How To Quickly Start Mobile App Development for Shopping App!

Shopping app development is the best way to sell your products to a broader audience and increase traffic and sales.

Even if you have a website, you must create an online store app for the amazing benefits it offers to eCommerce business runners.

First of all, the number of smartphone users is way higher than desktop and laptop users. Most smartphone users prefer mobile apps as their preferred way of doing any work.

When it comes to shopping or making any purchases, people prefer to use an app instead of accessing the website through a browser.

When you create a shopping app, you are ensuring that your products are accessible to all smartphone-only users. The easier it is for your customers to make purchases, the higher the chances of them making purchases.

With a smartphone app, you also get the advantage of sending push notifications to your users and notifying them about your latest launches, offers, discounts, etc.

The best part is, people carry their smartphones with them all the time.

With a mobile app, you are basically creating your store on the user’s phone. This is why shopping app development should be at the top of your bucket list for 2023.

If you already have a website developed, almost half your work is done.

You do not have to spend time conducting market research, competitor analysis, branding, etc., as all of that is already done. You just have to convert your website into an app or build an app that looks just like your website.

If you are starting from scratch, you will have to start with branding and then conduct market research and competitor analysis.

At WDI, we provide the above-mentioned services to our clients. Under the scope of our work, we analyze where your app will stand in the market and what can be done to promote it and take it to its target audience.

Once the prerequisites are done, you can start with your shopping app development.

There are a bunch of steps you have to take to ensure that you create a smooth and seamless user experience for your users.

Creating a shopping app is different from creating other apps. Here you are dealing with people’s money, which means you have to provide uncompromised security along with easy payments.

Here is what you have to do to create a successful shopping app.

The UI is the trickiest part of shopping app development. You have to compress all the content visible on a big monitor to a 6-inch screen.

A shopping app can have thousands, if not millions, of products. The challenge is to arrange all of them properly on a small screen and provide a seamless navigation system for users.

Here are some essential features you must tell your mobile app developers to implement.

1: Search Bar
Your shopping app would be unfunctional without a search bar.

The search bar is one of the most important features of any shopping app. It allows users to quickly and easily find the products they are looking for.

When developing a shopping app, it is important to make sure that the search bar is prominently displayed and easy to use. It should also be able to search for products by keyword, category, or brand.

In addition, the search bar should be able to provide results based on the user’s location. This is especially important for shopping apps that focus on local businesses.

Finally, the search bar should be integrated with the app’s payment system so that users can easily purchase the products they find.

2: Clean Homepage

A great shopping app must have a well-designed homepage that is both visually appealing and user-friendly. The homepage should be designed to give users a quick overview of the app’s features and functionality.

The layout of the homepage should be uncluttered and easy to navigate. The most important elements of the homepage should be prominently displayed, such as the search bar, categories, and featured products.

The homepage should also be designed to be responsive so that it looks good on all devices. And last but not least, the homepage should be designed to convert visitors into users.

3: Filters
Filters allow users to narrow down their search results to find exactly what they are looking for, and this can be a lifesaver when trying to find the perfect item amongst a sea of options.

There are a few different types of filters that can be used in shopping apps, and the best way to decide which ones to include is to think about the kinds of searches users are likely to be doing. For example, if users are searching for clothing, then filters for size, color, and style would be essential. Other common filters include price, location, and brand.

When designing the filter interface, it is important to make it as user-friendly as possible. The last thing you want is for users to get frustrated with your app and give up on their search altogether. A good rule of thumb is to keep the number of filters to a minimum, as too many options can be just as overwhelming as too few.

Once you have decided which filters to include, the next step is to think about how they will be implemented. There are a few different options here, but the most important thing is to make sure that the filter options are easy to understand and use.

One popular option is to use a slider interface, which allows users to select a range for each filter option (for example, price). Another option is to use a series of checkboxes, which can be helpful if you want to allow users to select multiple options at the same time.

Whatever approach you decide to take, the important thing is to make sure that your filters are intuitive and easy to use. With the right filters in place, your shopping app will be sure to please even the pickiest of users.

The easier it is for people to use your app, the more likely they are to make purchases.

If they find using your app to be the easiest, they will make your app their go-to app for any shopping related to your product niche.

However, if they are annoyed by your app, you can rest assured that they will never come back or just delete it.

Here are some essential features you must ask your mobile app developers to implement to create a smooth and rich user experience
1: Fast Login
When it comes to creating a login for a shopping app, there are a few key elements that need to be taken into consideration.

First and foremost, the login process should be simple and straightforward. There should be no confusion as to what users need to do in order to log in.

Additionally, the login UX should be designed in a way that makes it easy for users to input their information. For example, if the login process requires users to input their email address and password, the input fields should be clearly labeled and easy to find.

The best feature you can implement is to allow users to login with their Gmail, Outlook, or social media accounts.

2: Easy Payment Gateway
The challenge is to provide a fast payment gateway without compromising security.

This can be achieved by integrating UPI payments with your app.

Provide payment options with cards and net banking as well, because the more options you provide, the better.

There are a number of different payment gateway options available, so it is important to choose one that is compatible with your app and your target market. For example, if you are targeting users in the US, you will need to ensure that the payment gateway you choose is able to process US payments.

Another important consideration is the fees that are associated with the payment gateway. Some gateways charge a percentage of the transaction value, while others charge a flat fee. It is important to compare the fees of different gateways before making a decision.

3: Integrate Engagement Options
If you want to improve user engagement, you have to provide your users with options to do that. It is not rocket science.

Like, share, rate, and review. The basics work the best.

If people like any product, allow them to wishlist it.

If they want to recommend it to others, allow them to share the link. It is free promotion for you.

Ratings can help users express their opinion on the product and also tell other users about the quality of the product. Plus, it is a good metric for you or the product sellers to improve upon.

Finally, reviews enable users to describe their exact likes and dislikes about the product. Users can get a clear idea about the pros and cons of the product before buying.

One of the best ways to increase user engagement is to provide your users with exactly what they want. This can be done with AI that predicts what the user might require based on his previous activity and recommends the necessary product.

For example, if a user is interested in shoes, he is more likely to make a purchase if he gets recommended a good pair of shoes. He will not be engaged if he is getting recommendations for video games.

There are multiple ways you can collect data from the user. The more ways you implement them, the better results you get.

1: Likes
This one is the most basic and very effective as well. With AI, you can track what the user likes or adds to the wishlist and tailor recommendations based on that.

2: Hit Map
A hit map tells you where the user is clicking or tapping on your app.

If a user clicks on a product multiple times without adding it to the wishlist or cart, it could mean that the user does not have the finances to buy the product. Here, you can recommend some offers or discounts the user can avail of.
3: Screen Time
With AI, you can track how much time the user is spending on a particular screen.

If the user is looking at a product longer while scrolling, it means the user is interested in the product but has decided to skip it for some reason.

You can figure out the problem and recommend the product again after fixing it.

When it comes to shopping app development, one of the most important aspects to consider is how to ensure secure transactions. After all, you want your customers to feel confident and safe when using your app to make purchases. Here are a few tips to help you create a secure shopping app:

1. Use a secure server
When transmitting sensitive data like credit card information, it’s important to use a secure server. This means that your data will be encrypted and less vulnerable to hackers.

2. Use a secure payment gateway
A secure payment gateway will add an extra layer of security to your transactions. This is because the payment gateway will process the credit card information and then send it to your app instead of your app sending the credit card information directly to the merchant.

3. Implement fraud detection measures
Fraudulent activity can happen even with the best security measures in place. That’s why it’s important to implement measures to detect and prevent fraud. Some things you can do include requiring CVV verification for credit card transactions and using a fraud detection service.

4. Keep your app up to date
As new security threats emerge, it’s important to keep your app up to date with the latest security patches. This will help to protect your app and your customers.

By following these tips, you can help create a secure shopping app that your customers can trust.

There are various types of testing that should be considered in shopping app development. These include functional testing to ensure that the app functions as intended, usability testing to ensure that users can navigate the app easily and find what they are looking for, and performance testing to ensure that the app can handle large amounts of data and traffic.

Functional testing should cover all of the app’s features and ensure that they work as intended. This includes testing the search function, the checkout process, and the payment process.

Usability testing should be conducted to ensure that users can navigate the app easily and find what they are looking for. This includes testing the search function, the navigation, and the checkout process.

Performance testing should be conducted to ensure that the app can handle large amounts of data and traffic. This includes testing the app’s ability to load quickly, handle multiple users, and process transactions smoothly.

To summarize, here is a table listing all of the must-have features.