The benefits of a mobile presence are many for everyone, but for some they are even more. There are situations in which having a mobile app is particularly profitable, based on the intrinsic characteristics of the business we are referring to. And that is why I want to show you when and how an app can turn out to be, as well as an absolutely valid alternative, the solution you need without even knowing it.
If your offer consists of basic necessities, consumer goods, subject to recurring purchases by the users, having an app is what allows you to be quickly reachable any time. When a purchase must be repeated several times within the same month or even the same week, due to its nature, your users would like to do it almost automatically and with a minimal effort. That is why, even if they have not asked you, they need an app.
The frustration of connecting to the web site every time to perform an action which is routine could lead them to create a negative image of your brand. This happens because they consider you unable to offer them a convenient and effective solution to their needs for practicality and speed. Hence, leverage their recurring needs, anticipate their needs and make their shopping experience more enjoyable with a mobile app.
Who does not have a coffee in the morning before going to work? Or take one at the office in the mid-morning? The purchase of coffee products is one of the most recurring, considering the associated consumption habits. It is considering this frequency that many producers of goods like coffee have found it more convenient to provide their consumers with a mobile app through which they can streamline their shopping journey. Given the recurrence and habit with which it is carried out, the purchase process of this product must be simple, almost automatic. By using an app, thanks to the storage of preferences and personal data and the one-page checkout, it becomes so.
Paying is always a big hassle for customers, and not only because they have to pay money, but also because the procedures often turn out to be unsafe and even less intuitive. So, if your business involves recurring payments or subscriptions, you cannot ignore your customers’ need for convenience. The automation of the collecting payments process on a fixed date and the possibility to keep their balance and movements under control directly from the app of your business are a double winning combination. It saves time and effort for your users. Having everything under control via the app, they will not have to connect first to your site every time (with the risk that it has not stored their data and therefore having to re-enter them) and then carry out further checks on their online account to verify that everything is ok. It is very frustrating to carry out all these actions and, even in this case, their image of you could be that of a brand that has not yet managed to satisfy their primary need for practicality. In addition to all this, it must be considered the convenience of being able to purchase multiple combined products directly from the app, saving the time of putting many single orders together or having to repeat them over time, on a recurring basis.
Buying personal care products at the supermarket is less and less frequent. There is a smaller variety of choice, the more commercialized products often contain non-natural ingredients. And then it becomes a big burden to buy them online once a month, or more. To satisfy the customer more favorably, you can offer the possibility to subscribe to a bimonthly, semiannual, annual subscription through your app, in order for them to receive the product automatically at home, without repeating the purchase and payment over and over again.
There are two factions when it comes to make-up: those who say that “a thread of mascara and I can go” and those who claim everytime “ok, I will start from the foundation” and spend hours in front of the mirror between brushes, creams and patience. In any case, the temptation to buy all the novelties by the best MUAs in the world is strong (for both factions… no lies, please). And it is amplified when the so-called “boxes” or package offers are put on sale, since they allow you to save on the cost of the single products. In these cases, having an app becomes crucial. Above all because, for most users, make-up inspiration comes directly from social media, and switching from Instagram to the shop is quicker and more convenient via a smartphone. The impulse purchase linked to the desire to try the amazing tutorial that they have just watched will be even easier and faster to make. They just enter the app, add the box with all the necessary products to the cart and with a checkout that takes only a few seconds, the risk of changing their mind about the purchase is lower.
A repeat customer spends a lot more than a newcomer. A previous experience with your brand, a greater knowledge of your products and a solid trust-based relationship favor the propensity to consume. With a mobile app you can reach users with planned and personal communication, creating a one-to-one relationship with each one of them, involve them and increase their brand loyalty. Your solution will “climb the chart” in their mind and position itself higher and higher over time, until it becomes the first option considered when needed. Therefore, when they have to make a purchase or just want to browse to find out if there is something interesting for them in the market, you already know who they will turn to 😉.
I am writing about a fashion loyalty card for two reasons. The first is that I am referring precisely to the business activities connected to the retail of clothing, shoes, bags, accessories and everything that can be connected to fashion in its broadest sense. The second, a little less literal and more metaphorical, is the feeling of being special and super-cool for consumers when they know they own something exclusive. Like a loyalty card, which separates “normal” consumers from VIPs. Just identifying as exclusive consumers is enough to make them feel “fashionably trendy”. Accumulating points, keeping track of their balance, receiving notifications when there are special offers for fidelity card holders: it is all easier with an app. A browser, on desktop or mobile, makes them forget this possibility, undermining the value related to a loyalty program aimed at increasing the engagement of the customers.
The latest generations are those that make the most out of the smartphone, not so much in terms of the “quality” of the carried out operations, but rather in terms of “quantity”. If they know they can take any action through an app, they won’t hesitate to do it. So, if your target mostly includes the young or very young of the so-called X and Z generations, who in a stereotyped but also realistic vision never part with their smartphones, offering an app will place you on pole-position. They can quickly buy the new shopping must-haves, take advantage of the most varied services digitally: the app-commerce is more profitable than you imagine.
If you do not have an app yet and your Shopify store offer consists of these or other similar product categories, which has allowed you to identify yourself well in the given examples, you still have time to fix it.
You can download Shoppy, and in a few seconds build an app for your e-store that your customers will love. Build your own app now or find out more about Shoppy.
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