According to Statista, in 2021, more than 60 percent of consumers in the United States were willing to do more of their online shopping using a mobile device. Similar numbers were seen in other countries, such as Spain.
Overall, mobile shopping is growing throughout the world, and as an online store owner, it makes sense to make sure that you are not missing out on the potential sales that happen on mobile.
Reasons Why Mobile Shopping Is Popular
One of the biggest reasons for the growing popularity of mobile shopping is convenience. Virtually everyone has a smartphone or a tablet. A few taps with your finger are enough to open a shopping website or app and order the goods. For instance, using a Shopify subscription app can streamline this process even more by allowing users to automate their regular purchases.
Since one carries a smartphone with them all the time, they might not want to bother going to a computer to do their shopping. In other words, it saves time.
Why You Should Consider Turning Your Shopify Store Into an App
Most Shopify themes that website owners use on their websites are mobile-friendly, but you cannot guarantee that the website will function properly for every mobile device.
Compatibility with different smartphones and tablets is a must. If a customer lands on the store’s page while using a mobile device and finds a clunky UI, they are unlikely to complete the purchase or even add goods to the shopping cart.
Mobile applications:
- Reduce abandoned shopping cart numbers
- Builds loyalty with a personalized experience
- Reduces inventory management and other costs
- Offers an option to advertise the store via push notifications
The basic benefits are pretty self-explanatory, but it is also worth noting that a flexible mobile application also opens plenty of opportunities to introduce various features.
Mobile shopping is already convenient, but as a Shopify store owner, you can sweeten the deal by offering exclusive discounts and deals to mobile customers. Partnering with comparison apps to emphasize how your store has better deals compared to the competition is another worthwhile suggestion.
Finally, it is likely that there will be a few hiccups and bugs on your mobile app, especially in the early stages when the application can still be treated as being in the development phase. Make sure to collect feedback from the consumers and involve them in the app development and improvement process. Be aware that Shopify may help you increase your sales by 100% while also allowing you to use a creative branding agency for future product expansion throughout the world.
Doing so will build trust and customer loyalty since shoppers will feel like they are part of the process.
How to Turn a Shopify Store Into a Mobile App
Now that we have covered why shopping on a mobile device is popular and why someone who has a Shopify store should consider creating a mobile app, let’s take a look at different ways to turn a Shopify store into a mobile app.
#1 – Developing an App From Scratch
Custom mobile app development is the approach of creating a mobile app from scratch. Naturally, if you do not have the necessary skills to create a mobile app yourself, you will need to hire a team of professional developers.
Finding a developer or a team of developers that understand your business needs can be tricky. Not to mention the costs of app development from scratch. These are the two notable downsides.
As far as the benefits of custom app development go, you become the sole owner of the app and can modify it as per your needs. Moreover, it is easier to ensure the security of an app when you do not have to worry about breaches that exist on a third-party service used to develop mobile apps.
Finally, developing a mobile app from scratch makes it possible to create a unique app and stand out from the competition.
#2 – Using an App Builder, Such as Shopney
Cloud-based software as a service is the second method. Picking this approach will give you access to the software. You do not have to have coding skills. The installation usually requires a few clicks, and the SaaS platform takes care of the maintenance part.
Scaling the mobile app with the help of SaaS is not a problem either. Nor is accessibility since you can run a SaaS platform on any Internet browser or device.
The pay-as-you-go model does not involve maintenance or hardware costs. Those are covered by the service provider. As it stands, cost-effectiveness and fast development are notable advantages of using an app builder when developing a mobile iOS and Android app for your Shopify store.
If you turn your Shopify store into a mobile app using a SaaS solution, such as Shopney, you will discover a relatively hassle-free approach.
Mobile app development can be done by pretty much anyone by utilizing various layouts and modules and the drag-and-drop system. Not to mention that SaaS platforms allow the integration of features directly from your Shopify store.
The software solutions also tend to be created with Shopify in mind, which means that users do not have to worry about potential compatibility issues. If you develop a Shopify app using a Shopify app builder specifically, it means no problems compatibility-wise. And if you encounter an issue, there should be support ready to help you.
However, be mindful of the fact that using a SaaS solution means that you are not the owner of the application, which restricts certain things you can do with customization. Having said that, unless you plan to delve deep and introduce very specific features, the default access and customization options should be more than enough for creating your Shopify application.
Final Words
All in all, it should be pretty clear why it is beneficial to turn your Shopify store into a mobile app. The question is which of the three mentioned development methods are the best.
Overall, custom app creation is the most flexible, but it tends to get overlooked because of the initial development costs and what comes after maintenance-wise. Unless you have a big budget, you are better off using a SaaS solution or a third-party plugin offered by Shopify.