In a time when mobile phones are constantly in the hands of users, mobile shopping apps are one of the primary channels for building deeper connections with your customers and increasing sales. However, investing in a mobile app is no small step, so it’s important to carefully assess the benefits and determine whether this is a good investment for your business, its stage of development, and your business model.
In the following paragraphs, we’ll explore the main reasons why mobile apps are a preferred choice for consumers, how they can support your business growth and success, and what challenges are associated with them, as well as the solutions we’ve found at Stenik.
Why do consumers love shopping through mobile apps?
As a natural continuation of the trend where mobile traffic and sales surpass (sometimes significantly) those via desktop computers, here are the main reasons consumers love mobile apps:
Convenience and easy access
A mobile app offers direct and quick access to the store, literally putting the business “in the user’s pocket.” Instead of opening a browser, searching for the online store on Google (almost no one types the full domain www.domain.com in the address bar anymore), and consequently seeing search results (which may include competitor sites), the user directly opens the app with 1-2 clicks on their phone.
Time-saving
When it comes to time, mobile apps provide faster performance than mobile websites, simplifying the ordering process. Practice shows that apps are primarily used by registered users, allowing for automatic completion of delivery and payment details for repeat orders. Additionally, features like quick access to order history and integrations with digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay make the process even faster and more convenient. Push notifications also save time by informing users about promotions and offers directly on their phone.
Consumer psychology
Having a mobile shopping app for a pharmacy, supermarket, or favorite fashion site in your pocket, in the form of an installed app, creates a unique sense of security, ownership, and belonging. Consumers feel closer to the brand and more engaged.
They are encouraged and motivated to open the app regularly to avoid missing special offers or products—in colloquial terms, “to not miss out on something.” Many large retailers have trained their customers to expect that the biggest deals are announced first through their apps, offering the most advantageous shopping opportunities.
Beyond these universal principles, there are also business models that are highly focused on mobile apps as a channel and tool for generating customers and sales.
Why are mobile apps important for businesses?
We’ve already understood why consumers love apps, but what added value do they provide for businesses (retailers)? Here are some of the main advantages for merchants who invest in mobile apps:
Enhanced Customer Engagement and Loyalty
Mobile apps provide a direct communication channel with loyal customers, allowing businesses to engage them in a more personalized manner with fewer distractions compared to emails or social media. Through apps, businesses can upgrade and enhance their loyalty programs or create new ones to establish long-term customer relationships. Additional features like digital loyalty cards, wish lists, discount coupon sections, referral and recommendation programs, exclusive access to new products or services, point accumulation for purchases redeemable for rewards, and more contribute to a personalized user experience. This encourages customers to return.
Consistent engagement helps cultivate a loyal customer base that is more likely to choose your brand over competitors.
Competitive Advantage
A mobile app makes you more competitive by delivering a personalized experience that builds loyalty and increases conversions—typically 2 to 5 times higher than those in online stores. It offers direct access to your brand, saves time, and enables reaching new users while fostering their loyalty. For businesses, this translates into greater market share and higher competitiveness.
Increased Sales and Engagement through Push Notifications
Push notifications offer a significant advantage over traditional email marketing; according to statistics, their open rate is 3 to 5 times higher. This allows your messages to have broader reach and better user engagement. Push notifications are delivered directly to users' devices, creating a sense of urgency and increasing the likelihood of quick reactions. Additionally, sending personalized offers at the right time enhances the customer experience and drives purchases. For retailers with physical stores, geolocation (geotargeting) is another advantage, enabling the sending of personalized offers to users when they are near a physical location. This ensures a multi-channel approach combining online and in-store shopping, leading to potential sales growth.
Exclusive Offers and Content
Mobile apps optimize marketing strategies through:
- Campaigns of varying durations, separate from main promotions.
- Offers and promotions available only to app users.
- Charging brands for additional banner placements.
- Campaign distribution—initially targeting app users, then expanding to a broader audience.
The expected conversion rate for shopping via mobile apps (based on insights from various businesses with apps) is 2 to 5 times higher than that of online stores.
Additionally:
Data Collection and Analysis
Mobile apps enable businesses to gather valuable user behavior data. By analyzing how customers interact with the app, which products they view, and what actions they take, businesses gain better insight into their preferences and needs. This data can be used to personalize marketing campaigns, improve products or services, and optimize user experiences. It helps businesses understand customer desires, enabling them to serve customers better and encourage repeat interactions.
Personalized User Experience
As mentioned earlier, a key aspect of customer convenience is personalizing the user experience. Personalization in mobile apps is advanced, offering businesses an effective way to create tailored experiences for their users. By analyzing user behavior, preferences, and habits, you can offer products and deals that meet their needs and expectations. Using data from past purchases, searches, and interactions, businesses can provide personalized recommendations that boost engagement and lead to higher conversion rates.
Increased Brand Recognition and Accessibility
A mobile app serves as a brand ambassador, constantly reminding users of your presence through its icon on their mobile screens. This enhances brand visibility and creates a positive image.
Security
Operating within the closed ecosystems of Apple and Google, which impose strict security standards, makes shopping via mobile apps more secure. These platforms provide protected environments that ensure high levels of personal and financial data protection, reinforcing customer trust in your business.
While all these benefits highlight the importance of mobile apps for businesses, the reality in Bulgaria is that only a handful of online retailers actively sell through mobile apps.
Why Do Few Online Retailers Have Mobile Apps?
Based on feedback from real businesses and retailers, the main reasons why maintaining a mobile app is more challenging and expensive compared to an online store are:
- Maintenance and Updates: Mobile apps require regular updates to stay compatible with new OS updates (iOS and Android) and to support various devices and screen sizes.
- User Expectations: Users expect high speed (performance), design, and features like offline access and push notifications, necessitating additional efforts and resources. If an app does not at least match the mobile version of an online store (often needing to exceed it), users are unlikely to download it.
- Publication: Approval in the App Store and Google Play requires meeting specific requirements, can cause delays, and involves publishing and maintenance fees.
- Marketing and Engagement: Additional marketing efforts and budgets are needed to drive downloads and retain active users.
- System Integration: If the app is part of a larger ecosystem (e.g., linked to an online store, CRM, or ERP), its integration can be complex, time-consuming, and costly.
- Content Management: Unlike e-stores with accessible software solutions for various levels of retailers, content management systems for mobile apps are often more complex, less popular, and inaccessible to most retailers.
All of this points to one issue:
As described, mobile apps are ideal for retailers focusing heavily on online sales and those prioritizing customer experiences. However, their technological and financial challenges make them an “exotic” solution for most Bulgarian online retailers.
How Did We Solve This Issue?
After years of exploring options, technologies, and interviewing clients about their needs, desires, and limitations, in 2023, we created a solution and methodology for developing mobile apps with the following features:
- Cross-platform (Flutter-based), meaning we develop and maintain a single codebase that compiles into two separate native apps (iOS and Android).
- Magento-connected: The app is fully integrated with Magento (seen as a separate website in the multi-store structure within the admin panel), offering the following advantages:
- The product catalog is maintained effortlessly by syncing with Magento.
- Orders are processed through Magento in the usual manner.
- Integrations with software systems (ERP, WMS, CRM) connected to Magento also support the app.
- Promotions and other activities are managed via the Magento admin panel.
3. Built-in push notification system with user segmentation.
This approach embeds the app into an existing software ecosystem, significantly reducing development time and costs while enabling faster ROI.
At Stenik, we prioritize developing mobile apps for clients ready to maximize their benefits and who have a long-term need and strategy for their growth.
When Is the Best Time to Invest in a Mobile App?
Excluding businesses whose models rely entirely on mobile apps, for online retailers, this is a strategic step taken at specific business growth stages.
Some of the most successful projects in our portfolio have entrusted us with developing, maintaining, and evolving their mobile apps. The benefits outlined in this article are already delivering results for their businesses.
Examples include shopping apps for Douglas Perfumery Bulgaria and Tehnomix. More information is available in our case studies on Douglas and Tehnomix on our website. The apps are available for download on the App Store for iOS and Google Play Store for Android.
Download
Douglas Bulgaria: Download for iPhone from App Store | Download for Android from Google Play
Tehnomix: Download for iPhone from App Store | Download for Android from Google Play
We are currently developing several exciting projects, which we will soon present. We are confident that in the next calendar year—2025—more online retailers will take the step to develop a mobile app for their businesses. Our team looks forward to collaborating with them to create sophisticated projects tailored to their business needs and requirements.
Have Questions About Mobile App Development?
Feel free to contact us for any questions or consultations about your mobile app concept. We will be delighted to help you and turn your ideas into reality!
