Building an e-Commerce Mobile Application – Key Considerations

August 20, 2019 technuter 0 Comments

In the age of digitalization, shopping is nothing that it used to be a while back. The consumer today prefers to do their shopping online, and according to some recent data, every mobile userpurchases products using their mobile devices at least two times a year.

In this new context, brick-and-mortar stores are under constant changes. With technology at the tip of their fingers, buyers don’t feel anymore the need to visit regular stores and do their shopping from the comfort of their own homes. So, do you need an e-Commerce app for your business? Definitely! Although this is a scary concept for many business owners, a mobile app will definitely boost your revenue sensitively. If you still have your doubts on how should you approach this entire deal, we have some advice for you below.

Decide what e-Commerce app you need

Before you start searching for a skilled team of developers, you have to think carefully about what app you want to develop: iOS or Android. This will help you choose the features and, most importantly, a team of developers easier and more appropriately. Try to answer the questions below to decide what app your retail business needs.

Do you sell products directly to your customers, or will it be a platform where different vendors can register?
Do I know my target audience?
How can I upload or change the prices on my products?
Who will take care of the delivery?
If you’ll be working with vendors, how will I manage this process?
How can leave reviews on the products or vendors on my platform?

Try to decide all these aspects before jumping into the e-Commerce app development wagon. When your app will be completed, you’ll ensure it has all the desirable features of a similar app.

Perform a thorough market analysis

Before hiring your team of app developers, analyze carefully the market where you plan to sell your products and, most importantly, the buyer persona. Depending on the identified target audience, you will be able to develop a better product, with all the necessary features and functions for your buyer. Think of their personality, online behaviour, the things they appreciate and don’t in other existing apps. In the end, creating a relatable and highly functional app for your buyers is the end goal.

Take a look at your competitors

The e-Commerce app sector is incredibly competitive. This is why you want to take a closer look at your competitors. Try to identify what makes those apps appealing to their clients, what business plan do they have, and use that information wisely. Ideally, business owners shouldn’t replicate their competitors’ app, but they should try to exceed the experience offered by them.

A team of reputable developers

With all that information in mind, you can now choose a reputable team of developers that can establish a seamless system development life cycle in place, be it web-based or app based. A spotless system development life cycle will help you tailor the app you specifically need and to know ahead of time what should you expect in terms of development. Professional app developers are also those who will counsel you in terms of coding languages, what app should you consider, the CMS, framework and database you should use. They will also be more likely to tell you which is a better choice: an iOS app or an Android app, or, why not both? Launching app versions for both iOS and Android simultaneously will help you reach a wider audience from the beginning, boosting your revenue significantly. So, pay attention to how you choose your development team.

Key-features you must consider

Now, let’s get on to the best part: what features your e-Commerce app MUST have to deliver the expected results. We have a short list that may come in handy, for someone with limited knowledge in app development.

Easy-to-follow registration process – with so many easy-to-register apps out there, you must ensure your app is competitive from this standpoint, too. Only think about it: if buyers must go through 5-7 steps just to register, they’re very likely to get bored and abort your app. They will, instead, go to your competition, if they have an easier registration process. Ideally, you would offer your buyers the opportunity to register with one of their social media accounts.
Different payment options – different shoppers have different payment preferences. This is why you want to ensure that once a buyer puts all the desired products in their cart, they can choose the desired payment option. Because of this reason, you want to include as your payment options credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets and net banking payment solutions.
Social media integration – like all business owners out there, you most likely want your audience’s undivided attention. Social media integration will help you grab all their attention in an easy and effective way. Do you have special discounts or incredible sales? Well, share that information on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and let your customers Pin it to their Pinterest Boards.
Analytics – analytics functions will help you identify buyer trends with precision. This will offer you plenty of insights on different consumer preferences, their feedback and things to improve on your app.
Reviews and rating – reviews are a great way to bond more meaningful relationships with your buyers. Although sometimes, reviews and product ratings can be poor, you can’t avoid these by simply not including similar options.
Wishlist – your buyers might no always be prepared to finish a purchase, but try to offer them Add to Wishlist buttons. This will drive more sales, in the end, and you will get a better look at your buyers’preferences, too.
Easy checkout – just like buyers don’t want to go through 7 steps to register on your app, they don’t want to go through a lengthy process when checking out, either. So, try to talk your team of developers into simplifying the check out process as much as possible.