As smartphones become the most effective channel to connect with customers, most e-commerce sellers are embracing mobile apps to capitalize on this trend. A smartphone application not only serves as a valuable asset for any online business but also becomes a powerful marketing tool (just like its website does). The booming demand for mobile app development services in this domain comes as no surprise. And nor does the fact that you will have hundreds of apps to beat when you try to target your customer base with yours.
Now the next big question would be about making a mark with your e-commerce mobile application in such a competitive scenario. Well, there are two ways that you can do this, firstly by focusing on the app’s design and functionalities and secondly, by using the right marketing tactics to extend its reach. A blend of both is essential to get your app the success it deserves. Let us list the strategies that can have a far-reaching impact on the success of your e-commerce app.
Design and functionality-related strategies
To begin with, the design and functionalities that your app offers have a key role to play. As an e-commerce seller, your motive should be to deliver the best buying experiences; these ensure that you will be able to retain your customers in the long run. Here are some tactics that work for building powerful and compelling shopping experiences:
- An intuitive design that subtly guides the user from the point of entry to check out. Make sure that the design simple and uncomplicated as excessive use of text and animations can distract them and cause them to leave. Keep the interface uncluttered and position the CTA buttons at the right places to render an intuitive UX.
- Great visuals are equally important when it comes to making an impact on the buyers. Since the purchase decision of e-commerce shoppers totally depends on the product imagery, you have to ace it on both the website and the mobile app.
- An easy checkout is another significant strategy that drives the success of your e-commerce app as customers are more comfortable with minimal form filling and fewer checkout steps. At the same time, provide them with all the alternatives (payments and shipping) that they might want for completing the transaction seamlessly.
- Security is another aspect that you cannot overlook while creating a mobile app because users will definitely be concerned about sharing their personal and financial details on it. Therefore, it is necessary to have an app that is hack-safe at all levels.
- Social media integration is a feature that can take the user satisfaction to the next level as it eliminates the need to go through the tedious registration process; rather, the user has the convenient social login option. Additionally, this feature gives your app a boost by channelizing its social reach.
App marketing strategies
The second set of strategies for boosting your e-commerce app’s positioning in the market is related to app marketing. Since apps face stiff competition on the App Store, there is a need to go an extra mile with the marketing tactics. Here is all that you can do to gain a competitive edge.
- App Store Optimization (ASO) refers to the set of tactics that are used to secure to rankings on the App Store for your e-commerce application. It will be possible to reach the targeted customers only if you are able to gain visibility in the first place, a job that ASO handles really well. It boosts the number of downloads you app receives once it goes live.
- Geofencing is the advanced technology which facilitates location-based marketing by identifying the location of the user and delivering him personalized messages accordingly. For instance, if your brand sells in-store and online, you can use your app to send contextual recommendations and offers to the users who are in your store’s vicinity.
- Recommendation engine is another useful feature that can be added to your e-commerce app for the purpose of analyzing user behavior and preferences and delivering personalized product recommendations to match. This feature helps in user engagement, user retention and cross-selling.
- Chatbots or virtual assistants propel your marketing and operational strategies manifold. These AI-powered software programs improve your customer support function, which builds user trust and reduces the dependence on human customer support agents.
- Gamification is a feature that can enhance your app marketing efforts by engaging the users in a better way. It also acts as a promotional channel by rewarding users with loyalty points and milestone bonuses. Moreover, you can boost future sales by incentivizing the users.
Conclusion
Considering these measures, you can realize how much effort goes into creating and marketing an e-commerce app successfully. It would be best to hire mobile app developers with the right expertise and experience to handle the entire aspects of app design, development, and marketing. Therefore, you need to look for an application development partner that can deliver comprehensive services to ensure that you have all these fronts covered. Mobibiz is a leading mobile app development company that provides end-to-end services for e-commerce businesses looking to get the best results with the right mobility solutions. Contact us with your requirements and we will ensure that you have a solution to match.
