3 Trends of Successful E-Commerce Apps

More and more consumers are making purchases online, but an e-commerce app won’t necessarily add value to your business. Companies must consider mobile shoppers’ unique expectations if they want to build a successful app.

Within the next three years, mobile transactions are expected to account for 54 percent of overall e-commerce sales. In order to seize this opportunity, your business should consider three core conclusions from a 2019 study by Clutch.

The Most Used Apps Succeed Due to Convenience

Customers are drawn to a clean, intuitive mobile experience.

Pure-play online retailers like Amazon.com and Overstock offer these experiences within their apps. It’s no mistake that the highest percentage of shoppers (42 percent) frequently use apps from these web-and-mobile focused businesses. Shoppers prefer pure-play online retail apps because transactions are quick and their payment information is already stored.

Businesses that aren’t pure e-commerce companies should prioritize a seamless shopping experience for users. However, they shouldn’t expect to see the same results. Convenient mobile shopping looks different for retail businesses with an offline store. For example, Sam’s Club customers use the company's app in-store to create smart shopping lists.

Executives can learn lessons from the popularity of pure-play online shops’ apps, but a convenient experience will look different across various markets. Brick-and-mortar businesses should compare their success metrics with those of their multichannel competitors.

Ultimately, apps that provide a seamless user experience keep customers coming back again and again.

Effective Apps Align With the Brand's Existing Value

Simply responding to generalized trends about mobile e-commerce behavior won’t benefit your business. Consumers use apps differently depending on a retailer's specific value proposition. For example, the most common uses of all mobile apps are completing transactions or checking prices. However, usage looks different for pure-play online retailers vs. retail owners with an offline location.

Users of purely digital shops’ apps are most likely (90 percent) to use the app to buy a product. However, users of multichannel retailers’ apps most frequently (71 percent) use the app to check prices.

Your app’s offering should also be aligned with your company's specific goods and services. For example, restaurant customers frequently (75 percent) use eatery apps to look at menus. Unlike retail shoppers, restaurant app users aren’t looking for targeted product recommendations at checkout.

It’s clear that all e-commerce app users prefer a quick experience that’s optimized for mobile devices. Beyond that, businesses must craft their app to reflect the primary reasons why their audience is using it.

Engaging Solutions Provide More Than Discounts

Consumers are likely to delete discount-based apps to de-clutter their phones. If an app offers more than just discounts, it becomes more valuable.

Most shoppers (65 percent) say they use mobile e-commerce apps to receive deals and offers exclusive to the app. However, only focusing on promoting deals isn’t a sustainable strategy. For instance, an accessible app that integrates seamlessly with an in-store experience is more desirable. Apps conducive to browsing will build customer loyalty long term.

Successful apps offer a user-friendly experience that offers value beyond discounted prices. Companies should build a well-rounded strategy for their applications if they want them to remain on shoppers’ phones.

Successful E-Commerce Apps Leverage Best Practices

There are many opportunities for mobile e-commerce. However, the most successful apps consider trends relating to app users’ preferences.

Effective mobile e-commerce efforts go beyond offering discounts; they offer solutions that reflect specific value propositions. In addition to the value proposition, customers crave convenience and accessibility.

Executives must consider shoppers’ existing behavior. Otherwise, building an app won’t be a worthwhile investment for their business.

Nicole Schlabach creates, edits and reviews content for Clutch, a B-to-B research, ratings and reviews firm, as a content and editorial associate.