Importantly, despite the huge potential for success, e-commerce businesses also have a high failure rate: 80% to 90%. This may ring alarm bells for budding eCommerce stores like you, as simply having a web presence is no longer enough. What you need is an eCommerce app that complements your online store or else a newbie selling similar products can come along and improve your web experience with an attractive mobile app. So why should you invest in creating an eCommerce app when you already have an online store? read this blog to know more. Additionally, you can read our blog to learn tips to increase your eCommerce sales.
In case you're undecided about adopting Commerce, here are some statistics to ponder:
- Mobile commerce revenue is expected to reach $432 billion by 200.
- More than 51% of users prefer to use e-commerce applications instead of visiting desktop-based stores.
- Mobile commerce is expected to make e-commerce obsolete in the future.
- According to Google, around 80% of users start their purchasing process on one device and finish on another.
With smartphones becoming the go-to device for users to perform a variety of activities, including purchasing merchandise, having an e-commerce app has become a necessity and a force multiplier to generate revenue for your business. Read on to learn the top reasons to create an app for your eCommerce store.
Top Reasons Why Your Ecommerce Store Needs an App
More than a responsive e-commerce site, an app can also have different advantages. Let us know the reasons to have an eCommerce app for your store.
Changing customer expectations: With the rapid penetration of smartphones, mobile commerce is likely to overtake e-commerce stores in the not-too-distant future. Additionally, since customers are likely to abandon a mobile-responsive website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load, it's not wise to put all your eggs in your eCommerce website's basket and watch impatient customers They go to their competitors. For example, for every second delay in loading an e-commerce site, the conversion rate drops by 12%. Therefore, creating an eCommerce mobile app is certainly one of the solutions to address changing customer expectations.
Impact of the mobile experience on the brand: An intuitive e-commerce application can serve as a better means of generating brand equity. Simple navigation, easy accessibility, use of filters and other insights can save time and effort, improve customer experience and boost brand recognition. Additionally, since users on the go find it easy to access your eCommerce app on their mobiles, the chances of conversion increase. For example, if your target user wants to access your e-commerce website, he or she has to go through the trouble of typing the specific URL into the browser before purchasing. On the other hand, a user simply needs to click on your app icon on their mobile phone and start shopping. Therefore, the ease of shopping on the go makes an app crucial for your online store to drive sales.
Use the app as a marketing channel: An e-commerce application offers an omnichannel user experience by allowing social media integration. Users can easily switch between browsing the app and visiting various social media channels, which can then be leveraged by AI-based algorithms to identify patterns in user behavior and display personalized content for users. Additionally, better customer engagement can be ensured through geofencing-powered push notifications when users are near physical stores or when there are great deals.
Get better customer loyalty: Customer loyalty can be ensured with better customer interaction and engagement. Additionally, this can be a key factor in driving customer retention. With features like smart notifications, GPS-based searches, reward points, discount coupons, and gift cards, among others, offered by an e-commerce mobile app, customers can have an added incentive to purchase. Only by creating an e-commerce mobile app can such expectations be met, which can further drive brand loyalty.
Easy to use: When a user logs into a responsive e-commerce website, they must enter credentials each time the browser prompts them to continue shopping. However, with an e-commerce mobile app, the credentials are stored in the app and the user needs to log in only once when downloading the app. In this way, ease of use in terms of simple navigation and switching between tabs can ensure greater user engagement and satisfaction compared to a website.
Easy identification of customer pain points: Customers accessing your eCommerce app on their mobile phones will find it easy to leave feedback (positive or negative) in the form of ratings and reviews. This will give you an idea of their weak points or areas where they had a good experience. For example, when you are asked to give ratings and reviews after completing the purchase, your customers are likely to give you a true picture of their experience. This information can be a gold mine to further improve your application (user interface, performance, functionality, etc.) and provide a better customer experience.
Easy access to native phone features: By accessing the e-commerce application, users can also take advantage of the built-in features of their mobile phones. These include GPS, camera, and virtual and augmented reality using apps like Houzz (for viewing furniture and home items), IKEA, etc. Mobile apps can have chat bots powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning to make it easier to find preferred items. These personalized shopping assistants can make online shopping via mobile phones a convenient, easy and fun activity. This can result in a better on-the-go and immersive shopping experience for users.
Hassle-free checkout and multiple payment options: A cumbersome checkout process can lead to user abandonment of the shopping cart, whether in the store or on an e-commerce portal. However, an e-commerce mobile app can significantly streamline the payment process thanks to the use of mobile wallets that enable faster transactions and features such as facial recognition and fingerprint scanning for faster authentication. Hence, all the more reason why you should opt for mobile app development and provide your on-the-go users a means for better interaction and engagement.
Target Next Generation Customers: Today's tech-savvy generation uses handheld devices more than desktop computers. This makes it more convenient for them to access an e-commerce application instead of a portal. Additionally, daily use of social media platforms among users of this generation is significantly higher. Therefore, with an eCommerce mobile app, you can improve your store's visibility on social media platforms and reach next-generation customers. Additionally, with voice search technology and location-based searches as prominent features, you can upgrade your eCommerce portal by adding a mobile app and take advantage of this highly mobile customer base.
