eCommerce is flourishing in every other industry these days, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. People prefer buying online more than ever due to virus fear and social distancing norms.
Though many leaders are in the eCommerce industry, Amazon is the top eCommerce leader, offering over 30 product categories, including books, fashion, electronics, and more. Started as a modest bookseller, Amazon has come a long way, climbing up the eCommerce ladder and ranking as a top online retailer in the industry.
Standing tall as a global eCommerce giant, Amazon has inspired many business owners to build an eCommerce app like Amazon. Ideally, Amazon is an online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers worldwide.
Amazon eCommerce app has some unique features that make the app distinct from other eCommerce apps. It has superior search queries, intelligent product recommendations based on past purchases, one-click ordering at check-out, customer reviews and ratings, automatic reordering suggestions, and so on.
Above all, Amazon works based on the client-first approach. Amazon focuses on customer needs and offers them a user-friendly eCommerce platform and a positive shopping experience. Thus, Amazon was able to increase its revenue year over year.
How Does the Amazon App Work?
Amazon eCommerce app works similar to other on-demand apps like Uber. The app has two different interfaces, one for sellers and the other for buyers. Amazon does not own any shops, and it only gives access to various retailers, shop owners, and brands to its platform. However, sellers need to fulfill Amazon’s norms to be registered sellers in the Amazon app.
On the flip side, buyers will access a different platform where all products get featured. So, to own an Amazon-like eCommerce app, your app should include both buyer and seller panels.
- ⇒ Seller Panel: The seller panel allows registered sellers to host various products on the Amazon eCommerce platform.
- ⇒ User/Buyer Panel: In the buyer panel, users can add their shopping items to the cart. They can buy them instantly by paying through various payment options available within the app.
How to Clone an App like Amazon? A Step-by-Step Guide
To clone an eCommerce app like Amazon, you need to pay attention to details. No worries. We are here to guide you with step-by-step procedures.
1) Know your Objectives
As a business owner, no one knows your business more than you. So, be clear with your app's objectives and what you want to achieve clearly before building an app like Amazon. The clearer you are, the better you can explain your requirements to the developers.
Once you are sure about the products you sell, research your target market and understand their expectations and pain points. Do a competitor analysis and understand various apps in your business niche. That will help you know the essential features that you may have to include in your app.
2) Create User-Friendly Interface
A friendly user interface can give you more conversions. Of course, everyone prefers a user-friendly interface over a complex one. No one has time to sit and learn various features of the app before buying. Customers want an intuitive and interactive app that can help them have a seamless buying process.
One of the prime USPs of the Amazon eCommerce app is its friendly user interface. So, always make sure your app has an interactive and engaging user interface that anyone can get started immediately.
3) Choose Vital Features
As a top eCommerce app, Amazon has unique features that set it apart from other apps. Be it user feedback, quality content, and customer interaction, Amazon has set its standards. Though you can’t have all features in your app, you can choose the essential features for your app. Here are some necessary features that you can include in your eCommerce app:
Customer log-in: It allows customers to browse your app as guests without entering much personal information. You can also offer additional sign-up options like Facebook, Google, and more.
Product Search: The search option is mandatory for any eCommerce app. Include many filters and high-quality indexing to help users to screen products as per their needs. When you take the Amazon app, the users can search for specific products by applying various filters according to their preferences.
Faster Checkout: Customers want a one-click buying process today. Enabling them to pay using various payment options and free shipping charges will allure them for sure.
Reviews/Feedback: Encouraging customers to rate the purchased products and review them will allow other users to know about products precisely.
Illustrate the Checkout Progress: Keep the checkout process straightforward. Avoid unnecessary questions and options and allow users to log in directly. Thus, they can access the products display page instantly. Also, illustrate the checkout process. Customers can be patient with the buying process if they know the exact time they need to spend in your app.
Reliable Payment Gateway: Safe and secure payment gateways are crucial for the success of any eCommerce platform. When customers make a sale, a payment gateway collects, verifies their card details, sends the data to the bank, and completes the transaction.
Since the payment process involves confidential information, your payment gateway must be secure and reliable. So, go for reputed payment gateways that adhere to industry standards like PCI DSS.
Also, offer multiple payment options like Google Pay, Amazon Pay, and Apple Pay to enable users to pay as per their preferences. That, in turn, will boost your sales.Shipping: Amazon is known for its fast shipment and delivery. You can integrate many shipping APIs into your eCommerce app for fast as well as cost-effective shipping.
As an app owner, you can show the shipment time and price on the products page. Also, make sure your shipping forms are easy to use. Allow multiple input formats and encourage users to enter their shipping details precisely.Recommendation Engine: Amazon eCommerce apps and websites are famous for their product suggestions to the users. Amazon has complex AI and machine learning algorithms in place. The AI system understands the customer’s needs based on their past purchases and browsing histories. Thus, the Amazon app suggests the most relevant products to its users.
Moreover, it allows businesses to cross-sell, upsell and increase user engagement. When you recommend relevant and beneficial products, most users prefer buying them.
4) Impressive Design and Visual elements
Design plays a crucial role in attracting customers to your online store. People judge the online store based on its design and visuals initially. It is because they get to know your brand only through your design. So, to create the first impression as the best impression, you need to have an impressive design for your eCommerce app.
Here are a few tips you can incorporate for your brand new eCommerce app.
- ⇒ Go for a clear and identifiable logo at a glance. The logo is the identity of your business, and customers connect with your brand through your logo.
- ⇒ Make your products stand out. Visuals speak louder than words, and people tend to remember visuals more easily. Use white background and opt for high-quality pictures.
- ⇒ Display large photos to attract the user’s attention immediately. You can also use short videos featuring your products, enabling users to understand their details.
5) Choose the Platform
Both iOS and Android devices are equally popular among the global audience. You can do your target market research and opt for the right platform for your eCommerce app.
However, in general, brands make eCommerce apps for iOS first and then port them to Android as iOS users opt to pay more than Android users.
Even for developers, iOS development is much more convenient and takes relatively less time than Android development. It is because you have to optimize only for the two latest versions of Apple devices and OS. However, with Android, you have to optimize a wide range of devices, screen resolutions that prolongs the development.
But, you can save your time and money by investing only in popular android devices. If your target market uses both iOS and Android, you can go for a cross-platform app.
With technology like React Native, developers can reuse 95% of the code between iOS eCommerce app development and Android eCommerce app development and allow you to own a robust eCommerce app that is competent like its native counterparts.
6) Enhance Your App and Offer Support
Your work does not end but starts as you prepare to launch your app. As an app owner, you have to keep improving your app by actively researching and collecting user feedback. Thus, you can include features and functionalities that can benefit your customers the most.
Plus, speed is the crucial element in an app’s success. Even Amazon emphasizes page loading speed as one of the primary factors in running a successful eCommerce app. Thus, focus on improving the loading speed of your app’s home screen, product page, and checkout.
Finally, offer excellent customer support. Despite best efforts, when something goes wrong with the app, customers prefer communicating with the brand while they are in the app. Thus, it is necessary to have a page for complaints and queries.
You can have a comprehensive FAQ or create a chatbot to sort out customer’s issues and provide prompt solutions.
7) Optimize the App for Search Engines
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not only for websites but also for applications. You can optimize your eCommerce app and rank higher among other applications. Here are some factors that play a crucial role in your app’s SEO:
- ⇒ Keywords
- ⇒ Backlinks
- ⇒ Title
Nevertheless, reviews, ratings, and download counts also matter to the app as those factors affect the final SEO on the digital storefront.
8) Promote/Market the Application
As much as you have invested in developing the app, you have to invest time to promote and market the app as well. Without promoting your app, how will your target audiences know about your app?
You can leverage any of the digital marketing strategies to promote your app. Here are a few digital marketing strategies that you can leverage for your eCommerce app promotion:
- ⇒ Publish high-quality blogs with relevant content consistently
- ⇒ Video marketing across various online platforms
- ⇒ Social media marketing
- ⇒ Infographics
- ⇒ Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
9) Publish the App
Finally, after following all the lengthy procedures, your eCommerce app is ready for launch on the App Store or Google Play Store. Users can find your app on the respective stores and can download it for their use.
Wrapping Up
There you go!! We have simplified the process of how to clone an eCommerce app like Amazon. With numerous eCommerce applications in the market, you need to have distinct features in your app to stand out.
Even Amazon topped the eCommerce industry with its unique selling points like customer-oriented approach, AI-based product suggestions, superior search queries, high speed, multiple payment options, and free shipping. Plus, it keeps improving and enhancing its services according to evolving needs of its audience.
So, to build a successful clone of an eCommerce app like Amazon, you need to focus on building a robust app with all necessary features. For that, you would need to partner with an experienced mobile app development company that can envision your dream and bring it into reality.
Cypherox Technologies is a leading mobile app development company that has cloned several popular mobile apps from various industries for its global clients. Our technical team has delivered numerous mobile apps for iOS and Android platforms that have been downloaded and used by users worldwide. Get in touch with us for cloning an eCommerce app like Amazon for your business, and the rest will be taken care of by our professionals.
