impact of ECommerce App Development
Get this – the retail juggernaut Target saw a 200% increase in sales through their mobile app last Black Friday. Other big players such as Walmart and Amazon also saw their revenue increase drastically by opening up their Black Friday deals early on their mobile apps. So why did this happen? Essentially, shoppers changed their habits. Rather than mobilizing and joining the army of the dead trudging through a packed mall, people opted to stay inside and shop for their goods online and elect to have items delivered. This is clearly more convenient and the best part is that there are typically deals and promotions online to help people save money. Now, this is where things can get interesting for an app; deals and so forth can be highlighted and are accessible at the tap of a finger.
This is crazy, but studies have indicated that a whopping 89% of people are using mobile retail apps instead of going to the website. It all comes down to convenience, so it comes as a no-brainer that this is a profitable route to explore.
So what should an effective e-commerce mobile app have? Here’s a breakdown of essential components to include;
App Design
Many users of apps are looking for something fast and easy to understand. People don’t want to be bogged down with a complicated user interface that aims to dazzle with flashy banners and complex animations; simplicity is king here.
App Security
e-commerce asks for a lot from its users. Information that is sensitive, such as payment details and addresses, therefore it pays to make sure your app is using the best app security around.
Social Media
Giving people the option to log in with social media credentials is another way to ensure customer retention. Filling out a new user form is tedious, but having an option to link to a Facebook, Google or Twitter account gives yet another slick feature to your app. Another aspect of social media is that it can generate further exposure for your app. This can take the form of users sharing their experience with your product or take things further by creating online wish lists (Amazon as an example has this feature).
Checkout
Make it easy. Cart abandonment rate is as high as 67% which can be down to a multitude of factors such as payment issues. Therefore, make your process as smooth as possible and give plenty of options for payment like accepting multiple cards and PayPal.
Geofencing
Something to give your app the edge over the competition, this is essentially location-based marketing. The idea is that your app can use GPS and other means of location finding.
Imagery
Eye-catching images to grab the attention of a user are a must. It’s crazy, but visual information can be processed 60,000 times faster than text. So if you apply this to e-commerce, your brand should be represented by top-class imagery. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to penny pinch by not using high-resolution images, either from a graphic designer or professional photographer.
Conclusion
Now we understand what an e-commerce app should look like; how will it fit into your business? Think about a funnel and position your app at the top. It can be used as a way to point users towards your product by acquisition (downloading the app), engagement (finding the item to buy) and finally to sales (checking out). Should this process be seamless, then the next benefit comes out; repeat business.
Keep in mind throughout the entire app development, that the user experience should be a priority. If a customer can get to know and trust your app. You can become their number one place to go pretty quickly. On average, users spend 2 hours a day using apps, so that creates a lot of time where your brand could be getting seen and used.
Why Gomeeki?
When it comes down to it, shoppers want a brand that has a digital presence. Something that is convenient to use, easy on the eye and gets them from point A (finding their goods) to point B (paying for their chosen products) with as much ease as possible. This is where Gomeeki can help, by providing all the tools necessary to help you create the app that works best for your e-commerce business. Retain customers and find new ones, with a slick app that does it all.
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Email: enquiries@gomeeki.com
