Looking to turn more of your mobile visitors into buyers? Read the story of Big Brand Wholesale and the BigCommerce-ready app created for them by JMango360.
Retail and wholesale brands everywhere are seeing a major uplift in mobile traffic. More and more people are using smartphones to start the purchase journey, yet turning those visitors into buyers remains a challenge.
Conversion is still higher on desktop – even as desktop traffic declines. A gap has opened up that needs to be bridged.
Brands like Puma and Lancome have been able to stop mobile shoppers from dropping out mid-purchase by building their own dedicated apps, moving away from clunky mobile web stores to ensure a seamless customer journey. Companies of all sizes are realizing you don’t need massive budgets to achieve similar results.
Michigan-based BigBrandWholesale.com is an e-commerce business specializing in clothing, accessories, housewares, body care products, and more. Founded in 2005, the company has grown from modest beginnings to a significant online retailer.
Big Brand Wholesale’s e-commerce capability has been desktop-focused, but recently they decided to complement that presence with a dedicated mobile app. We asked founder Tori Thompson, founder and CEO, to share some of the thinking behind the move, and the results she’s seen so far.
“70% of our buyers shop on mobile”
After growing steadily for years via traditional desktop e-commerce, Big Brand chose to change course.
“After analyzing our data, we realized that 70 per cent of our shoppers were mobile.” says Tori Thompson. “That’s a huge change – just two years ago 70 per cent were shopping with us via desktop. We immediately decided that we had to take the next step and launch a shopping app. It’s the ultimate way to connect with your customers and increase sales.”
Thompson and her team looked for a solution, and didn’t have to look far. After briefly investigating the JMango360 solution, the decision was made.
“Our business moves fast so JMango’s app builder was a very attractive option, as it would enable me to create and make changes to the app without always having to rely on a developer for help. This was a major selling feature for me because I don’t know the slightest thing about app development, but the App Builder is very similar to our BigCommerce site.”
A big plus for Tori and her team was the App Builder’s integration with BigCommerce. It meant that the product catalog, store settings and everything else would be copied into the app with just a few clicks.
“it’s the ultimate way to connect with your customers and increase sales”
“The App Builder is beautifully designed with the user in mind, and you don’t need any experience to use it. I also liked that it’s 100 percent free to use. You only pay once the app is live, so I knew it would give me as much time as I needed without incurring debt. I signed up on a Friday night and started building the app over a single weekend.”
‘JMango360 worked on my app non-stop!‘
Although the JMango360 App Builder was easy to use, Tori decided to reach out to the JMango360 team for extra help. “The DIY option was super simple, and I could have just done it all myself. In the end though I wanted it to be perfect, so I hired JMango360 to make it awesome for me – which they did!”
Here at JMango360 we’ve made the App Builder easy to use for teams that want control over the design process. For customers who want a helping hand, our app designers and developers are ready to assist.
“Over the next two months, JMango360 worked on the app non-stop. Tasks were completed each and every day and often ahead of schedule. Any question was answered quickly and thoroughly. They were so fast that some days I struggled to keep up with them.”
‘It was a bit like remodelling your living room.’
Our goal at JMango360 is to integrate, design, test and launch your app within 4 to 7 weeks time, including several feedback milestones and beta-testing.
“As time progressed, the app started coming together and the excitement began to build. It was a bit like remodelling your living room. Once the walls are painted, and you add decor and furnishings, the picture of how you hoped it would look starts to become real.”
During the design-phase, a dedicated JMango Customer Success Manage stays in close contact with each client, ensuring the end results surpases expectations.
“I worked closely with Danielle from JMango who is such an amazing, hardworking woman. She would send me a variety of images, icons and other design elements to check if it’s what I wanted. It was incredible and really exciting too. Danielle went totally above-and-beyond for our company in every possible way.”
“Danielle of JMango360 went totally above-and-beyond for our company in every possible way.”
‘I was asked to submit errors, but hardly found any.’
“At the end of the process, I was asked to submit a list of errors or fixes, but I generally couldn’t find any. My only issue was selecting icons for all the products we have on the site. The ones I’d chosen during the DIY phase weren’t working for me.”
“It’s more complicated than it sounds – how do you represent a ‘Kids Jogger Pants’ subcategory with a single icon? JMango came through again and helped me choose from their extensive library of icon images to find just the right images.”
“We completed a final Beta Test to prepare for launch and had approximately 30 people test the app from all different devices. We discovered a couple of small issues that JMango quickly corrected. Otherwise, the feedback from our beta testers has been superb.”
“I wasn’t expecting an app that looked like it cost a fortune and had all the bells and whistles you can ask for – but that’s what I got!”
‘The first time I saw the completed app I was blown away’
At JMango360, our success depends on how well our apps drive sales. That’s why every company gets a complete package of app marketing support. This includes an onboarding package to promote your new app on all relevant channels, as well as ongoing app marketing tips to fully grasp its potential reach.
“The first time I saw the completed app I was blown away. I was expecting something decent, but not an app that looked like it had cost a fortune to build, packed with big-brand bells and whistles.”
“A huge benefit of JMango’s approach is that they are invested in your long term success. They are so confident in their product that they base their fee on the income the app generates for you.”
“JMango360 is still helping me non-stop. They’ve created a marketing campaign to help promote the app, and they’ve been so proactive with suggestions I’m finding it hard to recall everything they’ve done for us!. I’m not sure how to describe a company who exceeds expectations to the highest level imaginable, then exceeds that too, but that’s what JMango360 did.”
“So, for everyone that’s still doubting about which app agency to pick: If you want an app, you absolutely have to pick JMango360. JMango360 is incredibly cost-effective, and you get a darn-near-perfect product — fast.”
“If you want an app, you absolutely have to pick JMango360. JMango360 is incredibly cost-effective, and you get a darn-near-perfect product, fast.”
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