How can launching a mobile app help your dropshipping business?
There are many reasons for launching a mobile app for your business. One can find endless literature on the subject online.
Dropshippers however tend to stay away from app development. It is hard to fault them for this. They have a tried and tested formula for running a solid business through website sales alone.
Why fix what isn’t broken?
The website model does seem like a good option for dropshippers right now. However, things are changing quickly in the tech space. The website model may not serve dropshippers as well as it has over the years.
#1 - Change of privacy policies
The iOS 14 update last year sent shockwaves around the world. There were many parties aggrieved with the changes Apple made to its privacy policy. One of these aggrieved parties was dropshippers.
Dropshippers typically sell their products by serving personalized product ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. By offering users the choice of opting in for data tracking and collection, Apple essentially curbed the ability of dropshippers to serve personalized ads on major platforms.
Apple may not be the first company to impose these restrictions on data collection. Other platforms like Google could similarly follow suit and make data tracking & collection an opt-in feature.
The only way dropshippers can really negate this threat is diversifying their sales channels. These new updates have only exposed the overdependence on dropshippers on product ads.
One way to manage this transition is starting a mobile app. If you can make people download your app, you can create a long-term channel of consistent sales. This will reduce your dependency on platforms like Facebook for serving personalized ads.
Making people download your app is naturally a challenge. Here’s a guide on getting regular app downloads right after you launch your app.
Read: How to get 10,000+ app downloads in the first month – Launch like a boss!
#2 - Ease of app development
One of the main reasons people like to start a dropshipping business is its relative ease. There is no need for an entrepreneur to invest large sums of money in inventory and acquisition. Low barrier entry points encourage people to try dropshipping products from their online store.
Ease is an important word here. The main allure of dropshipping is the simplicity it brings to the prospect of starting an ecommerce business.
App development on the other hand is anything but easy. The entry point is high, both in terms of capital and pure knowledge.
This characterization of app development is correct when we speak of code-based custom development. Businesses either have to hire a team of developers or an outside agency to create an app.
However, the arrival of mobile app creators has changed the landscape. Entrepreneurs no longer have to depend on expensive code-based development to create an app for their business. Tools like AppMySite enable users to build premium apps without coding in minutes.
The prospect of launching an app for your dropshipping business is a no brainer when one considers the ease of app development. You can no longer use the tedious nature of custom app development as an excuse for not launching your own app.
App creators generally help users create WordPress and WooCommerce apps. This means you can launch a shopping app using your WooCommerce store with app creators like AppMySite.
#3 - Overall preference for shopping apps
Mobile shopping has grown many folds over the last few years. The increased ubiquity of smartphones has led to the meteoric rise of mobile shopping.
Even in the mobile shopping segment, there are two main areas of focus - mobile websites and mobile apps.
The numbers show that 85% shoppers prefer mobile apps for shopping compared to mobile websites.
This preference for shopping apps over mobile websites is understandable. There are many advantages a mobile app has over a website. Some of these are covered in the following points -
● Performance - Apps tend to perform better than mobile websites because they’re built to work in a mobile environment. Mobile apps are essentially software for a smartphone. Mobile websites however are built to perform in a browser. They cannot leverage the technical resources a smartphone offers, while mobile apps can.
● User personalization - Mobile apps enable companies to institute greater personalization features that eventually contributes to more sales and overall app usage. Mobile websites are not suited for higher level personalization. This is because they cannot integrate with a mobile device like apps can.
● Accessibility - Mobile apps are only a tap away. Users can immediately access an app and enjoy the services it offers. To access a mobile website, users have to first visit a web browser and type in the name of the website. They are thus much less accessible compared to mobile apps.
All the advantages mobile apps have over websites should make you consider launching an app for your dropshipping business.
#4 - Building a brand
Building a brand is all about gaining greater visibility. Let’s assume people see your Facebook ad promoting a product. Even if they buy your product, there is no guarantee they will remember your website a month down the line. This would only remember your website and brand if you keep pushing out ads.
Relying on paid ads for branding and visibility is not feasible for any business out there. On the other hand, you can get constant visibility by making people download your app. This is a much better way to grow your brand in the long-term rather than relying on paid ads to boost visibility.
The role of a mobile app in branding is undeniable. Your brand visibility will grow because your mobile app will be within the visual range of the end user at every point. The other advantage is setting yourself apart from other competing dropshippers. Having a mobile app essentially helps you stand out from the market.
In conclusion
Mobile apps are an important part of the m-commerce world. Dropshippers generally tend to bypass app building because of its general tediousness. The arrival of free online app makers like AppMySite makes the prospect much more enticing and viable.
This piece covers the reasons you should launch a mobile app for your dropshipping business. There will never be a better time to start a mobile app for a dropshipping business because most companies in this field are still behind the curve. You can gain a march on your competitors and quickly become one of the few dropshipping brands known for its mobile app.
