Ecommerce App Development: Features, Cost, Process, and More

Imagine this: a potential customer browsing products through your mobile commerce app while commuting to work in the morning, adding them to his shopping cart over lunch, and finally completing the purchase while kicking back at home because of your seamless ecommerce app.

Being a leading mobile app development company in India, we have witnessed how powerful mobile commerce turns a mere browse-to-buy journey into something exciting. 

Every tap, swipe, and click is an opportunity to connect with your customers. If you want to get such an app, this blog is for you. Today, in this blog, we’ll unwrap the secrets of good ecommerce app development-from essential features and processes to cost considerations. So, without any further ado, let’s get started!

What is an eCommerce App? 

An eCommerce app is a focused mobile or web application that aims to make the business of buying and selling all kinds of goods or services easier. Basically, it is an online marketplace wherein customers can shop conveniently through browsing, comparing, and buying products through their devices. In turn, these apps make the entire shopping process easier while increasing the intensity of consumer involvement in the digital marketplace.

The Growing Demand for eCommerce Apps: Why?

As per market insights by Statista, mobile eCommerce sales reached $2.2 trillion in 2023. It is expected to jump by 62% by 2027.

And with this, the demand for an eCommerce software development company is also increasing. There are many reasons behind the rising demand for eCommerce apps, such as:

• Global Reach: eCommerce apps connect businesses to a broader audience as they break geographical barriers and enhance the market footprint of companies.
• Competitive Advantage: Companies developing eCommerce applications can better compete in the market by offering unique features and promotions that attract consumer attention.
• Consumer Behavior Shift: Consumers are increasingly shopping from their mobile phones. Mcommerce sales are supposed to surpass $510B in 2023 and $710B in 2025. Therefore, eCommerce apps are becoming a go-to medium for spending every single day.

• Accessibility: Another reason why eCommerce app development is increasing is accessibility. Because everyone has a smartphone, eCommerce apps can be accessed 24/7 to cater to busier lifestyles. They facilitate an enhanced user experience through customized offerings, such as recommendations and navigation, which increases customer satisfaction. 
• Pandemic Impact: The COVID-19 pandemic has highly accelerated the mainstream trend of online shopping. Thus, a business entity will need to have a significant digital footprint to be perceived by existing customers and potential clients.

Most of these drivers drive up the demand for eCommerce applications and will, therefore, be critical in many businesses for their survival in the online universe.

Types of E-commerce Applications

The e-commerce applications differ from one another with respect to their business model. The right choice of the app is extremely important for achieving specific goals. If you have an intention of taking your business online, then you probably fall under one or more of the following main categories of e-commerce applications:

• B2B (Business-to-Business) 

B2B e-commerce applications are the best means through which businesses purchase and sell goods and services from each other. Goods sold in such applications are often raw materials for other industries. If you want to sell products to other companies, a B2B application will be the best option for you. Some of the most famous examples are Amazon Business, Quill, and Alibaba.

• B2C (Business-to-Consumer) 

B2C e-commerce apps enable businesses to sell directly to consumers. Sales happen directly through these applications, thus making products very accessible to consumers. Retailers manage the stock level; therefore, it might not be available at times. Some famous examples of B2C apps are Walmart, Amazon, and Domino’s.

• C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer) 

C2C e-commerce apps allow consumers to sell to other consumers, typically in a third-party-mediated environment. Classifieds and online auctions are major applications. Probably the best-known examples include OLX, Craigslist, and eBay.

• C2B (Consumer-to-Business) 

Consumer-to-business e-commerce apps are designed to enable individual consumers to offer their products or services to businesses. These applications support numerous transactions between consumers and public administrations. Among the best-known are iStock, Clutch, and GitHub.

Knowledge of these e-commerce applications helps a corporation select the correct model that corresponds to its objectives and customers’ needs.

• D2C (Direct-to-Customer)

D2C e-commerce apps allow a brand to sell their products directly to the consumers without any intermediate/intermediaries. This model lets business run in a direct relation with its customers and also helps establish loyalty by providing better control over the branding, pricing, and customer experience. Without an intermediary, D2C brands often provide more competitive pricing and personalized services.

Key Features for Your E-commerce Application Development

In e-commerce application development, it is essential to provide all the critical features to the application that create a smooth shopping experience and help in business progression. Here is an explanation of each key feature:

• Order Processing

Order processing streamlines the whole process of order fulfillment from when an order is placed to when a payment confirmation occurs and delivery is scheduled. This is effective order processing that ensures fast service and satisfies your customers.

• Inventory Management

A highly developed inventory management system will enable companies to trace inventories, manage suppliers, and track product availability live. Thus, it will avoid stockouts and overstocking and help control inventory most optimally.

• Shipping

This allows for integration with several shipping options, giving the customer a choice of their favorite delivery methods and rates. It may even include live shipping cost calculations and automated label printing to make the logistics process more efficient.

• Track Order

Order tracking allows customers to know the status of their purchase, starting from dispatch and ending with delivery. This helps make the customer feel safer since they will always be in touch with all that is happening in terms of shipping.

• Shopping Cart

A shopping cart feature allows users to add products they wish to purchase and review their selections before checkout. This enhances usability and is easier to modify on orders.

• User Registration 

User registration and logging in allow the customers themselves to create an account where they store their information and view their order history. This feature is convenient in that it induces customers to purchase from a store repeatedly.

• Data Analytics

Incorporate data analytics tools to understand patterns of customer behavior, sales, and inventory performance. With these trends, one will be able to decide wisely and craft their strategy for growth.

• Social Media Integration

Many individuals spend hours on social networking. This will connect the users easily to share products and promotions. Marketing may be enhanced, and traffic may be increased to the e-commerce app.

• Push Notifications

Businesses can simply communicate with their users. They can send updates about new products or some discounts or remind the user about items still in his cart. This will keep the user engaged.

• Popup Notification

Like push notifications, pop-up notifications can alert a user about upcoming sales or new arrivals while the user is browsing the app. This may also help invite immediate action, thus increasing sales.

• Online Payment Options

Multiple secure payment options, from credit/debit cards to digital wallets, ensure that customers have flexible options for completing their purchases, thereby reducing cart abandonment.

• One-Page Checkout

One-page checkout eliminates friction during the checkout process by merging shipping, billing, and payment details into one single page. Such friction reduction again improves conversion rates.

• Cart Abandonment

This feature tracks the abandoned items left behind in the users’ carts but does not order for it and is bound to make reminders or special offers to finalize a sale.

These features will be helpful in your e-commerce application in improving the user experience and increasing operational efficiency while growing the business.

• AI-based Features 

In addition to these, you can integrate AI-based features into your eCommerce application that change the way people experience shopping: more personalized, efficient, and secure. From improving customer engagement to optimizing business operations and sales, it all emanates from leveraging advanced algorithms and machine learning. Here’s a look at some key AI-driven features to consider:

Key AI-Based Features:

• Personalized Recommendations
• Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
• Inventory Forecasting
• Visual Search
• Sentiment Analysis

Also Read: AI in eCommerce

Step-by-Step Process for Efficient E-commerce App Development

E-commerce mobile apps require a multi-step process for effective development. Every step is crucial so that the final output delivers both user expectations and business perception value. Here’s a detailed explanation of the different stages involved in the development process.

• Market Research and Analysis

Conduct in-depth market research to understand your audience, your competitors, and industry trends. Identify user behavior, preferences, and sore spots that can open gap areas to be solved by the customers. This will all come together in features, design, and overall strategy of the app to make your app resonate with its potential users.

• Define Your Goals and Objectives

Define your goals for the e-commerce application. Do you want to increase sales, boost user engagement, or expand your customer base? You could have well-defined goals that will help you once the app is developed, and you can use these goals to determine whether your application meets your set aims after launching the app.

• Select the Right Platform

Choose the platform that you want your app to be developed on, be it iOS and Android or even both. There are two, and each has different demographics as well as demands on how it’s operated. You can decide on which one works best for your market using your money. You could also opt for a cross-development tool to reach wider audiences at high-efficiency levels.

• Design the User Interface and Experience

Emphasize the user-intuitive and visually attractive UI/UX design. An interface with perfect designs is likely to make users satisfied and engaged. Discuss usability principles such as easy navigation, responsive designs, and accessibility for a seamless shopping experience.

• Choose the Relevant Technology Stack

Determine the right technology for your app, which may be any of those programming languages, frameworks, and databases. Ideally, they should be the best suited for your application’s needs as far as scalability and performance are concerned. 

Some popular stacks used to develop e-commerce apps are React Native and Flutter, which are used to develop the mobile version, along with some robust backend solutions.

Source

• Develop Frontend and Backend

Frontend-start writing code about the part the users will interact with; backend coding on the server side to deal with data and application logic. Here, the Frontend looks responsive and beautiful. However, the backend is merely ensuring safe data handling, payment processing, and inventory management.

• Implement Must-Have Features

The user should feel the rendering of the functionalities above, such as order processing, inventory management, payment gateways, and user management. Ensure these integrate to present a holistic user experience.

• Testing and Quality Assurance

Proper testing should be carried out at every stage of development to track and rectify bugs or usability problems. That requires functional testing, performance testing, and security testing. A well-tested app decreases the probability of bugs in a developed app and raises the chances of high user satisfaction at the time of its launch.

• Launch Your App

Getting started is creating a marketing plan to launch your application. Set a launch date and generate early buzz on social media. You might want to have some promotions or discounts prepared for the first user’s public. Just make sure to submit your application to the proper app stores, but then also pay attention to their guidelines.

• Monitoring and Gathering Feedback

Analyze the performance of the app and also the behaviors of users once it is launched on the ground using analytics. Realtime user feedback through surveys, reviews, and direct contact with them. Such data is pure gold to understand preferences and where to improve.

• Update and Maintenance

The app remains lively and relevant through constant updates. These updates can comprise new features, bug fixes, or adaptation to changes in market trends. Ongoing maintenance ensures that the user experience remains consistent and engaging, factors whose absence may lead to prompt customer loss.

The step-by-step process will guide the development of an effortless e-commerce mobile app that can fulfill user needs and also facilitate business growth. Every stage is significant in ensuring that it operates properly, is friendly to users, and satisfies the expectations of the market.

Major Challenges You Might Face While Developing E-commerce Apps

Though the development of e-commerce applications has wide business prospects, it is accompanied by several challenges as well. Some of the main issues have been mentioned below:

• Functional Inconsistency

One major challenge in eCommerce app development is the functional inconsistency. This means an inconsistent e-commerce application is one where there is no strict procedure for its updating and testing activity. Such an application might get stuck at some point because of mid-crashing in the middle of work, and there could be frustrating consequences for the user.

• Supply Chain Disruptions

Your app will not contain accurate real-time inventory levels due to supply chain disruptions, which directly translates into unhappiness as customers’ orders that were expected to come are delayed or canceled.

• Data and Privacy Risks

Another major issue in eCommerce app development is data and privacy risks. You expose private information from your users through data breaches in the event that you have poor measures of data protection.

• Technological Lag

Failure to integrate the latest technologies, like artificial intelligence and augmented reality, into your e-commerce app can be a limiter that prevents you from standing out as the bright light in terms of more fantastic shopping experiences.

E-commerce Apps Development Considerations

There are a number of considerations that call for special attention while developing e-commerce applications. The following are the next set of key considerations:

• Data Security: Because users have to sign up or log in, personal information is shared between them. And trust has to be built, and severe security procedures followed in the cloud in a manner that access rules are defined and alarm systems are on alert.
• Scalability: The number of users is going to increase over time. Proper scaling planning has to be taken into account, or the rate of growth in the size of your app can harm its performance while it is being developed.
• Stability: The number of crashes and instability can go down drastically in regards to user retention. Increase the stability by frequent upsurge, taking all the feedback of the users, and extreme QA testing.

What is the Estimated Cost of E-commerce App Development?

E-commerce app development has become the most prominent choice for businesses that want to target their audience and enhance earnings. However, the question that remains is what the approximate cost of developing an e-commerce app.

The costs range from $32,000 on average to $150,000. These are the primary factors that exert an influence over the general cost of e-commerce app development:

• Conceptualization of App

It involves detailed market research, competitor research, and customer research to identify unique selling propositions for your application. Generally, the average cost of this phase is between $7,000 and $10,500.

• UI/UX Design

This should have user-friendly features such as button clicks, videos, or sharp images. The average cost for UI/UX design is between $2,000 and $2,500.

A very basic e-commerce application would cost about $10,000, while an application that is rich in features with a tech-based application could reach up to a maximum of $80,000–$100,000. The cost includes cloud implementation, technology stack, and developer time.

• App Testing and Deployment

App testing will account for about 12-13% of your total development budget, which means that it can range from $1,000 to $20,000.

Must Read: How much does it cost to develop an App?

Some Popular Ecommerce Mobile Apps 

The following are some successful applications that secure payment facilities and personalized shopping experiences, you can take inspiration from: 

• Amazon: It is the world’s largest e-commerce power. Its alluring offerings include millions of product selections, free, fast shipping, and in-app purchase convenience.
• Alibaba: A global wholesale marketplace that connects buyers with suppliers, featuring a vast array of products and competitive pricing.
• eBay: An online auction and shopping website where individuals and businesses can buy and sell new and used items.
• Zalando: A European online fashion platform offering a wide range of clothing, shoes, and accessories with free delivery and returns.

Design Your Dream Ecommerce App with ScalaCode!

This is the latest trend in app design for e-commerce. Today, it grants any business of whatever size the chance to seriously upgrade its digital presence, thus further elevating its sales. Today, having read this article, you have all the information you need to build an awesome e-commerce app. 

And if you’re ready to create a mobile e-commerce app, then tell professionals how to do their best; feel free to address ScalaCode experts. Our skilled and committed professionals at Epitech will help you in designing a completely functional and successful e-commerce application. 

For more than two decades, we at ScalaCode, through our experience in the development market, have always excelled in designing different kinds of e-commerce applications tailored exactly to your business needs.

Final Thoughts 

E-commerce app development is critical to the success of today’s businesses in a competitive digital marketplace. With the exponential growth of online shopping and raised expectations from consumers, a beautifully crafted e-commerce app can drive a higher user experience, sales, and loyalty toward the brand.

By developing your app with a reliable software development company in India like ScalaCode, you will be assured of an app that complies with industry standards and also satisfies your specific business needs.

FAQs

How long does it take to create an eCommerce app?

The time required to build an eCommerce app would be highly subjective, having a lot of dependency factors, such as complexity, features wanted, and platform choice. The simple eCommerce apps might take around 3 to 6 months, whereas more complex applications may demand up to 6 to 12 months or even longer periods.

What Technology Stack Supports Modern E-commerce Apps?

We recommend using React Native/Flutter for the frontend, Node.js for the backend, MongoDB as the database, and integrating it with AWS cloud services along with secure payment gateways for the best performance and scalability.

What Forms Will E-commerce Apps Have in the Future in 2025?

This is led by AI-powered personalization, AR virtual try-ons, and social commerce integration; voice commerce and one-click checkout solutions simply enhance the customer experience.