Modern-day online shoppers expect a shopping experience that’s:

1. frictionless on the go.
2. accepts voice commands.
3. offers one-click checkouts.
4. has computer vision.
5. allows live tracking.
6. remember their behaviour and personalise their experience and so on.

Most of these demands came with the evolution of mobile tech knowledge and a website can’t fulfil most of these expectations.

Mobile apps are becoming a necessity for every business. Native mobile apps are faster than websites, they can also access the inbuilt features of a mobile device. By accessing features such as camera, microphone, GPS navigation, Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC and Internal storage, a mobile app can provide rich features that a website can't.

1. Apps can enhance the user experience.
   
   Every app installation creates a one-to-one relationship between the user and the brand. Apps can recognise a user, remember their past behaviour and customise the usability according to the user’s preference(s). Users can securely save sensitive information such as credit card details and shipping details for faster checkouts. Users can run their searches through voice input to get faster and accurate search results. More importantly, you can keep enhancing the user experience according to the advancements of smartphone technology. Imagine a situation customers demand contactless checkouts due to Covid 19. With a native mobile app, businesses can charge their customers whilst avoiding any physical contacts.
2. It's an effective retention marketing tool.
   
   Average person is exposed to more than 6,000 ads per day. This competitiveness makes it challenging to win new customers and increases the importance of customer retention. When it comes to retention marketing, mobile apps allow you to:
   
   
   1. Send push notifications of promotions, personalised offers.
   2. Send reminders to convert abandoned carts.
   3. Upselling and down selling
   4. Have a direct communication channel through in-app messaging.

   Most importantly, push notifications and in-app messaging won't cost you a thing. Retention marketing via mobile app is cost-effective and has a higher conversion rate than social media marketing, search marketing, mass media ads or the open rate of email marketing.

3. It can improve customer loyalty and retention.
   
   

   Loyal consumers spend ~67% more than a new customer. A well planned mobile app can turn loyal customers into affiliate marketers by encouraging them to snap and share their interactions with your brand on social media platforms and win loyalty rewards in return. You can even add gamification features to your app-based loyalty program to make it more engaging.

   Starbucks has a successful loyalty program. They allow users to earn loyalty stars. When customers purchase a coffee or refer the app to friends, they earn stars. There are tiered levels based on the number of stars a user accrues, Each level will have attractive offers waiting for them. It's a combination of gamification, referrals and loyalty rewards.

   Since they introduced this loyalty app in 2019, the Starbucks’ rewards program led to a ~7% increase in sales.

   
4. It can increase conversion.
   
   

   What does it take for a potential customer to say yes to your brand online? It’s the frictionless experience that you offer throughout their customer journey. Apps can make the shoppers journey exciting with

   1. Personalised product catalogues
   2. Recommendations and notifications of new arrivals
   3. convenience to shopping on the go
   4. one-click checkouts
   5. real-time delivery tracking
   6. simplified user interfaces and so on.

   Added features like AR and VR can make that shopping experience more engaging.

   AR view of the Amazon app

5. It can provide valuable insights.
   
   Creating and verifying a user account is a requirement when using a mobile app. User accounts allow businesses to collect customer data and maintain a 360-degree view of their customers. Usability reviews on App Store and Play store are a unique insight to understand and optimise the function of your mobile app experience. Your app audience is an effective focus group for market research and product development.
6. Apps can give you the edge over the competition.
   
   A mobile app can differentiate your customer experience from your competitors. In-app messaging has a competitive advantage over competing on open platforms such as social media, search marketing and email. Apps allow you to connect with your customers even when they are offline. Especially if your target audience consists of youth, they will always demand a mobile app experience. App-based business models are the sole reason why Uber could take over both the taxi and food delivery industry within a short period of time.
7. Apps allow you to expand your business faster.
   
   Expanding a virtual store that was created with a mobile app is much easier than expanding a physical storefront. You can reach out to global markets virtually and mobile app features make global shipping much easier. Expanding your product offering is easier if you have an active user base around your brand.
8. Apps can improve your brand image.
   
   Investing in a mobile app enhances your brand integrity. Apps can unlock a new customer segment that includes the tech-savvy generation. Having a mobile app implies that your brand is futuristic and vibrant. Users love to be a part of innovative and futuristic brands and they will act as ambassadors to promote and defend such brands.
9. Apps have a higher return on investment.
   
   An average eCommerce business loses ~72% of their customers due to cart abandonment. In-app messaging and push notifications can convert those carts more effectively and multiply the revenue. Apps can reduce your retention marketing budget by 70%. A mobile application is an asset that doesn’t depreciate with time, its value increases with the number of active users.
10. Apps make your business future-ready.
    
    In 2019, ~61% of Google's search traffic came through mobile devices. This indicates the direction of the future customer journey. Mobile technology evolves every day and it will define the future direction of online shopping. Wearables and AI assistants like Siri and Alexa will influence the customer journey and mobile will be the hub that connects these technologies.
    
    For example, consider the iBeacon technology that Apple introduced. iBeacon technology in your iOS app can detect customers when they are around your store and you get to send Geo-targeted promotions to them. When an app user enters your physical store, iBeacon technology can recognise them and send their customer account to your sales representatives. This allows your employees to understand the instore customers and offer them a personalised experience.
    
    10 years ago, when social media started trending, some embraced it while others refused it. Businesses who embraced it succeed. The same thing is happening with mobile apps. App-based business models are trending and businesses like Amazon, Airbnb and Uber are the pioneers of it. Accepting or rejecting the importance of mobile apps will define your digital presence. If you want help to understand how a mobile app can be more effective for your business, Maytech can help you. With over14 years of industry knowledge in eCommerce and app development. We have developed mobile apps that rank highly in both the App Store & Play Store.