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Learn from the best: what makes the Amazon shopping app so popular

WooCommerce Mobile App Builder – AppMySite Consider this: 76% of millennial digital shoppers users have the Amazon mobile app on their phones and most of them use the app frequently for all their online purchases. Its nearest competitor (Walmart) – enjoys less than half of this loyalty and trust from its young customers at 33%. To put it another way, more than three in four young shoppers are familiar with the online retail app and have it on their phones. No matter the scale of the company or the industry – getting your most important customer segment hooked to your app is no mean feat. Thanks to Amazon’s aggressive marketing and promotions, almost everyone knows that it is the largest online retail platform in the world, but not many realise the significance of the Amazon shopping app in this achievement. In this post, we will examine a few key factors which have made the Amazon mobile shopping the leader in the highly competitive e-commerce industry and also discuss how small online businesses can create a WooCommerce mobile app android for their website:

1. Navigation

Ease of navigation has been routinely cited as the top priority for mobile users in various surveys and Amazon realises the power of a neat user experience for its customers. All app screens, specially the product pages, are designed ergonomically to provide all important information without cluttering the screen. The shopping app has successfully incorporated critical product details, reviews, recommendations, high-quality images, and shipping details in an attractive and simple design, resulting in an enjoyable shopping experience that doesn’t require the customer to go back and forth. It should then come as no surprise that almost 54% of the app users attribute the simple navigation and ease of use as the top reason to use Amazon.

2. Categories and Sidebars

Considering the wide range of products that are available on the platform, it is important to classify them in apt categories and facilitate a smooth browsing experience for the customer. Amazon has mastered the art of creating relevant and exhaustive product categories, in addition to using the drop-down sidebar effectively. Thus, the home screen lists all major product categories and sub-categories are presented as drop-downs further. Similarly, the sidebar on the home screen gives way to wish lists, order list, settings, customer profile, delivery status, customer support, and so much more. These features make browsing a category of products and switching between categories seamless and also give a single-step access to all user profile related information.

3. Easy registration and sign-in

51% of online shoppers prefer using a mobile app due to its one-time registration and sign-in process and that’s why registering and signing-in with Amazon app has been made as simple as possible. The registration process can be completed with an email id or any other social media profile, like Google or Facebook. The app doesn’t log out the user even after the closure of the app (unless the user specifically opts to log out), ensuring that the user remains signed in, thus, allowing for a seamless experience each time the customer re-opens the app. This is important to ensure that customers are able to immediately start browsing through their desired product categories anytime they want, with no unnecessary distractions.

4. Exclusive discounts on app

Amazon has popularised the adoption of its mobile app by offering app-exclusive discounts and deals to its customers; particularly, the first-time app users are given a sizeable discount. Users on the app are shown offers that are available only on the app alongside their validity to encourage customers to quickly place their orders. Whereas when customers place their order through the website, they are encouraged to download and use the mobile app to avail a greater discount. This strategy ensures the propagation of benefits of using the app over the website, and allows Amazon to engage their customers more aggressively. It also fits neatly with the app-only future that the online retail industry, on the whole, is progressing towards, thus making WooCommerce Mobile App Android and iOS indispensable.

5. Tailored offers

Personalisation is a key constituent of the Amazon app. Right from the registration, to every time the app is used, Amazon welcomes you by your first name, which instantly personalises the shopping experience and provides a sense of comfort. Based on the shopping history and purchase orders, Amazon also suggests and recommends related products that could be of interest to the user, and highlights the ones on offer under the prominently placed ‘Deals of the day’ section. These recommendations are also present below each product, which serve as a great shortcut for customers to browse through relevant and similar products. To put it simply, Amazon knows how to connect and engage its customers in an effective and personalised manner, and uses the same to its advantage.

6. Consistent experience

Another highlight of the shopping experience on Amazon is the consistency of experience across the mobile app and the browser. The structure of the website and the design of the app are similar so as to avoid confusion among the customers and increase the familiarity of important features like browsing for products, adding to favourites, and tracking orders. It is important to note that the design and user experience is not entirely identical, but merely similar with respect to the placement of cart, search, settings, recommendations, and categories. This has paid off as 45% of the e-retailers customers use the app exclusively, whereas nearly 35% use the app and the browser equally. A WooCommerce Mobile App Builder is often used by small online businesses to create a synchronised mobile app as well.

7. Prominent CTA buttons

Amazon has noticeable CTA button (“Buy Now”) that cannot be missed that commands attention without taking the focus away from the product and its details. Research has shown that an online shoppers takes just a few seconds to take a decision on whether to purchase the product or not, and it is vital to get them to act on it during this frame of window itself. Another advantage is the one-step order placement and checkout, which is done by saving details like the shipping address and the payment details; instead all the user has to enter is the email and password again. This eliminates several unnecessary steps during the checkout process, and increases the chances of customers placing the order before getting distracted or changing their minds. It is commendable that Amazon has reduced the time taken to place the order while maintaining the security of the process.

8. Smart Search

Last, but far from least, is Amazon’s impressive, accurate, and powerful search functionalities. In addition to offering predictive search based on search history and popular products, the results are autocorrected for spelling errors, thus making them relevant and accurate as well. The simple toggle buttons that allow users to narrow down their search using filters like price, arrival, discount, and brand further enhance the search capability. This focus on providing shoppers with an effortless and error-free search function seems to be paying off as consumer surveys have shown that online shoppers find Amazon’s search function to be that of its competitors, and they particularly appreciate the relevancy, filters, and autocorrect functions. Customers say that predictive search reduces the entering and re-entering of searches, and the filters help them find the products of their liking.

Amazon’s dominance in the e-commerce industry is no fluke; the fact that it has maintained its edge and continually outpaced its competitors is a testament to its innovation and agility. However, a big part of this success can be attributed to its powerful mobile app. While small business owners and managers cannot replicate the Amazon app, they can convert their existing websites into simple and elegant apps using a woocommerce mobile app builder, like AppMySite. A leading online app creator, AppMySite dynamically converts websites into mobile apps​ with a smooth navigation, simple sign-in, and automatically created categories. Another added advantage is that the mobile app is in-sync with the website, leading to a consistent experience for the users. AppMySite builds both woocommerce mobile app android and iOS to help businesses reach as many potential customers as possible. If you too are struggling with mobile commerce challenges and want to create an app that caters to existing and new customers, get in touch with AppMySite today.

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