How to Develop an eCommerce App to Grow Your Online Revenue (7 Easy Steps)

The Internet has grown from an information superhighway to a massive commercial mall. Customers are looking for simple and convenient ways to shop online, resulting in a huge expansion in the online retail business. According to statista, the global eCommerce economic growth rate is expected to be 8.9% in 2024, with global sales reaching $8.1 trillion by 2026.

What does it take to build a successful eCommerce mobile app? With so many apps competing for customers’ attention, it is critical to get it right. This blog post describes how to create a nice eCommerce mobile app and the approximate costs connected with it.

Taking the example of several global giants such as Amazon, Domino’s Pizza, McDonald’s, and even Starbucks, we can see how m-commerce or an eCommerce application has helped to simplify the consumer journey for these large organizations. However, this does not imply that chances are limited in this industry due to intense competition from globally recognized corporations.

If you are a developer wishing to start a side hustle, a new business experimenting in the realm of eCommerce mobile applications, or simply curious about how to construct an eCommerce mobile app, this post is for you. But first, we need to cover the fundamentals.

What’s an eCommerce mobile app?

An eCommerce mobile app is an application designed to make it easier to conduct online transactions. Apps for eCommerce open up a world of possibilities for user involvement and happiness, improving the user experience and rewarding customers to return and make future purchases.

eCommerce applications allow individuals and businesses to buy and sell goods and services, as well as move payments or data. In essence, eCommerce apps enable businesses to profit from the exchange of goods, services, or information via the Internet.

For the sake of clarity, this article discusses How to Develop an eCommerce App. It makes sense to concentrate on mobile-based eCommerce apps. Statistically, practically everyone owns a smartphone (see the “Massive revenue potential” part). As a result, designing these eCommerce mobile apps offers the most growth potential.

Now that you have a better knowledge of what an eCommerce mobile app is, let’s look at the steps required for developing one is a good idea.

7 Steps on How to Develop an eCommerce mobile app

Whether you want to create an Android app or an app for the iOS App Store, there are some basic procedures to follow in the eCommerce mobile app development process.

1.  Establish your app’s goals

The first step in developing an eCommerce mobile app is to define the goals that the app should achieve. This will normally be about the things you’re attempting to sell or who you’re selling them to.
You may be seeking for a new way to present your items so that they appear more enticing to your clients or to reach a certain target population that your existing offering does not cater to. Whatever it is, identify the requirement so that you can make better selections in the future.

2.  Decide on your target audience

In relation to the first stage, now is the moment to identify your target audience. This includes not only the type of individual who will use the app but also the conditions surrounding its use. Are you looking to target a specific type of device? Is that device owned by the user or for display at a store? This decision will influence many of the eCommerce mobile app’s features and branding possibilities.

3.  Determine the essential features

At this stage you have to decide which features your eCommerce mobile app should include. There are some aspects that you should evaluate regardless, as we have already mentioned, but you should also consider what makes this software distinctive.

This is also the process in which you decide on the design of the app’s panels and menus, as well as the user experience you want your consumers to enjoy.

When you want to know “How long does it take to build an eCommerce app?” The attributes determined in this step will be the most important component.

Depending on the number of features you want to include and their complexity, you can expect a development period ranging from 3 months for simpler apps to 9+ months for more complicated projects.

4.  Create UX UI Design

As we previously stated, the experience in eCommerce applications must extend beyond in-person purchasing, and UX/UI design is an opportunity to stand out. The design will serve as your brand’s voice and identity for your target audience. Colour schemes, enticing images, and easy transitions from one page to the next are what leave a lasting impression on your customer.

5.  Develop the app’s minimum requirements and functionality

Now is the time to create a development team and begin the development process. Depending on the team you’ve recruited, you’ll have more or less control over the development process. Ideally, you’ll want to construct the app gradually and test it along the way to ensure it meets your initial objectives.

This usually results in an MVP, which is the very minimum your program requires to function and be valuable to your users. Make sure the features are polished, even if they are few in number. You’ll want to give your best.

6.  Publish and Market the app

Now that the mobile app’s MVP has been prepared and development has been done, it’s time to release it to your consumers.

You may be wondering “How do I launch an eCommerce app?”. Typically, this is determined by your mobile app’s target platforms.

When developing an eCommerce mobile app, you should publish it on the platform’s appropriate app store, such as Google Play or Apple App Store. You will typically go through the store’s review procedure, which can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and you will be required to pay fees based on the type of developer account you have and the store in question. Always examine the manuals for submission to these stores to ensure you don’t miss any critical detail.

7.  Keep building the mobile app with your users’ feedback

Mobile eCommerce app development, like all other mobile app development, is a multi-step process. Your users will constantly want upgrades and new features, and your development team should be able to consistently deploy new updates that meet their needs, giving them additional reasons to return and continue using the app, resulting in more business for you!

How can you create an eCommerce mobile app with no coding?

Currently, a number of app builders allow you to create apps without having to code. These are based on templates, which you can then alter to meet your own needs.

Be aware, however, that you are giving up the simplicity of development for flexibility. If you want to create a truly original experience, these app-building services can quickly narrow your possibilities and slow down your creativity.

Also, keep in mind that this kind of service is rarely specialized specifically to eCommerce, and you’ll most likely need to make some additional effort to link your mobile app with your existing systems.

Some other Key Features for eCommerce Mobile App Development

When building the basic features for your mobile app, make sure you include the bare essentials that consumers used to these types of apps typically search for.

1. Native user experience: Depending on the target platform, people expect a specific experience on their devices. Certain menus, actions, and gestures have become standard features of the user experience and interface design, and you should make great efforts to ensure that your mobile app is as consistent with that experience as possible so that users do not feel disconnected. You want our app to feel like an extension of your phone’s existing functions.

2. Item reviews: Customers frequently seek feedback on an item before making a purchase. By including it in the mobile app, you increase user engagement and offer them the information they require.

3. Social network integrations: Depending on the target audience’s age group, social networks will be more useful for keeping them engaged with the mobile app. You may also utilize the capability to promote things or post product reviews created on such social networks.

4. Wish Lists: Allowing your customers to save items they are interested in can be useful for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is that you can use the items on the wishlist to make suggestions to that specific customer (which is especially useful for repeat purchases), or you can use the combined information from all of your customers’ wishlists to promote specific items in the store, increasing sales.

5. Checkout: Include methods for simplifying and accelerating checkouts. Customers who want to buy via your mobile app are already involved in your business, so provide them features like address saving and checkout choices to make future transactions easier.

6. Payment choices: In relation to the preceding point, ensure that you provide your consumers with a variety of payment choices. These will vary greatly depending on the client’s location and age.

7. Push notifications: These are useful for communicating new items in the store or sales on items that your users are interested in. This will encourage your customers to visit the mobile app more frequently.

Why Build an eCommerce Mobile App?

Aside from financial considerations, there are several factors to consider, whether you are new to the eCommerce solution field or have an established eCommerce business.

• Enhance Customer Experience

Creating an eCommerce mobile app from scratch guarantees that clients have a consistent and unique buying experience, allowing your company to differentiate itself and retain customer loyalty.

• Customization and Integration

Building an eCommerce mobile app whether it is for an eCommerce fitness mobile app from the ground up, rather than relying on an existing one, allows you to adapt the app as needed. In addition to the app’s core functions, you may grow and add custom features that correspond with your company’s goals and vision. In addition, you can create an app from scratch and combine it with your current business system. This means you can concentrate all of your essential revenue, stock, and delivery data, reducing the chance of costly mistakes caused by an on/off switch between separate applications.

• Online Presence and Branding

Setting up an online store gives your customers convenient access. We live in a world where practically everything is done on a smartphone, including entertainment, work, and shopping. After all, there are more mobile phones than people around the globe, with more than 8.8 billion cellular subscriptions in use as of 2023 according to statista. This number alone should be enough to motivate you to begin developing your eCommerce mobile app and putting your product in app stores.

• Revenue Growth & Competitive Advantage

Developing an eCommerce application has been shown to enhance income for industry leaders such as Walmart and Amazon. If your clients want to buy a product from your firm online but you don’t have an online store, they’re more likely to choose your competitor’s service. In short, an eCommerce application aims to provide your clients with a consistent, unique experience while competing with your competitors.

Last thoughts on how to develop an eCommerce app

To summarize, today’s eCommerce app development industry is thriving for a variety of causes, including increased smartphone usage, the pandemic, consumers’ need for new experiences, and other global events.

Having an eCommerce mobile app provides numerous benefits to your business, ranging from quick access to users to a competitive advantage. We also looked at the leading companies in the eCommerce market, so you now have some trends to watch. However, the bottom line in the overall eCommerce app development process is to prioritize the consumer and discover the greatest user-friendly solution.

If you are planning to create an eCommerce mobile app, then our team of ControlF5 a top ecommerce mobile app development company in India will help you with numerous years of expertise. We understand how to design a personalized solution that is appropriate for your audience and product.

Check out our services and contact us if you’re ready to construct your own ecommerce mobile application.