The eCommerce industry is thriving amid the ever-changing expectations of customers and intensifying competition among new and established players. In recent years, this sector has witnessed a paradigm shift from eCommerce to m-Commerce as people prefer to search for products and making orders using their smartphones. These days, consumers need the freedom to buy goods and services anytime on the go, and therefore, eCommerce app development is on the rise.
Globally, mobile-based shopping is becoming more popular with every passing day. As per the research conducted by Google, almost 60% of smartphone users utilize their phones to monitor prices, products, and purchasing goods regularly. This fact reveals the importance of an eCommerce app for your online business. Let’s go through the key business benefits and a step-by-step process of eCommerce app development.
Major Benefits of eCommerce Mobile App for Your Business
- Enhanced User Experience- Customized mobile apps are highly convenient and easy-to-use for all users. Whether your customer is in a car, at work, or sitting idle at home, they can readily open your app using a few clicks. What’s more, the eCommerce mobile app has an appealing interface with a seamless performance that can improve the user’s experience significantly. Whether the app is made for Android OS or iOS, your customers can get a personalized and flawless shopping experience every time. Such an experience compels them to spread the good word for your business.
- Integration of Technological Advancements- It is necessary for you to come up with innovative and unique solutions for your customers to stay ahead of the curve. The eCommerce app development process enables you to achieve this goal by building a feature-rich and future-ready app. You can offer advanced features based on the advancements in emerging technologies including AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality). Integration of advanced features will help you get more in-store sales and increased engagement of customers over the period. Tech-savvy shoppers can get an immersive experience through your app and remain loyal to your business.
- Loyal Customer Base- This is one of the most important benefits of a customized eCommerce mobile app. While staying in your customers’ smartphones, the app serves as a marketing tool and your business representative. Every time while using your app customers see your logo, which connects them to your business more effectively. Also, as per the report, 60% of users prefer to use their favorite app for shopping. It indicates that if you can come up with a seamlessly-performing mobile app with user-friendly features, your customers will certainly love it and remain loyal to your business for a long time. Also, they will leave positive reviews on the app store that can help you get more users over the period.
- Data Analytics- Another important benefit of a tailored eCommerce mobile app is it can provide real-time data and reports to the eCommerce vendors. It is easy to get information regarding the user’s behavior, shopping trends, and sales through the integration of data analytics in the eCommerce app. These actionable insights enable eCommerce companies to make informed decisions in real-time. Also, you can easily get information about the changing expectations and requirements of users by analyzing the reports. The eCommerce app development companies can integrate Google Mobile Analytics or Flurry Analytics in the eCommerce app to offer insights.
- Promoting Business- A feature-rich eCommerce mobile app turns out a powerful and cost-effective tool for promoting your business. You can send your app users notifications on a regular basis. It is a great way to keep your users engaged and updated through sending promotional offers, information on new arrivals, and in-app discount offers. You can use in-app and push notifications in a disciplined way to stay in touch with the app users in a non-intrusive way. Also, social media integration enables your customers to spread the good word for your business among their friends and relatives. In a way, the eCommerce app assists you to promote business efficiently.
Let’s go through the step-by-step eCommerce app development process in brief to leverage all these and other business benefits.
Conceptualization to Deployment- eCommerce App Development Process at a Glance
- Research Market Trends
It all begins with extensive market research. It is better to study your competitors’ apps and market trends while understanding the requirements and expectations of your target audience. You can make a roadmap easily based on the gathered information.
- Make a Roadmap
Making a roadmap for developing a customized eCommerce app is quite a task, but once you have made it, you can easily get the app with the desired features. While making a roadmap including your business goals and other necessary aspects, you can consult a reputed mobile app development company to know the latest trends and popular features of eCommerce apps.
- Prepare a Visual Presentation
Your app’s roadmap leads you to a visual presentation of the user interface (UI), features, and app structure. It can give an outline of an eCommerce app’s appearance and performance. On the basis of visual presentation, the app development company can start designing your app.
- Test Prototype
This is a crucial stage after completing the UI design and identify necessary elements for developing a user-friendly app. The testing of the prototype enables you to know how the app solution will be viewed by potential users. After testing, the development phase starts.
- Opt for Post-release Support and Promotion
Last but not least step to consider. However, appealing your eCommerce app is, it is essential to promote it extensively to make it ready to face growing competition and get some valuable initial downloads. App promotion facilitates your app to get noticed among tens of hundreds of other apps and you can get a competitive edge over your peers.
Concluding Lines
In today’s competitive age, having an eCommerce website for your business is not sufficient. You cannot reach a huge audience and grow your business merely through a website. Therefore, it is imperative for eCommerce retailers to bring a user-friendly app. This app can attract more customers, increase revenue, and enable you to grab a large market share by offering a personalized shopping experience.