How to Turn Shopify Store into Shopify Mobile App?

Shopify has emerged as a great option for businesses to turn online and expand their target audience. However, as Statista states, 65.7% of the total eCommerce shares are occupied by mobile users only. Thus, it is no longer enough for business owners to have an online presence; ensuring that their store can be accessed via mobile devices is also crucial. While tons of businesses around the world are operating with Shopify stores, the question of “how to turn the Shopify store into a mobile app” is one of the biggest concerns nowadays.

So, in this blog, we will be discussing different ways that help a store owner convert Shopify to a mobile app. Let’s get started:

Why do you need a mobile app for your Shopify store? 

As we interpreted in the above section, a larger portion of the entire eCommerce market is owned by mobile users. In a landscape where businesses are delivering comfort to the doorsteps of consumers, it has become difficult for firms to invite users to web stores. Opening a mobile app and checking out the cart has become more handy for users around the world. So, it has become important for businesses to sync with the trend. 

When we turn our attention toward the eCommerce landscape, it can be observed that most of the industry giants own their official mobile apps, while securing a user base of millions and billions on this platform. So, here are some of the reasons for the importance of a mobile app rather than a Shopify store:

• The faster loading speed of the Shopify store fosters a better user experience
• Offers instant and better online as well as offline access to the users
• Encourage personalized and customized content that helps users feel special and enhance user experience
• A good medium to expand the audience base and thus eliminate the marketing cost.
• Mobile payments and transactions become easier and more secure with the help of mobile applications.
• A seamless solution to send push notifications and instant updates.
• Users can just open the application, find the product, add it to the cart, and checkout. The ease of access brings the customers back.
• A mobile app provides business owners with an owned sales channel that is not reliant on external platforms like Facebook or Google.

Read More: Hire Shopify Development Services to build a robust eCommerce store

How to convert your Shopify Stores into a Mobile App?

Running a web app or web store is completely different from running a Mobile app. The reason is that mobile apps are meant to deliver a personalized experience to better meet customer demands. So, there is a journey that a business owner has to go through in order to transform the Shopify store into a mobile app. Different approaches to carrying out this task make it even more challenging for the owner to choose the right one. 

Here, we have enlisted the three best approaches that can be used to convert the Shopify Store into a Mobile App. 

Best Approaches to Convert a Shopify Store into a Mobile App 

Approach One – 3rd-Party Shopify Premium Plug-in To Build Native Mobile Apps

There are multiple plugins on the Shopify App Store, which are also known as Shopify Apps. Any business owner can use these apps to transform their Shopify store into mobile apps. All of these plugins are designed and developed by developers that make it easier for entities around the world to move to a mobile app. 

Benefits of using these plugins to Build Native Mobile apps 

1. The foremost benefit of using these plugins is that they are affordable. Businesses with limited budget can easily shift to Shopify mobile apps with these plugins as one only have to pay a monthly fee instead of any huge development cost. At the same time, building a Shopify app with these plugins requires no technical expertise. 
2. These plugins save a lot of time for eCommerce entities as it takes a mere few days to entirely create a Shopify app. 
3. These plugins create only native apps which can be used on one platform only. So, all the complexities of cross-platform apps can be eliminated. 
4. One doesn’t need to hire any technical expert to develop an app with Shopify plugins. 

Top Five Shopify Mobile App Builder Extension

S. No.	Name of Plugin	Description	Ratings	Price	Link to Plugin
1.	Vajro: The Mobile App Builder	Vajro is considered one of the best Shopify plugins to build the Shopify mobile apps. With some informed clicks, the business owner can create a meaningful mobile app that well represents the brand. Enhanced customer engagement, better customer satisfaction, and client retention are some of the core competencies of Vajro. So, it helps significantly to seamlessly convert Shopify to mobile app.	5 Stars	Starting from $99/month	Click Here
2.	Appmaker- Mobile App Builder	Appmaker is known for its simple app-building process. The drag-and-drop feature in Appmaker makes the app designing process significantly easier. This Shopify mobile app extension helps to build iOS and Android apps to cater larger audience. It even allows push notifications to keep the customers engaged.	4.9 Stars	Starting from $99/month	Click Here
3.	Plobal	Similar to the previous one, Plobal also has a drag-and-drop feature that makes the app builder process very easy. The inbuilt templates and themes help the owner to make the platform attractive for the end users. This Shopify mobile app extension comes with a 24*7 support team.	4.8 Stars	Starting from $299/month	Click Here
4.	Tapcart	Tapcart has claimed a three-fold higher customer retention rate as compared to mobile websites. Reduced checkout abandonment is another achievement marked by this Shopify mobile app builder. At the same time, Tapcart also uses push alerts to encourage engagement among customers.	4.8 Stars	Starting from $99/month	Click Here
5.	Shopney: Mobile App Builder	Shopney is a popular Shopify Mobile App converter for its simple and intuitive design that helps bring brands to smartphones with an elegant look. The store owner has overall control over the designing and functioning parts of the application. Also, it enables worry-free deployment, which makes the app more stable, efficient, and scalable.	5 Stars	Starting from $79/month	Click Here

Approach Two – Shopify App Builder (3rd Party SaaS Platforms) To Develop Shopify App

As it can be understood from the term “SaaS”, this a model that helps to leverage a software on subscription basis. It is a cloud-based function that helps the store owner get access to the software using a web browser on mobile, desktop, or any internet-connected devices. Migrating to Shopify mobile app using the SaaS platform is a great idea as it offers a range of benefits. These advantages include-

Benefits of using SaaS platforms to Build Mobile apps 

• The user gets a few customization options in this service which makes it simpler to build and manage the Shopify application. 
• No coding skill is required to build the Shopify app using the SaaS platform. All a user needs to do is, to choose the layout and modules and start the development. Moreover, one gets access to a wide variety of feature that helps to keep the customers attracted to the store. 
• There are rarely any hidden charges in the name of maintenance and support as it is provided entirely by the platform team. All the expenses are included in the monthly fee and the store owner doesn’t have to spend anything besides it. 

Top Five Shopify Mobile App Builder SaaS Platforms

S. No.	Name of Mobile Builder	Description	Ratings	Price	Link to Plugin
1.	Mobile Roadie	Mobile Roadie is an app creator that helps users create as well as manage the iOS and Android app. This app supports multiple media types with an automatic importing feature. At the same time, the app owner can see the accurate back-end of the app to ensure that the functionalities and experience match the final expectations. Using this SaaS platform, one can easily convert Shopify to mobile app.	4.6 Stars	NA	Click Here
2.	Appery.io	Appery is a cloud-based mobile app builder that helps to create apps for multiple platforms like iOS, Android, Apache Cordova, Ionic, jQuery, and much more. The visual editor with Appery helps the user to build UI with the drag-and-drop feature. With this app, you can connect to any REST API and use it in the application.	4.2 Stars	$60/month	Click Here
3.	Good Barber	Good Barber is also a renowned Shopify Mobile App converter that assists in building native iPhone and Android applications. One of the biggest core competencies of using Good Barber is that the owner can control every detail of the application without having to write a single line of code. At the same time, customizable designs and templates make it even easier to design the app and meet the end-user preferences.	3.5 Stars	$32/month	Click Here
4.	AppMachine	AppMachine is one of the easiest platforms that can be used to develop mobile apps for iOS and Android. All you need to do is drag and drop the different building blocks to form the different features, information, videos, and photos. The app can even be designed in its unique style, giving complete freedom to the owners to choose navigation paths, fonts, colors, icons, and much more.	3.6 Stars	$49/month	Click Here
5.	Appy Pie	Appy Pie is also a cloud-based mobile app builder software that helps to develop Shopify mobile apps without any coding or programming skills. Different business solutions on this platform provide a competitive edge to the owner over other platforms. At the same time, Appy Pie allows top-notch mobile applications under a budget with complete scalability potential.	4.3 Stars	$50/month	Click Here

Approach Three- Create a native mobile app from scratch

When you hire a development team to develop a Shopify mobile app for your businesses with all the features and functionalities as per the particular requirements, it is called native mobile app development from scratch. While this approach consumes comparatively more time and investment for the owner, still it carries some advantages that cannot be leveraged with the former two approaches. Here are the benefits- 

Benefits of creating a native mobile app from scratch

• When developing a mobile app from scratch, it brings complete control over the app into the owners’ hands. The business owner is also the sole owner of the app while all the materials, documents, test scripts, and codes are shown under the business or owner’s name. 
• The flexibility of customization is the utmost with this option where each atom of the app can be designed and placed according to one’s requirement or preference. It provides a significant customer experience. 
• The data security commitment overtakes all the other approaches when developing a native app from scratch. All the data and information are stored at a place where the app owner prefers. 
• The level of personalization in content and notification helps in better targeting of customers and thus brings better results. 
• All the features and functionalities of the application are designed promptly and each feature is installed according to the current market trends and the requirements of the customers. 

Read More: Best Multi-Vendor Marketplace Extensions for Shopify

Which Approach is best to convert the Shopify store into a mobile app?

We have interpreted three approaches in the above section. All of these approaches have their pros and cons when brought into use. However, while going through this blog, a business owner might get confused when choosing the right approach. So, here are some of the statements that will help you make the right decision regarding each of these approach- 

1. Creating an App using Plugins

It can be a fast, cost-efficient, and seamless process to build the Shopify app using the plugin. So, if a business owner prefers to be away from all this chaos and wants to have a simple application by paying a monthly or periodical fee, a plugin is the best option. At the same time, technical support is also a complimentary service when going with this approach. 

2. Creating an app using a SaaS platform 

While using SaaS platforms to build the mobile app, one should always remember that they don’t own the application completely and thus the software provider can not be changed. At the same time, the customization options are also limited with this approach. The new features can also be leveraged only when updated by the platform. In case of switching, the owner will have to develop the entire new application and migrate all the data. 

3. Developing a native mobile app from scratch

This can be considered the best option when the business owner is carrying a good investment and looking for a strong application to support the business. Each feature can be managed as wanted along with complete control over the application. Moreover, security and safety are considered superior to the other two approaches. While this method of Shopify app development requires time and investment, it is the best option for a scalable business and long-term benefits. 

What Are the Steps to turn the Shopify store into a Shopify mobile app?

Having gone through the benefits of different approaches for building the Shopify app, it is also a good idea to have a keen knowledge of the transformation process of the Shopify store into the Shopify mobile app. Here is the step-by-step guidance to turn Shopify store into a mobile app:

1. Site optimization for Mobile

Before jumping any further, it is important to ensure that the existing Shopify store is mobile-optimized for relevant devices. Different tasks are carried out in this process which include responsiveness of the store, load speed, and seamless user experience in mobile devices. 

2. Choosing a Shopify app that can turn the Shopify store into a mobile app

Search for a good option in the Shopify app store that specializes in converting web stores into mobile apps. For the same, you can go through the features, as well as consider the different factors like customer support, features, cost, and much more. 

3. Customization of UI elements 

Now it is time to customize the UI element including app design, app layout, colors, fonts, and much more. All of these factors are designed according to the brand personality and theme. Adding logos and other visuals is also a part of this process. Drag-and-drop features provided by different app builder makes the work easier. 

4. Finish configuring the app and start testing 

Now you can configure your Shopify app by connecting it to the store. Here, you will integrate the product catalog, set up payment gateways, and enable different features like user authentication and push notifications. At the same time, the testing process is also fostered at this stage where the display of the app, size of text, speed, performance, features, and all the other aspects of the application are tested. 

5. Publish and promote the app

This is the final stage where your Shopify store is made available for the end users via platforms like Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The app should meet the guidelines of the deployment platform. Moreover, it is also important to promote the app to inform the target audience about the platform. For the same, one can rely on different mediums like your website, social media channels, email marketing, etc. 

Related Post: Multi Vendor Marketplace Development

How Much Does it Cost to convert your Shopify store into a Shopify mobile app?

The cost estimation in the first two approaches is comparatively easier as they come with a monthly subscription. While there can be additional or hidden costs that might influence the budget slightly, it still falls somewhere near the monthly subscription plan. 

On the other hand, the concept of the cost of developing a native app from scratch is somewhat broad. Developing a Shopify mobile app completely from scratch carries a lot of factors which include the overall cost to a significant extent. While the approximate cost can be considered anywhere between $60,000 to $300,000, let’s also have a slight understanding of these factors- 

Level of personalization	The level of personalization increases the cost of Shopify app development as it requires more effort and hours for developers to build the preferred features and interface.
Number of features	More the features, the higher the cost of developing the mobile app.
Complexity of development	If the business owner prefers to impart the complex features, it will increase the overall cost of development.
Number of hours	The number of hours required to develop the app is directly proportional to the cost of app development.
Third-party integration	Integrating third-party apps and APIs also adds dollars to the bill.

How App Development Company can help you create a Shopify app?

While developing a Shopify mobile app can seem like an easy task, it requires support from a proficient and knowledgeable team. Hiring an app development company is one of the best decisions you can make for your business. While you can get the work done by some small freelancers or an open team with little technical knowledge, you will miss out on some of the benefits that can only be leveraged by partnering with an established mobile app development company. Here are the benefits- 

• A proficient development company works with multiple talents under one roof and thus your different requirements regarding the app can be met simultaneously.  
• An app development company is an established entity that carries a good reputation in the market. This reputation tends to them to provide quality products. 
• After maintenance and support services of the App Development Company are more reliable. You can expect ample support from them without much formality. 
• When partnered with a proficient app development company, you can expect good customization of your solution to meet your and your customer’s expectations. 
• Cross-platform development is another benefit that you can leverage with a proficient app development company. They help you develop a Shopify app with multiple platform support. 

Final Opinion 

Turning toward a Shopify app from the Shopify store can be a great decision to cater to a larger audience base and increase revenue. However, developing a Shopify app is the real task here that requires good knowledge and the right app builder. We have interpreted three approaches with their respective core competencies that will help you build a good Shopify application. Check your preference and select the right one for your business. 

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