How to Build an App for an Online Shoe Store in 5 Easy Steps!

Introduction

Entrepreneurs often find it perplexing to conquer real-world sales obstacles, even when they are enthusiastic about starting their business first.

An eCommerce store owner must deal with product returns as one of the most challenging aspects of running an online business.

Statista states mobile eCommerce sales will exceed $432 billion in 2022, up from $148 billion in 2018.  In light of these numbers, you may be tempted to enter the eCommerce market. 

Alternatively, if you're already there, you may be seeking new customers and revenue growth. The answer is pretty simple – creating an eCommerce app.

There is a significant market expansion in the footwear market, which makes the online shoe industry a lucrative business idea.

It takes a solid approach to avoid such problems, from choosing a shoe type to offering an excellent online experience. Want to create an on-demand app for your online shoe store?

This 5-step guide will help you create a captivating shoe store application. Keep reading to learn more! 

Why Open an Online Shoe Store?

A business niche will always be relevant regardless of the time of year, the country's condition, and other factors beyond our control. 

Additionally, footwear is one of the e-commerce products offered on demand. There is no doubt that shoe shopping will remain popular, as we mentioned in the introduction.

According to the research, household expenditures for this product category range from 8 to 20% of total income (and, in some cases, even higher). 

Annually, the footwear market grows by 5-10%. It's thus a brilliant idea to start an online shoe business.

In support of our claim, here are a few benefits of opening an online shoe store:

Product in High Demand

Consumers will inevitably need new shoes as our boots wear off and fall out of style. It is estimated that almost every adult buys at least two pairs of shoes during the year.

Good Revenue

With 80-150 percent margins, it's safe to expect a substantial profit from online shoe stores.

Selection of a Range

The composition of your spectrum is free, allowing you to compete more effectively with other market players.

No Expensive Equipment Required

You don't need manufacturing facilities to sell online shoes (you just need to find reliable suppliers).

How to Build an Online Shoe Store in 5 Easy Steps?

We will share detailed steps for building an app in this section. By following these steps, you will be able to understand the app development process and save time and money.

So let's discuss the 5 steps of online shoe store development:

Step 1
Market Research

Make sure you do some research before you jump into this market. Identify your competitors and find out what trends are emerging around your idea. 

Through this research, you will understand your competitor's strengths and weaknesses.

It's important to put yourself in the customer's shoes. Identify your potential customers' needs and develop a business niche according to those needs.

Step 2
Develop a Prototype

Once you've identified the development strategy, you'll need to create a prototype. 

Essentially, it's taking your idea and turning it into a limited version of the application, called a minimum viable product (MVP). 

Instead of just visualizing or reading about the app, the MVP allows users to interact with and experience it.

Beta testers can also provide feedback on improving the user experience by sharing the app with them.

Step 3
Designing the App

After your app idea has taken shape, you can begin designing the app.

The app's design includes pixel-perfect visuals, graphic effects, image assets, animations, and motion graphics.

Testers' comments on the prototype are crucial at this stage. It is, after all, your target audience that will use the app.

As a result of their experience with the app, you will be able to create the most user-friendly interface.

Step 4
Development and Testing

Testing aims to identify bugs, crashes, and missing features. It aims to create an environment similar to how a typical user would interact with your app.

The development process involves both coding and implementation of your application. In this stage, various activities are included, such as—establishing the appropriate development environment, writing code, conducting preliminary testing, and so on.

Step 5
Deployment and Maintenance

The deployment process involves merging all the existing code into production with the help of a software developer.

After the app is released to users, assess its performance.  The maintenance process involves obtaining user feedback, analyzing it, improving it, and determining what enhanced features users need. 

In the meantime, the developers can help you fix existing bugs and plan for future improvements.

Must-Have Features of an Online Shoe Store Application

No matter what kind of footwear you are looking for, you'll find specific requirements about mail-order sales.

Here are some must-have features of a great online shoe store:

Searching and Filtering By Size

In an online shoe store, everything revolves around sizes. Aside from the shop design, customers are most concerned with sizes while searching for products. 

It is essential to provide the correct sizes for all products, considering the standards used by different manufacturers. 

Choosing a size in an online shoe store should be easy and clear. It is also crucial to distinguish between sizes that are temporarily unavailable from those that are available.

Measurement Guide

Size schemes are used differently by different producers. Sometimes, the same shoe size corresponds to a different actual foot measurement. 

The seller should describe the sizes correctly, compare each to the length of a foot in centimeters, and inform how to estimate an accurate size. 

This increases customer trust and allows for conscious shopping.

Suggested Reading: 
Shoe Store Apps: Taking your Business Places!

Good Quality Photos

Ideally, good photos should be large, high-quality, white, and depict shoes from different angles. 

In addition to showing the shoe's actual color, they should also show the most important details (the ornaments, places where stitching and gluing are done). 

It is, therefore, necessary for an online shoe store to upload high-quality images of its products to attract customers.

Returns and Refunds

Online transactions are incomplete without returns and refunds. This element can be easily used to build trust in the footwear industry. 

It is often a decisive factor when placing an order for shoes when one knows they can be returned easily and free of charge if they don't fit. 

It is vital for an online shoe store to explicitly inform its customers about returns and provide easy tools to facilitate the return process.

Smart Product Recommendations

When goods are selected mainly based on design and preferences, it can be challenging to establish connections manually between similar products. 

This can make it difficult to guess which will appeal to a customer. 

Using intelligent recommendation systems, a customer is provided with alternatives to similar products.

Special Offers And Sales

The footwear industry is driven by the introduction of new seasons, the creation of upcoming collections, and the sale of old collections. 

As a result, it is imperative to create feeds that feature special offers, discounted products, and the latest arrivals. 

If done sparingly, such marking statuses can increase sales, especially if accompanied by price reductions.

Conclusion

On-demand applications are expected to become a trend for speedy business growth since they allow customers to tailor their experience and get the services they want when convenient.

Any eCommerce app for a business requires significant time, resources, and effort. 

However, one may develop an on-demand application for their company with the right guidelines and assistance.

We hope this blog gave you a thorough understanding of online shoe store development. 

Nevertheless, if you want to create an alluring application for your business, then choosing AppsRhino would be the wisest choice!

Apart from shoe store app, AppsRhino provides the best tech-driven solutions for your eCommerce business, like Alcohol delivery, Grocery Delivery, Food Delivery, and On-demand Cannabis Delivery:

• Food Delivery
• Alcohol Delivery
• On-demand Cannabis
• Grocery Delivery

This market-leading platform for on-demand app development works with customers to help them succeed. Creating top-notch, feature-rich apps is the focus of the AppsRhino development team.

Contact us today and get started with developing the application of your dreams!