How the 5 Stages of Design Thinking methods help to create user-centric designs?

Blog

9 Must-have Features in an E-commerce App Why do you need it for your Business?

If you’re considering a mobile app for your e-commerce business, you may want to take a look at some of the latest statistics. You should know whether investing in the new app will be profitable for your business in the long run before developing it. Before you launch your app, you have to be sure that your customers will find your app important enough to download and use e-commerce applicationsDo you need an e-commerce app? Why?A study asked mobile shoppers how often they shop through apps. Even if many use retail apps on their mobile devices, they do it infrequently. Over half, at 57%, use their apps once per month or less. Only 10% say they use their apps once per day or more. Quite a few consumers download and use retail apps only sporadically. Other customers interact through a mobile device by visiting your mobile site.In fact, people are much more likely to visit your website for almost any online shopping activity, except for redeeming gift cards and loyalty program points. When checking store hours or locations, 66% will visit your website, and 45% use your app. On the other hand, 50% visit your website, and 31% use your app to check reviews. Around 19% will use the e-commerce app and 12% will visit your site to use their gift card or loyalty points. If you plan to use app-based loyalty programs, you could find that developing your app is worth the cost.Types of businesses that need an e-commerce appRetail, Wholesale, and Online ShoppingOnline retailing, e-retailing, or wholesale refers to the transaction of goods and services through online stores from businesses to potential and regular customers. It is achieved through virtual shopping carts and e-catalogues. The applications of e-commerce in this sector are numerous.The shopping preferences of people have undergone a massive change in the last few years. “Go online” has become a motto for most businesses to succeed. Online shopping is comfortable, convenient, and cost-effective. The prosperity of several online shopping apps validates this.FinanceFinance and e-commerce are more connected today than ever. Banking sectors and the stock market use e-commerce significantly to carry out their operation seamlessly. Online banking provides provisions such as balance check, bill payment, money transfer, etc. Online stock trading enables people to carry out trading electronically by providing information about stocks including analysis, performance reports, charts, etc. through websites.AuctioningCollaborating auctions with the e-commerce sector takes the business to the next level where people can participate without any geographical boundaries. It leads to more participation, more negotiation, and helps to make auctions successful.MarketingOnline marketing activities such as pricing, product features, and building customer relationships can be strengthened using an e-commerce portal to provide users with an enhanced and customized shopping experience. Digital marketing strategies have become a promising way to promote businesses.E-bankingE-banking is an e-commerce application that has simplified time-consuming and complex banking processes. It enables bank users to carry out transactions easily online without having to wait in long queues. Every major bank has its own online application to provide virtual banking services to its customers.9 Must-have Features in an e-commerce appFirst, you need to define your e-commerce goals with utmost clarity. What type of eCommerce mobile app do you want to launch your business – Android or iOS? What is your product? Who is your target audience? Next, you have to set important steps regarding the right features for your eCommerce Mobile Application.Easy Registration ProcessIt can be an exhaustive one for your customers if they are confronted with pages and pages of information to fill in to register an e-commerce app. With everybody having a Social Media Account today, make sure it’s an easy registration process. You can enable signup and log in with two clicks at maximum to welcome your customers on board! Moreover, you can earn extra brownie points to explore their preferences through their Social Media Accounts!Multiple Payment OptionsImagine how a customer would think if he could not find his convenient payment option after dumping his stuff into the cart. You just lost a customer and many others who prefer the same payment option that your app does not feature. You have to open the doors to the most popular payment methods like credit cards, debit cards, net banking, and eWallets to ensure that you subtly push your customers toward using your app’s in-built wallet.Push NotificationsYour customers have their needs and wants, you have the supply to satisfy them, but how to bridge this communication gap? Push notification improves customer engagement because they keep customers informed of recommendations, discounts, sales, promotions, and offers. Thus, it offers you the ability to cross-sell and up-sell for better profits.Social Media IntegrationDon’t tell me that you do not want ALL the attention of your customers. Social media integration will ensure that your eCommerce mobile app is right in front of your customers while they chat on Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, or pin on Pinterest. This will also prompt them to share the seasonal discounts you offer on their social media accounts. User-generated content is the best way for word-of-mouth marketingComplete SynchronizationIf you have your eCommerce website and eCommerce mobile app, you can come up with a very exciting feature. It helps you reach your targeted audience fast and make their buying experience better. Speed up the process by getting our eCommerce mobile app synchronized with the website to save time, beat the competition, and increase your sales.Google AnalyticsOptimize the use of Google Analytics to check out how your potential customers are looking to be on your mobile app with the help of real-time data. Know which product of yours needs a different packaging, what offers can make an appealing combo, and which demography is resonating with your business with Google Analytics.Review & RatingEmpower your customers to rate and review your app and its features. The reviews will help you achieve a sense of realization about the products that you are offering to your customers.Wishlist ButtonIt happens many times that your customers would love to purchase the items but are running out of money at that very moment. They want to buy it, not now but definitely when they can afford it. Therein comes the importance of a wishlist as it helps your customers to save products they wish to buy later. In addition to that, you get a chance to know the preferences of your buyer and personalized offers!Easy CheckoutThe universal fact is that the customers hate to wait in the billing queue. You won’t let them wait with a virtual billing system for sure. To ensure that they do not abandon the cart, create a hassle-free checkout process. Help them save their address, e-wallet, and card details and get them faster through the payment gateways. Can you increase your sales by establishing your own e-commerce app?The bottom line is that e-commerce apps are the future of this digitally-driven world. Mobile application developers help your company to reap the benefits of the online retail business. Mobile eCommerce apps help brands know their customers better by staying closer to them with just a ‘finger tap’. As customers spend most of their time on mobile phones, ensure that your brand offers product details, and contact information, and motivates them to purchase.Smartphone owners are now increasingly using their devices to shop and search for products. The mobile app is also convenient and provides a personalized user experience that many customers now look for. The best thing? The mobile app encourages users to become returning customers rather than one-time shoppers.ConclusionWith its decade-long experience in e-commerce apps and software development for retail industries, we can be the perfect partner to consult and build an eCommerce mobile app for your business.  We can help you create scalable and robust e-commerce apps from scratch that expand your current business and skyrocket your sales. 

Blog

Website Redesign tips one should never overlook

In today’s time having a website is mandatory to make your presence felt in the marketplace. A website not only helps you to represent your business but it allows you to communicate with your potential customers and meet their needs. Thus, if you aim for your website to deliver significant results in terms of generating huge traffic and ROI then it really needs to be well designed and build explicitly keeping in mind your services. Redesigning a website is often a daunting task it means you have to rebuild creating new databases, dealing with code, servers and modify every nook of the back-end side. In addition to that maintaining website's SEO is also an important task.If a website design does not reflect your proficiency, success on the internet will remain as a dream.So, here are the bespoke redesign tips for a website that one should never ignore:Focus on sharp visual features and elementsMost successful companies emphasize on having strong visual elements in their website as people responds more to images, videos and graphics than to plain text. So, by inducing eye-catchy visuals and animations which is the ongoing trend or by altering the ‘Call-to-Action’ slightly, one can actually make the audience stay longer on their website.Make your Website SEO friendlyWhen one is willing to bring their website into the spotlight of search engines, attention should be given to make the website easy enough to crawl for the search engine bots. If they don’t find it up there, the dream of seeing at the top of the search results will be crushed. So, SEO should always be a fundamental consideration for your website redesign. Once the development is done always focus on strong Technical SEO Audits.Use contrasting coloursMake your website redesign click by using contrasting hues.  One can highlight the main sections of the website with complementary colours to bring attention to the requisite website visitors. Minimize page loading timeWe all know that slower page loading can cause a significant drop in generating revenue. Bounce rate increases when loading time exceeds 7 seconds which results in loss of interest amongst the target audience. So, focus on minimizing the page loading time this will help to surge user satisfaction, visitor retention and loyalty.Opt for a mobile-friendly siteAs per the recent survey by Google this year, the mobile version of a particular site is the initial point which Google includes in indexing and which is how the rankings are being measured. So, make your website mobile friendly to rank better ahead of the competitors in your network.So, before you opt for redesigning your website, gather details of the current web traffic, bounce rate, conversion and time on page to see visible results. For further information, get in touch with us!

Blog

Why Leading Businesses Are Prioritizing Application Modernization

Technology is evolving at an accelerated pace, and businesses need to modernize to stay ahead of the emerging trends. Continuing with legacy systems can significantly hinder business growth and cause financial losses. It also makes your organization vulnerable to security threats and affects productivity.Rather than losing money with an old system, why not modernize it and supercharge your business performance?Application modernization is a strategic approach to enhancing customer experience, strengthening security, and fueling revenue. Discover the importance of application modernization and why it should be a priority. This article outlines the best strategies for application modernization and explains how a digital transformation company can seamlessly guide you through the process.What is Application Modernization?Application modernization primarily refers to upgrading legacy or old software systems and applications by leveraging modern frameworks, technologies, infrastructure, and tools. This process involves updating your systems to improve application performance and align with changing business needs. Application modernization uses advanced technologies such as cloud computing, blockchain, and artificial intelligence to move your existing applications to new platforms based on microservices architecture.Why Application Modernization is Now a Top PriorityBusiness owners are sometimes skeptical about modernizing their applications, fearing data loss and the need to start from scratch. However, app modernization is more like renovating a house. You don't need to replace your older system entirely; instead, you revamp and remodel it to increase efficiency while retaining the existing memory and data.The Market Research Future's predictions reveal that the global market size for app modernization will reach $38.7 billion at the end of 2032. The figure indicates a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.5% between 2024 - 2032. Legacy applications pose several challenges that make it difficult for organizations to carry out their day-to-day operations.Primary Challenges of Legacy Applications:Security risksTraditional security measures have major drawbacks that make them less effective in today's rapidly changing IT security environment.Lacks scalabilityMost legacy applications have a limited space to handle a specific amount of workload or size of data. It hampers an organization's ability to grow and scale its business.Limited capabilitiesTraditional systems can perform only a few tasks or functions, which is why organizations find it difficult to adapt to evolving business needs.  High maintenance costsBecause legacy systems are old and have different features and functionalities, they require specialized skills and high maintenance costs. If your organization is growth-driven and practices a forward-thinking approach, here are some compelling reasons to kickstart your application modernization journey. Top Benefits of Application Modernization:A survey on 1420 global companies released by Statista in 2023 cited security, efficiency, cost, reduction, and modern tech integration as the driving factors for existing application modernization. Apart from these, increased agility and greater scalability are two reasons for global companies to shift to modern structures and remodel their existing applications.Key Reasons Driving Application Modernization of Companies Worldwide Heightens Security Outdated software with weak security is a prime target for hackers and cyber attackers. Lack of adequate security layers and patches makes it difficult to protect from online threats, resulting in data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage.Adopting application modernization is not just about leveling up its performance with new features and enhanced functionality. It fortifies your application against potential security threats and vulnerabilities.Furthermore, upgrading your app to the latest security measures helps you comply with industry standards. Cost and Time Savings The next significant advantage that makes application modernization a must for every organization is cost and time efficiency. Maintaining legacy applications and outdated infrastructure is both expensive and time-consuming. The older an application is, the higher the maintenance costs.Legacy systems can cost organizations 80% more maintenance and support than modern cloud-native applications. Here's where application modernization steps in to save the day. While it requires an initial investment, it significantly cuts down on long-term maintenance costs, ultimately saving you money.Operational Efficiency According to a Deloitte report, 73% of organizations cite improving operational efficiency as a primary driver for application modernization. Integrating modern platforms and re-architecting legacy apps to the modern cloud platform enhances efficiency and assists organizations in keeping pace with emerging business requirements. Integrating automation tools lowers the chances of errors and saves time by processing repetitive manual tasks faster. Hence, businesses can focus more on higher-value and business-critical operations that require human intervention. Enhanced User ExperienceOutdated applications often feature clunky and complicated user interfaces, which can drive users away. System downtime, security issues, and network latency are some of the reasons that frustrate users, compelling them to transition to updated and modern applications.An elegant, contemporary design paired with an intuitive, speedy interface significantly boosts conversion rates. This delivers customers a seamless, captivating user experience, leaving a lasting impression.Enhances Scalability Traditional systems lack scalability and adaptability, which limits their functions. Remodeling your application can help you overcome scalability issues and performance bottlenecks. Cloud migration and integration of Artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies can make your application scalable and flexible.Moreover, it helps you stay competitive and keep abreast of trends. More than 90% of new applications built on cloud infrastructure enable scalability, faster development, and cost efficiency. There is no denying that application modernization has become a critical need for many organizations to stay relevant and future-ready. If you want your business to stay updated and retain customers, here's what you need to do before moving forward with application modernization.Defining business goalsEvaluate your business requirements and determine the goals your business aims to achieve through application modernization.In-depth application observationDeep observation and analysis of your existing application are necessary steps for app remodeling. They help you get a clear picture of your user behavior and dependency interactions.Adopt AutomationThe application modernization process is complex, and teams often struggle to scale across an application infrastructure. Employing automation is effective in designing a repeatable pipeline for app restructuring. Regular updation and maintenanceApp upgrade and modernization are never-ending processes. Frequent updates and maintenance can help you stay current with evolving technology and market conditions. Leading Businesses That Already Embraced App ModernizationHere are top real-world examples of global brands that have already embraced application modernization and are reaping its benefits.WalmartWalmart completely revamped its eCommerce platform and migrated to a modern cloud platform. Its microservices-based architecture accelerated the development and deployment of new features and updates.The outcome?The transformation improved the platform's scalability and enhanced customer experiences.McDonald'sMcDonald's is one of the first brands to introduce digital ordering and payment systems by migrating to the cloud-native architecture. Further, it made some enhancements and integrated new features. This intelligent move instantly elevated overall customer experiences and helped them gain a competitive edge in the digital space.Capital One Capital One, the top financial institution in the US, modernized its monolithic application by utilizing Docker containers and leveraging cloud infrastructure. They decoupled apps using microservices, enhancing performance and heightened security. 5-Step Guide To Make Your Application Modernization A SuccessFor many business owners, the journey of app modernization might seem overwhelming. However, with careful planning and a comprehensive approach, you can move forward with app modernization and attain success. Four stages to follow to craft a successful app modernization strategy are -Defining the problemsIdentify the challenges or issues necessitating the app modernization process.Preparing for modernizationAssess the current application landscape, gather requirements, and plan for the necessary steps and resources.Technology and framework adoptionEvaluate and select the appropriate key technologies, frameworks, and architectures to align with the modernization goals.Define success metricsEstablish clear and measurable criteria to gauge the success of the modernization efforts.Finding the right application modernization partnerIdentify and partner with a reliable, competent service provider to support and guide the modernization journey.How Can Sundew Help?Sundew offers unparalleled expertise to facilitate your journey. With nearly two decades of digital transformation experience, our team excels at streamlining the complexities of modernization.From strategy selection to system transformation, our approach is customized to suit your business's unique needs and objectives, ensuring a seamless transition from existing applications. With Sundew by your side, your journey to modernization is in capable hands.Wrapping UpPrioritizing application modernization can be a path-breaker in positioning your organization for future success. It is a strategic investment that can drive conversions and revenue generation. Start by assessing your current software or application landscape to identify areas that need improvement. Businesses can boost performance, minimize security risks, and reduce cost, ultimately staying competitive and delivering engaging user experience.