How to Convert Your E-commerce Website into M-Commerce App

Mobile applications are one of the most significant trends in the world of e-commerce. There are currently 6567 million users, estimated to reach 7690 million by 2027 (Statista). This means that not having an app for your e-commerce business may be a very bad decision in the long run. 

As per statistics, at least 51% of users are more likely to shop from brands that own mobile apps (Think with Google). Apps offer usability and enhance the shopping experience by being available and accessible.

If you have a strong web presence with your e-commerce store, you might want to convert it to a profitable mobile application. This way, you can maintain the experience design and ensure the user doesn’t face friction when moving from one channel to another.

This guide will teach you how to convert an e-commerce website into a mobile application. 

How to Convert the e-commerce Site to a Mobile App

Mobile app development solutions can help you reach a broader user base and improve your brand’s conversion rate. However, it can also become expensive and inefficient if you don’t take the right approach. Let’s discuss the top steps you should take to convert your e-commerce store into a mobile application.

#1 Check the Feasibility 

Ask a few questions before you move ahead with your plan to convert the site into a mobile app.  

• Is it possible to convert your existing e-commerce site to a mobile application?
• Does your e-commerce site have the interaction and experience design to help bring conversions? 
• Will it be cost-effective to convert the website or to build an app from scratch?

If your answer to all these questions is yes, you can move ahead with the next step. 

#2 Determine your Target Audience

Your website users may or may not be mobile app users. You might gain a whole new section of users for the mobile application. It is essential to get the persona right so you can plan the user experience design, interactions, and marketing for them.

As a result, you should work on defining what your potential app user would be like.

• Describe your app user- demographics, social profile, etc.
• Discuss what type of apps they are likely to use
• Determine the factors that influence their purchase decisions
• Observe their online behavior on the different apps- how they swipe and hold the phone, etc.

A mobile apps company can help you plan your app design, optimization, and marketing strategies.

#3 Conduct a Competitor Analysis

Before utilizing mobile app development solutions for your e-commerce website, it is important to study your competition. Analyze and check what makes users use your competitor’s mobile apps. Learn how these apps perform. 

• Identify all the gaps that exist in the competitor’s application
• Learn how they are acquiring and retaining users
• Know how they are making profits. 

A thorough analysis of these factors will give you insights that can help build an apt solution. It will improve your overall plan and design roadmap. 

#4 UI/UX Design 

You can create a design plan for your mobile application from your analysis of the competition and target market. These insights will help you identify the accessible zones. 

You will know whether to go portrait or landscape. It will help determine the fonts, buttons, and auto-filling options. 

Also Read: Why UI/UX is an important part of the app development process

#5 Determine the Features 

Finalize the features that are important to your target users. Finalizing the features plays a pivotal role in designing an engaging application. 

Few features that the mobile apps company should include: 

• Registration: Make sure to keep it short and precise. Allow auto-fill to encourage more signups
• Push Notifications: Implement push notifications and get more users to opt-in
• In-app Payments: Single-click payments and integration with multiple methods can improve the conversions
• Checkout: Have a short checkout process with a single click that can reduce abandonment rates.

Apart from these main features, product catalogs, customer support, and shipment tracking should be designed to meet the small device’s requirements.

 #6 Integrate the APIs 

Integrate APIs to connect the website with the mobile app and for seamless communication. Determine the APIs that your mobile application needs. Check if they exist. For example, in-app payments would require payment gateway APIs. Similarly, cart abandonment automation would need Email APIs. 

Create a list of all the APIs needed and implement them in the application. 

#7 Test the Application 

Quality check is an important part of mobile app development. For this purpose, you should test their applications before releasing them. 

Evaluate the quality application. Debug the app to find the errors and fix them. Overcome the risks that occur in these apps. Remove the security glitches that can harm your application’s data.

Conclusion

If you know how important it is to convert your e-commerce website into a mobile app, consider partnering with mobile app development companies. Mobile app development requires expertise and experience, and a thorough knowledge of the current market needs. 

Author Bio:

Mohit Shah is a writer at Apptread and ImpactQA with a keen interest in the field of software development solutions. His enthusiasm for new technology updates makes him an avid reader and knowledge investigator.