The 4 most important aspects to develop Magento Mobile App in 2018

shooting star
shooting star

With e-commerce reaching dizzy heights, the Magento mobile app, amongst others, is set to redefine the digital landscape. Reports indicate that by 2018, such apps “will bring about 60 percent of e-Commerce traffic and is expected to cross $400 billion per annum.” It’s imperative that mobile app development keeps pace in the ever-changing scenario and recent mobile app trends show that the stage has been set for phenomenal growth. Mobile-developed apps are now faster, quicker and more powerful than the ones of yesteryear and mobile e-commerce has stolen the limelight.

So what does that entail? Understanding customer behavior better, getting a grip on changing market trends, figuring out and anticipating customer expectations, providing a personalized and seamless shopping experience and more.

However, let’s focus on the factors that will probably have a greater impact on mobile app development in 2018.

The 4 most important aspects to develop Magento Mobile App in 2018

1. User experience

There’s no ambiguity here- the world of digital commerce hinges on consumers- it makes sense then to ensure that the user experience (UX) is always top priority. The onus then is on the ability of mobile apps to attract and retain users, and that can happen only if the user interface is engaging and compelling. Mobile apps that have a minimalist design and a colorful interface that syncs with the respective websites are sure to catch the eye of the ‘roving consumer’.

However, remember that though looks matter, the apps need to be superior in function, deliver what is absolutely required and also facilitate more actions than before. This doesn’t mean that apps that have an intricate workflow are not acceptable- it only means that users have to be led through its intricacies by putting them through more steps than one in a graded manner. Giving users more than they can chew at a time, defeats the very purpose for which the app was designed. The Magento mobile app will have to enhance the user experience to lure customers into its fold.

2. Checkout System for Magento Mobile app

If you think a great looking, functional app and an amazing array of products is going to win all the kudos, then think again. When customers use mobile apps for shopping, they want the payment process to be smooth and hassle-free. Any app that has a chequered history and issues during the checkout process, is not going to be a great hit.

Research studies show that over 81 percent of purchases are made using smartphones, so online retailers will need to ensure that their e-commerce Magento mobile app for iOS and Android has a seamless and fast checkout process that woos and wins customers.

The paradigm shift towards digital wallets and mobile payments and heightened customer expectations must be accompanied by a parallel effort to facilitate a secure, safe and rapid checkout experience. This will go a long way to ensure that ‘shopping cart abandonment’ is drastically reduced- this is what the Magento mobile app should work towards.

3. Voice search

This is an ideal solution that enhances customer convenience tremendously, for they can shop and search no matter what they’re doing at that time. Rather than typing in long search queries, if just talking into their phone could produce the same results or even better results, then this function is worth installing. With voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri becoming popular, the Magento mobile app would need to up the ante in voice search.

Another very useful feature of this function is that it makes collecting customer feedbacks and reviews very easy. Users too would enjoy this as they can talk as long as they want while delivering their views, whereas typing long comments could easily put users off. Studies show that a greater proportion of consumers are now resorting to voice-activated searches before making purchases. This means that Voice search queries are going to gain greater favor with search engines. Search queries will also become more clear-cut, more specific and unambiguous, and results will also be more pertinent, accurate and relevant. The chances of unrelated links being found on search page results are low.

4. Chat and shop

Chat features that are integrated into your e-commerce app can make a difference in the ease of shopping. It’s natural for customers to feel it easier to purchase goods from an online store that has chat enabled. Knowing that they can talk to the person and interact with them before they buy makes consumers more confident about their buying decisions.

Given a choice between two stores- where one has chat integrated into the mobile app and the other doesn’t, users will prefer the chat and shop function. There’s no doubt that proactive engagement with visitors and shoppers are more satisfying as they get direct answers to their queries, and are assured of professional support even while on the go. The fact that consumers can air their specific problems by exchanging documents, images or screen-shots tends to personalize the act of shopping. This translates into happy customers, which in turn is reflected in higher sales and an increase in customers. The Magento mobile app will do well to incorporate this feature in 2018

Although 2018 will see Artificial intelligence, application security, machine learning, chatbots and numerous other factors creating waves, the Magento mobile app will do well to ensure that the “big four” are taken care of.

There’s no doubt that mobile app development is in its heyday and companies are gearing up to meet customer demand and onslaught. Organizations and enterprises have realized that ‘mobile app development’ is no longer an option but a compulsion, if they want to stay ahead in this mad race to keep customers happy and ticking. The stupendous growth of apps is clearly a sign that businesses- small and big- aim to take advantage of the ‘mobile trend’ and create personalized apps to suit targeted audiences.