The app market has grown significantly over the past few years and it continues to do so with no signs of slowing down any time soon. The main reason is that mobile web traffic has long since surpassed that of the desktop. With so many people using smartphones to navigate the Internet, it’s only natural that so many mobile apps are in existence. That said, Google’s Play store features over 2.87 million apps followed by the Apple Store with over 1.9 million apps available. E-commerce companies also develop mobile apps to provide convenience and ease of access to their smartphone users. Optimizing conversions for such apps is, therefore, of vital importance, even when you`re just planning to start e-commerce business

However, conversion optimization can be quite difficult to achieve, especially when it’s also difficult to stand out among all those apps, to begin with. Needless to say, increasing conversions boils down to meeting user expectations and needs, especially when it comes to your app’s performance and design. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to increase conversions for e-commerce apps. 

Spotless promotions 

How you promote your app has a lot to do with how many users will convert. Standing out among so many apps is quite a difficult task on its own let alone ensuring optimal conversions. 

Be that as it may, promoting your app well can significantly boost conversion rates. For example, it’s advisable to create separate promotions for both the Google and Apple stores. Moreover, you should leverage the power of social media combined with an effective conversion rate optimization tool that will allow you to utilize the full potential of social proof. 

People tend to mimic the behavior of others, especially if there’s a FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) strategy involved in your promotion. That said, creating an advanced marketing campaign for your app that will cover multiple channels, platforms and strategies can also help you improve conversion for that very same app. 

Make it easy to use

Consumers don’t like to be bothered and they hate obstacles. When it comes to using your mobile app, every lead that’s deciding whether to convert or not will base their decision on how easy to use your app is. In other words, any obstacle will only drive them away so it’s essential that you remove those obstacles. 

For example, the first thing they’ll come across is app installation. The easier it is to install and start using the app, the higher the chances of conversion. The same can be applied to payments. 

If a user likes something at your store, ensuring that they can purchase the item with one or two taps tops will increase conversions tenfold, at the very least. Therefore ease of use is just one of many factors that can greatly impact the conversion rate for your e-commerce app. 

Seamless navigation

Another vital factor that can influence the conversion rate is navigation. This is especially true for e-commerce stores that host numerous different products. Seamless navigation allows users to browse, search and purchase products with ease. 

Furthermore, you ensure conversion increase by simply making it easy for users to convert. Again, fewer obstacles mean better experience and better experience creates happy customers. 

Make sure that navigation isn’t cluttered in any way. Your search bar should be easily accessible and your product descriptions should be well written. This will help you shorten the sales funnel and allow users to be only a few steps away from browsing to purchasing products. 

Personalize your app

Personalization is important for your app because it’s one of the users’ preferences. Now, personalization means two things: it’s consistently personalized and designed according to your branding efforts and it provides a personalized experience to users. 

For example, if a user is inactive for a while you can use personalized push notifications to remind them about your business. This notification should include some sort of incentive-based on that user’s preferences and purchasing behavior. This allows you to re-engage users and encourage them to make purchases again. Even simple personalization features, such as including a user’s name in the message can spark engagement and improve open rates. 

Monitor your conversions efforts

There is no one-size-fits-all method of optimizing conversion rates for your app. Each app is unique in its own way and they require a specific approach. That said, to ensure optimal conversions for your app, you must constantly monitor your efforts and make adjustments, as well as improvements when needed. 

One of the best methods is to apply A/B testing strategies whenever possible. This will allow you to improve the shopping experience based on gathered data. Furthermore, you can also leverage user feedback to make the necessary improvements. 

Consumers do, in fact, prefer when businesses ask them for their opinions and they appreciate when those businesses act upon provided feedback. In other words, users themselves can help you improve your app and make it easier for them to convert. That’s why tracking every aspect of your app, as well as the way users interact with it, is essential. 

Optimizing the conversion rate for an e-commerce app is no easy task. With a bit of effort, you can ensure that people not only opt but also make desired in-app actions. Your e-commerce app has to meet consumer expectations so that you can have as many conversions as you need.  

Posted by lauren wiseman