E-commerce today has no borders. People shop online more than ever, and the internet lets you reach customers anytime, anywhere and on any device. Most of the world’s population now carries a mobile phone.
What does that mean for you? Your online store needs a mobile app. Here is why.
Mobile shopping keeps growing
Look around: almost everyone has a phone in their hand. It is easier to shop from a phone than to wait until you are at a computer, and phones make shopping possible during a lunch break or over a coffee.
You might say customers can simply use the mobile browser. But ask yourself: when you buy something online, do you prefer the browser or an app? Many people prefer to buy through a store’s app, because apps offer a much better user experience.
Stay ahead of your competitors
Even if you are happy with your website sales today, customers increasingly expect an app. If your competitors do not have one yet, that is likely to change, so it is better to start now.
Closer contact and a personal shopping experience
An app lets you reach customers instantly with push notifications about discounts and new products, and push notifications are often opened more than the same message sent by email.
Because the app knows each customer’s browsing and purchase history, you can send targeted notifications based on their preferences. Returning customers can also find a previous order and reorder in a few taps, without adding every item to the cart again.
Better performance
Apps make browsing easier, so users typically view more products and add items to their cart more often than on a website. That raises the average order value and your sales. Customers are also more likely to come back to an app they have installed and buy again.
Fewer abandoned carts
Cart abandonment is one of the biggest problems for online stores. Common reasons include:
- Extra costs such as shipping and taxes
- Being forced to create an account
- A long or complicated checkout
- Not being able to see or calculate the total cost
- The website crashing or showing errors
- Not trusting the website with card details
Apart from cost-related reasons, the biggest cause is a long or complicated user experience, and every extra checkout step increases abandonment. An app gives your customers a smoother experience: they do not have to retype their name, shipping address and billing details every time, because the app remembers them.
The bottom line
In most areas, a store app outperforms a mobile website. If you are ready to launch your own app, Coding Home is here to help. Explore our mobile app development or contact us.
