Fashion eCommerce in 2025: 5 Signs You Need a Mobile App to Grow Your Store
Running a fashion eCommerce is a bit like a sport. You need to stay focused on the goal, stay ahead of the competition, and preferably have many fans (a.k.a. loyal users).
However, when the competition is strong, and your store isn’t catching up, this may be a signal to consider a different strategy.
In the fashion industry, putting more emphasis on mobile platforms may be a step in the right direction. Can it be an opportunity for your business as well?
Check out signs that tell you if it’s time to consider mobile app development.
Key takeaways
- If a significant and growing portion of your website traffic comes from mobile devices, a dedicated app can provide a better UX and potentially increase conversions.
- A high rate of cart abandonment on your mobile website suggests friction in the mobile checkout process. An app can streamline this process and reduce abandonment.
- Customers expect personalized recommendations and offers. A mobile app can leverage user data to deliver tailored experiences, increasing engagement and sales.
- Push notifications are a powerful tool for re-engaging users with informations about promotions, new arrivals, and updates, driving repeat purchases.
- A dedicated app can foster a stronger connection with customers, building brand loyalty through exclusive content, offers, and a more personalized shopping journey.
- Offering a mobile app can differentiate your brand from competitors who only have a website, attracting and retaining customers who prefer mobile shopping.
- Apps can improve customer retention by offering a seamless and convenient shopping experience, personalized offers, and exclusive content.
- A mobile app can simplify the checkout process and provide a superior user experience compared to a mobile website, with faster loading times and intuitive navigation.
Mobile apps in the eCommerce industry
Year by year, we hear that we’re in the mobile era. The eCommerce Report 2024 published by Gemius says that 75% of survey respondents use smartphones for online shopping.
However, the same study shows that many respondents struggle when shopping on mobile devices. Forms don’t make it easy to place orders, the shopping path is too long, and stores often don’t adjust their websites to smartphones.
Accessibility also becomes an issue, especially for users who need big letters to read the content easily.
Mobile eCommerce is currently in its heyday, but not everyone knows how to take advantage of it. How can you ensure it’s the right solution for your fashion store?
Get to know five signs indicating it’s time to create a mobile app.
1. You get the most traffic from mobile users
For some, it may sound obvious, but if the number of users browsing your web app on smartphones is constantly growing and is higher than the number of desktop users, then a mobile app is definitely an option to consider.
If you haven’t done that already, open your web analytics tool and check the statistics. What should you look at? The comparison of the number of web and mobile users is the key, but you can also see which channel gives you more conversions. Maybe some obstacles are the reason why a higher number of mobile users doesn’t make frequent conversions from this source.
Additionally, find out how often mobile users open your desktop app to finish checkout even though they started shopping on smartphones.
Such data is a good base for further investigation, such as UX audit. This report can tell you what usability issues are on your web app and what elements need special attention when designing the mobile app’s UI.
2. The user retention rate is continuously going down
Mobile apps can offer many solutions that increase user engagement and customer loyalty.
If your data shows a low retention rate and a decreasing number of returning users, a well-designed mobile app may provide solutions.
How do mobile apps help improve user retention rate?
- PUSH notifications allow you to send users personalized notifications about new collections, sales, and special offers that interest users and make them want to check the app.
- Exclusive promos only for app users are a great way to encourage customers to install the app. Once they have it on their smartphones, your store becomes easily available. All they have to do is tap the icon on the screen.
- Loyalty programs offer users additional benefits, such as limited promos or cashback. Although you can launch them in a web app, mobile apps allow users to consult their points and status faster without opening the browser. If you also have offline stores, the app can provide fast access to a card to scan at the checkout.
3. Users struggle when making purchases on the web app
You probably don’t want the mobile app to be just a copy of your web app. Especially if your website’s performance results aren’t satisfying and users often get confused or annoyed when purchasing.
Designing a mobile app from scratch would be a chance to create a user-friendly interface adjusted to devices with small screens.
This will ensure positive user experiences and make discovering your offer on smartphones more comfortable and intuitive.
What should be implemented in the app created according to UX design principles?
Exemplary elements:
- Short shopping path that allows fast checkout
- Quick log-in options via social media accounts and email addresses
- High-quality images
- Many payment and delivery methods
- Intuitive user flows that let users easily find product information
- UI compliant with accessibility guidelines
- Clear information architecture
- Many filtering options
- Search bar with recommendations
- Wishlists
If you’re unsure which elements of your web app cause usability issues, use analytics tools, such as Hotjar, to learn more about user behavior. It will help you discover what to change on your website and what solutions to watch out for when designing the mobile app.
4. Your web app falls behind when it comes to innovation
Although intuitiveness and accessibility are priorities, customers quickly get used to innovative solutions. If your competition offers them, there’s a chance that using your store won’t be perceived as comfortable.
You need something more to catch users’ attention. For this reason, it’s best to conduct a competitor analysis first and see how many similar stores already have mobile apps and what unique values they offer. Check what solutions they develop to improve UX and keep up with trends in the mCommerce industry.
Currently, the emphasis is often on AI-powered features that enable personalization and engage users, encouraging them to check products they might like.
Does the analysis show that your store is behind the competition? If so, it’s time to consider how the mobile app could make shopping at your store a more comfortable and enjoyable experience.
Examples of solutions:
- Personalized product recommendations
- AI-powered chat
- Image search
- Product search recommendations
- AR try-ons
Check out more ideas for AI features and choose inspirations for your app project.
5. Your web app’s performance is poor on mobile devices
Red flags, such as a high bounce rate, a significant number of abandoned carts on the mobile version of the website, or slow load times, should be a warning. Your web app may not run smoothly and fast enough to make using it comfortable.
If that’s your case, mobile apps can provide a solution. Native and cross-platform technologies can make the app run faster than its web counterpart on mobile devices.
You don’t have to know which technology to choose when building the app. Our software developers will analyze the functionalities included in your project scope and recommend the best solutions. They will keep in mind the cost and time of the execution and the app’s goals.
Fashion mCommerce as a way to grow your online business
Nowadays, when smartphones are almost always at hand, mCommerce apps can significantly boost a store’s growth. However, you should remember that just having a mobile app won’t solve all your problems.
To succeed, it has to meet users’ needs and offer something unique that will positively impact their experiences. This way, the cart value and shopping frequency will increase, and customers will be more eager to recommend the app to others.
Long story short, a well-thought-out design tailored to your target group is the key.
Do you think it’s time to consider a dedicated mobile app for your fashion eCommerce? Send us a messagee and discuss the project with our team.
