7 reasons why a mobile app makes sense for e-commerce strategy
The overwhelming majority of online transactions now take place via mobile commerce. This is hardly surprising: according to statista.de, about 82 % of people over the age of 14 owned a smartphone in 2019. Consumers are permanently connected to the internet via mobile devices. Therefore, the desktop is obsolete for most of them – even when shopping on the World Wide Web. In this article, we clarify other reasons besides this one why a mobile app is an extremely useful addition to your online shop.
#1: Mobile commerce is a continuing trend
Customers use there smartphones everywhere.
We already mentioned this point at the beginning: the mobile trend in online shopping continues. There is no sign that this will change. On the contrary, statistics predict that more than 72 % of all online transactions will take place via mobile devices as early as 2022. This is mainly due to the convenience compared to the desktop: Before the PC has been started and booted up, the mobile purchase may have been realised long ago. At least if customers already know what they are looking for. The smartphone is also already the dominant medium for product searches, because customers access the internet from anywhere, whether on the road, during their lunch break at the office or from their sofa at home.
#2: Consumers prefer mobile apps to responsive designs
That smartphones are replacing other device categories in online shopping should be indisputable. However, the legitimate question arises as to whether and why a mobile app pays off for shop operators or whether a responsive design does not satisfy the customers’ demands just as well. The fact is, one of the two is definitely necessary: According to a survey, 85 % of respondents think the mobile version of a website should look the same or even better than its desktop version (source: sweor.com). According to this, customers are not expected to return after a bad user experience, which makes a mobile-friendly online shop indispensable.
However, this is where the wheat is separated from the chaff, because an optimal user experience requires above all ease of use and the shortest possible loading times. Both can often not be achieved with a responsive design, as this “only” maps desktop content for mobile devices. Mobile apps, on the other hand, were developed specifically for use with smartphones and optimised accordingly. The result is usually a much better performance.
#3: Mobile apps offer competitive advantages
The better performance of mobile apps compared to responsive designs provides the basis for our third point in this list, because it can generate significant competitive advantages.
Customers reward a high loading speed and a user-friendly environment with significantly lower bounce rates and a higher conversion rate. The latter is 130 percent higher on average with mobile apps, and potential customers also view 286 percent more pages per session. (Source: buildfire.com) This results in great cross-selling potential, which not only increases the number of sales, but also the average value of orders.
#4: A mobile channel enables a personalised shopping experience
63 percent of customers want a personalised shopping experience (source: buildfire.com). With a mobile app, this desire is much easier to realise, as search histories and orders, for example, can be tracked more easily. Although this is also possible in principle on mobile websites, tracking requires the user to log in.
Information about user behaviour can be used, for example, for personalised push messages within the online shop. The more precisely they correspond to the wishes of the respective target group, the higher the customer engagement, which in turn is essential for the success of these and other marketing instruments.
#5: Mobile apps reduce shopping cart abandonments
Shopping cart abandonment is one of the most crucial KPIs in e-commerce – and one of the most frustrating. After all, customers who have already placed products in their shopping cart are only a few clicks away from placing an order. All the more annoying when a conversion does not materialise in the end. In addition to monetary reasons, such as shipping costs, reasons of user-friendliness are also responsible for shopping cart abandonment. Here, mobile apps minimise the risk of bouncing, for example by saving information that has already been entered in the app’s settings. Other features, such as customer login and/or order confirmation via fingerprint, further increase convenience.
In addition, apps also enable very easy integration of alternative payment methods tailored to mobile devices, for example Google Pay and Apple Pay.
#6: Customer support is improved
Good customer support is an important cornerstone, especially for building up existing customers. Mobile apps also open up new possibilities here, for example the integration of live chats, chatbots or the possibility of video chats.
Furthermore, the live tracking of orders could also be implemented. Although this option would also exist in principle for responsive websites, live tracking is a resource-intensive procedure that cannot be integrated into the mobile view without performance losses.
#7 Remarketing is simplified
Attracting new customers is usually much more expensive than encouraging existing customers to buy again, due to high marketing costs. Once installed by the user, mobile apps simplify remarketing considerably. The reason for this is to a certain extent in the nature of things, because customers often download the mobile app of a shop with the intention of buying again in the respective shop.
Statistically, more than a third of all app users make 11 or more visits after downloading the app (source: buildfire.com). Even if this is not the case, notifications can be sent via the app to reactivate previous customers. Since the mass of smartphone users always have their device switched on, this method is usually more effective than email marketing via newsletters, for example.
Out now: The OXID eShop App from ESYON
ESYON has recognised the potential of mobile apps and developed a mobile app for OXID eShop based on customer demand. The application enables the management of customer and product data in the same system, single sign-on between web shop and mobile channel, multilingualism, barcode scanner and much more.
