What Should Your eCommerce App Include to Be Competitive?

In less than a decade, mobile eCommerce—mCommerce sales have grown from virtually nonexistent to 75% of total eCommerce retail in the US. 

The numbers aren’t surprising; smartphones have already become an extension of ourselves, and factors such as COVID lockdowns, less spare time to browse stores, and the convenience of shopping for any product, anytime and anywhere, further bolstered mCommerce’s popularity.

Naturally, brands have jumped on the bandwagon, developing dedicated mobile apps as their online storefronts. 

Building a mCommerce application fosters the relationship between brands and customers, boosts UX, increases customer engagement and retention, and skyrockets conversion rates. 

But, at the core of mCommerce apps’ powers is that they make your brand readily available to customers—shoppers don’t need to search online for desired products/services and perhaps land on a competitor’s website. Instead, they have your brand’s app installed on their phones, and all your products are just one click away.

The mCommerce industry is on the rise, and your brand is right on time to join in and reap the benefits of building mobile app storefronts. To help you build a competitive and heart-winning mobile shopping app, we’ve compiled a list of must-have eCommerce mobile application features.

Short & Simple Sign-Up

Extensive sign-up forms requiring a bunch of user info dishearten people from finishing their account setup. 

Most consumers are unwilling to trouble themselves to type in all that data. Still, there’s also a growing consideration of online privacy and concerns over the negative ways companies may use their customers’ data.

Thus, keep your mCommerce app’s sign-up process short and simple. Ask for only the bare minimum, like the user’s name and email address, and save the more personal info (such as delivery address and payment details) when the consumer feels confident enough to finalize a purchase.

Moreover, leverage the almighty autofill option throughout your app and take advantage of the fact that people are on their phones. 

Detailed Product Description & Info

There’s only so much you can fit into your mCommerce app’s product page without making it cluttered and overwhelming for users. Ensuring great UX, smooth and intuitive app flow, and clean interface design is paramount, but your app still mustn’t lack conversion-valuable details.

Mobile app product pages should not differ significantly from their web counterparts regarding the information they provide. 

From product descriptions to a gallery with high-quality photos and videos showcasing product-to-product reviews, availability, and delivery options, everything a user should know before purchasing should be presented on the page.

Bonus points for extra features that will make your customers’ lives easier, such as the social media sharing feature—it’s also a fantastic way to spread the word about your app to others.

Personalization & Smart Recommendations

You’ve seen them everywhere: Amazon promoting similar-to-your-purchase products, Netflix enticing you to watch a film with an actor whose other movie you’ve watched earlier, or TikTok recommending you to follow that one influencer whose videos your friend always forwards you. 

Personalizing content is at the foundation of every successful brand. Tailoring customer experience based on user behavior and prior choices is a surefire way to grab your customer’s attention and nudge them to convert.

Gathering these valuable insights on user behavior, preferences, and purchasing patterns requires implementing some quite advanced analytics and data tracking features. Still, personalized product recommendations aren’t reserved for the big players only.

Your eCommerce app can boast intelligent recommendation features, too — all with the help of an experienced eCommerce app development team. Feel free to contact your trusted eCommerce development company to find out more about how they can make it possible for you.

eCommerce Web Features

Build your mCommerce app not as an extension of your website but rather as a standalone space for customers to roam and shop from. Therefore, make sure your smartphone app boasts features identical to those on your website.

For instance, your mobile storefront should have a user profile page where customers can edit their personal data, payment info, shipping address, data collection and advertising options, social media integration, etc.

Also, great mCommerce apps emulate the shopping experience of the web, meaning there is practical search functionality, a wishlist option, and a shopping cart.

Last but not least, a competitive mobile shopping app boasts efficient customer support, chatbots, frictionless checkout, payment processing, abandoned cart recovery, and advanced filtering options.

Additionally, you can pique your customers’ interest in your mCommerce app by integrating a blog. Likewise, by integrating optional push notifications, you can deliver significant and time-sensitive messages—such as those about discounts, new product launches, and brand events.

A Reason to Download & Use the App

According to stats, an average mobile phone user has 80 applications installed, of which around 50 are open on rare occasions.

To ensure your store’s app gets downloaded and doesn’t slip your customers’ minds after a single use, you must get creative in encouraging shoppers’ love for your brand.

For example, you can incentivize new users by giving out a discount for their first purchase via the app. Likewise, set up a daily check-in token reward (that later on transforms into coupons or discounts) to motivate existing users to open the app every day.

To transform casual shoppers into loyal customers, introduce the feature of loyalty points users receive upon purchase they can use to get discounts for future purchases.

Feel free to get creative in devising ways to attract and retain customers, and your brand’s eCommerce mobile app will soon reap the benefits. 

To Wrap Up

In today’s digital age, the value of a powerful online presence for businesses cannot be overstated. By integrating the features we have outlined, your mCommerce app will be on the right path to outrank competitors and convince users to put their trust in your hands. 

What Should Your eCommerce App Include to Be Competitive?

In less than a decade, mobile eCommerce—mCommerce sales have grown from virtually nonexistent to 75% of total eCommerce retail in the US. 

The numbers aren’t surprising; smartphones have already become an extension of ourselves, and factors such as COVID lockdowns, less spare time to browse stores, and the convenience of shopping for any product, anytime and anywhere, further bolstered mCommerce’s popularity.

Naturally, brands have jumped on the bandwagon, developing dedicated mobile apps as their online storefronts. 

Building a mCommerce application fosters the relationship between brands and customers, boosts UX, increases customer engagement and retention, and skyrockets conversion rates. 

But, at the core of mCommerce apps’ powers is that they make your brand readily available to customers—shoppers don’t need to search online for desired products/services and perhaps land on a competitor’s website. Instead, they have your brand’s app installed on their phones, and all your products are just one click away.

The mCommerce industry is on the rise, and your brand is right on time to join in and reap the benefits of building mobile app storefronts. To help you build a competitive and heart-winning mobile shopping app, we’ve compiled a list of must-have eCommerce mobile application features.

Short & Simple Sign-Up

Extensive sign-up forms requiring a bunch of user info dishearten people from finishing their account setup. 

Most consumers are unwilling to trouble themselves to type in all that data. Still, there’s also a growing consideration of online privacy and concerns over the negative ways companies may use their customers’ data.

Thus, keep your mCommerce app’s sign-up process short and simple. Ask for only the bare minimum, like the user’s name and email address, and save the more personal info (such as delivery address and payment details) when the consumer feels confident enough to finalize a purchase.

Moreover, leverage the almighty autofill option throughout your app and take advantage of the fact that people are on their phones. 

Detailed Product Description & Info

There’s only so much you can fit into your mCommerce app’s product page without making it cluttered and overwhelming for users. Ensuring great UX, smooth and intuitive app flow, and clean interface design is paramount, but your app still mustn’t lack conversion-valuable details.

Mobile app product pages should not differ significantly from their web counterparts regarding the information they provide. 

From product descriptions to a gallery with high-quality photos and videos showcasing product-to-product reviews, availability, and delivery options, everything a user should know before purchasing should be presented on the page.

Bonus points for extra features that will make your customers’ lives easier, such as the social media sharing feature—it’s also a fantastic way to spread the word about your app to others.

Personalization & Smart Recommendations

You’ve seen them everywhere: Amazon promoting similar-to-your-purchase products, Netflix enticing you to watch a film with an actor whose other movie you’ve watched earlier, or TikTok recommending you to follow that one influencer whose videos your friend always forwards you. 

Personalizing content is at the foundation of every successful brand. Tailoring customer experience based on user behavior and prior choices is a surefire way to grab your customer’s attention and nudge them to convert.

Gathering these valuable insights on user behavior, preferences, and purchasing patterns requires implementing some quite advanced analytics and data tracking features. Still, personalized product recommendations aren’t reserved for the big players only.

Your eCommerce app can boast intelligent recommendation features, too — all with the help of an experienced eCommerce app development team. Feel free to contact your trusted eCommerce development company to find out more about how they can make it possible for you.

eCommerce Web Features

Build your mCommerce app not as an extension of your website but rather as a standalone space for customers to roam and shop from. Therefore, make sure your smartphone app boasts features identical to those on your website.

For instance, your mobile storefront should have a user profile page where customers can edit their personal data, payment info, shipping address, data collection and advertising options, social media integration, etc.

Also, great mCommerce apps emulate the shopping experience of the web, meaning there is practical search functionality, a wishlist option, and a shopping cart.

Last but not least, a competitive mobile shopping app boasts efficient customer support, chatbots, frictionless checkout, payment processing, abandoned cart recovery, and advanced filtering options.

Additionally, you can pique your customers’ interest in your mCommerce app by integrating a blog. Likewise, by integrating optional push notifications, you can deliver significant and time-sensitive messages—such as those about discounts, new product launches, and brand events.

A Reason to Download & Use the App

According to stats, an average mobile phone user has 80 applications installed, of which around 50 are open on rare occasions.

To ensure your store’s app gets downloaded and doesn’t slip your customers’ minds after a single use, you must get creative in encouraging shoppers’ love for your brand.

For example, you can incentivize new users by giving out a discount for their first purchase via the app. Likewise, set up a daily check-in token reward (that later on transforms into coupons or discounts) to motivate existing users to open the app every day.

To transform casual shoppers into loyal customers, introduce the feature of loyalty points users receive upon purchase they can use to get discounts for future purchases.

Feel free to get creative in devising ways to attract and retain customers, and your brand’s eCommerce mobile app will soon reap the benefits. 

To Wrap Up

In today’s digital age, the value of a powerful online presence for businesses cannot be overstated. By integrating the features we have outlined, your mCommerce app will be on the right path to outrank competitors and convince users to put their trust in your hands.