How To Build An eCommerce App: Complete Guide (2025)

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Why build an eCommerce App?

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The Rise of M-Commerce

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With the rapid rise and adoption of smartphones, mobile commerce has exploded over the past decade. Shopping on a mobile device is now the preferred method for most online shoppers.

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Globally, m-commerce sales are expected to reach between $2.5 trillion and $6 trillion in 2025. The growth of mobile shopping is undeniable, yet too often, mobile web experiences fall short. Slow loading times and clunky navigation frustrate shoppers, leading to lost sales. In fact, over half of shoppers say they prefer to buy through dedicated shopping apps, with speed and ease of use being key reasons.

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Creating a dedicated eCommerce app for your brand can provide your customers with a much better experience. This improved CX isn’t just a nice-to-have, it drives real revenue growth too. Shopping apps can convert up to three times better than mobile websites, making them a strong solution if your mobile site is not converting well.

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And the benefits go beyond conversions. 

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App Impact on AOV + LTV

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Thanks to the power of push notifications, apps are a fantastic way to retain customers, drive repeat purchases and improve Customer Lifetime Value.  In general, app customers:

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• Spend between 3-4x more than online store shoppers

• Purchase at a 15% higher AOV 

• Convert between 2-3x more than mobile web shoppers

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With a smoother shopping experience, regular push notifications, and the convenience of an app on their phone, it’s no surprise that brands launching apps see such impressive results.

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Just look at the success of brands like TOTEME, Motel Rocks, and AYBL. Their apps have helped them build stronger relationships with customers, drive higher conversions, and grow their businesses.

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Now that we’ve covered why building an eCommerce app is a smart move, let’s take a look at how to build one for your business, step by step.

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1) Define your eCommerce app goals

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Focus

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Before you start building your app, you need to work out the why behind it.

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Some brands decide to build an app because they realise most of their traffic comes from mobile, yet conversion rates are low. In this case, the main goal is to create a platform that converts better and makes it easier for customers to complete purchases.

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For other eCommerce brands, the main objective is to gain access to push notifications. They want to improve customer retention, reduce reliance on SMS, email, and paid ads, and take advantage of unlimited, free push notifications with advanced segmentation and targeting.

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Some brands value the community-driven nature of an app. They want a space where customers can access exclusive content and enjoy an elevated shopping experience. For these brands, delivering an immersive brand experience is the priority, with a strong focus on design, content, and storytelling.

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It is important to work out what is essential for your business early in the process. Think about who your target customers are and what they expect from your brand. This will help you shape your app’s focus.

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Target Customers

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Once you have a clear idea of your app’s focus, consider who will be using it. What is the demographic of your target audience? Think about their shopping habits, where they spend time online, how they like to be communicated with, and what they want from a dedicated shopping app.

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This will help you refine the focus of your app and shape your marketing strategy. You will likely have data from your existing eCommerce website to guide you, so take a deep dive into it. Look at the behaviour of your customers.

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How often do they purchase from you? Where do they hang out? What age group are they?

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Answering these questions will help you figure out how to drive customers to your app.

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Our advice is to focus on your top 20% of customers first. These are your most engaged shoppers, and they are the ones most likely to install your app. By analysing their behaviour and demographics, you can build an app with them in mind.

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KPIs

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Once you have defined your app’s focus and target customers, it’s time to set some KPIs to help you track the success of your project

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Your KPIs should align with your app’s goals, but some common ones include:

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• Number of installs
  
  
• Weekly and monthly active users
  
  
• Average order value compared to your online store
  
  
• Conversion rate compared to your online store
  
  
• Average app customer spend
  
  
• Revenue generated from push notifications
  
  

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Choose two or three core KPIs that reflect your business goals and app strategy. By focusing on a few key metrics, you’ll have a clearer picture of your app’s performance, helping you refine your strategy and improve results over time.

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2) Define Your eCommerce App Features

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Now that you’ve decided on the focus of your app and hopefully set some KPIs, you can start defining the features that will make your app stand out.

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From our experience working with some of the largest DTC brands globally, here are the must-have features every eCommerce app should include.

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Sync with Your Website and Backend

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To reduce workload, your app should sync directly with your eCommerce platform via an API. This ensures product information, pricing, imagery, and stock levels stay up to date in real time.

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If you store data in metaobjects or custom fields, you will also want these mirrored in your app. This prevents the need to duplicate work across platforms. Dedicated app builders like Venn Apps offer this kind of seamless integration for Shopify stores.

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Push Notifications

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One of the biggest benefits of building an eCommerce app is the ability to send push notifications. With open rates of up to 90% and conversion rates that are 7 to 10 times higher than email, push notifications are an essential tool for driving engagement and revenue. This is especially true in 2025, as the cost of SMS rises and email deliverability declines.

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When setting up push notifications, make sure you have the ability to send rich-media notifications and use proper segmentation. This can be achieved through third-party tools like OneSignal or Braze, or it can be built directly into your app by using a dedicated app builder like Venn Apps.

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Once push notifications are integrated, we recommend setting up automated flows such as abandoned cart and back-in-stock alerts. These flows save your eCommerce team time and ensure you are not missing out on valuable revenue.

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Wishlists

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Your app is not just a place for customers to buy. Many shoppers use apps to browse and plan future purchases. Including a wishlist feature allows customers to save items they love, so they can easily return when they’re ready to buy.

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Fast Checkout

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One of the key advantages of a dedicated eCommerce app is the ability to streamline the checkout process. Include two-tap payment options like Apple Pay to simplify the customer journey and improve conversion rates.

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Native Interactions and Feel

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Your app should feel like a native experience, not just a web wrapper. Smooth interactions, intuitive navigation, and fast load times are all essential for delivering a premium user experience.

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Shoppable Lookbooks

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Fashion brands, in particular, love using apps to curate shoppable lookbooks. These collections inspire customers, increase engagement, and drive sales. Check out the above examples from brands like Represent, Anine Bing, and Cole Buxton for inspiration.

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Bespoke Branding, Fonts, and Design Elements

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If you have a strong brand identity, it’s important to reflect this in your app. Your most loyal customers will likely shop via the app, so make sure it feels like an elevated extension of your brand. Choose a solution that gives you the flexibility to incorporate your branding elements.

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Reviews and Ratings

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Social proof is a key driver of online conversions. Make sure your app integrates customer reviews and ratings to build trust and encourage new purchases.

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Social Feed Integration

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Adding user-generated content into your app is a great way to build trust and community. A social feed gives your customers visual content that feels authentic, showing your products in real-life settings.

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App-Exclusive Discounts and Products

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Offering exclusive products or early access to collections through your app gives customers a reason to download and shop there. App-only discounts and launches are a powerful way to drive installs and build loyalty.

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Loyalty Integration

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Apps are the perfect tool for turning one-time shoppers into loyal customers. Include a loyalty programme that rewards repeat purchases, helping to increase customer lifetime value and encourage brand advocacy.

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Other Features You Might Want to Consider

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Depending on your goals and customer needs, you could also explore:

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• AR or VR features

• Shoppable video

• Livestreaming

• Interactive chatbots

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Once you have refined your feature set, you can start creating wireframes to map out the structure of your app. This will give you a clearer picture of the number of screens, navigation flows, and the overall layout.

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Next, build a design system and create high-fidelity mockups using a tool like Figma. This will help you visualise how your app will look and feel before moving into the build phase.

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If this all sounds like a lot of work, you can always partner with a third-party provider who can handle the entire process for you. For example, Venn Apps offers a fully managed service, from design and prototyping to final build. Get in touch here to learn more or request a free preview of your app.

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3) Choose the Right Approach & Tech Stack

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Once you have decided on your feature set and created some mockups of how your app will look, it’s time to decide on your development approach and tech stack.

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Your approach and tech stack should be guided by a few key factors:

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• Your feature set

• Your budget

• Your goals and KPIs

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The more complex your app requirements are, the more likely you will need a bespoke solution.

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However, bespoke apps come at a price. If you want a fully custom app, you will either need a team of in-house developers or an eCommerce app development agency. Typically, this will require a budget of at least $100,000, and often much more, depending on the complexity of the app. You can read more about the pros and cons of building an app in-house here.

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If that sounds like a stretch, there are other options. It is possible to develop a feature-rich app without the cost of a full in-house team or agency. Dedicated no-code eCommerce app builders are a great alternative.

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These tools allow you to build an eCommerce app quickly, without writing any code. Many also come with a host of features ready to go, including push notifications and real-time syncing with your eCommerce platform (via APIs).

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It’s worth noting that many app builders are platform-specific and their level of customisation varies.

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If you are a Shopify brand looking for a highly customisable solution at an affordable price, it’s worth considering Venn Apps.

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Venn Apps offers Shopify brands the following features as standard:

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• Full native builds

• Seamless integration with your Shopify store

• Push notifications

• Custom branding and design options

• Advanced segmentation and targeting

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Another option to explore is using AI code-generation tools like Lovable or Bolt‍. While these can be the most cost-effective route, they carry higher risk. Without experienced developers, you may struggle with long-term maintenance and technical challenges.

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eCommerce App Tech Stack: Native, Hybrid or PWA?

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Regardless of your chosen approach, it’s important to understand the technology behind different types of mobile apps. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and your decision should reflect the experience you want to offer your customers.

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Native Apps

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Fully native apps are built specifically for each platform using the official programming languages:

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• Swift for iOS
• Kotlin for Android

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This approach gives you the best possible user experience and allows full access to device-specific features, such as Face ID, native gestures, camera access, and more. If performance, reliability, and interaction quality are important to your brand, a native build is the gold standard.

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Apps created by Venn Apps, for example, are fully native and take advantage of the full functionality available on both iOS and Android

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Hybrid Apps

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Hybrid apps are built using frameworks like:

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• Flutter
• React Native

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These allow developers to write one codebase and deploy it across both platforms, which saves time and budget. Hybrid apps are ideal for getting to market quickly, but they often lack the polish and performance of native builds. Some device-level features may be restricted or not supported at all.

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Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

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PWAs, sometimes referred to as “web wrappers”, essentially place your existing mobile website inside an app container. This allows you to install the app on your device and enables features like push notifications, but in practice, it’s still a mobile web experience.

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While PWAs might work for very lightweight use cases, they come with serious drawbacks:

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• Poor performance compared to native apps
• Limited access to native features
• Risk of customer frustration due to poor experience

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If your only goal is to send push notifications, a PWA might be worth exploring. But if you want to provide a premium mobile experience, a PWA is unlikely to meet expectations.

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In summary, choose the approach that aligns with your business goals and customer expectations. If you’re looking for high performance, seamless integration, and a fully branded experience, a native app built with a platform like Venn Apps is a great place to start.

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4) Create Your eCommerce App

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Once you’ve chosen your development approach and tech stack, it’s time to start creating your eCommerce app.

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The process will vary depending on the route you take.

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If you’re using a no-code app builder

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With a no-code app builder, you can design and build your app by simply dragging and dropping pre-built blocks. These platforms are designed to make the process as simple as possible, even if you have no technical experience. You’ll be able to:

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• Add product collections, banners, and content sections

• Set up navigation menus and user flows

• Enable features such as push notifications, wishllists, and fast checkout

• Connect directly to your eCommerce platform via API, ensuring products, stock levels, and prices update in real time

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If you’re working with an agency or managed app builder (like Venn Apps)

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If you’ve chosen to work with an agency or a managed app builder like Venn Apps, the process will be fully taken care of for you. An experienced team will handle everything from:

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• Wireframing and design mockups

• Developing a fully native app

• Integrating push notifications, fast checkout, loyalty features, and other key functionality

• Connecting to your eCommerce backend and any third-party services

• Testing and preparing the app for submission to the App Store and Google Play

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This option allows you to focus on running your business while your app is built to a high standard, ready for launch.

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If you’re building the app in-house

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For brands building an app in-house, you’ll need a dedicated development team to handle:

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• The frontend build, using your chosen programming languages (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android, or a hybrid solution like Flutter or React Native)

• API integrations to sync products, orders, customer data, and content

• Third-party integrations for services such as payment processing, push notifications, and analytics

• Backend development and management to support app functionality, security, and performance

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This approach gives you complete control but requires significant time, resources, and technical expertise. It’s essential to ensure your team has experience with mobile app development to avoid delays and technical debt.

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5) Test and Launch Your App

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Once your app is built, it’s time to test it thoroughly and prepare for launch on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This is a critical stage to ensure a smooth rollout and a high-quality experience for your customers.

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Testing Your App

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Before submitting your app to the app stores, you need to put it through a rigorous testing process. This helps you catch any issues before your customers do.

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Here’s what to focus on:

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• Functionality
  Test every feature of your app to make sure it works as intended. This includes checking product pages, search functionality, checkout flows, account management, and integrations such as push notifications, loyalty programmes, and third-party services.

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• Performance
  Your app should load quickly and handle high traffic without crashing. Test it across different devices, operating systems, and network conditions to ensure it works well for all users.

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• User Experience (UX)
  Get real users to test your app and provide feedback. Are the navigation and flows intuitive? Can users complete key actions like adding items to their basket and checking out without friction? Consider using tools like TestFlight (for iOS) or closed beta testing on Google Play to gather this feedback.

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• Visual Consistency
  Check that fonts, colours, and branding elements appear as intended across all devices and screen sizes. The app should feel like a seamless extension of your brand.

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• App Store Guidelines
  Review Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines and Google’s Play Console Requirements to ensure your app meets their standards for approval.

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Preparing for Launch

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Once testing is complete and any issues are resolved, you can submit your app to the app stores. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare:

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• App Store Assets
  This includes your app name, description, keywords, screenshots, and preview videos. These assets are essential for making your app attractive and discoverable in the stores.

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• App Store Accounts
  Make sure you have active developer accounts for both Apple and Google. Apple requires an annual developer fee, while Google charges a one-off registration fee.

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• Submission and Review
  Submit your app for review. Apple’s process typically takes a few days, while Google is often faster. Be prepared to answer any questions from the review teams and make updates if requested.

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Go Live

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Once your app is approved, it’s ready for launch. This is an exciting moment for your brand. Make sure to communicate the launch across all your channels, including your website, email marketing, social media, and in-store promotions. Highlight the benefits of downloading the app, such as app-only discounts, exclusive content, or early access to new collections. Keep reading for more info on maximising your app's launch success.

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6) Market Your App for Success

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Launching your app is a huge milestone, but it’s only the beginning. To make sure your app delivers results, you need a clear and effective marketing strategy that drives downloads, boosts engagement, and builds long-term loyalty. Here are our tips on what to focus on: 

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1. Optimise Your App Store Listing

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Use relevant keywords in your app’s title, subtitle, and description. Include high-quality screenshots, an engaging app description, and a standout icon to improve discoverability and attract users.

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2. Promote Your App Through Email Marketing

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Your existing customers are ideal prospects. Use email campaigns and automated flows (via Klaviyo or similar) to encourage downloads. Highlight app-exclusive perks like early access to collections or in-app discounts.

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3. Use App Store Search Ads

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Reach customers actively searching for apps like yours. Start small to test which keywords convert, then optimise your bids based on customer acquisition cost. Remember, app customers tend to spend more, so slightly higher acquisition costs can pay off.

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4. Add an App Banner to Your Mobile Website

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Promote your app with a simple banner on your website. This encourages users to download the app or open it if they already have it installed.

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5. Set Up Universal Linking

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Create a seamless experience by directing mobile users with the app installed straight into the app, instead of the mobile site.

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6. Send Push Notifications to Drive Engagement

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Push notifications are 10 times more likely to be opened than emails. Use them to promote new products, seasonal collections, exclusive discounts, and automated flows like abandoned cart reminders. With Venn Apps, you can even collect push opt-ins directly from the lock screen.

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7. Incentivise Downloads with Exclusive Discounts

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Offer app-only discounts or limited-time offers to encourage downloads and get customers shopping in your app straight away.

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These are just some of the ways in which you can promote your eCommerce app and drive engagement post-launch. Read on here if you want to check out our full set of tips to successfully market your app.

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Summing Up

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Building an eCommerce app in 2025 is one of the smartest ways to future-proof your brand and boost long-term growth. From improving mobile conversion rates and customer retention to unlocking powerful features like push notifications and app-exclusive products, a well-built app can become your most valuable sales channel.

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The process might seem complex, but by defining your goals, focusing on your customers, choosing the right tech stack, and marketing your app effectively, you’ll set your business up for success.

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Whether you choose a fully bespoke build, a no-code solution, or a managed service like Venn Apps, what matters most is creating an app that feels like a natural extension of your brand - delivering the kind of experience your customers expect in 2025 and beyond.

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Ready to bring your app vision to life? If you're on Shopify, get in touch with the team at Venn Apps to see how we can help you create a mobile app that delivers real results!

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FAQs

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How much does it cost to build an eCommerce app?

Basic no-code solutions can start from around $2,000 per year. If you’re looking for something more custom with advanced features, costs can go up to $250,000 or more for complex, large-scale builds.

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What’s the best approach to eCommerce app development?

For most brands, a managed app builder like Venn Apps offers the best balance—combining the ease of a no-code platform with expert design, build, and support. For smaller budgets, DIY no-code tools are a great starting point. Larger enterprises with big budgets might prefer an in-house team or agency.

Can I build an eCommerce app without coding?

Yes, you can. No-code app builders make it possible to create a fully functional eCommerce app without writing a single line of code.

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How long does it take to build an eCommerce app?

Timelines vary depending on complexity. A basic app can be up and running in a week. A more advanced app with custom features will usually take at least three months for design, development, and testing before launch.