Custom mobile app development is considered the most-effective and strategic way to launch your business or any product distinguishably in the market. Especially in ecommerce, where the market is highly used to rely on third-party marketplaces of traditional platforms. Custom apps for ecommerce today work as a powerful and result-driven way to enhance sales and growth.
Today, when the craze for online shopping is breaking all the odds as the global ecommerce market is projected to surpass $8.1 trillion by 2026. The mobile ecommerce market itself has crossed $2.2 trillion market value and is estimated to rise at 52% by 2027. Source
However, with the growing demand for fast and convenient online shopping experience, the need for custom and personalized approach in ecommerce apps has grown significantly.
Ecommerce businesses today work with top mobile app development company to build customized and personalized ecommerce apps as traditional ecommerce platforms struggle to deliver personalized shopping experiences.
So if you are also about to start your online shopping store or build ecommerce app then you must know why ecommerce businesses need to adopt custom mobile app development approaches.
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Growing Need for Custom Mobile App Development in eCommerce
In the contemporary world of cutting edge online commerce, brands that do not have custom mobile apps risk losing their customers to competitors. It is because they won’t be able to keep up with ever increasing consumer expectations and demands. When it comes to surviving as an e-commerce entity in the 21st century any business organization that falls short of these will be losing a significant number of clients .
Offering seamless, unique and engaging purchasing experiences will have a direct positive concept on customer satisfaction. For any given ecommerce business involved in selling goods or services via online platforms it is highly crucial to offer personalized experience in their shopping facility.
A study conducted by Accenture established that ninety-one percent of buyers are keen on making purchases from companies that provide recommendations relevant to them in form of offers or deals. 76% of consumers are most likely to purchase from ecommerce platforms which offer personalization. (Source: McKinsey & Company)
Therefore, generic platforms do not allow ecommerce businesses to offer personalization at the same levels as custom ones do. They therefore need to consider buying custom mobile apps. This means that the market size of custom mobile app development services is estimated to reach USD 44.27 billion by 2023-28 registering a CAGR of 8.56%. Why are custom mobile apps vital for today’s ecommerce businesses? Here are the main reasons:
1. Enhanced User Experience
Custom mobile apps provide users with a seamless interface that is easy to use and designed specifically around the company’s branding needs. Compared with traditional solutions that are targeted to each individual user, it’s much easier for customers to use them. Hence leading to increased loyalty from consumers. It is because they save time navigating through pages filled with too many goods posted at different prices as well as looking out for different products they want .
2. Personalization
Custom mobile app development approach allow ecommerce apps to effectively engage with customers. They provide them with information based on their interests as well as the behavior they show online . This makes them more likely to engage your store or site often. Hence it increases conversions while maintaining high engagement rates thereafter. Since all contents fall exactly within particular queries done at different times .
3. Data Collection and Analysis
As there is high availability of detailed data related to consumer behavior such as preferences and buying habits through custom mobile applications; marketers have been able to make tailored strategies for promotion or improve on product quality before proceeding with any other business matter. Therefore, mobile app development companies are now in a position to customize products or UI UX design services according to the tastes of their clients once they understand who they need.
4. Increased Customer Engagement
They include loyalty programs and gamification elements that can be used to drive customer engagement through mobile apps or chatbots. Mobile app based rewards systems, game elements / features or platforms on which users can share content they love will always entice customers into keeping in touch more frequently. Hence, it results in increased sales from repeat purchasing behaviors besides creating brand communities among others.
5. Competitive Advantage
In crowded online markets, custom ecommerce app development company can assist entrepreneurs gain competitive edge over their rivals. This creates an impression about the organization being innovative, client-oriented. Thus those interested in improving consumer’s perception about its goods and services have a better chance to take competitive advantage.
6. Enhancing Security
For the protection of critical consumer information, a better quality of mobile app security can be integrated with ecommerce applications which are unique. By doing this you win the trust of customers who care a lot about privacy and safety as far as their personal data is concerned.
Why Modern eCommerce Business Must Embrace Custom Mobile Apps
In today’s rapidly changing and competitive digital marketplaces, eCommerce operators are facing a myriad of challenges that compel them to take on custom mobile apps.The problems faced by eCommerce businesses range from meeting high customer expectations and severe competition to ensuring data privacy and embracing advanced technologies. Today, when the need for customization and personalization is growing, custom mobile app development stands as a boon for ecommerce businesses. Why? It is due to the following benefits of ecommerce custom mobile app development.
1. High Customer Expectations
Consumers today are demanding for smooth, fast and personalized shopping experiences at all times. Well, general solutions mostly disappoint because they cannot satisfy these requirements leading to dissatisfaction and loss of businesses.To deal with this issue, companies can come up with personalized apps focusing on desired target customer’s preferences, characteristics and behavior.
2. Intense Competition
The e-commerce industry is saturated with so many players all fighting for the same customers.That is why businesses have to come up with interesting ways of attracting users. If they want to stay afloat in this stormy sea of harsh economic situations, custom mobile applications with specific features can help companies outshine their competitors by far.
3. Customer Retention
One of the most difficult tasks today is maintaining customer loyalty. It is because there are various options for buyers to choose from. Shopping on generic eCommerce platforms does not enable a strong relationship with your customers. Tailored ecommerce mobile app development that is personal to you can be helpful in enhancing customer relations. This is because of several factors including but not limited to loyalty programs and notifications among others.
4. Inefficient Marketing Strategies
Many online shops continue using unsuitable marketing tactics that do not help them reach their target clients.Custom mobile apps facilitate in-depth monitoring and analysis of user behavior. Thereby it enables companies to design specific and more effective marketing strategies.As a result, this provides wider customer information leads to efficient promotions as well as high conversion rates.
5. Limited Personalization
Standard online trading platforms are hardly capable of creating individualized impressions. Whereas, custom mobile app development offers tailored product recommendations, personalized content, and user-specific promotions, which significantly enhance the shopping experience and increase customer satisfaction.
6. Low Conversion Rates
Despite having huge traffic numbers, most e-commerce sites experience low conversion rates due to various reasons like slow-loading pages. Poor navigation systems alongside strenuous checkout processes which make it hard for users to complete purchases. However, custom mobile apps may increase the dent’s speed that encourages purchases by users.
7. Fragmented Customer Communication
It is quite difficult to maintain a reliable communication with customers through multiple channels.Custom mobile apps are allowing the firm to communicate directly through push notification, in-app messaging and customer support features that are related to prosperous integral organizations.
Real Examples Of Custom Mobile App Development In Ecommerce
Some of the notable benefits of custom mobile app development for ecommerce have been demonstrated in these examples. Investment into custom mobile app development services gives some companies a competitive advantage over others while ensuring continuous growth within the digital environment.Here’s a look at some real-world examples of successful custom app development process done by these e-commerce companies.
Read Also : How To Accelerate Custom Mobile App Development To Save Your Time & Cost?
Nike
Nike’s custom mobile app shows how personalized mobile experiences can lead to increased customer loyalty and increased sales. The applications named Nike Training Club and Nike Run Club which focus on fitness tracking and training programs add value beyond just shopping; both are uncharged. This approach has allowed Nike not only attract but retain its clients by gaining a special place in their heart different from what competitors offer.
Starbucks
The Starbucks app is perhaps the best example of how a company can use exclusive mobile apps in maintaining consumer relationships and their allegiance.The program enables ordering transactions as well as pre-payment processes. It also allows earning or redeeming awards based on individual preferences or previous history between customers themselves. Consequently, Starbucks has managed to realize remarkable success in terms of integrating its reward system with mobile platforms that bring convenience to the users.
Zara
Zara’s mobile application design places emphasis on fast fashion concepts hence aims at rendering a quick and efficient shopping experience. Among the features found in the application include checking for store availability, barcode scanner as well as personalized recommendations . Still in Zara is where one finds its own loyalty programme leading to specific deals for its people. The ease of using this app together with individual characteristics have greatly contributed to strong growth in online sales.
IKEA
It is one of the top examples of ecommerce apps that leveraged custom mobile app development approach. The customized mobile app designed at IKEA blends electronic commerce with other advanced tools such as augmented reality (AR) in order to improve customer experience while purchasing goods through them. IKEA Place helps shoppers visualize how certain pieces of furniture would look like in their rooms thanks to AR technologies when making purchase decisions.
ASOS
In order to enable people who love fashion to buy clothes in an interesting way, ASOS created a mobile application. Images search machine, goods suggestion system and simple order forms are included into it. Besides, this mobile application allows you to share your favorite items together with friends by social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter. ASOS has been able to win a significant part of the internet based fashion market by prioritizing on mobile-first design.
Concluding Thoughts
As a conclusion, the ever changing digital world today requires that online retail companies be on toes so as to meet their customers’ needs better each time around exceeding even their initial expectations hence continually prospering amidst such increasing competition. Many challenges facing these entities can be tackled by going for custom mobile app development. Nike’s, Amazon’s and Starbucks are among leading businesses whose stories can attest just how impactful custom app development may actually prove itself to be when it comes to corporations that have made a successful brand worldwide.
Therefore, ecommerce businesses highly need customized mobile apps to take an edge over the competitive market. However, since it requires great expertise to build a unique app with exclusive features, you must seek assistance from a leading custom mobile app development company.