How to Convert Your HikaShop Into a Mobile App

As mobile ecommerce continues to flourish, an increasing number of customers are shopping on their smartphones. Neglecting this customer base by prioritizing desktop can be detrimental. That's why you need to convert your HikaShop into a mobile app with MobiLoud.

While fully custom native apps can be costly, you have the option to leverage a HikaShop mobile app builder and create a fully-functional, high-quality HikaShop mobile app with minimal investment. Keep reading to to learn how.

Why You Need a Mobile App

In the course of five years, mobile's share of the total ecommerce market increased significantly, exceeding 72% in 2022.

This overlaps with the trend of mobile internet usage, which currently ommands a market share of over 50% in comparison to desktop and tablet.

Driving this point home, 15% of Americans today report that they solely rely on smartphones to access the internet. This indicates a mobile-forward future for ecommerce.

While optimizing your website for mobile is a good starting point, it's nowhere near enough to keep up with these demands. Mobile apps, on the other hand, deliver a superior user experience on mobile devices, leading to improvements in several key metrics, including:

 
• Enhanced conversion rates
 
• Increased average order value
 
• Greater number of products viewed per session

In fact, users of ecommerce mobile apps are twice as likely to return to the store within 30 days compared to those using mobile browsers.

In addition to several benefits, mobile apps also successfully leverage mobile push notifications to strengthen engagement with customers through personalized messages and alerts.

If you're looking for an excellent tool for cultivating loyal, repeat customers, a HikaShop mobile app can yield substantial benefits for your business.

Can You Create Mobile Apps for HikaShop?

If you're looking to launch a mobile app directly from HikaShop, unfortunately, that's not possible. The platform is specifically designed for webstores. However, to create a mobile app using HikaShop, you can:

1. Consider using an external HikaShop mobile app builder.
2. Explore tech-enabled assistance to transform your HikaShop store into a mobile application.
3. Hire a team of skilled engineers who can develop Android and iOS apps and connect them to your HikaShop shop.

Can I Turn My HikaShop Store into an App?

Using one of the approaches mentioned above, you can convert your HikaShop store into a mobile app. But some options are easier and more affordable than others.

For instance, the third option of hiring developers to fashion native apps can cost a pretty penny. This choice is primarily driven by the considerable expenses tied to mobile app development.

The development of a native app typically requires a budget ranging from $30,000 to $150,000, and this cost estimate is solely for one operating system. To ensure optimal outcomes, it is strongly advised to multiply these expenses by two to cater to both Android and iOS platforms.

Unless you're Amazon or Nike, it's unlikely that your budget can comforable allow for these expenses. Not to mention the yearly costs of keeping your app operational, which are too often overlooked until it's too late.

The Recurring Cost of Having an App

Recurring costs include regular maintenance, such as updates for operating systems and HikaShop, fixing bugs, and adding new features. On average, you can expect to spend around 15-20% of the initial development cost each year on these upkeep tasks.

In fact, extensive research conducted by David Cost from Rainbow Apparel reveals that the annual maintenance cost for apps can reach up to a million dollars.

"If we had unlimited time and money, we would probably opt for a custom native app. However, the maintenance alone would amount to half a million to a million dollars annually."

- David Cost, VP of Marketing at Rainbow Apparel

Let's take a conservative estimate and assume that building apps for both mobile platforms costs $150,000. In this scenario, you can expect the yearly updates and maintenance expenses to be around $30,000.

For most store owners, this amount is too high to afford. Moreover, managing multiple platforms instead of just a website can be quite cumbersome. It significantly increases the workload whenever you need to make changes to your site, needlessly complicating your workflow.

The Best Way to Turn Your HikaShop Store into an App

The recommended solution is to transform your online store on HikaShop into an app using a mobile app builder.

With the assistance of a mobile app builder designed for HikaShop, you can convert your current website into a mobile app that mirrors the functionality of a native app. Users can effortlessly download and install this app on their mobile devices.

The most effective mobile app builders provide you with a mobile application that delivers about 90-95% of the functionalities offered by a native app. Moreover, they offer a more affordable solution with fewer complications. However, it is crucial to understand that not all available alternatives in the market are suitable for building high-traffic, professional mobile apps that showcase your brand effectively.

How to Convert HikaShop to App

If you're a renowned brand with large funds at your disposal – imagine Nike, Target, Zara, and similar brands – you might choose to hire individuals to develop your shopping app from the beginning.

If that's not the case, MobiLoud offers the most excellent approach for app building. It's straightforward, cost-effective, and speedy. Furthermore, the ongoing maintenance of your apps becomes more affordable and manageable.

Here's the process broken down step by step:

Step One: Preview Your App or Get a Free Consultation

You have two options to get started.

1. Generate a complimentary preview of how your website will appear as an app using the MobiLoud builder.
2. Alternatively, join a free consultation call with one of our app pros. They will discuss your project with you and outline our process.

In either case, you will notice that 90% of the app creation work is already completed if your site is optimized for mobile.

If you need assistance in optimizing your site, please let us know. We are happy to help! This step is essential to ensure a smooth process moving forward.

Step Two: Work With Our Team to Build Your App

When you feel prepared to begin the process, sign up to MobiLoud. All our packages offer a 60-day guarantee for a refund, and there is no need for a long-term commitment.

Once you've joined our team will assist you in configuring and designing your app. Remember, the majority of the work has already been completed. You don't need to create a brand new user interface from scratch, just a few adjustments to ensure it has the look and feel of a native app.

Once you're satisfied, we'll proceed with building your mobile app. We take care of all the technical aspects, so you don't have to write code or possess any coding knowledge.

If you'd rather have our team handle the entire process from start to finish, we can accommodate that as well. Our comprehensive package includes everything necessary to configure, design, and publish your app, allowing you to be completely hands-off.

Step Three: Prepare for Launch

Once your app is developed, you'll be prepared to launch it to the public. Having a strategic plan in place is essential to drive app downloads.

We provide assets to support your app's launch, including materials for app store descriptions, launch announcements for your website and email subscribers, press releases, and more. Furthermore, you can enable additional features at no additional charge, such as smart app banners and app-exclusive discounts, to incentivize your current customers to shop using the app.

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

Lastly, we'll launch your apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

The submission process for these app stores is notoriously challenging, especially for first-time app owners and developers. However, we have extensive experience and knowledge in navigating through it.

Our team takes full responsibility for the app submission process with Apple and Google. We offer a 100% app approval guarantee and handle multiple submissions if necessary. We also provide recommendations and implement any required changes. You can sit back and relax.

Once your app listings are live, you can officially begin receiving downloads and enjoy all the benefits that come with having your own HikaShop mobile app.

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

The mobile revolution is fast approaching.  It's highly likely that the majority of your current revenue is generated through mobile users, and if not, it will soon become the primary source.

Your HikaShop store needs more than just a mobile-optimized website. To unlock the full revenue potential from your mobile audience, offering your own branded app is crucial.

Today, transforming your HikaShop store into a mobile app is easier than ever if you follow the right approach. Instead of investing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in mobile developers, MobiLoud offers an incredibly accessible and user-friendly solution.

Here are some of the key benefits of using MobiLoud's HikaShop app builder:

 
• It is significantly more cost-effective compared to custom app development.
 
• You can launch professional, high-quality apps in less than two weeks.
 
• Your apps will encompass all the elements that make your website exceptional, from product collections to payment gateways, plugins, tools, themes, and more.
 
• Everything stays in sync across the web, Android, and iOS. Any changes you make on your site will immediately reflect in your apps.
 
• You can have peace of mind as we guarantee app approval, eliminating the need for you to worry about submitting your apps to the app stores.
 
• Our team will be there every step of the way, providing guidance and handling all the hard work so you can focus on other aspects of your business.

This simple app builder, which requires zero coding, empowers you to launch your own shopping apps and position your brand alongside the most prominent names in the app stores.

Contact us now to discover more about how we can help you launch an app for your HikaShop store. Book a free, personalized demo, and one of our IT pros will walk you through the entire process.