The domain of e-commerce has revolutionized the way we buy and sell things today and there is no denying that e-commerce has not only changed our day to day life but even the business world. It has become an integral part of our life today where it wouldn’t be too bold to make this statement that e-commerce can get us anything we want right from the cradle to grave. Well, before few years who would have thought that one would be able to get something that was available across the world?
If we look at the stats, global retail e-commerce is expected to experience a threefold increase i.e. it might reach $4.5 trillion by 2021 (in 2014 it was $1.3 trillion and in 2016 it was $1.86 trillion). Also, according to a survey, it has been reported that 57% of shoppers prefer to look beyond the borders when they are shopping online. These figures clearly depict that the e-commerce domain is surely going to grow more in the near future.
Moreover, this rise in the e-commerce domain has been predominantly catalyzed by the mobile app platform to a much greater extent. Smartphone and mobile app users are increasing with every passing second (Smartphone users are expected to reach the mark of 2.7 billion by 2019 and in 2017 both Google and Apple app store had 2.8 million and 2.2 million apps available for download.) In short, one can say that retailers wish to target the masses as well as target audience has to get on the mobile app platform as that’s where the majority of the users are anyway.
And this has what compelled the retailers to take their e-commerce business on the mobile app platform. That being said, let’s see how e-commerce app solutions can help the retailers in gaining more traffic for their e-commerce business app.
24/7 Services
One of the major benefits provided by e-commerce apps is 24/7 or round-the-clock services to the customers. Customers can log in to their applications anytime and anywhere they want and avail the products and services offered by any respective e-commerce business. It’s as easy as a walk in the park. No matter what time of the day it is or where they are, customers just have to book their preferred product, make their payment and viola they can get it delivered to any address of their choice.
Offline Access
Retailers can use mobile e-commerce apps to increase user engagement by giving their customers the facility of offline access to their products and services. This way the users that do not have proper internet connectivity can also use your app. Customers can add products to their wishlist or even the cart while they are offline and then complete the purchase once they get online. You as a retailer should certainly leverage this offline facility as there are many customers that visit an app just to check out new products.
One-Stop Junction
According to a report published by Adobe, around 67% of online shoppers continued using an e-commerce application just because it provided them with an extensive range of products and that too all at one place. And what customers find more interesting is the discounts and offers on their favorite products during the festive as well as non-festive time or day. Moreover, there are many e-commerce apps that provide their customers with additional discounts for signing up and even for buying specific products.
Product accessibility
Mobile apps have an upper hand over the websites in terms of loading speed and this is where e-commerce retailers can leverage them for gaining more traction for their business. And also an added benefit provided by mobile e-commerce apps is the availability of wide range of products on the fingertips of the customers. In addition, according to reports, mobile devices count for 65% of all digital media usage making it quite obvious that people prefer using mobile devices over desktops or laptops. (Remember, that your app performance should be good enough to keep your users hooked to your application).
Gathering User Data
Retailers can gather their valuable user’s data through e-commerce apps and get an idea of their customer preferences (likes and dislikes). In addition to the usual demographic data, retailers can also get an insight on the user’s shopping patterns and offer them with personalized e-commerce services and solutions (retailers can send push notifications and emails to their customers).
Integrating Digital Payments
According to a report by statistics, the third quarter of 2017 recorded 23.16% of digital payment transactions and all through mobile devices. This figure clearly states that the payment gateways are an integral part of any e-commerce app and with the obvious growth of mobile e-commerce apps the domain of digital payments is only going to burgeon with time.
Use of Social Media
Well, marketing today is incomplete as well as impossible without the social media platforms. Social media platforms are where people are and retailers can use them to reach out to a large audience base. Retailers can use different social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. to promote their products and services and even prompt their customers to leave their reviews or feedback on them.
To conclude, these were some benefits of developing an e-commerce app for your retail business. The e-commerce domain is at such stage that there is no turning back for it and will only see a rise in the near future. Hence, retailers who haven’t still leveraged the app development domain for their E-Commerce Solutions in India should certainly consider developing an app for their business at the earliest.
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