Are you aware that the global mobile commerce revenue is anticipated to hit $3.56 trillion by 2021?And by 2021, it is expected that the world’s mobile commerce sales will account for 53.9% of all e-commerce sales. More and more shoppers are switching from desktop to mobile. Hence, it has become a necessity for businesses to apply a mobile-first approach in order to influence customers’ buying decisions. Developing e-commerce apps is a significant trend among businesses. Customers use their smartphones to shop anywhere and any time they want – and e-commerce apps help them achieve that.

Features All Mobile eCommerce Apps Should Consider Having

They also enhance their shopping experience and make it easier to shop from your favorite e-commerce, that’s why as many as 67% of customers have downloaded a retailer app. If you are planning to build an e-commerce app, this article is for you. Find out the list of best e-сommerce app features that will enable you to deliver a stellar customer experience for your app users.

1. Simplify Login & Registration

Login and registration is the first step that your users will take. That’s why you want to make that process easy for them.

First and foremost, simplify the registration forms. You can allow your users to enter their email address as the login, let them log in via external accounts like Google or Facebook, or let them log in with a unique passcode as in the example below:

The easier access, the higher the conversion rate and sales volume you will see.

Since users don’t have to enter a lot of data to start using the app, it will make your mobile online store much more accessible.

2. Easy Navigation

When you have an e-commerce store, you will have products to sell. If you especially offer a wide range of products, user-friendly product filtering, and sorting options are a must.

The screen size of the smartphone is limited. So, in order to simplify navigation, offer categories. If applicable, you can include a subcategory and a brand linked with it.

When you offer the option to users to search for products by categories and/or brands on your mobile e-commerce app, they are more likely to use your app often.

For instance, Shopify allows users to filter products by price, size, color, tag, vendor, brand, collection, and more.

Also, when you reduce the time customers take to find the product they are searching for, it can boost sales and enhance user experience and eventually build a sense of brand loyalty in users.

3. Detailed & Accurate Product Descriptions

Adding detailed and accurate product descriptions to the mobile e-commerce apps is crucial even though you are adding images.

When you provide customers with detailed product information, it reduces the risk of product returns, reckless buying decisions, and customer dissatisfaction.

As per a study, 64.2% of customers said that the reason for returning online purchases was that the product did not match the description.

Make sure that you include details such as type, weight, size, color, material, and warranty. Having all the information they need in one place will also make their shopping experience better.

Also, do not neglect SEO while crafting your product description to increase both the quality and quantity of organic traffic to your online store.

If you take a look at the product description of Nalgene, it does not only have a description. It also has technical specification tabs and extended details for the water bottle. It is a good product description that customers will find valuable.

4. Product Gallery

A product page is incomplete without a product gallery. It should contain full info about a product, including its price and pictures. Take care of the quality of the UI/UX experience and ease-of-use.

Many users make their final buying decision based on the product gallery. You can address customers’ concerns entirely by describing your product with their pictures from different angles and contexts.

Consider offering 3D product visualizations to allow users to turn the product around and view it better intuitively. It will make them more confident about their choice.

Here’s how Nike does it:

5. Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality is already shaping online shopping experiences. Augmented Reality enables consumers to interact with the product right from their mobile device screens.

When you offer the augmented reality feature, users will be able to view a product and how it will look in an authentic setting.

Ikea Place App images (1)

E-commerce platforms like Sephora and IKEA have integrated Augmented Reality into mobile e-commerce apps. It allows consumers to make a more conscious decision prior to making a purchase without reluctance.

6. Push Notifications

Carefully crafted “Push notifications” is a lifehack that entice your users and provide value can drive massive traction and sales.

You can send notifications about:

  • New product arrivals
  • Festive offers
  • FOMO notifications
  • Re-engagement notifications
  • Cross-sell and up-sell notifications
  • Or discounts on items that are lying in their cart.

Here’s an example of Uber’s push notification that creates FOMO:

Now, when a customer comes across a message like this, they naturally would have the “Fear-of-Missing-Out” on an amazing deal. These types of push notifications are created to encourage users to take action.

You can also send location-based push notifications.

push notification by Starbucks

Look at this “Happy Hour” Location-Based Push Promo campaign by Starbucks:

They have used the customer’s general location data and time-zone to deliver a personalized notification that drives users to a nearby store and entices them to use the app for making an order.
The users are also invited to visit their nearest Starbucks shop and partake in a buy one, get one free “Happy Hour.”

7. Feedback System

Not including a feedback system can mar your brand’s reputation. A study found out that consumers are likely to share their bad experiences with 16 people, at least in their circle.

When you integrate an effective feedback system in your app, it allows users to report any kind of issue and also gives them an opportunity to offer suggestions.

Consider setting up detailed feedback forms on your app. You can gain insights into their problems and needs. Other ways to get productive thinking feedback from consumers are sending email survey forms asking them to rate your e-commerce app and review your products.

8. Secure Payment Options

Offering multiple payment options to shoppers in your e-commerce app is crucial as the payment process involves sharing personal data. Moreover, people tend only to trust familiar procedures and app features.

Research also shows that not offering multiple payment options to customers is a significant reason for cart abandonment.

Snippet from an infographic by Pack & Send

Snippet from an infographic by Pack & Send

Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Samsung Pay are popular payment options.

When you offer your users a quick and secure way to pay, they are more likely to complete the purchase and return. Besides, one-click secure payment can increase the frequency of purchases.

9. Customer Support

Customer support is another crucial aspect of an e-commerce app. Excellent customer support and self-help knowledge base in an app eases the communication between customers and reps is vital for e-commerce business. Thus, it’s necessary to ensure that your mobile app does that.

There are plenty of ways to offer mobile customer support to your users- Live chat, messaging service, telephone, email support, and so on. Experiment with different options and find out which method your customers like most.

Your customers can quickly get in touch with you in case they have queries about products, payments, shipping, or other issues.

Wrapping Up

There you have it! Nine useful features your mobile e-commerce app should consider having.

More and more customers are shopping via mobile today, and they expect brands to give them the best experience while shopping.They also want a quick response to their queries. Having all these features listed in the article will ensure that your customers are satisfied. On the other hand, you can attain your business goals.

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Author

CTO at Emizentech and a member of the Forbes technology council, Amit Samsukha, is acknowledged by the Indian tech world as an innovator and community builder. He has a well-established vocation with 12+ years of progressive experience in the technology industry. He directs all product initiatives, worldwide sales and marketing, and business enablement. He has spearheaded the journey in the e-commerce landscape for various businesses in India and the U.S.

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