9 Mistakes You Need to Avoid When Developing E-commerce Mobile Apps

Straightforward.

That should be the goal of any e-commerce mobile app you create.

The kind of app that is most difficult to forget is the one that requires the least effort to navigate and provides a glitch-free experience for your customer.

This means pressing the gas pedal on UX/UI and adapting to your customers' changing wants and needs.

It can, however, be a bumpy road to come up with an e-commerce app that is both relevant and user-friendly.

Here are the mistakes you want to avoid developing an app your audience will want to use again and again.

Mistakes To Avoid When Developing E-Commerce Mobile Apps

1. Not Specifically Designing For Mobile

   Don't try to fit a round peg in a square hole.

   Treating a mobile version of an e-commerce app as if it is just a small-screen web is going to (rightfully) annoy your customers. Unnecessary trade-offs will happen if you don't trim the fat of your content for your mobile designs.

   Instead of getting an engaging mobile experience, users will be left feeling frustrated.

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2. Compulsory Login or Registration

   A user is far more likely to never look at your e-commerce app again if she is required to register or login before she can buy a product or service.

   If you want to make your customer's experience smooth, give her an option for checking out without registering or logging in.

3. No Personalization

   Want to give your users a strong incentive for downloading your app and using it frequently?

   Cater to him as an individual. Make him feel special. No customer wishes to be treated as just a medium for you to get your payment.

   Your app should save his purchases, suggest similar services or products, send personalized emails and notifications, and remember his searches.

   Don't just give him his product and wave him off. Create a relationship that encourages trust and loyalty.

4. No Search Option

   Sometimes your customer won't find what she's looking for in your drop-down menus.

   You can make her experience a lot easier by adding a search feature. That way, she can type in what she wants instead of spending endless minutes searching, growing frustrated, and leaving.

5. Convoluted Checkout Process

   A customer's nightmare looks like limited payment options and filling in an address form twice.

   People just want to get what they came for, pay, and leave. Make it as easy as possible for them.

   To ensure this:

   • Allow guest checkout

   • Explain errors in forms, such as saying "Please enter your first name" – or, for a more engaging effect, "We need your first name so your package won't end up at your neighbour's place"

   • Don't hide what is in the cart

   • Allow changes in quantity

   • Only show customers what they need to see one at a time – do not show the entire checkout process all at one time

   • Make sure numerical information, such as phone numbers, are automatically parsed or corrected

6. Substandard Images

   What's your process for taking photos of your products?

   If you're not investing in a good photoshoot, you're making a mistake.

   Your photos are a promise of quality – or lack thereof. Crisp, clean photos? The user is more likely to buy the product and trust your brand. Blurry, unclear photos? The user will hightail it out of there.

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   Your photos should be:

   • On a white background

   • Clear

   • Large

   They should also have a zoom option and be shot in multiple angles. You should include at least one photo of it being used by an actual person.

   Then you can kick back and watch your e-commerce mobile app grow.

7. Poor Customer Service

   A number that rings and rings and no one picks up.

   An email that no one responds to.

   Bye bye, user.

   Your customer is giving you highly sensitive and confidential information, including their credit or debit card number. If you do not respond to her request for clarity or help, you have lost her trust entirely.

   She's probably going to tell all her friends to never use your services, too. And they're going to tell their friends. You get the picture.

   To avoid this scenario, ensure that your contact information is up to date and that someone from your company is going to pick up calls immediately and respond to emails within 24 hours.

8. Broken Links

   Do we even need to explain this one? An e-commerce app with broken links is like a rickety old car that doesn't run.

   None of your links should ever not work. Your links should go exactly where they say they will go, within a few seconds. Make this a part of your regular website maintenance.

9. Key Functions Not Within Thumb's Reach

   For all that a lot of products are getting smaller, phones are getting bigger.

   They are also increasingly being used with only one hand.

   One thing you can do to adapt to this, for instance, is bringing the search bar lower down on the screen for e-commerce mobile apps. Lyft has already taken this step.

Conclusion

Remember the car analogy?

You want your app to run as smoothly as a Mercedes. You want it to practically purr.

BluEnt wants to help you make that happen.

We specialize in e-commerce website development and Content Management System (CMS) to manage and increase sales. Whether it's website design and development, making a storefront, customizing a security system, data analysis, or anything in that ball park, really – we can do it for you.

Whether you're a funded retail startup, a mid-sized consulting firm, or a massive healthcare company, BluEnt is here to make your business more bright and shiny to attract and retain customers.

Ready to reach markets you never thought you could? Give us a shout today!

Maximum Value. Achieved.