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One of the most fateful years in history, 2020 is about to end now. The world has witnessed the disastrous form of coronavirus outbreak throughout this year. It has brought significant changes in the way we live, work, and shop. While fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, people tend to prefer smartphones to search for services or products and give orders online. Retailers and eCommerce owners have, therefore, come up with customized mobile apps in line with their customers’ changed buying patterns.

Most brick-and-mortar retailers and superstore owners have been affected due to the coronavirus outbreak. Customers choose online shopping while following the social distancing and lockdown-related rules. To sail through such troubled waters, many retailers and brick-and-mortar store owners have already switched to eCommerce. These days, as the majority of online shopping happens using smartphones, it can be the most useful idea to build an eCommerce app.

A BrizFeel survey has revealed that at least 49% of online shoppers use mobile phones for their purchases. You can make the most of this prevalent trend by bringing a customized and seamlessly-performing eCommerce mobile app.  Let’s go through what lies ahead for eCommerce mobile apps in the future. As mobile eCommerce apps are all set to play a vital role in the sector and the world, let’s go through some of the advanced app development trends for the eCommerce sector in 2021 and beyond.

Seven Trends Set to Rule for E-Commerce App Development

• Rise of Voice-based Shopping

Ok, Google- is a popular tagline in households globally. Similarly, Siri and Alexa have also progressed a lot in recent years. From search to shopping, the user’s voice can work wonders in the eCommerce mobile app with the integrated voice-based shopping feature. Several eCommerce brands have already made the voice feature a part of their mobile app. We can expect that this trend will be strengthened in the year 2021 when more brands will enable their users to utilize the voice shopping facility. A report from OC&C Consultants has predicted that voice-based purchases will grow to $40 million by 2022.

• Use of AR and VR

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are revolutionary technologies that can provide an immersive experience to shoppers in mCommerce. The eCommerce app development company can integrate AR-based features into the app for improving the shopping experience. For example, an apparel brand can facilitate its customers to check whether the cloth they have selected suits their personality through an AR feature.

Similarly, VR technology can show the uses of any product or equipment in an interactive and engaging way. Both these technologies can grab the attention of many people and increase product sales eventually.

• Advent of Omnichannel Experiences

Various eCommerce companies consult an experienced mobile app development company to come up with apps for the most common platforms Android and iOS. If you own an eCommerce company, you can either build an eCommerce app for iOS and Android or develop a cross-platform app that can provide a seamless experience across both Android and iOS platforms.

It is necessary for eCommerce companies to provide omnichannel experiences to their customers. As per the Harvard Business Review, 73% of customers prefer to shop across multiple channels, and an app is capable of giving such an experience consistently across all channels.

Also Read- Top 7 Reasons Why Your ECommerce Business Needs Mobile App in 2021

• Enhanced Security

Whether it is an eCommerce app for Android or iOS, hackers find it a soft and vulnerable target to breach the personal and financial data of the users. What’s more, mobile fraud and scams have become a bigger threat over the period. Credit Union research has revealed that 65% of fraudulent transactions happen on mobile devices.

Every year, cyber-attacks and instances of mobile fraud keep on increasing, and the year 2021 is no exception. Though no platform is 100% resilient to cyber-attacks, the mobile app development company can integrate robust features like two-way authentication and fingerprint scanning in the eCommerce app for iOS or Android to enhance security.

• Improved Chatbots

The revolutionary AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology is getting mainstreamed rapidly across the corporate world. Business websites and enterprise apps have built-in chatbots that are powered by AI. They can easily handle tens of hundreds of queries at once and interact with customers in a human-like way.

Chatbots can work on a 24/7 basis while ensuring maximum customer satisfaction. Several eCommerce platforms plan to embrace chatbots in customized eCommerce apps in the year 2021 and beyond. We will witness the rise of advanced chatbots and engaging customer experience with swift resolution of queries in years to come.

• Integrate Social Commerce

These days, shoppers tend to ask their friends, relatives, or acquaintances on social media platforms before purchasing various items. Social commerce is a key eCommerce trend to watch in 2021 as it combines both social media and eCommerce sectors. Be it grabbing the best deals or asking for feedback, social media channels can provide all the information more conveniently.

Shoppers can easily follow the given links on their favorite social media platforms to buy products. We can certainly expect that social commerce will be integrated into the eCommerce app as one of the hottest eCommerce market trends in 2021. Integration of social media and related features can drive success for the eCommerce app.

• Increased Mobile Shopping

There is no exaggeration in mentioning that the upcoming age is of mCommerce. In this COVID-19 phase and even in the post- COVID-19 phase, people will prefer mobile devices to buy online. Every year, the number of smartphone users is increasing steadily worldwide, and many retailers have consulted or hired a reputed mobile app development company to address a huge audience through a seamless and user-friendly app.

Though creating mobile-friendly websites or developing PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) are viable options for attracting mobile-based shoppers, but the mobile app is a more cost-effective and efficient tool to promote the eCommerce business. A customized mobile app can give eCommerce business owners an edge over their competitors while enabling them to leverage the benefits of increased mobile shopping.

Concluding Lines

Mobile-based online shopping is increasing day by day. This pandemic age has significantly increased the number of smartphone users who search and order products online, and this trend will remain to continue in the year 2021 too. If you are an eCommerce business owner, all you need to build an eCommerce app with all the necessary features to grow your business manifolds. All the trends mentioned here will be helpful to build such an advanced app.

Suria International is a leading eCommerce app development company in Singapore. Our in-house teams of web and mobile app developers can help your boost your business online with robust web and app solutions. Drop us a line at business@suriainternational.com and we will get back to you soon with an advanced strategy for your eCommerce mobile app.