Why Does My Ecommerce Business Need an App?

It’s no surprise that more than two-thirds of the US population owns a smartphone and spends a third of their time behind a smartphone. This includes using a retail mobile application for their shopping necessities. Consumers are readily downloading apps, as BizRate reports that 83% of surveyed buyers have downloaded a shopping app.

Additionally, a recent poll with Erminesoft shows that 78% of users rather access their favorite shopping sites via a mobile app than through their mobile browsers. There are many advantages to using mobile apps instead of mobile sites. For example, one of the great benefits of using a mobile app is tends to function better without internet connectivity for offline browsing or with slower internet speeds with highly optimized background loading for most of the common elements that mobile sites cannot achieve. So what are the compensations of developing a mobile app for your business?

Here are a few reasons why your business should develop a mobile app for your ecommerce site, as mentioned by Erminesoft.

Mobile Apps Make Payments Easier, Faster, and More Secure
When developing a mobile app, you can include secure payment options and program the app to remember these options for subsequent shopping experiences.

Mobile Apps Encourage Social Sharing
Mobile app developers can build social sharing right into the app, so that they can alert their friends when you add a cool new product.

Mobile Apps Allow Push Notifications
Notifications can be issued when you need to unload some merchandise and run a special sale, or offer a promotion to get the word out about a new item.

Apps Give Mobile Application Developers More Control Over the User Experience
Mobile apps allow your developers to design a unique and powerful user experience according to the device the user has.

Mobile Apps Help Build Brand Loyalty
Nothing puts your brand and products front and center like a mobile app that the customer sees every time they use their phone. This makes mobile apps a powerful tool for building and nurturing loyal customers.

Publishing a mobile app for your ecommerce business is a great way connect and engage with mobile users. Ensure that you develop a straightforward and clear navigation so customers can find what they are looking for in a few steps. 

Here are some pitfalls to be aware of when developing your mobile app:

Select the Right App Vendor
You should fully research, evaluate, and check any app vendor you’re planning to work with.

Seamless Integration
Your goal should be a good and seamless integration with your current CMS so you don’t have to manage the product data on the app separately.

Cost Evaluation
The development of a mobile app for your business is a complex process affected by many factors. Make sure to examine all aspects of the development process. 

Build a Responsive Site First
A mobile app is not a substitute for a mobile site. Most consumers are on a mobile device so ensure that you have a responsive web design to engage mobile users.