Mobile e-commerce revenue reached $4.02 trillion in 2022, accounting for more than half of total e-commerce sales (Insider Intelligence).
But that’s not it. Conversion rates from mobile apps are 3x higher than e-commerce mobile sites.
However, many online retailers are still not making the most of these numbers - they still don’t have native mobile apps for their stores.
Yes, mobile application development is a cumbersome and long process but today we have so many no-code mobile app builders that merchants can use to create apps in days!
One such app is Tapcart.
What is Tapcart
Tapcart is a Shopify app builder app that lets you easily turn your store into an iOS or Android app. Tapcart assures that using their app, you can launch a functioning mobile app for your store in less than two weeks.
Whether you run a small online store or a large enterprise, Tapcart can help you.
With Tapcart, you can easily set up and launch an app, send out unlimited personalized push notifications, connect to all apps/integrations you use in your store’s backend, and also dig into the app analytics to make informed decisions.
Key features
Let’s take a look at some of Tapcart’s notable features in detail:
iOS and Android apps
Tapcart lets you create apps for both iOS and Android platforms effortlessly.
Instead of building separate apps for each platform, Tapcart allows you to develop them simultaneously, saving you time and effort. This means you only have to design and manage one app, and it automatically works on both iOS and Android devices.
However, it's worth noting that while Tapcart excels in iOS app development, the quality of Android apps built with Tapcart may not be as high compared to specialized Android app development tools.
Syncs with your Shopify data
With Tapcart, when you update your products or settings in Shopify, those changes instantly reflect in your app. This means if you add a new product, change a price, or update your store's information in Shopify, it will immediately appear in your app without you having to do anything extra.
Real-time syncing ensures that your app is always current and consistent with your online store, providing a seamless experience for your customers.
Drag-and-drop editor
Tapcart's easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor lets you make your own iOS and Android apps without needing to know any code.
Most brands manage to build their apps in just 1-4 weeks using Tapcart.
With plenty of options to personalize your app, you can also make sure the app built with Tapcart matches your brand. You can customize product pages a lot too. Though there are some limits on how much you can personalize, Tapcart still offers flexibility for most brands. Plus, you can add badges like "new" or "sale" to highlight products, which is a good idea for online stores.
However, note that while Tapcart lets you customize how your app looks, there are some things you just can't change.
Most Tapcart apps have similar collection pages, no matter the brand. Tapcart may allow you to customize about 85% of your mobile style with its current features, but we hope they'll add more options for customization in the future.
Push notifications
Among most Shopify app builders out there, Tapcart stands out for its advanced push notification system.
You can create and schedule push notifications right on the platform. Tapcart lets you send different types of push notifications, including text, images, and animated GIFs.
With deep linking, you can direct users from the notification to a particular page in your app, like sending them to a page about hiking shoes when you have a sale on them. Push notifications are free to send and are a big advantage of having an app, and we believe Tapcart does this really well.
You can send different kinds of notifications:
- Sale notifications: Notify customers about ongoing sales, discounts, or special promotions.
- Cart recovery notifications: Remind customers about items they've left in their shopping carts and encourage them to complete their purchase.
- Product recommendations: Suggest products based on customers' past purchases or browsing history to encourage repeat purchases.
- Review requests: Prompt customers to leave reviews or feedback on products they've purchased to build social proof and credibility.
- Order updates: Provide customers with real-time updates on their order status, including shipping notifications and delivery updates, to enhance transparency and customer satisfaction.
Tapcart also offers TapAI - which is an AI tool to help you create push notification copies without any hassle.
Custom blocks
Tapcart lets you insert your own HTML and CSS code pieces into your app, known as Custom Blocks.
This is handy because it helps you replicate parts of your mobile website that Tapcart's regular builder can't do on its own. Want to add a quiz from your website to your app? You can do that with Custom Blocks. Have a special section on your homepage you want in your app? You can include it using Custom Blocks. This gives you more freedom to design your app compared to other builders.
Analytics
Analytics is important because it helps you understand how your app is doing. It shows you things like how many people are using your app, where they're coming from, and what they're doing in the app.
This information helps you make better decisions to improve your app and make it more successful.
Tapcart provides analytics for different parts of your app, including push notifications, the journey your customers take in your app, how much money your app is making (revenue), and how many people keep using your app over time (retention).
This helps you see what's working well and what needs to be changed to make your app (and mobile shopping experience) even better.
Pricing
Tapcart offers plans based on the revenue your store generates.
- Core Plan: Ideal for small businesses or startups looking to establish their mobile presence. It offers essential features to create and launch a basic mobile app.
- Ultimtae Plan: Suitable for growing businesses or mid-sized companies aiming to expand their mobile reach. It provides additional features for enhanced app customization and engagement.
- Enterprise Plan: Tailored for enterprise-level businesses or corporations with extensive mobile app requirements. It provides customized solutions, dedicated support, and advanced features to meet specific business needs and goals.
Each plan offers a different set of features and functionalities, catering to businesses of varying sizes and stages of growth. However, note that the subscription fee for each plan is not fixed and varies based on your store’s annual revenue.
Here’s what the 3 plans offered by Tapcart cost for a store with revenue <$100k -
This subscription cost changes depending on your store revenue. For instance, this is what the 3 plans offered by Tapcart cost for a store with revenue of $3M -
Pros and Cons
Now, let’ do a quick analysis of what we, at XgenTech, like and don’t like about Tapcart.
Pros
- Easy and intuitive editor
- Personalized push notifications with the possibility of scheduling and automating them
- Analytics dashboard
- Dedicated account manager in any subscription plan
Cons
- Expensive compared to other app builders
- Android apps made with Tapcart are not the best
- No native customization
- No A/B testing
Want to launch your store’s mobile app with Tapcart?
Tapcart is one of the most popular no-code app builders in the Shopify ecosystem. But to be able to make the most of it, you need to be able to understand the capabilities of each of these features in detail, the business objectives they serve, and how to set them up.
This is where our team of Shopify experts comes in.
Ready to set up the subscription model on your Shopify store?
FAQs
What is a Shopify mobile app builder?
A Shopify mobile app builder is a tool that helps create mobile apps for Shopify stores, allowing customers to shop conveniently from their smartphones.
Which is the best shopify mobile app builder?
The best Shopify mobile app builder depends on your needs, but Tapcart is a popular choice among many due to its features and ease of use.
Why should you convert your store into a mobile app?
Converting your store into a mobile app is crucial as mobile shopping is rising rapidly. Mobile e-commerce revenue reached $4.02 trillion in 2022, accounting for more than half of total e-commerce sales. Conversion rates from mobile apps are 3x higher than e-commerce mobile sites.
Mobile app helps in better mobile shopping experience, increased loyalty and retention, an owned sales channel, ease of mobile payments, etc.
How to convert a Shopify store into a mobile app?
While Shopify doesn't offer a direct way to turn Shopify store into a mobile app, it is still possible to build mobile apps. However, this approach is expensive
Fortunately, there is a better way to convert your Shopify store into a mobile app.
Search for a reliable Shopify app that specializes in converting web stores into mobile apps. There are several options available in the Shopify App Store. Some popular app builders include Tapcart, Plobal Apps, and Mobile App Builder.
Read more here.
