Shopping through a browser is already a thing of the past. The present and the future belong to mobile apps. If you're still on the fence about building a mobile app for your online store, or about changing your own shopping habits, keep reading. Based on our experience, here are four key reasons why a mobile app is a smart move now — and unavoidable in the future.
Anytime, anywhere
As long as customers have a smart device on hand, they're free to shop. A single app lets them pick the right product, make the purchase, and then track the delivery.
A phone is usually within reach at work, at home, and everywhere else. If a customer can shop without extra friction, that's the flexible option they'll pick, whatever the situation.
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Exclusive offers
We've talked about why a loyalty programme matters in an earlier blog post, "Five Tips for Keeping Your Online Store Competitive". If you want to extend your loyalty programme into a mobile app, there's plenty of room to play — free delivery, special discounts, and more.
These are just a few examples of how an online store owner can encourage customers to use the app. From the customer's side, exclusive offers are the perfect way to get the most out of their shopping experience.
The app understands what the user needs
Sometimes customers don't love it when an online store sends them a flood of offers. After a while, those turn into unwanted spam instead of useful suggestions. Instead of mass notifications, it's far smarter to send targeted offers built for that specific customer.
An app's personalisation features — recommendations and notifications, for example — mean customers see suggestions that are actually relevant and useful to them. And that boosts customer satisfaction.
How do you get there? Build the right app, and it can take past behaviour into account. For example, the app can send a notification when a product the customer has bought several times before goes on sale, or when a new product is added to the store that might interest them based on their purchase history. A win for both the customer and the online store owner.
Learn from other apps
Every globally known brand has its own mobile app. Amazon, Starbucks, and Etsy are just a few examples from a long list. What can we learn from their experience?
Amazon stands out for its strong customer support, simple returns process, and fast delivery. The Starbucks app lets you order and enjoy your coffee without a word exchanged with staff, and offers plenty of bonus perks specifically for app users. Etsy's app adds extra value by building a solution for both sellers and buyers, delivering maximum convenience for both groups.
Put this knowledge into practice
Shopping through mobile apps offers plenty of advantages for both seller and buyer. Building an app can be expensive and take a lot of IT know-how. So think the whole process and your financial options through carefully before planning to bring your idea to life.
If you need extra funding, ESTO is here for you. With an ESTO credit line, you only pay interest on the amount you transfer to your bank account — and you can do that on a flexible repayment schedule. Enjoy the first 30 days with 0 % interest on repayments. Before signing the contract, review the terms and consult a specialist if needed.
ESTO LV AS credit line example: loan amount 1 231 €, repayment term 12 months, interest rate 0 % for the first 30 days, 37,9 % from day 31, monthly payment 124,84 €, arrangement fee 0 €, monthly administration fee 0 €, payout fee 3,5 % + 3,5 EUR, annual percentage rate (APR) 52,25 %. Total repayable amount 1 498,08 €. *This calculation is for informational purposes only. We'll prepare an individual offer once we've received and reviewed your loan application.