Mistakes in App Development Often Made by Small Businesses and Strategies for Prevention
In the fast-paced world of mobile commerce, a well-designed app can make all the difference. But for small businesses (SMBs), launching an eCommerce app can be a daunting task. Here are some tips to help SMBs avoid common pitfalls and create an app that delivers strong ROI, user engagement, and growth.
App store ratings for well-designed mobile apps typically hover around 4.5 stars or higher, while underperforming apps have ratings below 3.2. The key to a high rating lies in the app's performance and user experience.
To ensure a smooth and fast-loading app, features should be kept to a minimum, and images should be compressed without losing quality. The app's core functionality should focus on key tasks such as "Browse products," "Add to cart," and "Check rewards."
Launching an app should feel like a product launch. Tease it, reward early adopters, offer app-only deals, and highlight benefits like faster checkout, personalized deals, or rewards tracking. However, most SMBs stop at downloads and neglect retention and engagement strategies.
To keep users returning, implement push notifications to remind users of restocks, order shipments, and rewards, and tailor them to the user's preferences. But ignoring performance optimization is a common app development mistake that can lead to mobile users uninstalling the app due to slow load times and app freezes.
Launching without a push notification strategy is another mistake that can lead to users ignoring or disabling notifications, and ultimately uninstalling the app. App Store Optimization (ASO) is crucial to stand out in the crowded app stores. ASO includes having a clear title, keyword-rich description, great screenshots, a compelling app preview video, and early reviews from actual customers.
Most SMBs forget about ASO and just upload a logo, write two lines of text, and wait for downloads. Not syncing properly with inventory or backend systems can lead to out-of-stock items, price discrepancies, and incomplete order histories, which can erode user trust.
Overbuilding early won't make your app "competitive." It'll make it bloated. A good app evolves with its users. Adding features over time based on what users actually do leads to a better product and a cleaner codebase. But the more features added to an app, the harder it is to maintain quality, especially for SMBs working with small teams or no-code platforms.
Common mistakes SMBs make when launching an eCommerce app include rebuilding their entire site from scratch, choosing unsupported app solutions, neglecting retention and engagement strategies, underestimating the app store review process, and overloading the app with features instead of focusing on a core functionality.
To avoid these mistakes, leverage existing web assets instead of building a new app from scratch. Choose an app development partner that offers long-term support, including maintenance, timely updates, and help with app store rejections. Plan and implement retention and engagement strategies like push notifications and personalized offers before launch. Comply with app store guidelines thoroughly to ensure the app provides more than just a repackaged website.
By addressing these issues systematically, SMBs can improve their chances of launching an eCommerce app that delivers strong ROI, user engagement, and growth. Post-launch, continue promoting it. Add banners to your website, mention it on your packaging slips, use SMS to encourage repeat users to install it, and don't forget retargeting campaigns.
Monitor user behavior with tools like Firebase, Mixpanel, or even your no-code dashboard to avoid making decisions based on the wrong data. The repeat purchase rate for high-performing apps is 25-30%, while it is under 10% for underperforming apps. 90-day retention for high-performing apps is 28-35%, while it is under 10% for underperforming apps.
By focusing on performance, user experience, and retention, SMBs can create an eCommerce app that stands out in the crowded app market and delivers real value to their customers.
- To create an app that delivers a strong return on investment, SMBs should consider implementing push notifications to remind users of restocks, order shipments, and rewards, and tailor them to the user's preferences.
- Inefficient real-time sync between the app and underlying systems can result in out-of-stock items, price discrepancies, and incomplete order histories, which can negatively impact user trust.
- By focusing on the core functionality such as "Browse products," "Add to cart," and "Check rewards," app developers can ensure a smooth and fast-loading app, leading to a higher app store rating.
- To maintain an ongoing relationship with users and drive growth, SMBs should employ business strategies like post-launch promotion, SMS encouragement, and retargeting campaigns, in addition to technology solutions like Firebase or Mixpanel for monitoring user behavior.
