Own a mobile application for an online store is a good way to increase customer loyalty. But is it really worth spending money on the development and creation of this product? We tell you about the latest research on this topic.
Google analysts have studied the behavior of consumers who actively use smartphones. “Mobile” customers are now obsessed with research. They spend a decent amount of time looking for the best offers, reading reviews, and studying reviews.
In this case, mobile applications of online stores are the best guides for them on the web. They are perceived as simpler (rather than mobile sites) in use. Therefore, the mobile application is considered as a platform to attract regular customers to the online store.
However, the research has shown that not everything is so unambiguous.
- 87% of users said they were loyal to the brand, although they did not use its mobile app.
- 53% of customers did not install their favorite brand apps on their smartphones.
- 42% of those who did not download the application did not plan to do so at all.
- 25% of users did not know that their favorite online store had a mobile app.
The typical answer of a user who refused to download the online store’s mobile app was: “I want my phone to be free of anything unnecessary because its memory is limited.” Thus, online stores need to prove that it is convenient, first of all, for the customers themselves. You should not hope that the client will ” bump into” the application itself and gladly download it.
Experts assert: it is not necessary to force buyers to load mobile apps. 63% of respondents said that if a brand forces them to do so (for example, by promising special discounts, special offers, setting it up as a prerequisite for buying), soon after they usually remove the application.
The reason is simple: the customer was not ready for a “permanent” relationship with the online store. The main rule of cooperation is voluntariness.
Mobile site against mobile application
Mobile versions of online stores are popular. Two of the three customers surveyed said that they can satisfy all their needs and do not need to use mobile apps.
The study found that many users switch from the online store’s mobile app to the mobile version of the site. It is more familiar to them, or customers believe that the web resource has information that is not in the application
At the same time, most users expect their experience with the brand’s mobile site to be as simple as with the application. If the mobile site does not meet expectations, they go to other resources.
Important: a slow, poorly understood intuitively mobile site can spoil the customer’s relationship with the online store (we recommend to optimize Magento 2 Speed). Almost half of the respondents surveyed said they would not buy from a brand with a poorly designed mobile site. Thus, the mobile application here is also unlikely to help
Finding the balance.
Experts recommend: mobile application and mobile site of the online store should work together. More than 40% of online transactions today take place with the use of mobile devices. Therefore, it is important to understand the connection between both platforms.
Both the application and the mobile site offer specific benefits to users. But the main advantage for the online store itself is the ability to complement each other. And this is exactly what is important to know for building a development strategy.
The spread of smartphones changes habits: people do not let their favorite devices out of their hands for a minute. Users want to get answers to their questions here and now, with the comfort of using mobile devices for all the usual activities online – search, watching videos and online shopping. As a result, the key moments leading to a purchase or a decision are increasingly happening on mobile devices.
Important figures and facts
Most of the retailers included in the Ecommerce Index Top100 have made their own mobile applications: 75% on Android, 80% on iOS.
Analysts admitted that the best design from the point of view of smartphone users is the mobile site of the online store DNS-shop. According to experts, the site is well optimized for mobile devices, has quite large active elements and clickable phone numbers. In addition, the design of the mobile version is consistent with the desktop version and is quite recognizable from the point of view of users.
According to forecasts, by the end of 2019, purchases in eCommerce traffic from smartphones will reach 70%.
