The world that we are living in has changed a lot. Gone are the days when we needed to go to a physical store and be physically present in front of the item or object we want to buy for us to purchase it.
Now, we can just buy anything we want and like from the comforts of our home and with just a few clicks or taps on your device.
Indeed, the age of e-commerce shopping has arrived. And whether we like it or not, it is going to change how we view business. Entrepreneurs need to adapt to the changing times to ensure business success and profitability in the long run.
One good way to do that is by having a mobile app for your e-commerce store.
In this article, we are going to talk about the importance of having a mobile app along with the many different pros and cons you can expect from having one.
Convenience
The best thing we can get out of having a mobile app for your e-commerce shop is the fact that it is the most convenient thing to do.
We all know that everyone today already has their own mobile device that is connected to the internet.
And they use these phones and tablets to do online shopping. They even do this anywhere and anytime, whether they be inside their homes, at work, in school, or even if they are walking on the streets.
This clearly shows that having your own dedicated mobile app for your e-commerce store makes it more convenient for your clients because they can easily find what they want to buy in an easier manner.
This directly leads to better client satisfaction which is just what businesses need in order for them to survive.
Many consumers also find it easier to do online shopping if there is a dedicated mobile app for the platform or store that they are buying from.
This is way better than just using a website and browsing your website through a browser. The level of speed, quality, and overall experience is just way better. Transaction speeds are also higher with a dedicated mobile app.
Competitiveness
Another nice thing about having a mobile app for your e-commerce is that it makes your business more competitive compared to other brands.
Having a mobile app increases the chances of the consumer buying your offerings instead of the offerings of your competitor who just has a website instead of a mobile app.
There are already a lot of big brands that are already in this space where mobile apps are becoming the face of their brand. This means that it is best if you dive into this trend as soon as possible so that it’ll be easier to gain the interest of people.
Higher conversion
Another cool thing about dedicated e-commerce mobile apps is the higher conversion rates. Many reports have already confirmed that consumers are more inclined to viewing products on mobile apps instead of the more common web browser.
The chances of them adding more products to their carts is also higher on mobile apps compared to web browsers. This is a very important fact that you should consider because this is where long-term profitability depends on.
Response time
Many site visitors have an issue when it comes to response time. In fact, they usually worry if the site is fast enough to accommodate their shopping spree or shopping options.
The usual time that is required for apps to finish a specific activity is way lower and much faster compared to an ordinary website.
Mobile apps simply store all of the data and information on the cell phone or device that is accessing it instead of a website that stores all data on a centralized server provided by their web host.
This is the main thing that makes mobile apps better than web browsers when it comes to talking about their response time.
Also, note that loading times are a crucial part of the shopping experience as there is a high chance for consumers to leave the ecommerce shop if it takes too long for them to choose a product or to finish the buying process transaction.
Apps also recover data much faster compared to browsers. Mobile apps even just load the main substance of the needs of the client, making the whole shopping experience better.
Better marketing
Consumers are now more likely to click push notifications and reach their designated mobile apps easier compared to websites.
Many reports also confirm that the majority of users click push notifications, while the number of people who open emails are dwindling.
This means that you will have a more efficient and successful marketing campaign if you focus more on creating aggressive but non intrusive push notifications that direct the users to your mobile app.
What happens with a push notification is that it appears on the home screen of a mobile device and all that they have to do is to just click or tap on it and they are directly led to the mobile app.
Compare that to emails where most people today no longer bother opening emails and reading all the promotional stuff. Having your own mobile app that sends out push notifications is the way to go.
Personalized shopping
Having a mobile app for your ecommerce creates a more personalized shopping experience because the user can edit the settings according to their own preferences.
Clients can even track their purchases, buying history, and even choose the kind of products that show up on their app newsfeed and home screen.
Browsing patterns are also tracked by your app, which shows the items and products that have a higher chance of being bought by the individual consumer using the device.
This is done with the help of cookies. Compare all these to using a website where the consumer might not have logged in and you’ll see how inconvenient that can be.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can clearly see how important it is to have a mobile app for your e-commerce business. Not only does this ensure high profitability, but it also improves the online shopping experience which helps retain long-term customers.