As a result of the rapid expansion of the eCommerce sector, each online retailer is investing in the development of an eCommerce app that can be used in conjunction with its website. If maintaining growth and expanding market share are your goals, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to run your business without mobile applications.
Apps designed specifically for eCommerce allow you to enhance the buying experience of your prospective consumers. You will be able to broaden the scope of your business since apps will bring in much more revenue than a web store does.
Why build a mobile app for your Magento 2 store?
The popularity of mobile applications shows no signs of a slowdown. It has been estimated that between 2022 and 2030, the worldwide mobile app industry would increase to $565 billion.
Apps have grown so prevalent that users notice their absence. Numerous services are now accessible solely via the download of specialized applications for various mobile devices.
Online shoppers are among the growing number of customers who want businesses to provide them with specialized applications.
If you own an online store or just starting your eCommerce business and want to learn how to make money through in-app purchases and subscriptions, you should consider making a mobile app for your Magento business.
Although having a Magento site is convenient, there are still typical limitations to consider.
Website responsiveness is actually quite decent thanks to Magento 2. When accessing the site via a mobile browser, users face very few issues. However, there is still some area to cover between “no substantial difficulties” and “natural experience.” In fact, there are several downsides to having a website:
- Dependent on Connectivity
Because responsive websites acquire their data straight from the browser, they won’t always be available everywhere. If your website requires access to the Internet, then your customers will only be able to contact you when they are in the range of a Wifi hotspot, as 3G and 4G are outrageously costly in most parts of the world. This may result in dissatisfaction among your customer base.
- Unintuitive UI
Mobile phone users on iOS and Android are accustomed to a distinct standard of navigating between menus and tabs. This is due to the fact that the design languages of the two OS are different, meaning that your adaptive website’s navigation will not meet the needs of users on the two most popular OS.
- Client loyalty
A mobile retail app is still the best option if you are concerned about customer retention rates or brand loyalty in general. A mobile app is a superior alternative to promote customer loyalty.
Developing a Magento mobile app in 6 easy steps
If you’ve already realized that you want to prefer Magento to Shopware development services, check how to develop an app for your Magento-based store step by step.
1. Select a suitable app builder and get it installed
Choosing the correct platform is crucial before you even start developing a mobile app for Magento.
You have to make sure that the direction you select is user-friendly and suitable for both your business and mobile devices. It must also be mobile-friendly, meaning that it adapts to different screen sizes and orientations without losing its intended form.
You should look for a framework that offers both native Magento storefront capabilities and an extensive set of APIs.
2. Establish your app’s objectives
Goals should be in line with the overall business plan and should be quantifiable. To set and achieve them, answer the next questions:
- Is there a specific goal you have in mind for this app?
- How will it be put to use?
- Which functions should the app provide?
- What features are essential, and which ones may be cut?
3. Incorporate all required components
Enhance your app by including new product types and categories. If you want clients to be able to build wish lists using their smartphones, you should provide a wish list button, just like you would on a desktop website. Customer expectations for features in your app will vary depending on the type of app you design.
You should prioritize the features that are essential before putting in a lot of time and effort developing the app and then realizing you need to cut certain functionality.
4. Set up your payment gateways
Configuring payment gateways is the next step. The ability to accept payments is crucial to the success of any online store. The right payment gateways facilitate the safe and timely processing of payments by providing access to a variety of credit, debit, and bank transfer options for business owners.
Choose the payment processor that best fits your company’s needs, then set it up in the App Store Connect interface or the Google Play Developer Console.
5. Upload to Google Play or the App Store
Even though there are several app markets out there, the two that dominate the eCommerce app market are the App Store and Google Play.
For your software to be included in any app store, it must adhere to certain guidelines. Your app must employ a URL scheme as one of these prerequisites.
6. Connect your AW to your Magento Store and website
The final step in getting your app up and running is connecting it to your Magento shop. In order to achieve this, either a deep link or a unique URL must be established for the app.
Establish communication channels across your various digital mediums, including social media, customer relationship management (CRM), email marketing (EMM), online store (OS), and the mobile app itself.
Things to watch out for
If you’re going the do-it-yourself route with your Magento 2 mobile app, you’d better know what pitfalls might await you.
1. A disorganized user interface
It has been estimated that customers spend around four minutes on each purchase while using their mobile devices. That much is required of you if you want to engage them. If your app’s user interface is cluttered with too many features and settings, users will become overwhelmed and give up using it entirely. A lack of visual variety in the app’s interface will not be to anyone’s liking. The perfect user interface design would include features like a double-tap to zoom in and save item/shopping cart settings.
3. Ignoring safety concerns
Customers’ first concern when shopping online is the safety of their financial and personal information; you should do all in your power to put their minds at ease. Use trust badges, lock symbols, security terms (such as “secure” or “encrypted”), and the psychology of color to persuade customers that making purchases through your app is risk-free.
4. Targeting a single distribution method
If you want to reach the widest possible audience, you need to develop apps for both iOS and Android. Also, it’s a good idea to load up on every app category. It takes around a month to develop a Magento progressive web app, three months for a Magento hybrid app, and twice as long to develop a Magento native app. Having them all, though, will guarantee that you’ve taken all the necessary steps to attract every possible buyer.
5. Inaccurately estimating the loading rate
The more quickly your app loads, the more likely it is that a user will stick around and make a purchase. Mobile applications take roughly 90% longer to load than standard desktop sites, so make sure you compress the app’s code and lessen the weight of files to lower the loading speed as much as possible.
Even if you’ve successfully avoided these pitfalls and created a solid app, your work is far from done; now is the time to put it through its tests in a rigorous testing environment.
Testing Principles for the Magento Mobile App
The only way to know if your software satisfies users’ expectations is to put it via rigorous testing. If you want reliable test results, you need to adhere to certain guidelines.
- Develop a plan for conducting tests. A well-thought-out test plan is essential for effective testing. It is not acceptable to release an app with known issues and then wait for feedback from users.
- The testing process requires attention to the smallest of details, such as the intended users’ background and location, the accessibility of the network, and other factors.
- Learn your app inside and out. In order to identify whatever part of the app is failing to execute as expected, testers need an in-depth understanding of the app’s features and business logic. You’re in danger if you believe that testing involves page shifting and reading product listings.
- Diversify your efforts. As digitalization advances at an ever-increasing rate, more and more gadgets with varying features and display sizes enter the market. In light of this, the approach should center on multi-device testing, with as many gadgets as possible included in the test set.
- A mobile application is not the same thing as a website. Apps are designed to run on mobile devices using the Android or iOS operating systems, both of which receive regular updates in contrast to web browsers, which can go for years without being updated. Therefore, there has to be a shorter but more strict time of testing for apps.
Features of the Magento app
Let’s consider the essential features of your app to maximize your sales.
Home screen configuration
Buyers may arrange the icons on their home screen in whatever order they choose using a simple drag-and-drop interface. This streamlines the process of finding items that suit their specific needs.
Non-stop support
Customers may reach out to the shop manager at any time and expect a reply asap. Because of the increased sense of urgency created, sales may improve. Additionally, WhatsApp and Zopim also offer chat support.
Website synchronization
With the Magento mobile app, you can keep your store’s stock, prices, and availability up-to-date without ever leaving the app. Companies that need to make quick updates or adjustments while their employees are away from the office can make use of this function.
Intuitive interface
The Magento mobile app must provide a straightforward layout that assists shoppers in quickly locating the products they need. The app’s search functions and categorized product lists make browsing your store’s inventory much simpler. Fast app access via the “one tap” function and uncomplicated checkout from within the app makes for a pleasant buying experience.
Wish list
In the Magento mobile app, users may build a list of things they want to buy later using the wish list feature. Online shoppers who don’t immediately discover what they’re searching for will like this function since it allows them to save goods of interest and return to them later.
Extra tips for creating Magento mobile apps
Now that your Magento mobile app is complete, you need to figure out how to make the most of it. The following are some ideas to get you going in the right direction:
- Promote your Magento mobile app with push notifications. Push notifications are a convenient method to get in touch with those who have downloaded your app. Advertise new items or future sales with their help.
- The Magento mobile app would benefit from incorporating social media features so that users may communicate with one another through Facebook and Twitter, for example.
- Influencer marketing has exploded in popularity in recent years, and reaching out to influential people in your niche may help spread the word about your Magento mobile app. You may promote your business to influential people by giving them free samples or offering special discounts. You may also provide them with previews of upcoming features.
- If you want to make more money off of your Magento mobile app, you should think about implementing in-app purchases. In-app purchases of new features, discounts on future purchases, or even freebies are all viable monetization strategies.
- Building a referral program is still another smart move for expanding your Magento mobile app’s financial returns. The app’s users should be able to benefit from a referral program. Rewards for referring friends and relatives might be offered in the form of money, discounts, or free delivery.
- You may make more money with your Magento mobile app if you already have a website and set up an affiliate program for it. Users should be able to make money through the affiliate program by introducing new consumers to your company. A good incentive would be to give the referrer a share of any future profits.
- Gather testimonials from satisfied clients; this has been shown to boost sales and conversions. Rewards like free delivery can be offered in return for a review, or you could just ask users for their thoughts on the app.
Final thoughts on creating Magento apps
Once your Magento 2 eCommerce website is up and running smoothly, one of the first things you should accomplish is to develop a mobile app for it. On the other hand, the entire process of developing a mobile app for Magento is not as simple as one might anticipate. So most of the time, you will have to rely on a solution provider to supply you with the solutions that you want. IT Delight has proven its credibility with eCommerce app development, so feel free to contact us.
What’s more, you can get our help even with other eCommerce platforms, like Shopware, as we are recognized to be a top Shopware services provider on the market.
