The rise of eCommerce simply can’t be denied – it’s probably the reason you got into the business in the first place. In 2021, mobile sales will likely account for 72.9% of worldwide eCommerce sales. What this tells us is that if you don’t have a strong mobile presence, you’ll simply be left behind by the competition.
This trend makes sense. Go anywhere and look around. What will you see? Essentially everyone will be glued to their phones, and it’s easy to understand why. Today, our phones can do almost everything – banking, watching content, and shopping. If we want something, it’s just a few taps away.
Are you doing enough to capitalise on this trend though? Simply having a mobile-friendly app is not enough these days, especially when you consider that 78% of shoppers prefer to use an app store instead of their browser.
If this isn’t enough of a reason to consider building a mobile app, here are more of the benefits an eCommerce app can have on your business.
Apps offer the luxury of shopping anywhere without having to open multiple tabs on your mobile browser. Having a mobile app allows your users to shop on their commute home, whilst out for coffee, or sitting in the comfort of their homes.
Apps are more efficient and can be faster than mobile sites, which mean users can find what they’re looking for with ease. This makes the overall experience better for consumers and will keep them coming back for more.
In an oversaturated market, personalisation is essential for driving customer loyalty, and sales. Apps require a sign in, which means you can keep someone’s preferences set at all times. This means you can offer recommendations based on their viewing or purchase history.
Furthermore, an app allows users to save items they like and are considering purchasing. An app will allow you to notify them of when that item may be on sale or low in stock, encouraging them to make a purchase before they miss out. You can also make recommendations based on these saved items too, helping users to find items they may not have otherwise discovered.
Users can also store their data in the app, such as payment and delivery details. This will make the shopping experience smoother, as users can checkout faster without having to re-enter details every time.
Apps also provide a platform for rewards, points, and other perks which can enhance the experience further.
Using an app allows you to take advantage of all the features available on someone’s phone. This can features like location services, the camera, and the microphone. Using location can help with shipping and delivery information. Cameras can allow for virtual fittings, making returns easier, and other functions!
The microphone will you to tap into voice assistants. Most smartphones incorporate a voice assistant of some kind, and users are using them more and more every day as the technology develops further. An app will allow you to offer speech to text features and deliver even more for your users than a mobile site could offer.
Our phones allow us to stay connected with our favourite brands wherever we are, 24 hours a day. Having a mobile app gives you a direct line of access to your customer’s screens through push notifications.
This could be notifications of upcoming deals or sales, holiday promotions, or even exclusive discounts available in the app.
Another useful feature is contacting inactive customers. Have you received a “We miss you!” notification from an app you haven’t opened in a while? This is a nice, personal touch you can give your users to entice them to come back and re-open your app and start shopping again. You can always offer them a temporary discount code to encourage another purchase.
Having a mobile means you will be already present on a users device. If you have what they’re looking for at a given moment, they can simply open the app, and get it from you directly. This saves them from taking their hunt onto a search engine, where they may encounter your competition offering something similar.
Furthermore, we are all creatures of habit. The more we do something, the more likely we are to do it again. This means the more customers get used to shopping on your app, the more likely they will be to keep coming back!
One of the most important metrics in eCommerce is ‘Cart Abandonment. This is essentially when someone when bails out of a purchase at the last minute. These numbers can be over 90% on mobile sites, and nearly 70% on desktop sites.
On an app, however, these numbers can be as low as 30%, if you’re providing a great user experience. App conversion can also be as much 150% higher than on mobile sites. This number makes an app a no brainer!
These numbers and reasons make a very compelling case for you to consider developing your mobile app. That being said, some businesses may not see the same level of benefits. Our advice is to start by understanding your customers, their needs and their behaviour. If you find that an app will improve their experience, and your bottom line, it may just be time to take the plunge!
