It’s a fact that Shopify provides an excellent platform to sell directly to customers without involving any third party. No wonder Shopify is one of the most preferred eCommerce platforms with an 18% market share. Pandemic has brought many disruptions in the way the market functions. With many cities locked down, not only Gen Z but also the older generation moved online. Globally 84% of consumers shopped online last year. Smartphones seem omnipresent and are evolving customer behavior patterns globally. But still, why mobile apps and not responsive website browsers? Nearly 42% of small businesses already have a mobile app, and 30% are in the process of building one.

Let’s dig deeper into why so many businesses develop their mobile apps.

Unlimited Push Notifications

Most eCommerce enterprises use email and SMS marketing to provide more bang for every buck that is spent. And push notifications have the potential to do even better than email. The mobile app lets you send push notifications directly to their home screen and keeps them informed about relevant news. During a case study of a Brazilian retailer, Dinda credits 60% additional revenue to their push notification strategy. In addition, mobile apps can push notification of product launch, offer discounts, keep track of reward points, delivery notification, and many other functionalities can be offered through push notification.

Personalization

Personalization programs have proven to give 10-15% higher conversion and 20% higher customer satisfaction. The attention span of the people is in decline, and they are tired of generic interaction. Irrelevant content or notifications can actually damage your brand reputation. Upon installing the app, generally let you know about their preferences. Mobile apps can use personalization very dynamically and provide a tailored experience to specific users. Mobile app personalization can send personalized recommendations, tips, suggestions, Personalized discounts, or special offers only relevant to individual users. Personalization can easily be considered one of the most rewarding marketing strategies for eCommerce stores.

Increased Conversion

So many Shopify websites experience poor traffic and conversion rate, and there can be many reasons for that. Even if your website is fast, smooth, and responsive, still the user has to log in every time while most mobile apps store that information and allow users to login effortlessly. Compared to mobile websites, mobile apps boast a three times conversion rate. So if you are relying solely on mobile websites, you miss out on a vast opportunity mobile app presents. One would think that mobile web and mobile app are similar, but it is a fact that the conversion rate indicates huge differences. Since mobile apps are installed on devices directly, you can utilize their location services to refine your offering. Moreover, mobile apps are more interactive compared to websites. Below is a graphical representation of the fact that mobile apps convert three times.

Faster and more secure checkout

It is a fact that the faster you serve your customers, the happier they are. Especially for retail eCommerce stores, the faster you get them through the checkout process, the more memorable user experience your customer will have. Mobile apps store shipping information, payment information of your customer securely; therefore, checkout can be done very easily in a few moments. efficient checkout reduces plenty of hassle associated with online shopping and improves user experience tremendously. $260 billion can be recovered by optimizing the checkout process. Look at the graphics below, one out of every five customers abandon their cart because of a long or complicated checkout process.

Improved Customer Experience

Mobile apps allow gathering more information about users in real-time that can be used to personalize and enhance their user experience. Incorporating augmented reality to mobile apps (like the Ikea app) can make apps more interactive and makes the user experience much more engaging. Mobile apps can also allow you to integrate AI-enabled chatbots to assist customers. Mobile apps allow users comparatively easier navigation. Relevant content, interactive, engaging app, easier navigation, faster checkouts improves customer experience.

Increased Customer Retention

There is no doubt that Shopify provides an excellent platform, but more and more people prefer to use mobile apps as opposed to browsers. Most times, native apps easily beat the web browser user experience. Dedicated mobile app faster and smoother transactions, relevant suggestions and unparalleled user experience help you win customer loyalty. There are also possibilities that while googling to search your website, customers may encounter ads of your competitor’s website and get diverted there. A mobile app directly reaches your web property.

Enhanced Brand Image

The mobile app also adds legitimacy to your brand as your mobile will be using your logo, theme, color palettes. In a way, a mobile app is a direct extension of your eCommerce store. Mobile apps enable you to extend help and support instantaneously, and naturally, customers appreciate that. Better help and support help you get more positive reviews for your brand. In short, mobile apps enable you to have effective communication.

Extensive Mobile Analytics

When using a mobile application, customers like to set their preferences. Moreover, you can have access to a vast array of valuable analytics compared to websites. It enables you to gather data based on product preference, location, timings, and many other parameters. More data means a better understanding of your customer.

Takeaways

With 462 billion in revenue across the world, mobile eCommerce is going to grow, and whichever brand embraces it, is likely to be more successful in attracting and converting new customers. It also improves the customer retention ratio significantly. Mobile apps give you an opportunity to deliver an unparalleled omnichannel experience to your customers. By leveraging phone-native features such as GPS and camera, mobile apps can substantially enhance user experience and, in turn, customer retention and increased revenue. Smartphones have irreversibly changed how we shop, how we make choices and how we operate. I hope this article highlights all the advantages of mobile apps, and the Shopify eCommerce store owners are convinced to invest in the development of mobile apps that would help boost their revenue significantly.