What’s the ROI of Investing in a Custom E-Commerce App?

Everyone is now seeking convenience, especially in the realm of online shopping. The digital transformation & integration of the latest technology has created an outstanding transformation for startups & businesses. There are many businesses that are looking to grow online, but are still wondering about the ecommerce app’s profitability.
Let us consider a simple example. Consider you have a designer outfit store. You present designer outfits in a shop according to the allocated space. And on the other hand, what happens if you customize with the interiors, colouring, lighting, and aura of your store and then represent the outfits? Yes!!! There is a huge difference between the two. The same is the case; it happens when a business is looking to invest in a custom ecommerce app. Let us understand in depth what the ROI of investing in an ecommerce app is.
Key Factors Influencing Ecommerce App ROI
There are some factors responsible for the ROI that influence the ecommerce app. Some of them are mentioned below –
- Increase in Purchase: When it comes to custom ecommerce app development, it provides a tailored shopping experience to the users. However, the users often visit the ecommerce app and spend more in ordering the product.
- High Customer Lifetime Value: Some of the well-known ecommerce applications have reported that they have increased their customer lifetime value five times, with a significant increase in ROI.
- Improved Customer Retention: Research shows that there has been a significant improvement in customer retention. However, there is a 70% increase in the customer retention rate.
- Personalized Tailored Ecommerce Solutions: “Custom,” as the name suggests, is perfect for tailored suits. What makes ecommerce apps cost-effective in the long term is user satisfaction.
- Efficiency: Apart from the sales, there is a significant improvement in the operational efficiency. Most of the companies have reported more than 30 % improvement in terms of custom ecommerce solutions.
- Competitive advantage: There are well-known businesses that outperform 2.5 times more by investing in a custom ecommerce app.
Calculating & Understanding ROI from Custom Ecommerce App
Before moving forward with the benefits of investing in custom ecommerce app development, let us know about calculating ROI for a custom ecommerce app.
- Basic Calculation: Formula to calculate ROI – (Net Profit – Total Investment Cost) / Total Investment Cost x 100%.
- Metrics Related to Ecommerce: In terms of ecommerce, ROI is generally calculated at least $2 to $3 in revenue for every $1 spent, representing a 200-300% return.
- Long-Term: The cost of ownership must be lower than the long-term. Custom ecommerce app development offers higher scalability, maintenance, and avoids the template limitations or dependency on third parties.
Read More About: How to Start an Ecommerce Business from Scratch?
Custom Ecommerce App Development Benefits: How it Drives ROI?
1. Enhanced User Experience
Being a custom ecommerce app, there are more chances that it satisfies the users’ expectations and their needs. However, with enhanced user experience, there are more chances of customer leads and less cart abandonment. This helps to increase the conversion rate. However, to deliver better results, one can offer fast performance, personalization & checkout in a click.
2. Increase in Average Order Value (AOV)
Integrating with an AI-driven solution with custom ecommerce has been more advantageous to the users. It has helped in personalization, displaying tailored products as per need. And hence, users likely spend more time on the application. However, research shows that personalization helps in increasing revenue by 30%
3. Improved Brand Loyalty
Apps are just a tap for users to explore with the business. Integrating with features like push notifications, gamification, and offering rewards helps to increase customer engagement in the ecommerce app. However, it is more viable to focus more on existing customers as it costs five times less than acquiring new customers.
4. Efficiency
With a custom ecommerce app, there are fewer chances of errors, speed issues, operational costs, or filling up orders. Due to customization, one can easily integrate with inventory, logistics, and CRM systems.
5. Data-Driven Decisions
An ecommerce app has valuable data of its users. It helps businesses analyze users behavior, purchasing history and hence accordingly take the smart decisions. Analyzing with everything in depth helps business to implement with the right campaign to run
6. Uniqueness
For a business, who go with custom ecommerce app development can stay ahead in the competition by offering uniqueness to its users. One can integrate with different things like integrating AR/VR model, subscription model and advanced search functionality. This provides a more enhanced shopping experience to the users & also helps in increasing the retention of the existing customers.
Read More About: How Much Does It Cost to Develop a High-Quality eCommerce App?
Long-Term ROI Factors Associated with Custom Ecommerce App
Apart from the above benefits there are other long term ROI factors associated with custom ecommerce app. Some of them are described below –
- Increase Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): There are more chances of retention of customers with custom ecommerce app that in turn boost the CLV
- Scalability: Custom ecommerce helps your business grow that supports the new market trends, features and currencies.
- Less Third-Party Platform Dependency: There is no need to rely on third party platforms that may lead to higher profit margins.
- Brand Credibility: There is long term growth in the business, with high performance of the app increasing brand equity.
Future Trends: How to Increase ROI of Custom Ecommerce App
The future trends of ecommerce app is going to boost the online shopping industry. Some of them are –
- AI & Machine Learning: Integrating AI into ecommerce app offers with smarter personalized ecommerce solutions, quick chatbots & product recommendations
- Augmented Reality: This feature allows users to try virtually before buying the product that helps to boost confidence. And there are less chances of returning.
- Voice Commerce: Making product search on the ecommerce platform at ease by integrating Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant
- Mobile-First Payment: Allowing secured mobile payments, digital wallet, pay later etc.
- Integrating Omnichannel: Offering seamless shopping experience to users across web, app etc.
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Conclusion
Think beyond the graph. Still wondering if it is profitable to invest in a custom ecommerce mobile app. This blog clears with all the queries, still to have in -depth knowledge an experienced ecommerce app development company can help with complete guide to development & the best marketing strategies. Comparatively, it is more feasible to build custom ecommerce apps rather than ready made templates. It offers scalability, brand visibility, and most importantly no third party dependencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
In simple terms, ROI of investing in a custom e-commerce app is nothing but getting the value back as compared to the invested. However, there are chances of higher sales, loyal customers, smooth operations that leads to more profit with custom ecommerce app.
As per research, a business can see 2–3 times higher sales compared to just having a website. One can integrate features like push notifications, personalized offers, a mobile app can quickly pay for itself.
The factors that affect the profitability of e-commerce app development includes cost, user experience, marketing, customer adoption, and ongoing maintenance.
Yes!! Small businesses benefit from custom e-commerce apps. This helps to build trust among the users with unique shopping experience and chances of increase in retention rate. A good chance to compete with large brands.
Yes Absolutely!! it is worth building a custom e-commerce app in 2025. It helps business stand ahead in the competition and also ensures with long term growth.
There are various cost-saving benefits of a custom-built e-commerce app that includes no third-pary dependencies, automated process like inventory management, operational efficiency and increase in overall profitability.