Running an online store and thinking your website is enough? Watching customers visit once and never come back? Missing out on sales because checkout takes too long on mobile? Most retailers believe a good website covers everything they need. Your customers are shopping on their phones now. They want quick purchases, easy browsing, and notifications about deals. Websites work on desktop computers.
But they suck on mobile phones, where most shopping happens. Smart retailers figured this out. They built mobile apps that make shopping easy. Their customers buy more, come back often, and spend more money. Companies with apps see 3x higher sales than website-only stores. Thinking your website handles everything? You’re losing customers and money every day. Big retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart win because their apps work well.
Want to know why your website isn’t enough? Then you’ve clicked the right page. In this article, we’ll go through five reasons retailers can’t rely on websites only without apps. Read on to discover more.
5 Reasons Retailers Can’t Rely on a Website Only Without Apps
Mobile apps changed retail. Customers expect smooth shopping on their phones. Websites feel clunky and slow compared to apps. Smart retailers build apps to capture mobile shoppers and increase sales. Your competitors probably have apps already, while you’re pushing website-only shopping. Scroll down to learn why apps became essential for retail success.
1. Mobile Shopping on the Rise
Most people shop on their phones now. Over 70% of online purchases happen on mobile devices. Your customers browse products while waiting for the bus, during lunch breaks, and before bed. Mobile shopping isn’t a trend – it’s how business works. Websites work badly on phones.
Pages load slowly, buttons are too small, and typing is hard. Customers get frustrated and leave without buying anything. Mobile websites convert 2-3x lower than desktop sites. You lose money when someone visits your site on their phone. Apps solve these mobile problems. They load fast, buttons work for fingers, and checkout flows work on small screens.
2. Apps Boost Customer Loyalty
Website visitors come once and disappear. You spend money on ads to bring them back, but most never return. Building customer loyalty through a website is hard. People forget about your site as soon as they close the browser tab. Apps stay on customers’ phones. Every time they look at their home screen, they see your brand. This visibility builds familiarity and trust.
Customers think about your store more often when the app icon sits on their phone. Mobile apps create habits. Customers develop routines around checking your app for new products and deals. They browse during coffee breaks or while watching TV. These interactions turn visitors into loyal customers who buy again. Loyalty programs work better through apps.
3. Faster, Easier Checkout
Website checkout is painful on mobile phones. Customers have to fill out long forms on tiny keyboards. Payment information gets entered wrong, shipping addresses contain typos, and people give up before buying. Cart abandonment hits 70% on mobile websites. Apps remember everything about your customers. Saved payment methods, shipping addresses, and preferences make checkout quick.
One-tap purchasing lets customers buy products in seconds. No typing, no form filling, just purchases when they want something. Biometric login makes apps faster. Fingerprint or face ID confirms purchases instantly. More secure than typing passwords on websites. Customers trust app payments more than website transactions because the security feels better.
4. Push Notifications Drive Sales
Websites can’t talk to customers after they leave. Email marketing gets ignored or ends up in spam folders. Social media posts get lost in feeds. You have no direct way to reach customers when you launch new products or run sales. Push notifications solve this problem. Send messages directly to customers’ phones. New product launches, flash sales, cart reminders, and deals arrive instantly.
Open rates for push notifications are 10x higher than email marketing. Time-sensitive offers work well through push notifications. However, to build such an app, you need to leverage the experience of professional app developers.
For this, you can refer to https://spiralclick.com/ to get your app developed by field experts and get the most out of it.
5. Personalization Through Data
Yes your website does collect some information but your mobile app? It makes a difference. You learn how customers behave, what they like, and when they’re likely to buy. This data makes personalization powerful.
Apps track location data that helps with local promotions and store recommendations. Send notifications about nearby store events or location deals. Websites can’t access this level of location data that drives foot traffic to stores.
Mobile Apps Drive Retail Success
Websites aren’t enough for retail success. Customers expect app-quality experiences on their mobile devices. You can hire professional app developers to get a perfect app. Feel free to contact professionals and get your app development started.
