August 29, 2022
In recent years, it’s become evident that everything is going mobile. And retailers are more prone to this than anyone else. The use of mobile devices by consumers and their accompanying response by retailers are totally revolutionizing retail. As consumers increasingly shop on their mobile devices, it becomes a continuous rather than discrete activity, requiring retailers to engage with their customers at critical touch points of the decision-making process. An important paradigm shift for the retailing industry has occurred with this shift in focus from the decision outcome to the decision process.
Statistics show that 69.4% of internet users use mobile shopping apps. In the last two years, mobile shopping has increased by approximately 70% in the US. Global e-Commerce sales are expected to exceed $5 trillion in 2022, accounting for more than a fifth of retail sales. By 2025, total spending will surpass $7 trillion.
As mobile devices have become a key part of the consumer buying process, both large
and small retail businesses can take advantage of mobile commerce to expand their
businesses.
In this blog, let’s look at the most crucial benefits of having a mobile
application for a retail organization:
1) Make Online Shopping Simpler: Shoppers increasingly rely on smartphones for their shopping needs. Today, smartphones are the primary screen consumers use when exploring the internet. Mobile phones are now used by consumers in many different ways for their shopping needs. In addition to shopping in-store, exploring product reviews, discovering new products, and more, this list includes:
2) Increase Brand Awareness: Your business can also stand out from the competitors with a mobile app, depending on your industry. The main advantage of a mobile app is that users can access it 24/7, and the more they use it, the more their brand awareness grows. The constant convenience and accessibility to your business can be extremely appealing to customers since it puts the power in their hands.
3) Marketing Programs: The marketing efforts of businesses help them inform their customers about new products and services. Because mobile apps require prospective customers to actively search for and install them, they enhance marketing and promotional activities. As a result, apps help businesses attract valuable leads. By monitoring app usage, marketing teams can target specific users based on their actions within the app.
4) Loyalty Programs Can Enhance Customer Retention: A mobile app can help you spread the word about your retail brand. Loyalty programs make customers feel appreciated and welcome. Additionally, it will increase their interest in your app. Besides free gift coupons, it also offers exclusive discounts to app users. Upon registering for your app, you can offer coupons to new users. Additionally, you can advertise new products with coupons for purchase.
5) Enables an Omni-channel Approach: Omni-channel sales allow businesses to give customers a seamless shopping experience across devices. With omnichannel access, customers can purchase from any location. Using a mobile app can help SMBs improve their omnichannel experiences since customers can shop and purchase from their smartphones.
6) Data Mining: The data mining opportunities available through mobile apps are fantastic. In order to identify customer patterns and respond to marketing tactics, retailers can analyze collected data. Besides mobile apps, businesses can also combine data from social media platforms and direct customer interactions. To better understand customer interests and buying trends, retail businesses can combine and analyze this information.
7) Boost Sales: According to a study on retail mobile apps, 57.5% of consumers said mobile apps are more convenient than other shopping channels. Using mobile apps for shopping is popular with consumers because of its convenience, lower prices, and easy user interfaces. Customer convenience is enhanced by mobile apps, which enable them to make purchases wherever and whenever they like.
8) Geo-Location Targeting/Push Notifications: Self-service apps can reduce costs in a business, but they can also introduce new ways to drive revenue. Mobile apps often receive a long list of permissions from the user to access built-in capabilities like the camera and contacts. When a retailer has access to a user’s location, they can serve the user location-based content, and geo-targeted ads, promoting retailer deals that are specific to their location. A geo-location feature can also be used by businesses to help people find the closest store and see its opening hours.
9) Integrate Essential Features: The combination of mobility advantage and technological advancements might give your retail business an edge over your competitors. Working with a mobile app development agency can help you add features and functionality as your business grows.
10) Provide Accessible Customer Support: As a retailer, it is imperative to prioritize customer and sales support. No matter which app development service you select, you can easily integrate this essential functionality. In addition to sending real-time information to executives, the retail mobile app assists the sales department.
In order to address inefficiencies and improve business performance, retailers should reevaluate their mobile strategy. The development of mobile apps or improving existing applications can help businesses drive revenue and cut costs. An automated self-service app offers retailers an opportunity not only to address the needs of their customers and the demand for more personalized and convenient shopping experiences but also to streamline their business processes.
However, developing an app for the retail industry is not as easy as one might think. All of this is entirely dependent on the expertise of the retail mobile app development company. ZoftSolutions has extensive experience in retail app development for clients worldwide. With our highly qualified team of app developers and digital transformation services, you can be confident that your application will stand out from the rest.
