How to Develop an Online Shopping App Like Flipkart?

Online shopping patterns have faced some revolutionary changes. We now have a chance to purchase anything we need without leaving our apartments. Moreover, more and more customers have gone mobile. They do their shopping with the help of smartphones and tablets. Online shops are facing real boom today with more than 50% of all internet users buying different products online.

Mobile shopping has proved to be extremely convenient. It lets people purchase necessary goods wherever they are. All you need is a portable device, internet connection and efficient mobile shopping app. These components will guide you through the magic world of digital shelves and a selection of products for all tastes. Traditional shopping style is about to vanish making it obvious that a shopping app like Flipkart is our nearest future.

A growing number of mobile users shows us that shopping websites are no longer of any interest to potential customers. For this reason, we can observe a huge demand in award-winning mobile solutions. We have some proven leaders on the market like Flipkart, Wish and some others.

More and more startups are eager to develop a mobile shopping app and take their place in the niche. However, the task is not as easy as it may seem. Read our article to learn some useful tips and crucial features that define a brilliant mobile app similar to Flipkart.

How to Make an Online Shopping App and Where to Start?

Numerous shopping apps constantly appear on the market so far. They add more competition to the niche considering a huge number of already existing mobile solutions and some big names in the industry. The competition is pretty tough here. For this reason, getting started can be a challenge for any team eager to develop a shopping application. Before you start, complete our simple quiz and answer the following questions:

  1. Why is online shopping more popular than traditional style?
  2. Who are the main rivals in the market?
  3. How can you stand out from the multiple competitors?

If you face difficulties when answering those questions, we are here to lend you a hand.

An answer to the 1st Question

Convenience always matters. The main reason for online shopping to be more popular against traditional style is the level of convenience. We can save time and purchase whatever we need without leaving our office or house. Online shopping is easy, fast and cheap.

Shopping app development has brought convenience to the new level if compared with websites. All we need is our smartphone right in the pocket connected to the Internet. It provides a full access to endless digital shelves with any product we need round the clock.

An answer to the 2nd Question

Although online shopping is extremely prosperous niche, the competition here is very tough. We have some big names and award-winning applications like Flipkart, Wish and some others. Analyzing the market and your main rivals is an inevitable part of your future development process.

On the other hand, you can always learn from your competitors adopting their prize-winning ideas and features. For example, you can build a Flipkart app clone and add some features and functions of your own. Such approach will let you come up with a more flexible and versatile solution for your customers.

An answer to the 3rd Question

The only way to succeed and win the competition is to forget about all misconceptions and stereotypes. They may range from the cost to build a mobile shopping app to the list of development teams and companies that deal with the app development.

We decided to save your time and to rid you of days, weeks and months of exploration. Here is a list of useful tips that will let you create a mobile app for online shopping and stand out from hundreds of similar products available in all major app stores.

Shopping App Development Tips

You have a huge handicap in the face of some award-winning apps and their stories of success. You are free to use some of their tricks as well as implement brilliant features in your application. We decided to take the example of Flipkart as one of the biggest names in the niche of mobile shopping. Here are some tips you may adopt to bring your own ideas to life:

  • Decide on the product you sell – the idea is to have a clear understanding of what you are selling. Define the types of services you want to deliver. The process of adaptation to the market will be much easier in the case of establishing clear benchmarks for your particular business area. We have a perfect example of Amazon and Flipkart shopping solutions initially launched with a limited range of products;
  • Know your target audience and competitors – If you know what product you sell, targeting the audience will be easier as well as determining your key rivals in the market. Becoming the biggest fish in the pond is a challenge unless you are well aware of who you are swimming with. You need to proceed with an in-depth research, conduct observations and analyze the market on regular basis. It will let you keep in touch with the latest trends in your niche as well as offer new types of products that are in demand;
  • Start the development process – Once you’ve defined your target audience and the main market trends, you can think of crucial features and design for your app. This is where you can start the development process. Decide on a number of criteria and functions that your application is supposed to deliver. Do not overload it with plenty of useless features. Your app should initially be as functional and easy to use as possible. Always keep in mind that a user will never complete the purchase if he or she does not understand the process. Make your users feel as if they’ve been using your app for years. Make them feel comfortable and safe. UI/UX design is essential part here as well as creating a user-friendly interface;
  • Minimalism is a synonym to success – there is nothing wrong with being minimalistic. Overwhelming your users at the very start with a huge number of features is a bad idea. The quality of the product and app convenience are the foremost things that should attract the attention of your users.

Create several simple features instead of a single complicated one. The idea is to turn the routine process into a fast and easy operation.

Essential Shopping App Features

Now, it’s high time for us to list some essential features for your app. They will determine the level of convenience as well as timeframes and cost of the development process.

The more complicated features you have the higher your app price will go. Nevertheless, you will hardly get a chance to stand out from the main competitors without a number of fundamental features. They include:

  1. Sign in feature via social networks. Rid users of wasting their time on registration. Let them explore your app with ease through their social media accounts.
  2. Deliver an easy and efficient navigation. Create a fast search with indexing and filters. Let users find a necessary product ASAP. Create a system that will offer related or similar products as well.
  3. Enable reliable and efficient payment options. Every time you keep your payment system simple and fast, you gain the appreciation of your users. We have some proven leaders like Braintree and Stripe. You can also opt for some other alternatives.
  4. Add to cart feature. Let users choose the items they need and bring them to one place. Purchase history is also a good solution.

These are only a few basic features every shopping app should have. If you are eager to deliver a unique mobile solution, you might think of some extra functions like:

  • Professional customer support – show your users that you care. Use your customer support service to lend them a hand;
  • Comparing function – let your customers compare and contrast several items, show their specs and characteristics;
  • Currency converter – it is a good idea in case you are aimed at conquering outside markets;
  • Blogger’s choice – use expert’s opinions, reviews and descriptions to come up with a better option in a particular group of products;
  • Add to favs – let users choose their favorites;
  • Gift cards, promo codes – stimulate your customers and let them benefit from extra prizes, bonuses and loyalty programs.

Conclusion

Developing a shopping app is not as easy as it seems in case you are not new to the market. On the other hand, it is extremely hard to compete with some big names in the market, unless you have a pool of unique ideas to implement.

Although they can make the development process pricy and time-consuming. In this case, you can always find a team that will help you to complete the process and bring your ideas to life.
With so many development teams, choosing the right one is a challenge. A brilliant shopping app calls for functionality, great UX/UI design, and smooth operation. Not every team is able to handle the task. Luckily, we have a great experience in developing apps like Flipkart. Our company boasts a huge track record of successfully completed projects. Check our portfolio or contact us for more information.

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