Ecommerce app the future of online retail
With the increase in the popularity of mobile app development, eCommerce has become a necessity rather than an option. eCommerce app has become an entity that helps retail companies to survive in the competitive market.
The mobile ecommerce accounted for 23% of sales in the U.S. in 2015 and it is anticipated that about 50% of the online retail sales will be done through mobile app development by the end of 2018 showed by IBM study. Thus it proves that developing your own mobile app for your retail requirements boosts the sales.
Let’s study several reasons why the retailers should invest in eCommerce app:
1) For personalized and enhanced User Experience: It is difficult for retailers to gauge the user experience of their customers. The customers walk into the store, buy the products, pay and leave. There is hardly any interaction between the store and the individual. This builds a gap between the brand and its customers. The business then would not be able to send any further information about their products or promotional activities that interests the individual except for advertisement in newspaper or local TV channels, which is expensive. Mobile app analytics and other similar tools allow the firm to analyze the buying behaviour of their customers and they can know their customers better with eCommerce app. It allows the retailers to engage personally with their prospects.
While knowing your audience, you will be able to know what they want and provide the services accordingly. Integrating the mobile app with social media, the firm can allow its users to send and receive texts. Retailers can also send personalized discounts and vouchers to specific customers. Depending on the buying behaviour of the customers, a brand can also notify its users about new products and offerings. A mobile app offers numerous opportunities for personalization, which ultimately lead to more traffic, higher conversion and improved ROI.
2) Improved customer loyalty: Customers who get redirected to your website have a higher possibility to be your one-time shopper. They might have landed on your page via ads, resulting in them not being much interested in your products and services. An eCommerce app, on the other hand, ensures that your customers are loyal to your brand. Once they have installed your app, they are likely to use it multiple times. Users enable push notifications themselves, enabling you to send the notifications without breaching the privacy. Your mobile application ensures customer loyalty by boosting their buying experience. By giving your customers a convenient way to shop and pay, you are achieving enhanced customer loyalty.
3) Improved Usability: A mobile app enhances interactivity. An app only requires one-time installation on the smartphone of the user and provides the features that a user requires. This allows you to have features such as high-definition visuals, animations, and complex interactions. Moreover, you can enhance your app with complex gamification designed to increase engagement.
4) In-house process optimization: With an eCommerce app, the company can optimize many business processes. Inventory management is a difficult process if done manually. Some companies have tumbled up by having too many definitions for the same data like purchase orders and product categories. Standardization of the data is a necessary step in building an architecture that works across departments and locations.
eCommerce app avails a ready cloud-based solution to manage inventory, shipping, CRM, purchasing, etc. Other than inventory management, a mobile app for your retail business can be a solution to look for your marketing needs. People tend to spend most of their time using their smartphones. With the ‘in-app messaging’ feature, you can leverage your marketing strategies to reach a wide#audience.
