Factors to consider in E-commerce mobile application development

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Factors to consider in e-commerce mobile application development

As per Statista, e-commerce shopping has reached $2.3 trillion in 2017 and could rake in some $4.48 trillion worldwide by 2021. It was also found that around 85% of smart phone users use mobile apps instead of mobile websites. And even though 33% of online sales are done through apps, only 10% of businesses offer a mobile app for the customers.

Having taken a look at the above stats, one thing has become very clear that for any e-commerce business, to increase its sales and reach, having a mobile app has become necessary.

With the advent of E-commerce, the Internet has changed into a huge marketplace. As per a report, the number of Internet users has reached 4.1 billion as of July 2018 and around 1.79 billion people are the online shoppers. People are preferring to buy stuff online rather than going physically. And what, other than mobile apps, can be the most efficient way to target users on Internet. This thought has lead many businesses to prefer mobile applications for enhancing their visibility and getting a cutting-edge over their competitors.

To attract and engage more customers to your business, you need to create an appealing app. In this article, we will discuss some key points that you need to keep in mind while developing an E-commerce mobile application to make it more attractive and engaging.

1. App should not be slow

An e-commerce mobile app is not just about the great images and discounts. It also needs to be fast and efficient. If it is slow, nobody is going to use it. Users want apps that can let them browse and compare the products in few minutes. If it does not deliver the speed then no user will use the app, forget about the sales.

2. Ensure that the user data is secure

In an e-commerce app, a lot of information is asked from the users for online payment and shipping purposes like their name, address, bank account details, credit/debit card details etc. So, it is necessary to ensure that your app is secure. Make sure that your users’ personal and financial data is secured even if it means going beyond your budget limit or time limit.

Protecting customer’s data will ensure their faith in your app and they will keep returning to your app. A business reputation depends on the app you build. No matter how much good products you sell, you need to ascertain the security of your customer’s data.

3. Friendly user-interface

There are 2 most important things you need to keep in mind while designing the user interface of an e-commerce mobile app. Firstly, that the screen size of a mobile device is much smaller as compared to the laptop and desktop screens. So, you have a very limited space to display your content on one screen. Secondly, you need to design your app in such a way that it becomes easier for your customers to use and most importantly buy something from your app.

Create an intuitive app design which is easier for your users to understand. Don’t make it complicated with lots of animations and text. Have an easy navigation to categories and products. Don’t make your users search for the information they need on your app. A simple user interface is the best way to boost the user experience.

An ideal way to design the home screen of your app is to highlight the latest deals and the most popular products with an easy to find global navigation system and search functionality.

4. Easy sign up and checkout process

The average cart abandonment rate is 67.91%. This usually happens due to competition, price issues, search for better alternatives etc. And by having complex sign up and checkout processes, don’t give your users an another reason to abandon cart on your app and move to your competitor’s app.

Don’t use lengthy or multi-page sign up and checkout processes. Make the process easier by allowing the customers to register using any of the social media platforms or by purchasing as a guest. You can also allow them to save some of the details for the future purchases. This will save their time as they wont have to fill up all those details again in their next purchase. You can also provide your customers alternatives to initiate a transaction like an inbuilt mobile wallet system. All these will smoothen the sign up and checkout processes to a great extent.

5. Great product images

As per a research, visual information can be processed 60,000 times faster than simple text information. Also, we have often heard that “A picture is worth ten thousand words”. This is absolutely true in E-commerce.

In e-commerce, images communicate your brand and product both. So, try to invest in a professional photographer for taking photographs of your products. Good resolution photos can help your customers to get a proper view of your products. But, don’t overuse it. It may slow down your app. This does not mean that you use low quality images. Low quality or stock images might hurt your brand image. In fact, use high quality images but keep it minimal. Only keep those images that provide a proper detailing of your products.

6. Prominent add to cart button

A prominent ‘Add to Cart’ or ‘Buy Now’ button on product screens can improve the shopping experience of the online buyers and will also help in increasing the sales.

A study suggests that around 70-90% of population of the world is right-handed. Considering this, you should design our app in such a way that the key functions of your app like the add to cart button and others are within the thumb-friendly zone.

7. Responsive

Many devices having different screen dimensions are now available in the market. Check the usability of your app on all types of devices. See that the user interface does not change on different devices. The user experience should remain intact irrespective of the devices the users use.

Being a mobile app development company or a mobile app developer you should keep these 7 factors in mind to develop attractive and engaging e-commerce mobile applications.