Should my eCommerce Store have an App?

In a dynamically changing world driven by digitization, eCommerce is growing rapidly. This has been observed more during the pandemic when customers avoided visiting crowded shops or markets and ordered things online. According to Shopify, the well-known US-based marketplace, global eCommerce is likely to touch more than $6.5 trillion in sales by 2023. Thus, if you have an eCommerce store, you are expected to write a positive growth story provided you manage the headwinds successfully. This brings us to the question, what are the headwinds facing any eCommerce venture today? Among the many reasons, growing competition and changing customers’ expectations take the cake. For instance, an estimated 12 – 24 million eCommerce sites operating globally and more companies investing in eCommerce website development joining the list every day are fuelling the competition (WPForms). 

Read Also: Factors to consider before venturing into eCommerce 

Importantly, notwithstanding the huge potential for success, eCommerce businesses have a high rate of failure as well – 80% to 90%. This can ring alarm bells for budding eCommerce stores like you, for merely having a web presence is not enough anymore. What you need is an eCommerce app that complements your online store or else, a newbie selling similar products can come along and blow your web experience with an engaging mobile app. So, why should you invest in building an eCommerce app when you already have an online store? read this blog to know more. Additionally, you may read our blog to know the tips to increase your eCommerce sales.

In case you are undecided on embracing mCommerce, here are a few statistics to ponder:

• Mobile commerce revenues are expected to touch $432.2 billion by 2022.
• More than 51% of users prefer using eCommerce apps over visiting desktop-based stores.
• Mobile commerce is expected to make eCommerce obsolete in the future.
• As per Google, around 80% of users start their buying journey on one device and end on another.

With smartphones becoming the go-to gadget for users to perform a range of activities, including buying merchandise, having an eCommerce app has become a necessity and a force multiplier to drive revenues for your business. Read further to know the top reasons to build an app for your eCommerce store.

Top reasons your eCommerce store needs an app

More than a responsive eCommerce site, an app can have distinct advantages as well. Let us know the reasons to have an eCommerce app for your store.

# Changing customer expectations: With the rapid penetration of smartphones, mCommerce is likely to outperform eCommerce stores in the not-so-distant future. Also, given that customers are likely to abandon a mobile responsive website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load, it is not wise to put all the eggs in your eCommerce website basket and watch impatient customers leave for your competitors. For instance, for every 1-second delay in the loading of an eCommerce site, the conversion rate falls by 12%. Hence, building an eCommerce mobile app is certainly one of the solutions to deal with the ever-changing customer expectations.

# Impact of mobile experience on branding: An intuitive eCommerce app can serve as a better medium to build brand equity. The prospects of simple navigation, easy accessibility, use of filters, and others can save time and effort, enhance customer experience, and boost brand recognition. Moreover, with users on-the-go finding it easy to access your eCommerce app on their mobiles, the chances of conversion increase. For instance, if your target user wants to access your eCommerce website, he or she have to go through the hassle of typing the specific URL on the browser before shopping. On the other hand, a user has to merely click on your app icon on his or her mobile phone and start shopping. Thus, such 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 eCommerce app delivers 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 tailored content to the users. Moreover, better customer engagement can be ensured through push notifications powered by geofencing when users are near the physical stores or when there are fabulous offers.

# Derive better customer loyalty: Customer loyalty can be ensured with better customer interaction and engagement. Moreover, 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 eCommerce mobile app, customers can have an added incentive to purchase. It is only by building an eCommerce mobile app that such expectations can be met, which can further boost brand loyalty.

# Ease of use: When a user logs into a responsive eCommerce website, he or she needs to enter the credentials each time after being prompted by the browser to continue shopping. However, with an eCommerce mobile app, the credentials are stored in the app and the user needs to sign in only once at the time of downloading the app. This way, the ease of use in terms of simple navigation and switching between tabs can ensure higher 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 insights into their pain points or areas where they had a good experience. For instance, on being prompted for giving ratings and reviews after completing shopping, your customers are likely to give you the true picture of their experience. This information can be a goldmine for you to further improve your app (UI, performance, functionality, etc.,) and deliver a better customer experience.

# Easy access to the phone’s native features: While accessing the eCommerce app, users can leverage the built-in features of their mobile phones as well. These include GPS, camera, and augmented and virtual reality using apps such as Houzz (to see furniture and household goods), IKEA, etc. Mobile apps can have chatbots powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning to facilitate the searching for preferred items. Such personalized shopping assistants can turn online shopping using mobile phones into a convenient, easy, and fun activity. These can result in a higher on-the-go and immersive shopping experience for the users.

# Seamless checkout & multiple payment options: A cumbersome checkout process can lead to shopping cart abandonment by the user, whether in-store or an eCommerce portal. However, an eCommerce mobile app can streamline the checkout process significantly thanks to the use of mobile wallets enabling faster transactions and features like facial recognition and fingerprint scanning for faster authentication. So, more the reason why you should go for mobile app development and give your on-the-go users a medium for better interaction and engagement

# Target the gen-next customers: Today’s tech-savvy generation uses handheld devices more than desktops. This makes an eCommerce app more convenient for them to access instead of a portal. Besides, the daily usage of social media platforms among the users of this generation is significantly higher (50% versus 44% for millennials, 37% by generation X, and 26% by boomers – Statista.) Hence, with an eCommerce mobile app, you can enhance the visibility of your store on social media platforms and reach out to the next-gen customers. Further, with voice search technology and location-based searches as prominent features, you can upgrade your eCommerce portal by adding a mobile app and tap into this highly mobile customer base.

The plethora of mobile apps, including food delivery apps, hotel booking apps, and others, has made the transition of eCommerce to mCommerce into a seamless affair.

Conclusion

There is no denying the fact that the world has gone mobile and smartphones have become the preferred medium for shopping. Remember, competition is heating up with each passing day with new sites being built by eCommerce website design companies. However, not every eCommerce site has a mobile platform complementing it, and so, trying your hands in mCommerce can give your business an undefined edge. If you want to outperform your competitors, deliver better customer experience, and garner higher sales, it’s time to invest in mobile app development from a reputed company.