How to Build an Ecommerce App in 2025 (For Maximum ROI)

Mobile commerce isn’t the future - it’s the present.

In 2025, over 70% of ecommerce traffic comes on mobile devices. And the more of that traffic flows through your mobile app, the better.

Shopping apps provide a better customer experience, combined with advance engagement tools (like push notifications), leading to more conversions, better customer loyalty, and more revenue.

But for most ecommerce brands, building a mobile app still feels like a massive undertaking. The options are confusing. The costs seem steep. And the risks (will anyone actually use it?) take over your mind.

That’s why we created this guide: to demystify the ecommerce app development process and give you a clear, modern roadmap into how to create a mobile app for your brand.

Want to skip ahead and get a look at what your app could look like? Get a free preview of your mobile app now - all you need is your site's URL.

Why Mobile Apps Matter for Ecommerce Brands

If you’re running a successful online store, you might wonder: Do I really need an app? Isn’t my mobile-optimized website enough?

You need a responsive website - but not only a website.

Here are five reasons why launching a mobile application is worth it.

1. Mobile apps create a frictionless shopping experience

The average mobile conversion rate for ecommerce is just 1.8% - less than half than desktop.

A lot of that is due to friction - with causes missed conversions and abandoned carts.

Apps eliminate the typical friction present in mobile websites.

Customers can open your store in one tap from their home screen, stay logged in, use saved payment methods, and check out in seconds.

Every step of the journey is smoother, faster, and more tailored - which is why most brands' mobile apps convert 1.5-2.5x higher than their mobile website.

2. App users are your most valuable customers

App users are your most engaged, loyal fans. They return more often, spend more, and are more likely to convert.

According to our data:

• App users have a 30% higher average order value
• They make 3x more repeat purchases
• Their lifetime value is up to 7x higher than mobile web users

Building a mobile app means building a high-performing channel for your best customers - the type who provide an outsized contribution to margins.

3. Push notifications are a powerful engagement tool

With rising acquisition costs and declining effectiveness of classic engagement channels, your brand needs a new way to interact with customers.

Push notifications give you an owned, direct line to your audience, right on their device’s home screen.

• High open rates
• Essentially 100% visibility
• Much stronger engagement rates than email
• Much lower cost than SMS
• Instant reach for promotions, product drops, and abandoned cart recovery

Push alone is often enough to justify the app (brands we work with commonly drive five figures or more in monthly revenue through abandoned cart notifications alone).

4. An app puts your brand on the home screen

When a customer downloads your app, they’re giving your brand permanent real estate on their home screen. That kind of presence changes the relationship.

Being on the home screen means:

• You’re in the customer’s line of sight every time they unlock their phone
• Your brand competes less with browser tabs and search results
• You become part of their regular habits, not just a destination when they’re searching

Unlike a mobile website, which they have to remember and navigate to, your app is always visible, always one tap away. That daily exposure builds familiarity, strengthens brand recall, and increases the likelihood of repeat engagement.

5. But isn’t a mobile website good enough?

Your mobile website is essential. It’s your core online presence - where new visitors land, discover your brand, and make their first purchase.

A mobile app is a great complement to your website.

For your top 10-20% of customers - the ones who buy often, engage with your content, and drive the majority of your revenue - an app creates a faster, more convenient, and more engaging way to shop.

It rewards their loyalty with better UX, on-device access, and exclusive benefits, driving increased customer satisfaction from those shoppers who matter the most.

Does Your Brand Need a Mobile App?

Not every brand needs a mobile app. But if you’re seeing consistent sales and growing a base of loyal customers, it’s likely one of the highest-ROI moves you can make in 2025.

Is it worth building an ecommerce app in 2025?

Yes - if you care about owning your customer relationships, improving retention, and unlocking new channels for revenue.

With customer acquisition costs at all-time highs and email performance continuing to decline, your most profitable growth will come from repeat buyers.

A mobile app helps you:

• Build direct, owned channels with your best customers
• Create a more seamless, brand-controlled mobile experience
• Engage with push notifications that drive real revenue

Apps are no longer a luxury or vanity project. They’re a strategic retention tool.

What’s the ROI of an ecommerce app?

Some brands see as much as 53x ROI from their mobile apps.

The ROI of an ecommerce app comes from increased purchase frequency, higher AOV, and improved retention among your most valuable customers.

For example:

• Sleefs sees 20% of total revenue through their app
• Anatomie app users contribute 5x higher LTV than web shoppers
• BYLT Basics added $1.4 million in 60 days post app launch

Even modest gains in these areas can easily justify the cost of launching and maintaining an app (if you choose the right, cost-effective development approach).

Get a closer look at the potential benefits of ecommerce apps with our Ecommerce App Revenue Calculator.

What kind of brands benefit most from having an app?

Apps are especially valuable if:

• You have strong repeat purchase behavior (e.g. fashion, beauty, supplements, consumables)
• You run loyalty programs or personalized marketing flows
• You launch products frequently or run flash sales
• Your customers buy regularly via mobile

DTC brands, subscription businesses, and multi-brand retailers with engaged audiences are ideal candidates.

The more potential for repeat purchases and long-term customer loyalty, the more an app can move the needle.

What are some real-world examples?

If you look at all your favorite brands, you'll find a good percentage of them have their own mobile shopping apps.

Apps are particularly prevalent in successful brands - over 20% of US-based ecommerce brands doing $5M or more in annual revenue have their own mobile apps.

Look to brands like:

• Jack & Jones
• Tobi
• John Varvatos
• BuybuyBaby

You can find more examples of stories from ecommerce brands successfully launching mobile apps here, or check out this article to see real results from numerous ecommerce brands' apps.

Planning Your Ecommerce App

A successful ecommerce app starts with clear goals and a strategy that fits your brand and target audience.

Start with a high-level strategic plan, before you start diving into more technical details.

Here are a few things to think about.

Start with clear goals

Your app isn’t just checking a box. It should play a defined role in your overall growth strategy, and contribute towards clear business goals.

For most brands, that means:

• Increasing user engagement and purchase frequency from existing customers
• Improving retention and loyalty
• Reducing cart abandonment with timely, targeted push notifications
• Creating a home for VIP customers, loyalty perks, and app-only content or promos

Define what success looks like, then use that to build the app experience around those outcomes.

Must-have features for ecommerce apps

Decide on the essential features you want in your app, so you're fully aligned when it comes time to start on development.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Most high-performing shopping apps share the same core features:

• Fast, frictionless browsing and checkout (accepting multiple payment options)
• Saved customer login and payment info
• Native navigation (tab bars, gestures, splash screens)
• Push notifications for cart recovery, new drops, and offers
• Loyalty integrations (e.g. Smile.io, Yotpo)
• Deep linking and smart banners to drive downloads from your mobile site
• Real-time sync with your store

You might decide your app needs additional features to what's listed above, but these cover most of the bases.

Native app vs PWA: what’s the difference?

It’s common to ask whether a Progressive Web App (PWA) is a viable alternative. While PWAs have improved in recent years, they still lack critical advantages native apps offer.

They can't be published to the App Store or Google Play Store; you can't send push notifications reliably on all platforms; and it's tricky to add a PWA to the home screen (most customers won't do it).

PWAs are a useful tool (they provide great user experiences to mobile visitors in the browser), but they're not a replacement for a native, or "true" mobile app.

What platforms should I target?

While you can often save budget by focusing on only one platform, you'll definitely want to launch on both iOS and Android.

Together, these two platforms cover over 99% of the smartphone market.

And while iOS tends to drive higher AOV and engagement, Android holds the majority of global device market share.

Unless your audience is heavily skewed, it’s best to launch on both platforms (especially if your development method doesn't add extra cost to launch on both).

Building Your Ecommerce App: Options and Tech

Once you know what it needs to do, the next step is figuring out how to build your shopping app.

There are three common paths ecommerce brands take - each with its own trade-offs in speed, cost, flexibility, and complexity.

1. Custom Development: Full control, high cost

Custom apps are built from the ground up by an in-house team or agency, using frameworks like React Native, Flutter, or native iOS/Android code.

This route gives you maximum control over features, UI, and integrations, but it comes with a steep price.

Pros:

• Fully custom UX and branding
• No limits on features or integrations
• Full ownership of code

Cons:

• App development process is long and drawn-out (typically 6–12 months)
• $50K-$200K+ in upfront costs
• Requires ongoing maintenance by developers
• Risk of overbuilding or underutilization

Custom apps make sense for enterprise brands or retailers with complex workflows and large budgets. But for most ecommerce businesses, they’re overkill (and risky).

2. DIY Ecommerce Mobile App Builders: Fast but limited

DIY, no-code app builders let you create an app using drag-and-drop editors and pre-built blocks.

These tools sync with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce and offer quick setup for stores with standard needs.

Pros:

• Launch in weeks, not months
• Affordable monthly pricing (~$200-$1000/month)
• Built-in push notifications, loyalty, reviews, etc.
• Good UX with minimal effort

Cons:

• Limited customization and design flexibility
• Vendor lock-in (you don’t own the code)
• Feature gaps for non-standard stores
• Performance varies across platforms

If you want speed and simplicity (and your store doesn't have any advanced features or niche integrations to carry over to the app), a DIY ecommerce app builder can work.

But the end product (and work required to manage) is not ideal.

Read more: the best Ecommerce Mobile App Builders to consider for your online store app

3. Web-to-App Conversion: The sweet spot

MobiLoud takes your existing mobile website and turns it into a mobile app, for the best combination of cost, simplicity and quality.

You keep everything that works on your site - design, features, integrations - and get a native app presence, push notifications, and App Store listings.

All this in a fully managed service, yet a fraction of the cost and timeline of custom app development.

Why MobiLoud is ideal:

• Fast time to market (2-4 weeks)
• Minimal disruption - no need to rebuild anything
• Real-time sync with your site, features, product catalog, payment gateways (no duplication of work)
• None of the limitations of template-based ecommerce mobile app builders
• All the standard features of a native app - push notifications, native nav, App Store presence
• Fully managed service (no developers needed, no lift from your team)

MobiLoud is ideal for brands that already have a great mobile website and want to scale fast without rebuilding or taking on technical risk.

You get to launch a powerful, scalable online shopping app, and at the same time keep your existing workflow. Your team focuses on growth, not managing a new platform.

Want to get a glimpse of your shopping app in action? Get a free preview now - all you need is your site's URL!

Post-Launch (Maintaining Your Mobile App)

Whichever method you choose - native app development, an app builder, or a web to app service - launching an app is just the beginning.

What happens next (how you support it, update it, and keep users engaged) is where the real ROI comes from.

Managing updates, changes, and bug fixes

The technical work to build an ecommerce app doesn't end once it’s live.

You still need to keep it running smoothly, secure, and compatible with constant changes to iOS, Android, and your ecommerce platform.

Mobile operating systems are updated frequently, sometimes with major UI changes or technical requirements. Even small updates from Apple or Google can break key functionality or trigger app store rejections if your app doesn’t comply.

On top of that, your own store will evolve: new features, third-party tools, promotions, or backend updates all need to be reflected in the app.

What’s the real cost of ownership?

When evaluating how to build your app, it’s important to look beyond the upfront launch costs and consider the total cost of ownership - including hosting, updates, maintenance, developer time, and support over time.

Your choice of development approach makes a big difference in the long-term, recurring cost of your app.

Custom App Development

Expect to invest anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000+ just to get your app built.

And that’s only the beginning. You’ll need to retain developers or an agency to handle updates, platform changes, and bug fixes.

Ongoing costs often run $2,000 to $10,000 per month, depending on complexity. If your app breaks after an iOS update, or needs new features, you need to pay the development team to handle it.

“When you develop an app you can't just have one person. When we built the app, the maintenance became very heavy. To keep a platform like this in-house I feel like you’d probably need around six people.”
- Kenneth Chan, Founder & CEO, Tobi

No-Code App Builders

These platforms are more affordable to start, often with little or no setup fee, and monthly subscriptions ranging from $200 to over $1,000 depending on your plan and feature set.

While you don't need to hire developers handle updates and platform maintenance, you're limited to what the platform allows.

It can be time-consuming or complicated to fix issues, and adding new features can require jumping to higher tiers or waiting on their roadmap.

MobiLoud (Web-to-App Service)

MobiLoud provides a fully-managed service with setup fees between $850-$1500 and monthly pricing from $299 to $949, depending on your needs.

There’s no revenue share, and no hidden charges for features like push notifications. And most importantly, all app maintenance, updates, store compliance, and technical support are included.

MobiLoud handles everything post-launch. You don't need developers, or any kind of time commitment at all to manage your app.

Learn more about MobiLoud's pricing here

Promoting Your App & Driving User Engagement

A beautiful, fast, feature-rich app that no one knows about is essentially worthless - while a "good enough" e-commerce app that's well promoted and marketed at least has some chance of adding value to your business.

Along with technical concerns (keeping your app fast and bug-free), you also need a plan for how to get users - and how to keep them using the app.

What does a typical launch process look like?

Every launch is different depending on how you build your app, but a standard process includes:

• Branding & account setup (developer accounts, assets, permissions)
• Initial configuration (navigation, app layout, splash screen, push setup)
• Internal testing on real devices
• App Store submission and approval (Apple review can take 5-10 business days)
• Go-live and promotion (email, banners, QR codes, etc.)

With custom development or no-code platforms, much of this is your responsibility. With MobiLoud, it’s all handled for you; turnkey, guided by a dedicated team.

Promoting your app post-launch

Even loyal customers won’t download your app unless you give them a reason (and make it easy).

Here’s what works:

• Smart banners on your mobile site prompting visitors to download the app
• Email and SMS campaigns with clear benefits (“Early access,” “App-only discounts”)
• QR codes on packaging, receipts, and in-store signage
• Exclusive content or flash sales available only in the app
• Welcome incentives like 10% off for first-time app orders

This turns the app into a natural part of your brand journey; not a separate channel, but a better one.

Driving retention and revenue with push notifications

Push notifications are where ecommerce apps shine. Unlike email or SMS, they’re direct, immediate, and free to send.

They appear on the home screen, bypass inbox clutter, and don’t rely on algorithms or paid ads to reach your audience.

When used correctly, push drives serious engagement in your app, with campaigns like:

• Abandoned cart recovery with targeted, timely nudges
• Flash sales to convert interest into action
• Back-in-stock alerts and personalized recommendations
• VIP and loyalty engagement with special offers

Even if your push notifications don't drive a huge amount of revenue, they serve a crucial role for your mobile app - they keep your app (and brand) top of mind, so the app doesn't get forgotten, and your customer comes straight to the app whenever they're ready to shop.

MobiLoud provides launch materials and guidance to help you generate installs and activate early users. Want us to walk it through with you? Book a free consultation now.

Common Pitfalls When Building an Ecommerce App (and How to Avoid Them)

Not all brands that launch mobile apps have success. But when an app does fail (or doesn't deliver the kind of return your hoped), it's typically because of one of these common mistakes.

1. Rebuilding your entire site from scratch

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is assuming they need to start from scratch. They invest heavily in a full custom build, duplicating work they’ve already done for their website.

The result? A slower launch, higher costs, more things to manage, and a steep climb to positive ROI.

Avoid it by: Leveraging your existing mobile site as the foundation. With a "web to app" approach like MobiLoud, you don’t need to rebuild anything. You get an app that mirrors your site, is affordable and easy to manage, with all the native features users expect.

2. Choosing a solution with no long-term support

Many app builders focus on getting you launched, but provide little help after that. If your app breaks, needs an update, or gets rejected by Apple, you’re on your own (or forced to upgrade to a higher plan just to get basic support).

Avoid it by: Choosing a partner, not just a platform. Look for providers that offer hands-on service, proactive maintenance, and real human support. An app is a living product. Treat it that way.

3. Launching without a retention or engagement strategy

A beautiful app won’t deliver ROI if no one uses it. Without a plan to promote it and engage users consistently, downloads will stall and customer behavior won’t shift.

Avoid it by: Treating your app like a marketing channel from day one. Invest in push notifications, app-exclusive offers, and regular campaigns. Build it into your email, SMS, and onsite strategy.

4. Underestimating the app store review process

Apple in particular enforces strict guidelines for app design, performance, and native functionality. Submitting an app that’s broken, or just a website in a wrapper (without any native features) can lead to rejection.

Avoid it by: Working with a provider that understands the rules and builds native elements (like push, navigation, splash screens) into the app. MobiLoud, for example, handles the full submission process and ensures compliance on your behalf.

5. Locking into inflexible or closed solutions

Many app builders limit your ability to grow. If your business model evolves or you need new features, you’re stuck waiting for the platform to catch up - or forced to migrate and start over.

Avoid it by: Choosing a scalable solution that evolves with your brand. Look for flexibility, transparency, and a track record of supporting growing DTC and omnichannel businesses.

Final Thoughts: How to Create an Ecommerce App that Delivers Results

Mobile apps are one of the most powerful tools in the modern ecommerce playbook.

They give your best customers a faster, more seamless shopping experience. They help you rise above the noise of email and paid ads with push notifications that actually get seen. They give you a presence on the home screen, a spot in the App Stores, and a direct line to your most valuable audience.

Most importantly, they strengthen the relationship between your brand and the customers who already love you.

If you’re a growing ecommerce brand looking to boost retention, increase repeat purchases, and gain more control over your customer experience, a mobile app isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s a core strategic move.

And thanks to solutions like MobiLoud, building one no longer requires rebuilding your entire business, hiring a dev team, or taking on a huge project.

You can launch fast. You can launch smart. And you can launch with confidence, with almost guaranteed ROI.

Whether you’re still in the planning phase or ready to bring your app to life, this guide should give you the clarity and direction to move forward.

If you’re curious what your store could look like as a mobile app, the best next step is to see it for yourself.

Get a free preview of your app - no commitment, no work required. You’ll see how it would look and function, and we’ll walk you through the entire process from launch to long-term success.