The A-Z Guide to E-commerce App Development: Benefits, Features & Cost

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Key Takeaways

• With 72% of sales generated via smartphones, the e-commerce market is projected to reach $7.9 trillion in revenue by 2027.
• In 2023, mobile e-commerce represented 53% of global sales. Furthermore, Statista reports that 30% of smartphone users make purchases on their devices at least weekly.
• E-commerce app development cost varies from $25,000 to $250,000, depending on complexity, features, and platform.
• After partnering with Acropolium, our e-commerce clients saw annual recurring revenue grow by 14.5% and customer bottlenecks reduced by 85%.

The post-pandemic landscape is seeing irreversible changes in customer behavior, with online purchases making 21.9% of total retail sales. Thus, the growing need and convenience of buying things online have made e-commerce mobile app development a prospering niche, where 60% of first-time users are likely to make a purchase again.

In the context of mobile applications, success lies in intuitive yet future-rich functionality allowing users to enjoy the ease of buying experience. Ultimately, this is what will boost loyalty and make them stay.

Acknowledged as a top IT service company for e-commerce by Clutch, Acropolium has delivered numerous comprehensive digital retail solutions that facilitated business growth. Today, we want to share industry statistics and development insights on custom mobile app development for e-commerce companies.

Dive in for an expert overview, impressive success cases, and cost estimation that will help you start your app development journey.

What is eCommerce App Development?

E-commerce, short for electronic commerce, involves conducting commercial transactions via the Internet. From the user perspective, it refers to buying and selling products or services online. And to make it real, businesses invest in e-commerce software development, where digital platforms and mobile apps serve as marketplace channels generating revenue.

In 2024, the global mobile e-commerce market was valued at $4.94 trillion. As 72% of e-commerce sales come from smartphones, the market is set out to reach $7.9 trillion in revenue by 2027.

Retail apps like Amazon and marketplaces like eBay, as well as service software like Uber or even food delivery apps, are designed to facilitate online commercial transactions.

Reasons to Build an eCommerce App

In 2023, mobile e-commerce accounted for 53% of global e-commerce sales. At the same time, Statista shows that at least 30% of smartphone users buy something using their mobile devices at least once a week. That being said, investing in a mobile e-commerce platform, or at least a mobile-friendly product, is key to reaching more potential buyers.

While revenue and user satisfaction are the core priorities at stake, you can benefit from e-commerce app development in many ways. From improved sales and brand recognition to scalability and data-driven insights, your business can uncover many new opportunities.

Increased Sales and Revenue

E-commerce mobile app features, such as one-click purchases, saved payment methods, and fast checkout, reduce friction and encourage more frequent purchases. Moreover, apps can offer exclusive deals and discounts, encouraging customers to buy more.

The ease of mobile app access also means that users can shop anytime and anywhere, thus increasing sales opportunities. Overall, these factors contribute to higher conversion rates and increased revenue.

Direct Marketing Reach

Developing mobile e-commerce software allows businesses to communicate directly with customers through push notifications, in-app messages, and personalized updates.

This ensures that promotional content and offers are seen immediately, increasing the chances of engagement. Additionally, apps provide valuable data on user behavior, which will help your company adjust marketing strategies for better targeting.

This aspect is especially beneficial for startups, as you can get the most out of your freshly launched MVP and craft better, data-driven updates.

Enhanced Customer Experience and Loyalty

Mobile app development for e-commerce aims to deliver a seamless and efficient shopping experience, which is irreplaceable for retaining customers and encouraging repeat purchases. Personalized features, like product recommendations and tailored content, make customers feel valued and understood.

Loyalty programs and reward systems can also be easily integrated into apps, further incentivizing customer retention. By consistently delivering a positive user experience, businesses can cultivate long-term loyalty and a strong brand relationship.

Advanced User Data Insights

Mobile e-commerce solutions collect detailed information on user behavior, preferences, and purchasing patterns, offering a wealth of data for analysis. With this information, you can make informed decisions, optimize your offerings, and tailor marketing efforts.

Decent data collection and processing protocols will also help you with your risk mitigation strategy. Since mobile apps collect data from resolved user issues, you can use such data for better service delivery in the future.

Personalized Offers and Brand Recognition

By analyzing user information and preferences, you can craft highly targeted promotions and recommendations that resonate with individual customers. This level of personalization enhances the shopping experience and increases the likelihood of conversion.

Furthermore, a branded app on a customer’s device will be reminding them about your business. Over time, personalized interactions and consistent branding help build a strong, recognizable identity that customers trust and prefer.

Scalability and Integration

You can easily update your custom app with new data security features, products, and services, supporting business expansion and changing market demands. Integration with other tech tools, like payment gateways, crypto wallets, CRM systems, and social media platforms, enhances the app’s functionality and streamlines operations.

eCommerce App Builder vs. Custom E-commerce Software Development

When planning for bespoke ecommerce mobile app development, you might come across other, faster-to-deploy options like app builders. They come as platforms or software tools, allowing developers to create mobile applications without requiring extensive coding knowledge.

Such alternatives usually offer pre-designed templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and a variety of built-in features. While this involves fewer initial investments, it might not accommodate scalability needs like multi-tenancy, requiring complex software modernization or even migration to other architectures. Let’s take a look at a brief comparison of custom solutions and builder tools.

Basic Features Required in eCommerce App Development

You can either build a solution with your in-house team or decide to outsource it to an e-commerce mobile app development company. Whatever your choice is, you have to make sure that your application will offer features that will fully satisfy your customers’ needs. The key features of mobile e-commerce software must include:

• Simple registration and authorization, often through social media or email, to minimize barriers for new users.
• User profile, where customers can manage data, view order history, and track purchases.
• Search allows customers to find products fast.
• Filtering options to provide accurate search results based on categories, price, ratings, and other attributes.
• Payment systems with secure and diverse payment options like credit/debit cards, digital wallets, and other payment gateways.
• Push notifications for promotions, order updates, and personalized offers to keep users engaged.
• A shopping cart that lets users add, review, and manage their selected products before purchase.
• Shipping options to suit different user preferences and locations.
• Checkout to finalize purchases quickly and safely.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop an eCommerce App?

E-commerce app development cost varies significantly based on multiple factors. Key project specifications influencing the cost include the app’s UI/UX design and the target platform. Designing a custom user interface and experience that aligns with your brand vision can be a significant investment, but it enhances user engagement and business success.

The choice of function-oriented and backend infrastructure also influences the final price of development services, as well as the terms of cooperation with the e-commerce software development company.

Why Choose Acropolium?

Partnering with 148+ businesses from various industries, Acropolium has established dedicated teams for building robust and scalable e-commerce solutions. We specialize in developing GDPR-compliant software to ensure customer data privacy and security while crafting tailored functionality.

With ISO-certified processes, we adhere to the highest standards of quality and efficiency in our development practices. Through 20+ years of crafting unique software for our clients, our portfolio has lots of success stories, which we’d like to share with you.

Automotive eCommerce Platform

Our client turned to custom e-commerce software development to showcase informational products and vehicle-related insights. The automotive platform required integrating vehicle systems, models, and component databases for easy asset comparison.

As the client utilized Salesforce Experience Cloud for CRM, we also ensured the new automotive e-commerce platform was fully compatible with their digital experience platform.

Solution

Our team strategically planned the project, setting development stages and milestones for client progress tracking. We established communication methods and reporting frequency, focusing on delivering compliant automotive e-commerce solutions.

• Acropolium’s advanced technologies and expert developers ensured seamless software integration with the client’s framework.
• We developed frontend apps for smooth feature operation, a backend application for efficient data management, and incorporated boolean logic for sophisticated search functionality.
• Our developers provided a template for future internal projects, including infrastructure settings and technology stack documentation.

Results

• The platform’s advanced logic analytics boosted user loyalty by 65%.
• Smooth CRM integration reduced customer journey bottlenecks by 85%.
• The accuracy of search functionality increased daily transactions by 25%.

eCommerce Hotel Management System

Our client, a B2B provider in the hospitality sector, requested the integration of hotel systems into their existing platform, including property management systems (PMS) and booking tools. One key task was to enable seamless integration with hotel reservation software.

Plus, we incorporated a B2B module to connect the hotel management system with online booking systems.

Solution

After analyzing the client’s requirements, industry trends, and technical implementation, Acropolium delivered an advanced e-commerce platform with the following features:

• Automated booking and reservation management to minimize human error;
• Real-time messaging for seamless hotel-traveler communication;
• Room customization options allowing guests to personalize their stays;
• Automated check-in and check-out to enhance efficiency and reduce wait times;
• Integrated billing and payment systems for a simplified payment process and improved revenue management.

Results

• After e-commerce software development, the project enabled 12 large and medium hotel networks to integrate seamlessly into the system.
• Integration with booking platforms increased by 82%, expanding the customer base by 9.7%.
• Annual recurring revenue grew by 14.5%.

Final Thoughts

Purchasing things online has become the new normal, with intuitive and feature-rich mobile applications having the power to enhance the buying experience. The e-commerce software development market grows at light speed to accommodate the ever-expanding spectrum of modern customer needs.

At Acropolium, we strive not just to attract your users but to keep them engaged, driving sustainable growth with your business’ strong competitive advantages. Be it an MVP, an application, or a set of mobile and web development services, our vast expertise in custom development got you covered.

Focusing on your unique objectives and considering your budget, we offer flexible cooperation terms, where you subscribe to your continuous success. Contact us to bring your e-commerce vision to life!

Sources of Information

• E-commerce App Market 2024 — Business of Apps
• E-commerce Growth Market 2024 — Market US