Features Every Mobile Commerce App Needs to Have (part 2)

Building a mobile commerce app design is one of the best ways to drive sales for ecommerce businesses. That’s because mobile apps convert higher than the mobile web.But simply launching an app isn’t enough to make it successful.The best ecommerce app design on the market have certain features in common. These specific elements are all focused on improving the customer experience, driving sales, and increasing conversions.

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Whether your app is live or still in the early development stages, adding the right features will lead to prosperity, success, and profitability.After researching the latest mobile commerce trends, mobile commerce tips, and best practices, I’ve identified the top 15 features your m-commerce app must have.

8. Speedy Checkout Process

Let’s continue talking about your app’s checkout process. In addition to accepting multiple payment methods, the checkout must be as fast as possible.The perfect mobile commerce checkout can be completed in seconds. Users should be able to complete the purchase process in one or two clicks at most.According to Forbes, fewer form fields yield higher conversion rates.

Think about the information you’re asking from your customers. You don’t need to know their favorite color or mother’s maiden name to complete the purchase.Earlier, we talked about the significance of user profiles on a mobile app. This gives you a major advantage over your desktop site or mobile site.

After a customer buys something once, you can store their information for future purchases (with their permission, of course). This can drastically reduce checkout times and yield sky-high conversions.

App users will have the ability to checkout in seconds with just one click.

9. Product Search

How do users find what they’re looking for on your app?

Some of you might be selling a handful of products, while others are selling hundreds or thousands. No matter how many products you’re offering, the customer needs to find what they’re looking with as little friction as possible.

Just make sure that your app has an advanced search and filter system. These are the biggest pain points associated with retail site search.While this particular study is focused on websites, the same concepts can be applied to mobile commerce apps. If your search isn’t displaying relevant results, it can do more harm than good.With that said, adding search functionality to your mobile app can yield exceptional results.

Conversion rates from users using the search feature are typically two to four times higher compared to those who don’t. Up to 60% of all transactions come from sessions that used the search function.Here’s something else to consider. Take a look at the most popular shopping apps in the market.

Global giants like Amazon and eBay lead the way. What do these apps all have in common? They all have an advanced search and filter function.Even though thousands of products are sold through these apps, customers can still find what they need with a quick search.

 

10. Customer Support

No matter how simple your app is, people will always need assistance. Whether it’s questions about particular products, returns, payments, or navigation, you must be available to assist your customers.Don’t look at this as a negative thing.86% of users are willing to pay more for great customer service. Excellent service creates customer loyalty and retention as well.

According to HubSpot, 77% of happy customers share positive brand experiences with other people. Your customer service can ultimately lead to free referrals.With all of this in mind, your app must have features for customer support.

Whether it be live chat, email, ticket support, or phone calls, customer support should be easy to find for all app users.According to VentureBeat, 77% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 use their smartphones to contact customer support. So it’s only natural that your ecommerce mobile app should have support functions built-in.

11. Retail Integration

This is another feature that’s a must-have for anyone with a physical retail presence.Your app and stores should not be treated as separate entities. Allow each one to compliment the other. This is something that you can’t really accomplish with a desktop site or mobile site.

Studies show that consumers are already using their mobile devices when browsing in physical stores. Take a look at how those devices are being used.Your mobile app can make all of these uses much easier for your customers. Whether this leads to sales through the app itself or at your physical registers, it still benefits your business.

Some shoppers might research products ahead of time on the app, and wait until they see the item in person before making the purchase. Allow app users to create a wish list for this purpose.Other users might do the opposite. They could see an item while browsing in-store, and ultimately decide to purchase it at a later date.

Remember earlier when we talked about using location tracking to improve your app? Retail store integration is another opportunity to leverage this feature.Set up beacons throughout your store to track an app user’s movements. If you see that they spend significant time browsing in a particular aisle, you’ll have a better understanding of their needs.For example, let’s say a user is standing in an aisle for makeup. You can send them a push notification in real-time for a discount on cosmetics.

12. Mobile Optimized Product Descriptions

Every product on your app must have a description. But these descriptions must be optimized for mobile devices.

Desktop users have the benefit of viewing product descriptions on a 13 or 15-inch screen. But that screen is just four or five inches from the app. So if your product description includes lengthy paragraphs, it will be challenging for users to read.

In a perfect world, your app and ecommerce site will have identical descriptions for products. But consider using an alternate description to shorten things on your mobile app. This mobile commerce tip will yield higher conversions.

I recommend short bullet points that render two lines at most from a mobile device.Analyze your existing product descriptions and determine what can be eliminated to shorten the length.

13. Mobile Optimized Product Images

Let’s continue discussing the way your products are presented in an app. You must include mobile-optimized images as well.The inability to touch and feel a product is one of the most difficult aspects of making an online purchase. Consumers rely on detailed and accurate photographs to eliminate this barrier.

Research shows that an inaccurate depiction of products is a leading cause of returns.Your app should include as many product images as possible. These must be high-quality and show the product from every angle.If possible, find a way to show the items to scale. Show action shots and people modeling or using the product.For example, let’s say you’re selling a shirt. A person wearing the shirt would provide more value to a customer than a shirt sitting on a table or plain background.According to a case study from CXL Institute, product images with a 360-degree spin feature can boost conversions by up to 27%.

14. Simple Returns

In a perfect world, all of your customers will be happy with your products. But we both know that’s not the case.Returns are part of running an online retail business. Don’t make this a hassle for your customers.92% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand again if they experience a simple returns process. 67% of people check a company’s return policy before finalizing a purchase.Furthermore, poor return policies are a leading cause of shopping cart abandonment.

Always offer free returns.

Allow users to facilitate the return process directly through the app. You can take a page from Amazon’s playbook and generate a QR code in the app. That code can be scanned and processed at UPS or FedEx store.You know that returns are bound to happen. Making them easy for app users will keep those customers coming back to make more purchases in the future.

15. App Analytics

Use app analytics to make continuous improvements in your mobile commerce app. You can track things like:

• Product page conversion rates
• Most popular payment methods
• Section of the screen that’s clicked the most
• Geographic location of app users
• Types of mobile device being used
• Daily app usage per user
• Duration of app usage per visit
• App crashes
• Bugs and error reports

The list goes on and on. This type of information is extremely valuable. You might learn something about the behavior of app users that could trigger a change in your app.Don’t assume that your app is perfect the way it is. There’s a good chance that it’s not. App analytics will help you make significant improvements.

Conclusion

If you have an ecommerce mobile app, you need to add these must-have features if you want it to be successful.All of the information above is based on actual research from high-performing

apps.

Not sure what to use? Don’t worry, just flick us an email at enquiries@masystems.com.au and we will assist you make the best decision! Remember our consultation service is absolutely free.