Just like ecommerce and mcommerce before it, app commerce has evolved out of an entirely new channel being created by innovations in technology.
Conversion rates on mobile web are significantly lower than on desktop sites, which, compounded by the fact that more and more traffic is coming from mobile, means that retail businesses are seeing their conversion rates go down and online revenue suffer, no matter how much their overall traffic is increasing.
We call this the mobile paradox, and apps can bridge this gap.
It’s highly likely your customers will already be shopping on apps elsewhere, and given the short attention span on mobile if retailers don’t offer an app it’s likely those customers will go elsewhere for more convenience.
This is evidenced by retailers like Amazon, ASOS and Missguided who continue to disrupt the traditional retail model, and all of whom generate a very high percentage of their sales through their apps.
Busy shoppers don’t distinguish between channels, moving seamlessly between desktop websites, smartphones, social media and bricks-and-mortar stores. Retailers that enable customers to switch between channels easily are leading the way in an increasingly mobile-first world.
There is a growing gap between the retailers that are leading the way in the adoption of apps, and everyone else. With the early adopters introducing new features and functionality year on year, those without an app are falling behind the curve.
Users prefer apps to mobile web because apps are created for dynamic and interactive experiences. They are specifically made to be personalised and tailored to the user and enable a smooth user experience that mobile web simply cannot.
Consumers expect an app experience – the same way they do using Spotify, WhatsApp, Facebook and Uber, so why would your brand be excluded from this?
