Every day, more and more users are choosing phones over computers. Mobile devices are easy to use and carry information anywhere. Still, even an adaptive version of a website is not as good as a mobile app or a web app. An application for business is an investment in the future of the company. The market is growing and it is important to keep pace with it and maintain your position. Besides, the application solves some tasks better than a website. Let’s analyze why your business needs an app, what benefits of mobile app for ecommerce website you can get, and how costly it can be.
Benefits of Mobile App for E-Commerce
Before developing an application, it is important to plan its aims, cost, scale, and so forth.
E-commerce web app development steps:
Market analysis. Decide what tasks your application needs to perform. Informing customers? Increasing profits and sales? Providing quick feedback? Analyze your target audience and consider how to expand it. Take a look at your competitors and their solutions. The importance of the stage is high since the scale and cost of the app depend on it.
Technical specifications. This is often a difficult point for customers: which details to clarify and how to approve them with the developer. That’s why it is better to turn to professionals, such as Multi-Programming. They will help you to not only work out all the nuances but also release the final product of high quality.
Assessment of costs. It is necessary for the company or entrepreneur to understand the approximate cost. Many factors influence it (time, scale, reputation, team size). That’s why it is difficult to estimate the cost for sure and you should plan for a flexible budget.
Beta version. At this stage, the client can get acquainted with the almost finished product and test the reaction of first users.
Testing. After analyzing the beta version and fixing the bugs, developers check the correctness of its work. They thoroughly test the app, its strengths, and add the final touches.
Release. This is the most important stage for both developers and the client. The application is ready and the users can buy or install it.
The work of a specialized and professional team will cost a lot, but the result is worth it. You receive an app that meets all your requirements and fulfills every task you need. And as you know, people do not like filling their phones’ memory with useless applications. Thus, your app needs to earn and keep its place in the device’s memory. Many companies, including Multi-Programming, can provide full support for the project after the release.
Due to their popularity, applications generate about 45-50% of sales from mobile devices. It is their main advantage, but there are other qualities that help businesses.
Advantages for the clients
Why are people more likely to use applications than websites? There are several reasons.
Convenience. For a specific action in an application with competent usability, the user only needs to make a few clicks. It simplifies its use and shortens the time spent on taking care of the issue.
Speed. Applications load faster and respond to client’s actions instantly. Besides, they are always at hand.
Memory. A large number of applications store data on purchases, visits, and movements. It allows automating some actions.
Time. Each of the benefits is related to the preservation of time, which is highly valuable in modern society. You can interact with the application even on the go. In a couple of clicks, the consumers can buy, leave a review, and read anything they want.
Advantages for the business
Let’s see which benefits you get as an owner of an e-commerce business:
Repeated purchases. After downloading and using the app, the user will not need to search for your site on the net. Also, the desktop icon will always remind them of the opportunity to buy a product from you. Their own smartphone’s screen will be pushing them to a purchase. Another tool that helps the client to remember you is push notifications. This is a cheap and effective way to inform customers about promotions, events, and return their attention to the brand.
Increase of the average bill. Applications have a higher conversion rate and a lower percentage of failures at the stage of the purchase. Besides, user registration helps to learn a little more about them. Thus, you can create personalized offers.
Increase customer’s loyalty. The more convenient it is for a consumer to contact you, buy your product or order a service, the more satisfied they will be. You can also increase their loyalty using bonuses, discounts, personal offers.
Automation. A large number of processes will not need the intervention of employees, which will allow them to focus on other tasks.
Communication with customers. With the application, there is no need for emailing. All the information comes through push notifications. Consumers also have free access to chats with managers. Thus, they can save time on a telephone conversation and discuss problems while doing other things. Your operator can get all the information about the client and study their question in detail.
Standing out against competitors. For small companies, this is a way to show your seriousness and attract more customers.
Payments. Due to the fact that the customers can pay in one click, the number of payments will increase. Besides, we all know that it is easier to spend virtual money.
Audience analysis. You can collect and analyze all the information about the users using website analytics. The difference is that a smartphone is always with you, while a desktop is not always at hand. Analytics systems can recognize customers on different devices. Thus, they collect more information about the interests and preferences of the users. Such analytics allows creating a more accurate portrait of the audience and build your marketing strategy.
Cost reduction. Developing a quality application requires a budget. But this decision can help avoid hiring new employees and paying for advertising. Push notifications and automation do it instead.
Positive brand image and trust. You can easily attract users with push notifications about discounts, promotions, special offers. When a consumer gets used to getting useful content, they start sympathizing with the company and waiting for updates.
Benefits of Having an App for an E-Commerce Business
Not every business needs a mobile application. However, in some niches, it can become a useful marketing tool. You can get more customers, increase their loyalty and sales.
Transport companies. This applies to taxis, car washes, rentals. With an app, you can simplify the life of the customers and allow them to use the services with a couple of clicks.
Tourism. Your app can include interactive maps, searching and booking of rooms and tickets, choices for a vacation. Customers can watch 3D apartment tours for reservations, contact the owners, etc.
Food. To win the hearts of customers, provide them with a beautiful, mouth-watering menu. Add home delivery and information about the promotions.
Beauty industry. In this niche, a useful application will include information about services provided, a price list, the option to book an appointment.
Medicine. Information about services and prices, easy appointments with a doctor. Make home calls so simple that even a person with a fever can figure it out.
Fitness centers. There is a lot of competition in this area. Provide clients with the option of booking an appointment, price lists, and a list of services. Let them leave reviews and communicate with their personal trainer through the application. It will help you to stand out from the rest of the gyms.
These are just basic examples since an application can work for almost any field. One way or another, it will be profitable and attract customers.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Mobile E-Commerce App?
The cost of a mobile application depends on many criteria, and it is always difficult to assess it at the initial stage. Here are several main aspects that you can focus on:
Executor. This point includes professionalism, team experience, previous projects, number of developers. If you hire a freelancer, the product can be cheap but may also turn out to be low quality. Also, the work will take much longer, since it is difficult to develop an entire app alone. You need to be a programmer, designer, and tester at the same time. By engaging a team of professionals like Multi-Programming, you can be sure that the project will be completed on time and meet all your requirements.
Country of the developer. This is important, since application development in the USA will cost 2, or even 3 times more than in some other countries. Outsourcing companies from Eastern Europe offer the same quality, but for a much lower price. Prices per hour of work differ by country: USA and Australia – $50-150, UK – £60-70, Western Europe – €60-70, Eastern Europe – $35-50.
Complexity. Business applications often perform only a few functions and are not difficult to make. The main thing that affects the cost is the number of hours it takes to create the application. A simple app costs about $3000 for 1-2 months of work. If you want to make something more complicated, the price tag can go up to $4000-5000 for 3-4 months.
Components. The more difficult and costly components you have, the more expensive the application will be.
Platforms and devices. If you want your application to run on both iOS and Android, you will have to pay extra. The same applies to adaptation for various devices (laptops, tablets).
The amount of animation. In business applications, there is no need to add this feature, but, for example, in games, it plays a major role. Thus, the cost of a complex application (game) will be higher.
Besides, the final cost may be affected by the development stages of the project. After release, analytics, design, engineering, testing, and marketing, the price may raise. If you rethink the initial purpose during the development process, the final cost will also increase. This is especially important for unique applications that have no analogs.
An application for almost any business increases its profit and attracts an audience. Even the free applications that customers love so much bring money through advertising. If you can’t decide whether you really need to invest in the development of a business application, our advice is to go for it. The main thing you need to keep in mind is to turn to a professional team, such as Multi-Programming. We specialize not only in simple business applications but also in game, web, and mobile development.
Every self-respecting business owner, at some point, thinks of improving employees' knowledge, mastery, and confidence. They may already succeed in creating an eLearning platform for corporate training. However, it still needs constant updating to keep the staff up with time and deliver the most relevant data. While developing online lessons is a lengthy process requiring experience and tech power, distributing tasks can become the only solution for companies searching for quick and efficient results.
Today’s busy and tech-savvy online customers are interested in mobile-friendly educational courses suitable for smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets. User-centric and accessible, gamified and bite-sized, mLearning can happen anytime, anywhere. You should learn how to implement it in the organization to make it a part of your corporate culture.
If you practice edtech in your organization, then you might already understand the crucial role of digital learning platforms in constant employee growth. Corporate training has a direct impact on your company’s productivity.
