When discussing mobile apps for an online store, their advantages and disadvantages, many companies form a misconception about these digital products. In our guide, we will explain to you the basic aspects of developing such apps, as well as highlight the main pros and cons that this process entails.

The benefits of a mobile app for an online store

The mobile app for an online store is one of the ways to scale up an eCommerce business, which helps companies in several aspects at the same time.

Firstly, given the fact that in recent years the number of purchases on mobile platforms has increased several times, such an app can significantly increase sales. Secondly, by personalizing offers and push notifications, you can also achieve an increase in your average check. And thirdly, the app can turn into a very effective marketing asset that will not only retain your existing customers but also return customers who have not made any purchases for a long time.

What features should a commercial app include?

At a basic level, commercial mobile apps should have the following features:

  • convenient navigation with sections and categories that would allow users to quickly find the products they are interested in;
  • well-implemented functionality for searching products with filters by price, popularity, and customer reviews;
  • shopping cart leading to checkout pages with integrated payment services;
  • recommendation suggestions that would show users products based on their purchase history and thereby encourage them to make new purchases;
  • a system of reviews for consumers which would form the rating of goods;
  • tools that allow the company to analyze the key performance indicators of the app, for example, the frequency of visits, the length of the sessions, etc.

How to choose a development platform

The choice of a mobile app development platform is dictated by your wishes and needs. On the one hand, our team can create for you from scratch a native app for a specific operating system, be it iOS or Android. On the other hand, you can choose cross-platform development, which will allow you to cover both Android and Apple smartphones.

Advantages and disadvantages of a mobile app for a website


A mobile app for a website provides eCommerce businesses with a number of significant advantages:

  • if your consumers have an internet connection via the app they can view the products they are interested in anywhere and anytime;
  • the app can generate more sales for the company;
  • since the app can greatly simplify the buying process for your users, they are more likely to come back to it in the long run;
  • push notifications with personalized offers will allow you to interact with customers more often and track their reactions to certain products;
  • the checkout process is made easier by linking bank cards, so the number of “abandoned carts” can be noticeably reduced;
  • through the app, you can better analyze the behaviour of your target audience and form more suitable proposals for the customers.

As for the shortcomings, here they are:

  • developing a multifunctional mobile app for an online store can be quite expensive;
  • the optimization of such a product will require additional investments;
  • monitoring the operation of the app is the responsibility of specialists, which also entails costs.

Conclusion

Mobile app development is an important step in the growth of any eCommerce business, but you need to be confident that such a product will really help your sales. It is important to take into account the specifics of the goods, the activity of the target audience in the context of mobile devices, and many other factors that can affect the final result.

By the way with all the mobile apps advantages for business you can read our updated article!