How to Convert Big Cartel Into A Mobile App

You can maximize your revenue and widen your customer base by converting your Big Cartel store into a mobile app.

With the increasing popularity of mobile ecommerce, it's important for businesses to cater to evolving consumer preferences.

Instead of investing in a custom native app, which can be expensive, there is an alternative option: using a Big Cartel mobile app builder.

By using a tool like this, you can easily create a fully operational and high-quality mobile app for your Big Cartel store without straining your financial resources.

Keep reading to learn how!

Why You Need a Mobile App

Mobile's dominance in the ecommerce market has significantly expanded, now representing over 72% of the market share, marking a substantial increase from its previous position of slightly above 52% within a five-year timeframe.

This aligns with the ongoing trend of increasing mobile internet usage, which leans more heavily towards mobile with each passing year. Currently, mobile commands more than 50% of the market share in comparison to desktop and tablet.

Plus, 15% of Americans now exclusively rely on smartphones as their sole means of accessing the internet. This signifies the future of ecommerce - a customer base that is not only mobile-first but also mobile-only.

Starting with mobile optimization is a good move, but it's not the whole picture. Mobile apps offer users a superior experience, which in turn leads to improvements in several crucial metrics, including:

 
• Improved conversion rates
 
• Higher average order value
 
• Greater number of products viewed per session

Further data demonstrates that users of ecommerce mobile apps are twice as likely to revisit the store within 30 days compared to those who use mobile browsers.

Mobile apps also provide the advantage of making full use of mobile push notifications, which achieve average open rates of 20% and click-through rates of 28%.

Mobile apps also offer a valuable tool for fostering loyal and recurring customers.

Is it a necessity to transform your Big Cartel store into a mobile app? Perhaps not. But, a Big Cartel mobile app can provide immense benefits for your business.

Can You Create Mobile Apps for Big Cartel?

Directly publishing a mobile app from Big Cartel is not feasible. Big Cartel is primarily focused on webstores. However, if you want to build a mobile app using Big Cartel, you'll need an extra element to fill the gap. Consider these options:

1. Look for a third-party Big Cartel mobile app builder.
2. Consider using a tech-enabled service to convert your Big Cartel store into a mobile app.
3. Hire a team of developers who can create Android and iOS apps and integrate them with your Big Cartel store.

Can I Turn My Big Cartel Store into an App?

By using one of the methods mentioned above, you have the option to transform your Big Cartel store into an app.

But be aware that it is advisable for most store owners to disregard the third option of hiring developers to build native apps. The primary reason for this is the high cost associated with mobile app development. Building a native app can range from $30,000 to $150,000, and this cost is only for one operating system. You will need to double this cost to launch apps for both Android and iOS, which is highly recommended.

Developing an app is a time-consuming, complex, and expensive process in general. It becomes even more challenging when your developers need to create an API and establish a connection between the back end of your apps and your Big Cartel store.

Considering the expenses involved, it is understandable that you may not have the budget for this, especially when you take into account the annual costs of maintaining and running your app.

The Recurring Cost of Having an App

Many people overlook the ongoing costs associated with launching an app. Keeping the app updated and maintained, including OS updates, Big Cartel updates, bug fixes, and introducing new features and enhancements, generally amounts to around 15-20% of the initial development cost each year.

In some cases, the expenses can be even higher. When Rainbow Apparel was launching their apps, David Cost, the VP of Marketing, conducted thorough research and discovered that the annual maintenance cost could reach up to a million dollars.

"If we had unlimited time and resources, we would likely opt for a custom native app. However, the cost of maintenance alone would range from half a million to a million dollars per year."

- David Cost, VP of Marketing, Rainbow Apparel

Let's assume that building apps for both mobile platforms costs $150,000. Based on this estimate, the yearly cost for updates and maintenance would be around $30,000.

For most store owners, this amount is simply too high to afford. Not to mention the added headache of managing multiple platforms instead of just focusing on their website. It significantly increases the workload every time they need to make changes to their site, needlessly complicating their workflow.

The Best Way to Turn Your Big Cartel Store into an App

The most effective approach is to convert your Big Cartel store into an app using a mobile app builder specifically tailored for Big Cartel.

By using a Big Cartel mobile app builder, you can successfully convert your Big Cartel website into a mobile app that provides a similar user experience to a native app. Users have the option to download and install this app on their mobile devices.

By opting for top-tier mobile app builders, you can obtain a mobile app that provides about 90-95% of the features typically associated with a native app, but at a lower cost and with fewer difficulties.

However, not all available alternatives on the market are appropriate for creating high-traffic, professional mobile apps that enhance your brand's image.

How to Convert Your Big Cartel Site Into an App

If you're a recognized brand with big budget at hand – like Nike, Target, Zara, and the like – one option to consider is hiring developers to create your shopping app from scratch.

If not, MobiLoud is the top choice for app creation. It's a user-friendly, budget-friendly, and speedy option. Plus, maintaining your apps becomes more economical and convenient in the long term.

Here's a simplified guide, step-by-step.

Step One: Preview Your App or Get a Free Consultation

There are two ways to get started:

1. You can go ahead and use MobiLoud builder to generate a free preview of your site's app-like appearance.
2. On the other hand, you can opt for a free consultation call with one of our app specialists to have a discussion about your project and gain better understanding of the process.

In either scenario, you'll discover that approximately 90% of the app creation work is already accomplished, provided your site is optimized for mobile devices.

If you require assistance with optimizing your site, please don't hesitate to inform us. We'll gladly offer our support, as this step is pivotal in ensuring a smooth experience throughout the remainder of the process.

Step Two: Work With Our Team to Build Your App

If you're all set to start, go ahead and sign up to MobiLoud. Our plans are accompanied by a 60-day money-back guarantee, and you won't be tied to a long-term commitment.

Once you're signed up, our team will collaborate with you to configure and style your app. Remember, the bulk of the work has already been done. You won't need to create a brand new user interface from the ground up; instead, you'll make a few adjustments to ensure it resembles a native app.

Upon approval of the design, we'll get started on building your mobile app. The technical aspects will be managed by us, so you won't need to write any code or have any coding know-how.

If you'd rather leave the entire process in our team's capable hands, we can provide that service as well. Our all-inclusive package includes everything needed to configure, design, and publish your app, enabling you to be completely uninvolved.

Step Three: Prepare for Launch

When your app is fully developed, it's time to get it out there and make it available to the public. It's essential to have a launch plan in place to encourage people to download your app.

We offer a range of resources to support your app's launch, including assets for app store descriptions, launch announcements for your website and email list, and press releases. We also provide extra features at no extra cost, such as smart app banners and exclusive app discounts, to incentivize your existing customers to shop using the app.

Step Four: Launch and Submit Your App to the App Stores

We'll then get your apps launched on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

The process of submitting apps to these app stores can be notoriously tricky, especially for first-time app owners and developers. However, we have extensive experience in this area, having successfully gone through the process countless times.

Our team will handle the entire app submission process with Apple and Google for you. We provide a foolproof guarantee of app approval and can handle multiple submissions if necessary. We'll also offer recommendations and make any required changes on your behalf. You won't need to lift a finger!

Once your app listings are live, you can officially start attracting downloads and reaping the benefits of having your own Big Cartel mobile app.

Wrapping Up – Why You Should Use MobiLoud to Convert Your Big Cartel Store into a Mobile App

The era of mobile dominance is upon us. Most of your revenue likely originates from mobile devices at present, and if not, it will soon catch up.

A mobile-optimized website for your Big Cartel store is not sufficient. To fully capitalize on your mobile user base, you should consider offering your own branded app.

Today, transforming your Big Cartel store into a mobile app is easier than ever if you take the right approach. Instead of investing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars in mobile developers, MobiLoud provides an accessible and user-friendly solution.

Here are some key advantages of using MobiLoud's Big Cartel app builder:

 
• It costs only a fraction of the price of custom app development.
 
• You can launch professional, high-quality apps in less than two weeks.
 
• Your apps will retain all the excellent features of your website, from product collections to payment gateways, plugins, tools, themes, and more.
 
• Everything stays in sync across web, Android, and iOS. Any changes you make on your site will be immediately reflected in your apps.
 
• You don't need to worry about submitting your apps to the app stores – we guarantee approval.
 
• Our team will support you every step of the way, taking care of all the hard work so you can focus on other aspects.

Our simple app builder, with no coding required, enables you to launch your own shopping apps and establish your presence in the app stores alongside major global brands.

Contact us now to learn more about how our team can assist you in launching an app for your Big Cartel store. Book a free, personalized demo, and one of our IT specialists will guide you through the entire process.