4 Reasons Why Your Retail Business Needs a Mobile App

Mobile epidemic is spreading. Nowadays, there are more than 2 billion active smartphone users all over the world. And all these people choose a smartphone as the most convenient device for the majority of their daily tasks. The possibilities of this market are unlimited, and if you still haven't done anything to use them, it's high time for you. In this article, we'll explore why a website is not an option anymore for online retail business, what benefits you will get if you create an appealing retail mobile app and what functionality you'll need to include there.

Your site isn't enough
Ask yourself what device you use more. Is it a PC or a phone? I'm sure that it's a smartphone. Now, ask yourself what is easier to work with a mobile app or a website via a mobile browser? I think that the answer is obvious. And we are not the only people who have noticed the difference. Here are some statistical facts taken from PR Newswire portal to prove my point:
Mobile app users browse 280% more items compared to websites on mobile devices.
Mobile apps have 90% higher rate of goods added to basket compared to mobile websites.
Mobile websites in the retail sphere have more than 100% less conversion rate if compared to mobile apps.

The numbers clearly show that the mobile apps work much better in such areas as customers' engagement and profits increasing. And one more thing for you to consider, the portal Flurry analytics has calculated that modern mobile users spend about 90% of time working with apps and only 10% on browsing.

You see the statistics and have to make conclusions because your competitors do. Every day we get thousands of retail mobile apps and there are several reasons why business holders create them.

Benefits for business
All these phrases like "business improvement" and "profit increase" sounds very hazy. Let's talk about real advantages which you'll get after your retail app release:

Sales boost. It was calculated that more than 85% of users who installed a retail app use it regularly. Almost 55% percent of these people have made a purchase via the app last month.
Very promising statistics, right! Besides, with the help of discounts, special offers and a loyalty program for mobile shoppers, you can easily break these records. For instance, Alibaba, an online retail app famous for its discounts, has got the highest profit from mobile users - almost $25 per a user a month!

Extinguish competitors. This business if taught and the race is very intensive. Did you know that 60% of all interviewed business holders in the retail sphere confirmed that they are ready to start their own app development or they have already released one? Modern apps are very easy to use, they have much more intuitive interface than mobile websites do and %45 off people who took part in AYTM survey claimed that they prefer doing shopping via a mobile app rather than a website. Sounds like a lot of people, right? Don't give these customers a chance to choose another app. Contact a mobile app development company and release your product faster than your competitors!

Build brand loyalty. Brand recognition and loyalty is a huge plus for your company. Many businesses are trying to build their marketing campaigns in a way to increase their brand popularity. That's one of the main reasons for many business holders to create their own mobile app.

In-store experience improvement. It was calculated that more than 50% of customers can use both a mobile app and physical store shopping. Which means that these notions aren't mutually exclusive. Moreover, one can help another. In such a manner, you can improve your in-store experience with the help of a mobile app.

For instance, with a barcode scanner app, your customers can get more information about a product and its peculiarities without pinging a staff member. As well as that, your customers can pre-order goods and pick them up whenever they like.
MVP feature list

Still, there are some features which are an absolute must in your retail mobile app. Here they are:
Convenient catalogue. It has to be really well-organized and structured catalogue to help users save their time and nerves. Here's a tip for you, use only high-quality goods photos and keep your catalogue up-to-date. Nothing drives customers crazy as an item which you can see in the app but can't buy because there are none.

A lot of filters. Customers are very demanding nowadays that is why it would be useful to add additional filters to the usual ones, like size, colour and so on.

Convenient payments. Add several payment options. Not all people use only Visa or MasterCard. Different options give a user right to choose. It would be also great if you add total cost feature to your shopping cart, so a user can see whether he has enough money or it's necessary to exclude one or a few items.

The information we've listed above should become a guide for you if you want to make your retail business prosperous. The modern era demands only modern technologies and approaches. Don't waste your time and give your customers a chance to shop with comfort!

For more information on mobile app development platforms, write to us at sales.sg@hokuapps.com or call us on +65 8813 8839.