What if you were left on a lifeboat to survive a sea for 227 days with a Bengal tiger and no mobile phone? Maybe, you will have adventures like mentioned in Yann Martell’s Life of Pi. However, if you’re from the 21st century and left in a secluded place for a week, the one thing that you need to survive is a mobile phone.
That’s the impact of smartphones on our life.
And I am thankful looking at how mobile phones kept us sane during the pandemic. Mobile apps connected us when we couldn’t step out and meet in person. They helped us get everything we craved and required at our doorsteps.
Businesses having mobile apps saw a spike in their revenue in 2020, despite the situation. Because they reached out to customers through mediums they are comfortable with – mobile apps.
The demand for Magento eCommerce mobile apps grew. Here’s what the stats have to say:
- The total app downloads were 218 billion in 2020, which is a 7% increase Y-O-Y.
- In 2020, the app store generated $143 billion worldwide.
- 92% of time spent on mobile phones is spent using apps.
With this, it’s clear that mobile apps are transforming the business. They are changing the way we connect. And solutions like Magento eCommerce apps are making it possible. Here’s how:
Being Available
Customer service is not just about providing a one-to-one interaction with the support team.
It’s about being available for the customers all the time and wherever they are. As there are around 7 billion mobile users worldwide, a mobile app can be a game-changer for your business.
You can be available for your customers round the clock. If you have launched a new product or a sales offer starts at midnight, customers can check it out by simply downloading your app.
They can even make a purchase instantly without waiting for official business hours. If they have a query, they can go through the FAQs. In terms of customer support, they can raise a ticket rather than contact the support team.
In addition to a landline phone service, businesses need chatbots and live chats to stay in touch with online customers. They are facilitating the UI/UX services. Not only are these features helping customers with their DIY custom support, but they are also expediting online purchases by guiding them.
Next in the line are PWAs (Progressive Web Apps). These web apps are delivering a mobile experience without acquiring a physical space within the device.
PWAs are offering the possibilities to the businesses willing to provide customers with an experience of a Magento Android App. Without downloading the app, they can experience app-style navigation from the browser.
Share Information
There’s no doubt that mobile apps make sharing easy and convenient. If you like a song, hit the share button, and the next moment the person you shared it with can hear it. If you’re confused between two dresses, share them with your friend and get opinions. From video to images and text, everything is shareable.
What makes Magento eCommerce mobile apps beneficial for businesses is that they create a direct channel. They help share every information with the customers. From bookings to general information, articles, newsfeeds, offers, and prices, everything is available at your fingertips.
Offer Out-of-the-Box Features
The best thing about mobile apps is that you always have a new feature to explore. Consider Google Lens and voice search.
Before 2017, who would have thought that you can find the stuff you’re looking for on Google without knowing what it’s called. Or there will be a feature that lets you identify a song by humming to Google.
With technology and customer demand, mobile apps are advancing. Latest trends like AI, AR and VR, IoT, and wearable integrations provide customers with unique experiences.
AR and VR enhance the shopping experience by providing 3D views, virtual try-ons, etc. Say a customer wants to buy an Audi. Using the Audi VR experience, they can experience driving the car before buying it virtually.
As the IoT-enabled gadgets are increasing, we will see an increase in the IoT apps to monitor smart home appliances and smart cities in the near future. For instance, you can be notified of the accident on the road or the collapsed bridge in real-time via sensors.
Boost Brand Visibility
Having a Magento eCommerce app contributes to brand awareness. Its presence on the mobile phone is easily noticeable. Next, push notifications keep reminding customers about their presence, boosting the brand’s visibility and increasing the customer base.
Besides, you can put together data on users’ shopping behavior and preferences by analyzing their in-app behavior. When a customer makes a purchase or browses through the store, you can collect that data, plan the strategy, and recommend products accordingly.
Some ideas to gather information include:
- Questionnaire: You can ask customers to provide a specific set of answers in order to avail the discount or offer available through a mobile app, just like Amazon does. Answer a set of questions about their services or the product and boom, you’re eligible for a lucky draw/prize.
- Onboarding: Asking for basic customer information such as age, location, preferences while signing up for an app can be a great way to collect information.
- Feedback: Customers can share their feedback by rating and adding a review or filling up the survey form.
By collecting data and providing appropriate products and services, mobile apps help attract more customers. For instance, you can learn from their browsing history that they are interested in gadgets. The wishlist can help you recommend the latest summer collection. You can also send them push notifications about the new arrivals or offers on the gadgets. This, in turn, can boost customer loyalty. If you remember them and keep them updated, they will remember you.
If the brand provides exactly what customers are looking for, they are likely to stick with it. They may even share it with others. For example, Starbucks. After customers have made a certain amount of purchases, they get rewarded with free drinks. This reward program helps them retain customers. They provide physical cards too but as mobile apps are way more convenient to carry, people prefer using it.
Features like payment flexibility, push notifications, feedback system, one-click checkout can attract customers and encourage them to purchase. For example, food delivery businesses can provide 30-minute free delivery service and gain huge momentum. Ecommerce brands can follow Amazon’s last-mile delivery or offer something unique such as customization, unique packaging, tips and tricks, buy-now-pay-later, BOPIS, and more.
Increase Interaction
Regardless of what you’re selling, customers want a way to reach you. They want to engage with your brand and be a part of it. With the help of the Magento Android app, you can make a difference in the way customers interact with your brand.
For example, you can introduce social commerce to engage with customers and attract them to buy.
Leverage social media to convert social traffic into sales directly from social posts to product pages. Social posts can act directly as the checkout page.
You can post new products, offers, and deals on social platforms. Run contests, reply to the comments, share user-generated content, participate in the activities with customers, and do a lot more.
Another option is voice search. With it, you can allow customers to search for something without accessing the mobile app. They can order a pizza while they are glued to that murder mystery book. Or ask about the weather while working.
Voice search limits physical presence but improves the way customers interact with the brand.
Push notifications and in-app chats are other mobile app features that boost communication. For example, you can send customers a push notification with an offer/discount to avail while shopping. Say a customer’s search history is all about gadgets, the app should notify them of offers on gadgets.
With an in-app chat feature, customers can directly interact with the sales/support team. Like, in the healthcare industry, patients can talk to doctors regarding health issues and tips.
A Magento Android app eases the communication system.
Parting Words
Around 85% of customers prefer apps to mobile sites. They say that mobile apps are convenient, focused, and time-saving.
In addition, looking at the growth, technology trends, and advantages, you can’t deny the truth that mobile apps are changing business ways. They are bridging the gap between customers and businesses by being available whenever and wherever customers are.
Mobile apps are giving users the freedom of ownership and trust. They can carry it all the time, order 24/7, and stay connected with the brand. For businesses, it means increased conversion rates and reduced cart abandonment rates.
If you don’t have one yet, you must get it built today.
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