Must-have features in an E-Commerce App

Anas Shafiq
February 9, 2024

Globally, online shopping has become an important part of our daily lives, moving past boundaries. The development of the Internet and e-commerce has changed customer buying and corporate operations by providing unmatched accessibility and ease.

Today, Online shopping is becoming more and more popular, with over five billion people using the internet worldwide. Every day, more people adopt this trend.
The revenue in the E-commerce market in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by a total of 475.2 billion U.S. dollars (+56.32 percent). After the tenth consecutive increasing year, the indicator is estimated to reach 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars and therefore a new peak in 2028.

Source: Statista: Revenue of the e-commerce industry in the U.S. 2018-2028

(in billion U.S. dollars)

E-commerce apps/platforms serve as the gateway to the online marketplace, providing businesses with a means to connect with customers, showcase their products, and facilitate seamless transactions. As a result, It is important to investigate the key characteristics that improve the online shopping experience for both consumers and businesses. Let’s look into the essential components that make an e-commerce application essential in the online marketplace.

Top features that an E-Commerce app should have:

The success of an E-Commerce app is determined by its ability to give customers a smooth and engaging shopping experience. To achieve this, e-commerce apps must have a variety of important features that address the needs and preferences of today’s consumers. Let’s look at each of these qualities in greater detail:

Easy Login & Registration

The onboarding screen is the first screen users are greeted with and it sets the tone for their entire shopping experience. By offering easy login and registration options, such as social media integration or one-click sign-up using popular email accounts, e-commerce apps can smooth out the initial interaction with users and reduce friction during the onboarding process.

User-Friendly Product Filtering

With the huge number of products available on e-commerce platforms, users depend on effective filtering and sorting features to explore the inventory and locate the particular items that best meet their needs. Clear filtering and products sorted by category, price range, brand, and other relevant criteria improve the overall user experience and allow for faster decision-making.

Detailed Product Descriptions

Product descriptions are like online sales presentations, it gives customers important information about the product like its features, qualities, and advantages. By offering detailed and accurate product descriptions, e-commerce apps can increase consumer confidence and lower the risk of returns.

Product Gallery

In an e-commerce app, visual presentation is most important because users mostly rely on product photos to make decisions about their possible purchases. A well-designed product gallery with high-quality images allows users to inspect products from multiple angles, zoom in for closer inspection, and visualize how they would fit into their lives before buying the product.

Shopping Cart

The shopping cart is a basic yet important feature of any e-commerce app, it is like a virtual version of a physical shopping basket, it allows the shoppers to collect products and add them to their cart while they browse and check out when they’re ready. Users can easily organize their selections, add or remove things, and track how much they have purchased.

Shipping Options

Shipping options are another must-have for any e-commerce app, it plays an important role in the overall shopping experience. Any e-commerce app today should offer a range of shipping options, including standard, express, and same-day delivery, to cater to different preferences and urgency levels of customers.

Order Summary

Before finalizing the purchases a clear and concise order summary adds to the user experience of an e-commerce app. A good order summary should include item details, quantities, prices, and any applicable discounts or promotions. An order summary feature provides transparency and helps customers verify their selections before proceeding to checkout.

Secure and Easy In-App Payments

Security is one of it not the most important features of an e-commerce app. In online transactions, an e-commerce app must prioritize trusted payment gateway integration to ensure the safety of users’ sensitive information. Seamless and user-friendly payment processes, including options for multiple credit/debit cards, digital wallets, and other payment methods, enhance trust and confidence in the app.

Returns and Checking Return Status

Returns are unavoidable in e-commerce, and making the return process seamless and easy to navigate shows that real effort was put into the e-commerce app. A user-friendly returns process, paired with the ability to track the status of return requests shows commitment to customer satisfaction.

Order Tracking

Any good e-commerce app should provide real-time updates on the status of orders, including shipping notifications, tracking numbers, and estimated delivery dates, to keep users informed every step of the way.

Checking Item Availability in Specific Locations

A very basic feature of any e-commerce app should be to provide availability checks of different products, also offering the ability to check item availability in specific locations allows users to plan their purchases accordingly.

Item Availability Reminder

Out-of-stock items can lead to missed sales opportunities. E-commerce apps can work around this by allowing users to set availability alerts for desired items by adding them into their wishlist, and receive notifications when products are restocked and ready for purchase.

Wishlist

Wishlists are also a good-to-have feature in an e-commerce app, they serve as a virtual shopping list, allowing users to save products they like for future reference or consideration. A wishlist promotes continuous interaction and gives customers an easy way to keep track of and return to things they find interesting.

Personalized Product Recommendations

With the advancements in AI and data-driven algorithms, e-commerce apps can incorporate algorithms that provide personalized item feeds and personalized product suggestions based on the interests and browsing history of individual customers.

Membership

Membership or subscription sections provide loyal customers with some extra benefits and incentives from membership or subscription plans, such as personalized suggestions, early access to sales events, and unique discounts creating a sense of community and keeping the customers coming back for more.

Flash Sales and Discounts

Limited-time promotions, such as flash sales and discounts, create a sense of urgency and excitement among users, prompting them to act quickly to grab these exclusive offers. By strategically using flash sales and discounts, e-commerce apps can drive traffic, boost sales, and promote their brands.

Easy Customer Service Access

Accessible and responsive customer service is the backbone of any e-commerce platform, addressing user inquiries, resolving issues, and providing assistance throughout the shopping journey, should all be done swiftly and also be easily accessible to all users. E-commerce apps should offer multiple channels for customer support, including live chat, email, or phone support, to ensure timely and effective communication with users.

Product Scores and Reviews

User-generated reviews and ratings offer helpful information about the effectiveness, quality, and satisfaction of products. E-commerce apps must provide consumers with the ability to rate and comment about every product purchased, this allows future customers to make well-informed purchasing decisions based on the comments and feedback of previous consumers.

Conclusion

Whether you making an e-commerce app from scratch or are employing the help of an e-commerce app development company, Integrating these features into your e-commerce app is of the utmost importance for giving your customers a smooth and enjoyable purchasing experience. User experience, security, and convenience should be given top priority while creating an e-commerce app so that it satisfies the needs of the customers.