The Rising Usage of Shopping Apps – Increasing Engagement and Sales Using Shopping Apps

Stacey Rudolph — January 11, 2018

— January 11, 2018

Mobile apps have become so common so much that it is estimated that there are 493 million mobile apps downloads per day. But the big question is, “does my business really need an app?” well, the answer depends on so many things. Mobile apps can create a great opportunity for your business to increase sales. According to Go-globe, 72% of consumers think mobile apps make shopping easier.

Infographic Source

So if you think you don’t need a native mobile app simply because your site is mobile friendly, think again because you could be missing the huge potential that comes with apps. Think of the following scenarios:

When was the last time your customers called by pressing a single button on their mobile devices?
When was the last time your customers your customer was instantaneously notified of a new product?
When was the last time your customers were able to take pictures of your brand?
When was the last time your site told you the name of your customer who just logged in?
When was the last time your customer got the right product displayed on their screens based on preferences and time?

Cameras, sensors, biometrics, geo-location, 3D gaming, augmented reality are some of the things that have made mobile application such a success story when it comes to increasing sales.

However, the bad news is that many of those apps end up being abandoned or even never used afterwards. Therefore, it is important to ensure your apps are effective in order to increase engagement and sales. Are 5 tips to achieve this:

Learn your users. It is important to have a deep understanding of your users including who they are and what they want. Try to segment your audience based on their behaviors and demographics. This will enable you to give them what they want at the right time.
Track your users. Understanding your users is only the first step. You need to keep tracking them in real-time so that you can act on the data received. You can use several mobile engagement tools such as banners, questionnaires and messages among others.
Create a useful app to the users. According to Liftoff Denis Mink, apps now make more than half (52%) of total time spent on digital media, and this includes mobile internet and PC. The bad news is that 70% of mobile apps end up being removed from mobile devices with 30 days of installing them. To prevent your app from being uninstalled, you must ensure your app is useful to the user for increased interactivity.
Create high-quality content and don’t forget design. Ensure that your app’s content is top class. Content is almost everything when it comes to deciding quality app. Design is also important. Your mobile visual quality plays a very big role.
Use promotions. Who doesn’t love promotions? Your customers will love every opportunity to have a good deal. Creating promotions every now and then is one way of increasing interactions and removing boredom.
Integrate social media apps into your app. This will give your users opportunity to spread the word in social media.

The key to increasing mobile app usage and engagement is by ensuring your apps not only delights your users but also communicates better with the users. You must be strategic and tailor your app according to your users’ specific needs.

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