Most Mobile E-Commerce Shoppers Say They Use Mobile Apps to Receive Exclusive In-App Deals and Offers. the Largest Percentage of Consumers (42%) Most Frequently Use Pure Online Retail Apps, like Amazon and Overstock, Though Experts Believe That There Is Still Space for Smaller Businesses to Compete in Mobile E-Commerce If They Build Browsable, Sustainable Apps

Roughly two-thirds of shoppers (65%) say they use mobile e-commerce apps to receive deals and offers exclusive to the app, according to research from Clutch, the leading B2B research, ratings, and reviews firm.

Clutch surveyed 501 consumers to learn how they use mobile e-commerce apps in 2019.

While discounts or coupons can initially motivate a download, experts caution businesses to focus also on developing a long-term, sustainable mobile app strategy. Otherwise, app users won’t provide long-term value to your business.

“What happens when the [in-app] experience isn’t great?” said Alex Levin, founding partner of Levin & Riegner, a digital design and mobile development agency. “Or when your prices still aren’t beating everybody else’s; or real estate prices go up, and you actually can’t offer [that deal] anymore and you’re no longer making money?”

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Customers Want to Browse on E-Commerce Apps

More than half of people also use e-commerce apps to compare products and prices (54%) and have purchasing flexibility (54%).

Experts recommend that businesses develop browsable apps to encourage engagement and spending.

“People often forget shopping has never been only about buying the things you know you want,” said Apu Gupta, CEO of Curalate, a mobile and social commerce company. “A big reason people shop is for the thrill of the find.”

In order for customers to experience the “thrill of the find,” businesses must develop e-commerce apps that are browsable.

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Businesses Should Develop E-Commerce App Features That Best Match Customers’ Needs

Only nine percent (9%) of restaurant app shoppers use the app to receive product recommendations, compared to 34% of pure online retail app users.

Experts say that the most successful mobile e-commerce efforts are a result of developing apps that reflect the product being sold and how customers typically engage with the product.

“Have you ever walked into a McDonald’s and asked for a recommendation?” Gupta said. “Honestly, you go into a McDonald’s and you know what you want.”

Businesses must understand what consumers are likely to want out of a mobile e-commerce app before beginning development and should be willing to consult with app development experts to ensure their app matches up with the products being sold.

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