Do you know what an e-commerce app is and how it can increase your online sales?

When people talk about growing online sales, many imagine a responsive online store, integrated social media, and well-targeted ads. But there is a market differentiator that—although used by large brands—is still underestimated by businesses of all sizes: the e-commerce app, a tool capable of transforming results, strengthening customer relationships, and unlocking new opportunities for digital scale.

The idea of having a personalized app installed on a customer’s smartphone may seem too distant for small and medium-sized businesses. However, in recent years, the process of creating, launching, and maintaining mobile solutions has changed significantly.

According to statistics presented by specialized platforms, investing in mobile-first experiences is no longer an option—it is a real necessity. Why? Because eight out of ten e-commerce visits happen on mobile devices, and nearly 70% of purchases are completed on the same device. An app, as you will see, goes far beyond a responsive website.

Understanding what an e-commerce app is

An e-commerce app is an application developed specifically to provide a complete shopping experience directly from a smartphone or tablet. The difference compared to a mobile-responsive website lies mainly in its engagement power and exclusive features.

On a consumer’s smartphone—next to the banking app and the most popular social networks—the store’s own app becomes a direct channel, without intermediaries—a constant invitation to browse, search for products, make purchases with just a few taps, and especially receive incentives and personalized content.

What changes in practice?

• The app allows you to send push notifications, reaching the customer even when they are not browsing.
• It offers smoother integration with digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, simplifying payments.
• It allows personalized offers, banners, and customer journeys based on user interests, profiles, and history.
• It reduces steps and removes friction from browser navigation, speeding up checkout.
• It boosts loyalty through recurrence: once installed, the app tends to be revisited often, strengthening the customer-brand relationship.

App vs. responsive website: what’s the difference?

This is a common question, especially when planning investments.

A responsive website adapts its layout to fit the screen size of the device. It works well for users accessing the store through a browser—whether on a computer, tablet, or phone. However, access still depends on the user typing the URL or searching on Google. It’s efficient, but doesn’t create the same proximity as an app.

A native app, on the other hand, is downloaded from app stores (Apple Store, Google Play) and leverages the full capability of operating systems to create rich, personalized, fast, and tailored experiences. It becomes the VIP sales channel in the customer’s hands.

Quick summary:

• Responsive website: adaptive, but without direct customer access.
• Native app: exclusive, customizable, directly installed on the consumer’s smartphone, with unique features and integrations.

Why invest in your own app?

There are clear advantages that e-commerce professionals already feel: increasing acquisition costs, fierce competition for attention, cart abandonment, crowded markets, and lack of differentiation. An app can help with all these issues. Some examples:

• Significant increase in conversion rates: app users often convert up to three times more than mobile website users.
• Lower cart abandonment: checkout is smoother, quicker, and distraction-free.
• Direct communication: personalized notifications share offers, recover abandoned carts, and highlight launches—without depending on algorithms or cookies.
• Continuous engagement: being on a smartphone keeps the brand top-of-mind, creating recurring touchpoints.
• Higher loyalty: integrated CRM features allow point programs, exclusive offers, coupons, and segmented communication.

According to industry research, social commerce—powered by apps integrated with social channels—already represents over 25% of online sales in 2024. As behavior shifts toward mobile, apps become the preferred environment for quick purchases and impulse decisions.

Exclusive features of e-commerce apps

Mobile apps enable features that other platforms struggle to match:

• Push notifications: communicate promotions, flash sales, news, and recover carts instantly.
• Device sensors integration: use geolocation to inform delivery times, local inventory, or regional discounts.
• Digital wallet payments: making checkout much easier.
• Personalized banners, AI-powered recommendations, and browsing history to improve product discovery.
• Advanced loyalty programs: points, challenges, automated rewards, post-purchase notifications.
• Partial offline browsing, storing preferences and search history.
• A fluid experience, with faster navigation and intuitive interfaces designed from scratch for mobile.

Your store becomes part of the customer’s daily life—creating ongoing relevance and standing out from the competition.

Types of mobile solutions: native vs. hybrid apps

Not all apps are the same. Today, there are options that balance investment, time to market, and features. The key is understanding the main differences.

What is a native app?

A native app is built using programming languages specific to each operating system, such as Swift for iOS or Kotlin for Android. It offers superior performance, deep hardware integration (camera, sensors, biometrics), and full freedom to customize design and functionality. It also enables frequent updates via app stores and tends to be faster and more stable.

When should you choose a hybrid app?

Hybrid apps are developed using platforms that allow sharing a portion of the code between Android and iOS, reducing development time and cost. They are ideal for businesses that want to launch quickly on both systems without duplicating efforts. While hybrid apps may not reach the full performance of native apps, they offer all essential features—and for most consumers, the difference is barely noticeable.

Pros and cons summary:

• Native: unbeatable performance, full integration, higher cost and development time.
• Hybrid: great balance of features, speed, and cost; slight performance limitations in specific cases.

Which brands are leveraging the power of apps?

Many companies—large retailers and niche brands alike—already see apps as strategic tools for sales and engagement. Well-known names in tech, food, fashion, and more offer complete apps featuring intelligent recommendations, loyalty programs, review incentives, and even in-app communities to strengthen connections.

At Corebiz, for example, projects for global B2B and B2C brands take full advantage of apps with personalized journeys, complete CRM integration, engagement campaigns, cross-selling features, and mobile-first experiences to increase purchase frequency.

Large retailers that once relied exclusively on traditional e-commerce now have dedicated teams working solely on evolving their apps to boost sales, retention, and brand presence.

Mobile-first experience as an irreversible trend

At the beginning of the digital era, desktop-first strategies were natural. Today, numbers tell a different story: according to mobile e-commerce studies, 80% of online traffic already comes from mobile, and 68% of purchases are completed there. Everything revolves around mobile—and the app is the centerpiece of this shift.

• Slow websites with complex checkout and long forms no longer work.
• Customers decide, interact, and shop on their terms—wherever they are.
• Apps that deliver speed, personalization, and convenience drive superior results.

Trends: super apps, AI, and new integrations

Super apps, platforms that concentrate multiple features such as shopping, payments, delivery, banking, and social interaction, are transforming digital commerce in mature markets. Companies of all sizes are integrating sales, subscriptions, content, and community features to increase user time in the app.

Artificial intelligence plays a starring role by suggesting products, adjusting banners based on behavior, and creating personalized storefronts where every customer sees different offers. In addition, gamification features and QR-code-activated promotions drive loyalty and impulse purchases.

App integration with social networks is also rising: social commerce sales continue breaking records in 2024. Quick-buy buttons in Stories, deep links from Instagram or TikTok to the brand app, and frictionless experiences all contribute to a smoother journey.

How to get started: simplifying the launch of a sales app

Launching an app is no longer a massive, enterprise-exclusive project. Modern tools, integrations with top ERPs and CRMs, and specialized partners make it possible to launch an app in just a few weeks at a cost aligned with the business size.

Partners like Corebiz support the entire process: understanding the audience, defining features, choosing the right tech model (native or hybrid), integrating with e-commerce platforms (VTEX, Shopify, Magento, Salesforce), UX/UI testing, engagement campaigns, and continuous evolution guided by performance indicators.

• Custom implementation, leveraging the business’s existing technology stack.
• Performance monitoring with adjustments to notifications and promos based on user behavior.
• Fast deployment (some solutions allow launching an app in under 20 days, like the SaaS product Mobfiq, developed by Corebiz).
• Scalability: as sales grow, the app evolves with the business.

For those wanting to learn more about technology, digital sales, and business transformation, Corebiz’s content is a constant source of updates. Their materials also cover digital marketing strategies that boost results after an app launch.

Is launching an e-commerce app expensive? What about ROI?

Years ago, building an app looked like a corporate-only project—long, costly, and complex. Today, that reality has changed. Investment has decreased thanks to specialized frameworks, low-code/no-code development, and hybrid models. With a strong partner, it is now possible to launch robust, fully integrated apps in just a few weeks.

As for return on investment, the numbers are convincing: higher average order value, increased repurchase rate, stronger brand recall, and direct customer communication without dependence on external algorithms. In many cases, the app becomes the company’s main digital sales channel.

The sales app is within everyone’s reach

After reading this, the conclusion is clear: investing in your own app is no longer a distant trend—it is an accessible path for any brand. From small businesses to enterprise retailers, any store can achieve real transformation in sales, loyalty, customer insights, and long-term relationships.

The key is planning for the right audience, choosing the appropriate technology, and being open to innovation. After all, businesses that deliver mobile value win their customers’ attention—and wallets.

Modern brands are already experiencing significant increases in purchase frequency and basket size, along with clear differentiation from competitors. By creating personalized, fast, and intuitive experiences, the brand earns a permanent place on the customer’s smartphone and expands results at the pace of the new digital retail world.

Don’t wait for the “perfect moment” to embrace mobile power. The best time to create your e-commerce app is now. If you’re looking for experienced partners who deliver high-performance projects and support everything from planning to ongoing evolution, explore how Corebiz can transform your business through the Mobfiq app. Your next success story may begin in less than 20 days.

Frequently asked questions about e-commerce apps