Going above & beyond transactions makes an outstanding app
As a knowledge partner for Internet Retailing’s IREU Top500 report we looked at 500 retailers and the features available on 324 iOS apps in order to determine what makes an outstanding and successful app. Our research looked at a multitude of dimensions including; searchandising, personalisation, push notifications, loyalty, product pages and checkout.
Personalisation
Apps generate a high level of engagement because of their ability to afford personalisation. Amongst the apps that scored highest on personalisation, features such as suggestions based on previous orders and the ability to save sizes for you and your family proved to be very successful. One great example is the House of Fraser app; which offers users an opportunity to save their dress size and loyalty card details, utilise user device location to suggest the closest store and inform about stock levels, minimising the number of screens used. By using user information to deliver real-time information about the products consumers are interested in, consumers are able to make those impulse purchases and check out efficiently with little hassle. This level of personalisation enhances user experience and promotes purchases.
Usability
Onboarding
Ease of use and app navigation were found to be important factors to the success and appeal of apps. In our comparison of apps with and without onboarding, those with onboarding screens scored on average 23% higher overall than those without. A full understanding of how to use an app and its features cannot be underestimated, onboarding emboldens users to use the app the way it was intended and provide a great user experience.
Search
We found that apps with high scoring search facilities, including the ability to account for spelling errors, brands and departments amongst other criteria, achieved an average of 43% higher overall score. These apps made the search for relevant products quick and simple, despite human error. Predictive search has proven to be successful in websites and the same impact can be seen in apps. With the majority of users preferring to use the search bar to find what they need rather than navigating the app, predictive searches made finding products easy and simple, minimising the number of clicks needed, perfect for users on the go.
Product images and videos
Product images on product display pages (PDPs) are crucial factors in influencing user’s shopping behaviour, and we found that apps with multiple product images fared better in our rankings than those without, scoring an average of 27% better. The ability to zoom in on product images had an even bigger impact on the score of the app, apps that offered zooming functions scored 4x higher than those without, showing us just how important it is to get the user experience right. Additionally, apps with product videos on PDPs particularly stood out to us, arming customers with more information about a product and closing the gap between online and in-store experiences.
Across all the data gathered, we found that those scoring in the top half of our assessment had, on average, an app store rating of 4.1 stars compared to 2.8 for those with lower scores. We can see that retailers that enhance their transactional apps by providing a more engaging experience and offering ultimate convenience are reaping the rewards.
The outstanding features mentioned in this article including; predictive search and product videos, are in our latest platform release; you can find out more here.
Reported by Samantha Rigg
