A Complete Guide To eCommerce App Development
Businesses must quickly adapt to market changes and trends to engage customers. One such trend in the eCommerce industry is Mcommerce.
Quick Summary: Businesses must quickly adapt to market changes and trends to engage customers. One such trend in the eCommerce industry is Mcommerce. Due to ease of access and quick services, the target audience prefers eCommerce mobile apps over the website. Hence, building the Bigcommerce app is the need of the hour. Learn the eCommerce app development process with the blog and the most important features to add to it.
Gone are the days when people shopped for products through eCommerce websites. Mcommerce is the latest trend. The audience prefers to download the app, register, and shop when and where they want. And why not? These apps are easy to use and provide a much better experience than websites.
About 91% of online purchases are done through smartphones. This trend is changing quickly as people find it much easier to shop through the mobile app.
Do you own an eCommerce business and have not yet developed an app for it? You need to rethink it. To grab the attention of a wider audience and ensure that customers keep returning to your services, an eCommerce app is a must.
This blog will explain everything about eCommerce in detail. Also, discover the steps for eCommerce mobile app development.
Top Reasons To Invest In Mcommerce/eCommerce App Development
The eCommerce app market has great potential for businesses. In the next five years, this market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.6%. Another study has shown that by 2024, an about 95% of all purchases will be through the eCommerce platform.
Seeing the image above, it can be clearly said that both the existing businesses and startups have a golden opportunity to invest in the market and gain profits. Some top reasons why you should invest in eCommerce mobile app development are:
1. Mobile-First Approach
The first significant point for building an eCommerce app is that it is the latest trend. There are over 6.3 billion smartphone users globally, and they spend 88% of their mobile time on mobile apps. People are significantly becoming dependent on apps for all their needs. Therefore, building an eCommerce app for your business can give you a competitive edge.
2. Boost Customer Retention
Who doesn’t want their customers to keep coming back for the services? In order to ensure a higher rate of repeat customers in your eCommerce, creating an app is essential. About 35% of US consumers use only mobile devices to purchase online. By building an engaging and attractive mobile app, you can ensure that your business gets repeat customers.
3. Offline Access
Another central point to be considered is that mobile apps provide access to certain functionalities that can be run offline. For example, you can send push notifications even when the users are offline. Hence, you can always ensure they get all crucial messages like promo codes, discounts, and offers.
You may also like: How Mobile Commerce is Transforming Customer Shopping Experience
8 Steps To Build an eCommerce App
Now that you know the importance of Mcommerce and the top reasons why it should be a priority for your eCommerce services, let’s look at the steps to follow to build the platform.
1. Market Research And Conceptualization
Before beginning with eCommerce app development, the first step is understanding the market. You must start by looking at the trends and understanding the competitors. It will provide in-depth knowledge about the target market, its dynamics, and customer preferences. Further, market research will also help you take a look at the pain points that are yet to be covered by your competitors.
Understand the difference: Offline Vs Online Store – What is the Future?
2. Identify Your USPs
Launching an app in such a competitive market means you need to provide services that are somehow different from your competitors. Identifying USPs will be easy after a thorough market and competitor analysis. Determining the USPs will also help you build a solution that focuses on solving the target market’s pain points differently.
3. Pick The Right Platform
Once you are clear with the business objectives for developing the eCommerce app, a.k.a Mcommerce, you must pick an appropriate platform. Choosing the right platform also includes understanding the tech stack. Then decide if you want to launch an Android, iOS, or both apps. Selecting the platform will also depend on what your target market uses the most. You may also consider building the app for both platforms to ensure that you cover a larger part of the market.
4. Choose The App Features
Choosing the right features is essential for building an engaging eCommerce app. The features must align with the customer’s needs and expectations. Further, these functionalities should also solve any problems your users may face while using your app. To get a better understanding of the features, you can study the Mcommerce apps of your competitors.
5. Build The UI/UX Design
User experience is the key to your app’s success. Also, the studies have reported that every $1 spent on the UX design provides ROI between $2 and $100. It is obvious that if the user does not get a good experience with the app, they will quickly leave it. Hence, the design should be engaging but also easy to understand so that the users can quickly get the solutions. The design must represent your brand’s voice and tone.
Must check: Best Practices And Design Tips For On-Demand Delivery App Development
6. Develop The eCommerce App
Now that you are clear with the business goals, target audience, app features, and design, it’s time to build the app. To begin with, you must know the technologies used in developing the app. In the initial stage, you can build the basic app that provides the users with the necessary solutions and features. As it gets more users, you can add advanced features and functionalities.
7. Test And Launch
Each app requires complete testing before making it live at the Play Store and App Store. You can test the app with a small group of users. It will ensure that your eCommerce app is free of any bugs and errors. Once you are sure of this, launch the app and bring users to it.
8. Enhance The App As Per The Feedback
You can gain the best feedback once the app is live. As you receive the users’ feedback, keep enhancing it. Make sure that the app provides the perfect solutions to the target audience. The best way to stay ahead of the competition is by listening to your users and improving the solutions as needed.
Essential Features To Consider In Your eCommerce App
As mentioned above, the features are vital to the app’s success. Top eCommerce apps like Amazon, eBay, and Nike have the top features that make it easy and fun for users to shop. Here is the list of essential features you must consider while developing an eCommerce mobile app.
1. User Authentication
Implement a safe user authentication and registration process to enable customers to register, protect personal data, and follow the status of their orders.
2. Product Catalog
Create a user-friendly and visually appealing product catalog that makes it simple for clients to explore and search for products. Include information like product descriptions, top-notch pictures, prices, and client testimonials.
3. Shopping Cart
Implement a strong shopping cart functionality that lets customers add things, change quantity settings, and delete items before checking out. Include features like adding items to the cart and saving them for later, applying discounts or coupons, and showing expected totals.
4. Secure Payment Gateway
Integrate a secure payment gateway to let users do transactions conveniently and securely. Support multiple payment methods, including credit/debit cards, electronic wallets, and other well-liked payment techniques.
5. Search And Filters
Implement a robust search feature that enables customers to quickly locate particular products based on keywords, categories, or features. Include advanced filtering choices like price range, size, color, and customer reviews.
6. Push Notifications
Use push notifications to interact with clients and inform them of new products, special offers, or alterations to order status. Adapt notifications to the choices and actions of the user.
7. Customer Support
Provide a way for users to contact you for assistance, ask questions about your items, or check on their orders. Offer a variety of help options, including live chat, email, and phone support.
Cost Of eCommerce App Development
Considering the eCommerce app development cost is also essential. Understanding the price is vital to preparing and aligning the app budget with the business goals. Defining the eCommerce app development cost is difficult as it depends on various factors like the number of features, mobile platforms, UI/UX design complexity, etc.
On average, the eCommerce app development cost can range between $15,000-$60,000. But it is to be noted that this cost can further vary based on the factors mentioned earlier.
Also, the location of the eCommerce app development company has a significant role in determining the price.
Key Takeaways
Mcommerce is the latest trend in the eCommerce industry. Hence building an app should be the priority of businesses.
An app provides a seamless experience to users and makes it quick for them to purchase the products.
Offline access to some features in the eCommerce app is one of the top reasons why customers prefer it.
A thorough market and competitor research will help your business discover the top USPs.
User authentication, shopping cart, product catalog, and push notifications are some of the essential features to be considered in the eCommerce app.
Building an eCommerce app can cost between $15,000-$60,000, which can fluctuate based on various factors.
Build Your eCommerce App With The Latest Technology
The eCommerce application development company you choose decides the result of the app. Hence, you need to ensure that you work with a top company with good eCommerce app development experience.
ValueAppz is a top choice for your eCommerce app. Our reliable solutions assure maximum quality. Also, we provide customized solutions that align with your business goals. We assign a dedicated team right when we discuss the necessary details with the client.
Get in touch with us and build an eCommerce app like Nike and Amazon to take your brand to the next level.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. How do I develop an eCommerce app?
8 steps for eCommerce app development include:
Market research and conceptualization
Identify your USPs
Pick the right platform
Choose the app features
Build the UI/UX design
Develop the eCommerce app
Test and launch
Enhance the app as per the feedback
Q2. How much does it cost to build an eCommerce app?
The average eCommerce app development cost ranges between $15,000-$60,000. Further, the exact cost is decided based on the app features, complexity, platforms, design, development team location, etc.
Q3. What are the requirements of an eCommerce app?
Your eCommerce app should be fast, highly responsive, robust, and have a quick checkout process.
Q4. How long does it take to build an e-commerce app?
The exact time to build the eCommerce app depends on the business goals and product requirements. Also, the number of changes needed can expand the app development time.
Q5. What top 5 features are a must for any e-commerce app?
The top 5 features to include in the eCommerce app are:
User authentication
Product catalogue
Shopping cart
Secure payment gateway
Search and filters