15 Must-have features of an e-commerce application

An e-commerce application has become an indispensable part of our routines. Thanks to the increased use of smartphones and rising internet penetration. People prefer shopping online rather than visiting physical stores. The ease, convenience, and ability to compare prices and view customer feedback induce people to opt for online shopping.

The digital shopping apps have grown in popularity over the past few years, with mobile e-commerce revenue reaching $3.56 trillion in 2021. This growth can be attributed to many factors like access to high-speed internet, growth of fintech, improved technological infrastructure across the globe, etc.

This blog discusses the key features of e-commerce apps and how they are helpful to users.

App category	Online Shopping
Types	B2B, B2C, C2C, C2B
USP	Offers users the ability to search and purchase their desired products from a variety of products available
Key players	Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Alibaba, Flipkart
Industry revenue	USD 13 trillion in 2021
Expected market size by 2027	USD 55.6 trillion
Top features	Easy login, product search, customer loyalty programs, secure payment gateways, ratings and reviews
Key demographic of users	25-34 years age group

Here are 15 must-have features of an e-commerce application

An online shopping app allows its users to shop from the comfort of their homes. It is essential for the app to provide a satisfying shopping experience to its users. 

There are certain features that such apps should have that make the users willing to use e-commerce platforms. Some of the features are given below:

1. Easy login and account registration

The first thing a user does when they download an e-commerce mobile app is to register themselves. If the registration process is lengthy and complex, there are very high chances that the user might reconsider their decision to use the app.

A shopping app should have an easy and seamless registration process with minimal steps. Additionally, it should integrate API to allow users to log in using social media. Social media login eliminates the need to enter personal details again and again.

2. Easy to use (Easy to use and intuitive interface)

The user interface of an e-commerce platform is of utmost importance as it determines how the user will interact with the app. An easy-to-use and intuitive interface engages the user and ensures they stick to using the app.

The app interface should ensure that the user has an effortless experience. The features should be distinctly available and easily accessible to enable simple and chaos-free usage.

3. Searching for products and placing orders

The ‘search’ feature is an integral part of any e-commerce platform. It allows the user to look for their desired items by typing in the relevant name or code.

The app should also allow users to sort and filter the search results according to their preferences. It speeds up the ordering process and saves the user time.

4. Clear product selection criteria

The product selection criteria for placing the order should be clearly visible to the user. They should be able to easily view the available sizes, colors, fits, and other variants.

The app should also provide details about the specifications and features of the product to facilitate easy selection of the desired products.

5. Customer loyalty & rewards tracking

Once users download an e-commerce mobile app, it is crucial to retain them. Customer loyalty programs are an effective way to do the same. These programs are free or paid plans under which the users get early access to the best deals and rewards.

The app can also provide purchase points on frequent purchases the user makes. These points can be used for future purchases and for availing discounts.

6. Secure payment gateway

After a purchase is completed, the app should ensure seamless checkout for the user. The payment gateway needs to be simple and secure. The details of the users, such as bank account details, credit card and debit card details, UPI details, etc., should be kept confidential and should not be shared with any third party.

7. Real-time delivery tracking system

An online shopping app should have an accurate and real-time delivery tracking system. This feature allows the user to know the status of their order and track the shipment in real-time.

This kind of transparency helps foster trust between the user and the e-commerce business. The delivery tracking should be simple and easy to use, and the order status should be clearly visible to the user.

8. Multi-language support

Digital commerce applications should be available in multiple languages, mainly if they cater to a specific region.

The app has two options to facilitate the understanding of the user:

1. Depend on Google Translate to help users translate the app contents into their preferred language. It is a tedious task, and many users may find it frustrating.
2. Create multiple versions of the app/website in multiple languages for the users’ easy understanding. The users can switch between different languages from the dashboard or the settings.

9. Easy product management

Different products should be clearly categorized, and users should be easily able to navigate through various categories of products. The categorization can be based on the product type, customer gender, occasion of use, offers and discounts, etc.

It facilitates easy product management and aids the product selection for the users.

The customer should also be able to manage the products already purchased and should be able to exchange/return the same if they are not satisfied with them.

10. Multiple payment options, including cash on delivery, debit card, and credit card

Top e-commerce applications provide multiple payment options like cash on delivery, debit cards, credit cards, UPI, net banking, etc. This feature is helpful because different users prefer using different payment modes.

Additionally, if an application caters to diverse geographies, it should include a feature for multiple currencies and international payments.

11. Shopping cart/wishlist management

While scrolling through the mobile shopping apps, users often add the products to their shopping cart or wish list instead of purchasing them immediately. The shopping carts and wish lists are an essential feature of shopping apps because they signify that the user does not intend to buy the product instantly but wishes to do so in the future. Thus, this leads to more revisits of the app.

An online shopping app should allow users to easily add products to the shopping cart/ wishlists and access and edit the cart/ list whenever they want.

12. Rating and reviews (Product feedback)

An e-commerce platform should allow users to provide feedback after making a purchase. They should be able to give ratings and written feedback about the product and their purchase experience.

Many users tend to purchase a product after reading the feedback and viewing the product rating. Thus, paying attention to this feature while developing an e-commerce app is essential.

13. Secure shopping (Data privacy regulations)

While developing an e-commerce platform, user data privacy is of utmost importance. The users’ data should be protected and kept confidential at any cost.

Before registration, the app should clearly share its privacy policy and terms of use with the users. The users should be free to choose if and what information they wish to disclose and share with the app.

14. Order history

Once an order is placed, the user should be able to view the same in the ‘Your Orders’ tab. Order history allows the user to keep track of all the orders made by them.

They can access the product invoices, the rating they shared for the product, and the customer service for their order. They can also view the related products or re-order the same product if they wish to do so.

15. Browse social feeds (Influencer stories)

Social media integration is a new and advanced feature of many digital shopping applications. Using this feature, a user can view influencer posts, stories, and videos using the particular product.

They can then decide if they want to go ahead with the purchase. Viewing the product being used by a person, more specifically an influencer, will provide a better idea about the quality and other aspects of the product.

4 Bonus features: Integrate artificial intelligence in your mobile app for online shopping apps (e-commerce)

AI has become very popular in the past few years and has integrated itself with almost every sector. Online shopping is no exception.

Here are four ways in which you can incorporate AI into your shopping app to make it more appealing to the users.

1. Smart baskets

You can use AI to determine which products are most relevant to the user’s search query. Whenever a user searches for a product, the AI algorithm can predict what the user is typing. Additionally, the app can allow users to search using images. The AI can detect the pixels and the luminance in the image to provide the most relevant search results.

For example, Bigbasket uses AI and ML to recommend the most suitable products to the users.

2. Smart recommendations

An online shopping app can use AI to recommend the most suitable products based on the user’s order history and browsing habits. The algorithm can study and understand the app usage pattern, determine the user’s interests based on their search and order history, and then recommend suitable products.

For example, Amazon suggests products based on the user’s past activity on the app.

3. Smart sizing

E-commerce apps can use AI to help users choose the right color or size for their clothes. The app can suggest the colors based on the users’ purchase history. 

The users can also use their mobile camera to virtually try the products to understand better the fit of the clothes and how they look on them.

4. Smart promotions

Online shopping apps can use AI to recommend suitable offers and rewards to users. They can understand the user’s past activity on the app, the payment options used in the past, and suggest the applicable discounts.

For example, apps like Swiggy and Amazon suggest the most suitable offers and rewards for the users.

Importance of choosing the best app developers for your app idea

You have an app idea. Great! But now, you need to look for the best app developers to help you develop the app. You need to choose the app developers with caution because:

1. The quality of the developer determines the quality of the app.
2. The app developers are the ones who will be working on your project, so you want to make sure they are a good fit for you and your idea.
3. Finding someone who knows what they’re doing can help you avoid costly mistakes or setbacks.
4. It’s easier to find a skilled developer if you know what questions to ask them!

Idea Usher has been in the business of providing custom app development services for more than a decade. Our experts have years of experience in developing apps for both Android and iOS platforms. Having worked on more than 100 projects, we strive to deliver the best.

Contact us and launch your own e-commerce application now!

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone Numbers : (+91) 946 340 7140, (+91) 859 140 7140 and (+1) 732 962 4560

FAQs about online e-commerce apps

Here are some frequently asked questions about e-commerce applications.

1. What are e-commerce applications?

E-commerce applications allow users to purchase their desired products online without visiting physical stores. The users can search for the products and choose from the thousands of results shown.

Such apps can be dedicated to a single type of product like clothing (Myntra), grocery (Bigbasket), etc., or they can be an aggregator of several types of products (Amazon).

2. What are the popular e-commerce applications?

There are several shopping apps existing in the market. Some popular apps include:

• Amazon
• Alibaba
• eBay
• Walmart
• Flipkart
• Grofers

3. What are the types of e-commerce?

An e-commerce platform can be of the following types:

• Business-to-customer (B2C)
• Business-to-business (B2B)
• Customer-to-customer (C2C)
• Customer-to-business (C2B)

4. What top 5 features are a must for any e-commerce site?

Below are the top 5 features that are a must for any e-commerce site:

• Easy to use and intuitive interface
• Secure payment gateway
• Multiple payment options
• Real-time order tracking
• Secure shopping

5. What are the advantages of e-commerce?

The advantages of using e-commerce platforms are as follows:

• Faster purchase
• Cost reduction
• Flexibility
• Better customer service
• More variety of products