Does Your Store Need a Mobile App? What You Should to Know When Considering M-commerce App Development

Not every store needs a mobile app. This might sound surprising coming from someone working with developers, but the truth is that sometimes building such a solution fails to deliver the expected benefits.

On the other hand, not having an app can make retaining loyal customers and acquiring new ones increasingly difficult.

Mobile apps can significantly boost e-commerce growth, but only if they meet specific criteria. Find out how to assess whether an app project for your store has a chance of success.

Should you build a mobile app?

Looking at e-commerce trends, one might get the impression that mobile apps are the future. As many as 75% of internet users shopping online use smartphones to do so, according to the “E-commerce in Poland” report prepared by Gemius, Polskie Badania Internetu, and IAB Polska. This is particularly true for people under the age of 34. In turn, those under 24 indicated the lack of a mobile app as one of the main issues hindering shopping on smartphones.

Such results suggest that providing customers with the best possible mobile experience should be an e-commerce priority. The same report also revealed that respondents spend 55% of their online shopping time in mobile apps rather than in a browser. This also speaks in favor of developing such solutions.

It would seem, then, that mobile app development is a sure-fire hit, but there is another perspective that must not be forgotten.

The role of user experience

You surely have dozens of apps on your phone. How many of them do you use regularly? How many can you name without checking? The truth is, we open many apps immediately after downloading them, only to forget about them shortly after.

This applies to shopping apps as well. Not only do you need to effectively encourage the customer to download the app, but you also have to ensure they want to return to it. User Experience (UX) aspects play a key role here.

To make it easier to determine the extent to which an app has a chance of delivering a positive experience, it is worth answering a few questions.

What needs should a mobile app meet?

Tell me what you know about your target audience, and I will tell you what to implement. Because if you rely solely on intuition and guesswork, defining the right feature set will be difficult.

Of course, an e-commerce app must primarily make mobile shopping easier. But what specific needs must it satisfy to do so? Look for clues in analytics reports, send surveys to active users, analyze customer behavioral patterns, etc.

Example n0.1

Analytics tool reports indicate that a large portion of users abandon their carts at the checkout stage. Screens take a long time to load, and the number of mandatory fields is overwhelming. This issue affects even customers who have accounts and partially saved data. As a result, customers lose patience and interest in the purchase.

Solution: A web app is not as fast as a (well-built) mobile app, which can store more data. Fast-loading screens combined with an intuitive checkout flow should encourage customers to make purchases.

Example n0.2

Surveys among the most active website users indicate that they find out about promotions too late. Consequently, they feel disappointed because they missed out on better deals and the products they were watching were sold out.

Solution: Email notifications are not as effective a form of communication as PUSH notifications. A mobile app could solve this problem. Additionally, it is easier to keep the store in mind when the user sees its icon on their phone, and when opening the app, sees a banner with promotion details.

Tip: Push notifications alone won’t make customers more willing to browse your offer, especially since many apps send them. Make sure your messages are engaging and tailored to the expectations of your target audience. You can leverage gamification elements (e.g., daily tasks in the app) to do this.

What would users want to check and buy frequently and quickly?

If you sell items purchased rarely or on a one-off basis, a mobile app might not be the right fit. However, this solution is ideal for stores looking to build customer loyalty and encourage regular browsing of their offerings.

Are these the kinds of products you offer? In that case, remember that an app provides even more benefits when, beyond sales, it aims to inspire, showcase new approaches, or educate—preferably in a personalized way. This gives more reasons for frequent visits.

From a user’s perspective, downloading yet another app is an investment. After all, they are dedicating storage space on their phone and expect something in return. When defining the feature set and designing content, keep in mind that the app must include something that drives frequent visits. An example? Different daily promotions in an advent calendar, or special deals available only to the first 500,000 people who complete a specific task, etc.

What can a new App offer That a web one doesn’t?

A mobile app cannot be a mere copy of the website. If it offers the exact same capabilities, why download it? It is a mistake to assume that just because wrapping a website into a mobile app is the cheapest and fastest route, the user will be satisfied.

In practice, it often turns out that the UX leaves much to be desired, the app is slow, and on top of that, it offers nothing that isn’t already available on the store’s website. Consequently, this provides no value to the user.

In the era of technologies like cross-platform Flutter, mobile app development is fast, and you don’t have to cut corners when deciding on software development. Better UX, in turn, translates into a higher Return on Investment (ROI).

Tip: Consider what other options you can offer to capture the customer’s attention. Solutions that encourage frequent app opens are particularly noteworthy. Checking loyalty program status, viewing promotions, or participating in reward-based challenges—all of this is easier in a mobile app, as it provides faster access to content than a browser.

What unique value proposition will the app offer?

A new mobile app must be more than just a website, but it should also stand out from the competition. More and more stores are deciding to enter the mobile market. This makes delivering unique value to the user even more critical.

How do you achieve this? The best approach is to combine the results of the previously mentioned research (reports, surveys) with competitor analysis. Find out what Unique Value Propositions (UVPs) other stores offer. Also consider e-commerce apps that don’t sell a similar product range—perhaps their approach can be somehow adapted to your business.

Next, use these insights during a brainstorming session. To facilitate the process, you can employ Product Discovery methods during the meeting, such as the Unique Value Proposition canvas or the Opportunity Solution Tree.

Beyond functionalities

Remember that features aren’t everything. The app’s speed, stability, and visuals matter just as much. Even the most interesting features won’t help if the app is slow and unintuitive.

That’s why you should avoid clutter, ensure clear navigation, and aim for an aesthetic design. Also, ensure you are developing the app using technology that allows for smooth performance, even when delivering complex solutions.

Discuss the app project with cross-functional team

A well-designed m-commerce app can increase cart value and boost conversion rates several times over compared to a website. A poorly designed one will simply be an icon taking up storage space on the phone.

Unsure if your store needs a mobile app? Or perhaps you only have a general vision, and on top of that, you are concerned about costs and technology?

Talk to our specialists about app programming, design, and product development planning. Together, we will develop a vision that is most beneficial from the perspective of both your business and users.