What is an eCommerce application?
eCommerce (electronic commerce) is when a transaction occurs using the internet. An example is when a customer (the buyer) purchases one or more products or services online from a virtual storefront (the seller). eCommerce applications or e-commerce apps are design patterns of functionality needed to list items for purchase, facilitate a transaction by accepting payment methods, and initiate fulfillment or delivery of those purchases.
What is mobile eCommerce app?
Mobile e-commerce applications and shopping apps also function as marketing tools when they allow for paid strategic placement of items for sale or use push notifications to market products. Mobile app development for e-commerce is also called m-commerce or mCommerce.
Transactions that occur in the eCommerce industry can usually be classified as business-to-consumer (B2C), consumer-to-consumer (C2C), or business-to-business (B2B). eCommerce apps are optimized around the buyer and seller relationship. These categories are a way to break down the different types of eCommerce app experiences in the eCommerce industry and the various applications of e-commerce.
Key Features of eCommerce Apps:
Product Listings: Detailed descriptions, images, prices, and availability of products. Categories and search functionality to help users find products easily.
Shopping Cart: Allows users to add products they wish to purchase and review them before proceeding to checkout.
Payment Processing: Integration with various payment gateways (credit/debit cards, digital wallets, bank transfers) to facilitate secure transactions.
User Accounts: Features for user registration, login, and profile management. Order history, wish lists, and personalized recommendations.
Order Management: Tools for tracking orders, managing returns, and handling customer inquiries.
Notifications: Push notifications to inform users about order status, promotions, and new products.
Customer Reviews and Ratings: Allow customers to leave feedback and rate products, helping others make informed decisions.
Shipping and Delivery Options Information on shipping methods, costs, and delivery times. Order tracking capabilities.
Return feature is essential for managing product returns and ensuring customer satisfaction.
Customer Support Access to customer service through chat, email, or phone.
Analytics and Reporting Tools for businesses to track sales performance, customer behavior, and inventory levels.
Types of eCommerce Apps:
Business to Consumer (B2C) eCommerce Applications
A B2C eCommerce app is like a virtual retail store, listing items for sale, managing shopping carts, handling transactions, and shipping items. Examples include Amazon, Ebay, Allegro, Shopee and others.
Consumer to Consumer (C2C) eCommerce Applications
C2C eCommerce apps facilitate transactions between consumers, acting as intermediaries for payments and dispute resolution. eBay is a prime example, offering features like real-time online bidding and linking with social media for competitive marketing. Other C2C eCommerce Apps examples: Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Etsy, OLX
Business to Business (B2B) eCommerce Applications
B2B eCommerce apps cater to the unique needs of businesses selling to other businesses, often involving ongoing relationships and detailed negotiations. Features like chat and push notifications are essential. Alibaba is a leading example, providing a marketplace for small manufacturers and exporters to sell internationally. Other B2B eCommerce apps examples: BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce (formely MAGENTO), WooCommerce and others
Other popular names and synonyms to eCommerce app
Web Store
Online Store
Shopping App
Marketplace App or just "marketplace"
Retail App
eCommerce Platform
How PubNub can integrate with eCommerce app
PubNub is a real-time communication platform that can be integrated into an e-commerce app to enhance various functionalities. PubNub’s is ideal for enhancing user engagement, improving customer service, and providing dynamic, interactive experiences in an business e-commerce app.
1. Real-Time eCommerce Customer Support (Chat & Notifications)
Live Chat Support: PubNub can power real-time chat functionality between customers and support agents. It ensures that messages are delivered instantly, enabling quick responses and improving customer satisfaction.
In-App Messaging: Customers can communicate with sellers or other users within the app. For instance, in a marketplace, buyers and sellers can negotiate or discuss products in real time.
Push Notifications: PubNub can send instant notifications to users about order updates, promotions, or important alerts. These notifications are delivered in real-time, ensuring that customers are always informed.
2. Real-Time Order Tracking
Live Order Updates: PubNub can be used to provide real-time updates on the status of an order. For example, as an order moves from processing to shipping, and finally to delivery, PubNub can push these updates instantly to the user's app.
Delivery Driver Tracking: In case of services like food delivery or courier, PubNub enables real-time tracking of delivery drivers, showing their live location on a map, which is particularly useful in last-mile delivery scenarios.
3. Store Inventory Management
Real-Time Inventory Updates: PubNub can synchronize inventory data in real time across multiple locations or users. This ensures that stock levels are updated instantly, preventing overselling and maintaining accurate inventory records.
Alerts for Low Stock: The system can notify administrators or relevant personnel in real-time when stock levels drop below a certain threshold, allowing for immediate replenishment.
4. Collaborative e-Shopping
Shared Cart Experience: Multiple users can collaborate on a shopping session in real time. For example, family members can add items to a shared cart simultaneously, with each user seeing the updates instantly.
Social Shopping: Users can share their shopping experience with friends or family members by inviting them to view or suggest products in real time, enhancing the social aspect of online shopping.
5. Flash Sales and Real-Time Bidding
Flash Sales: PubNub can be used to manage real-time events like flash sales, where inventory is limited, and products sell out quickly. It ensures that all users are updated instantly when a sale starts or when an item is about to sell out.
Live Auctions: In an e-commerce platform that supports auctions, PubNub enables real-time bidding, allowing users to place bids and see the latest bid amounts instantly.
6. Personalized Real-Time Sale Recommendations
Dynamic Content Delivery: PubNub can deliver personalized recommendations to users in real time based on their browsing or shopping history. For example, if a user is looking at a specific product, PubNub can push related products or promotional offers instantly.
7. Backend App Monitoring and Alerts
Operational Alerts: PubNub can be used to send real-time alerts to the e-commerce backend team regarding operational issues like server downtime, payment gateway issues, or unusual user activity, enabling quick response and resolution.
8. eCommerce User Activity Tracking
Real-Time Analytics: PubNub allows for tracking user activity in real time, providing insights into user behavior, such as clicks, page views, and time spent on different sections of the app. This data can be used to optimize the user experience dynamically.
9. Collaborative Filtering for Recommendations
Real-Time Data Synchronization: PubNub can help synchronize user data across different devices or sessions in real time, enabling collaborative filtering algorithms to provide up-to-date recommendations as users browse products.
10. Real-Time Feedback Collection
Instant Feedback: After a purchase or interaction, PubNub can push a prompt to users asking for feedback or ratings. This feedback is collected in real time and can be used immediately to improve service quality or product offerings.
Integration Approach:
To integrate PubNub with an e-commerce app, you would typically follow these steps:
SDK Integration: Integrate the PubNub SDK into your app, available for various platforms like iOS, Android, and web.
Channel Setup: Set up channels in PubNub for different types of real-time data, such as chat, notifications, or tracking information.
Publish/Subscribe Model: Use PubNub's publish/subscribe model to broadcast messages (like notifications) and allow users to subscribe to channels of interest.
Event Handling: Implement event listeners in your app to handle incoming messages, updates, or notifications in real time.
Security & Access Control: Configure PubNub's access management to secure the communication channels and ensure that only authorized users can access specific data streams.
Live Auction App Demo
