Top 11 Ecommerce App Development Ideas for Startups

Quick Summary:

Thinking of a million-dollar mobile app idea can be very challenging. Sometimes you may need a little inspiration to come up with the right concept just after finding the best eCommerce app development services in Texas. That's why we have created this guide. 

When traditional commercial businesses have already been transforming themselves to obtain a significant e-commerce digital presence, they face crucial situations to determine how they can reach their target audience and achieve their business objectives. However, the majority of businesses analyze their transactions relevant to their trades and accordingly develop their mobile applications, but finding the best eCommerce app idea is still a question for many.

The digital presence of a business ensures it has more credibility and increased marketing and sales, as digital platforms increase their chances of attracting customers more than traditional sources. Hence, selecting the perfect idea to take your e-commerce business online is important. And the best way to do that is by introducing a mobile app. In the year 2023, the number of smartphone users across the globe exceeded 6 billion users, and by the end of 2024, it is projected to go above 6.9 billion users. Another report has informed that more than US people’s 88 percent of total phone time is spent on different apps.

But before directly jumping into finding the best e-commerce application development idea for your business, let’s first review the trending app development scenario in the market.

Top 10 Trending eCommerce App Ideas for Today

Emerging trends and technologies and the growing integration of mobile devices are remarkably increasing the usage of smartphones. Advanced mobile app development services have made it possible to develop the perfect app to meet your growing business needs. 

The day-by-day increasing demand for the development of various applications like shopping, paying bills, commuting, etc. is one of the main reasons why the majority of users indulge in their mobile devices. This is because these applications have made it absolutely convenient for users to get their work done without leaving their comfort zone.

Simultaneously, businesses have also adopted this new way of developing a variety of applications to meet diverse purposes and their clients' needs. Let’s review some of the top trends of the era that are highly impacting the app development world.

• Today, IoT and Cloud are trending buzzwords leading to the transformation of e-commerce and other businesses into a new sphere of developing apps. The Internet of Things is spreading the market into diverse industry verticals, including wearables, smart cars, home appliances, etc. Due to the capabilities of the IoT and cloud-enabled applications to connect multiple devices in real time and handle redundant data, these are going to become the top trends in the coming years.

• Another popular mobile app development trend is the Low Code/ No Code. These development platforms allow developers and professionals to effectively and rapidly develop mobile apps within a visual app development environment. That’s why the global market for these platforms is forecasted to pass USD 65 billion by the end of 2027.

• Artificial intelligence and predictive analysis have become the future of mobile development, leading to the delivery of the most personalized experiences to users and performing functions like user behavior analysis and alerting them about breaches of information and the occurrence of suspicious threats.

• The Swift programming language is being used in developing iOS apps and is going to play a significant role in the future of mobile application development. Swift-based iOS apps offer ravishing features that are not at all used by any developer using the other native languages.

•  AR and VR technologies have also become quite advanced and are becoming a part of the great revolution in developing entertainment, gaming, and business apps, especially for shopping stores and apparel businesses. AR/VR technologies are constantly benefiting the app development industry by enhancing the performance and features of the app at a rapid speed.

• Cross-platform app development has also become the future of mobile applications, where original applications built on a native platform are further sent to many different native platforms. This helps in decreasing the cost and increasing the speed of application development as well. 

• 5G technology is also ready to fascinate the app world by transferring millions of data packets around the world within seconds. 5G technology facilitates your app with speed to increase mobile app user retention, lower latency, fast data transfer, and a great user experience.

• By using blockchain, developers can create decentralized, transparent, and immutable mobile applications to deliver greater outcomes, whereas wearables have a separate market base to deliver effectiveness in performing day-to-day tasks by the users.

• Foldable smartphones are getting popular among mobile phone users and by 2028, the total number of foldable smartphones shipped is projected to increase to 45.7 million units compared to 2023’s 18 million units. This offers a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs. With the ability to use multiple screens, businesses can optimize their apps for foldable mobile phones. 

• Beacon technology has also become a rising app development trend. This location-based technology utilizes devices’ Bluetooth signals and sends targeted information or content to nearby mobile phones. Apps that come integrated with beacons can offer real-time notifications and hyper-personalized content based on the location of users.

Now, after being aware of what is trending in the industry, let us review the top e-commerce app development ideas that shape different businesses to flourish and become successful.

Best Ecommerce App Development Ideas

#1 Food Delivery App – 

Food delivery is the fastest-growing industry in the world, and on a large scale, food delivery applications are developed to allow users to order best-cooked food at fair prices. Urban customers who are living far from their homes, who don’t know how to cook, or who just want to have leisure time ordering food outside use such applications. 

Uber Eats, EatSure, Grubhub, DoorDash, and many more food delivery service-provider apps are now available on the global platform that helps your users say goodbye to waiting and hello to the convenience of having food at their doorstep.

The industry is quite competitive and you need effective marketing strategies to make your app successful. Well, one thing that you can do is by lowering the charges. The popular food apps, charge their users around 30 percent per order. Such fees can be a major financial burden on new restaurants. Lowering the fees can easily attract more restaurants to use the app. 

Key Features To Include In the App

• Social media orders. This will allow users to place orders directly from social media platforms, without leaving it. 
• Taking Orders from a smartwatch app would also be a great option. For instance, Dominos’s “easy order” feature lets users order items from their smartwatches. And they can even track their order from the watch. 
• There should also be a feature that allows users to enjoy secure payment processing.
• Adding the in-app messaging feature can also work well, facilitating interactive communication between customers, delivery partners, and businesses.

Benefits of Food Delivery App Idea

• Industry experts have projected that the food delivery business will increase from USD 3.7 billion to USD 90 billion by the end of 2030. 
• With a well-designed app, you can easily satisfy the needs of people seeking instant food deliveries, acquiring more users for your app.
• You can opt for a subscription model, in-app purchases, advertisements, or partnerships, to make your food delivery app generate revenue.

#2 E-learning App – 

E-learning applications are an amazing app development idea that can take a business to an immense level of success in today’s digital era. Such kinds of applications are not just limited to imparting education; they have also become part of business by allowing learners to submit their data and acquire results through interactions. These apps help impart an effective virtual learning experience to the learners and come up with the features of hybrid learning, social learning, and a variety of other interactive tools for learning online.

Even today, students consider online learning better than traditional learning, and e-learning web and mobile apps and programs always keep learners active and connected in the virtual learning curve. With active internet connections from your remote location, your learners can get the best advantage of the e-learning apps, and you can have a business advantage too.

You can even partner with different educational institutions to offer professional courses to people through your app. For example, Coursera, partnered with Imperial College London and John Hopkins University, offers two master’s degrees and healthcare courses.

Speaking about the key customer segments in this industry, you can focus on individual learners, corporates, professional associations, freelancers, and educational institutions. Tailor your app’s e-learning offerings based on these customer segments to witness better results

To ensure the success of the e-learning app, you need to keep up with the latest trends and features. 

Key Features To Include In The App

• You can use AI technology in your app for text-to-video conversion. It will help users to learn a particular course in different content formats. 
• Consider voice interface as a major feature. This will allow learners to utilize voice commands to find the information they are looking for easily.
• Consider gamification, social learning, microlearning, and AR/VR learning methods as highlights of your app. 
• Create an easy-to-use student panel so that they can access resources easily and enjoy personalized learning.

Benefits of E-learning App 

• An online educational app is an easy-to-use and cost-effective way of learning. Hence, attracting a lot of users to give it a try.
• The educational app industry is expected to expand at a CAGR of around 8.9 percent by the end of 2030.
• E-learning App is the second most popular app category in the Apple App Store. This proves the online education market has great business capabilities.

#3 Grocery App –

The real importance of grocery apps was well understood during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we preferred less going outside and sought the convenience of ordering groceries to our homes. The most important aspect of having these apps is to avoid unwillingly wandering to the shopping stores. Category-based product searching facilities, shopping at the customer’s convenience, easy payment options, the availability of offers and coupons, and many more options and facilities are offered to the customers through digital grocery delivery applications that ensure fast and quality service. 

Instacart, Walmart, Amazon Shopping, Gopuff, FreshDirect, DoorDash, and a number of other grocery stores are available on the internet to assist you with the finest delivery of groceries at your place and are a perfect example of a custom e-commerce app development solution.

Key Features To Include in Grocery App

• AI-powered search and categories
• Real-time order tracking,
• In-app payment options
• Push notifications.
• A window to compare grocery prices
• Add unique options to help you blend customer experience with their real-life shopping experiences.
• Some features like NFC tags, screen widgets, augmented reality, and updating the cart by clicking images can increase your app's chances of getting noticed.

Benefits of Creating a Grocery App

• Experts have predicted that by 2032, the online grocery market will reach US 2827 billion. In 2022, it was valued at 365.74 billion. This data clearly shows the rising trend of this industry, offering you an opportunity to enter into this market.
• It will help a business expand its marketing reach.
• Both retailers and users will experience cost and time efficiency.

#4 Online Fashion Store – 

AI-shopping stores are in fashion today, where you get to see a range of clothes and try them on through augmented reality. Isn’t it amazing?

Shopping for fashionable clothing has never been easier. The best shopping brands like HM, J.Crew, Bandier, Target, etc. come with trusted services like options for product selection, shipping options, site navigation, return policies, and many other additional perks like styling services or reward programs for the benefit of their customers. 

Whether you are looking for something to wear on any special occasion or just want to go with the trend for routine dress wear, you can get everything on e-commerce shopping sites with free standard shipping on all purchases. Even the multi-brand retail stores deliver high-quality apparel.

Key Features To Include in Fashion App

• Virtual try-ons, social shopping, personalized fashion recommendations, and AI-powered styling tips make your app different from others.
• A virtual fitting room that allows users to try out clothes virtually with the help of AR.
• Add fit and size guides to simplify the measurement process.
• Another trending feature is social commerce, that lets people buy clothes directly from your company’s social media platforms.
• Opt for in-app shopping, advertising, and an expert fashion guide to monetize your app.

Benefits Of Creating a Fashion App

• The global fashion market is all set to cross the USD 193 billion mark by 2030 and this clearly suggests that developing an online fashion app will be a profitable investment.
• It can help a fashion brand attract a wider audience by offering a convenient shopping experience.
• A fashion mobile app is an excellent way to generate sales.
• This app can offer personalized suggestions to users based on the occasion, existing closet, and also the mood.

For motivation, you can consider the success story of Pronti, a popular online personal shopper, wardrobe assistant, and outfit maker.

#5 Health & Fitness App –

Health is an unignorable part of our lives, and today, people have become more conscious of their health and fitness, seeking the assistance of the finest quality health and fitness apps. After the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare apps like eHealth, MedTech, etc. have been superfluously blasted to serve and make users aware of their health-related needs. These fitness apps maintain the daily routine and fitness of the users and help them stay fit by suggesting proper meals, meal times, exercises, and supplements needed. 

These apps are really helpful in achieving your health goals and motivate you to give attention to your body by providing various recommendations based on your body mass index, i.e., BMI. The best thing about these apps is that there is something for everyone in terms of price ranges in this field. With the personalized programs created for the users, these fitness apps are providing the best-in-class fitness solutions to the users.

Key Features To Include In the App

• Personalized nutrition and workout plans
• Calorie tracking, and smartwatch integration
• AR/VR voice-guided workouts to provide users with an immersive workout experience
• AI-powered virtual fitness trainers offer real-time feedback to the users
• Opt for gamification to make users’ fitness journey enjoyable and rewarding
• For monetization, you can go for subscriptions or in-app purchases.

Benefits of Creating This App Idea

• You get multiple options to choose from in the same genre like running app, activity tracker, wellness app, workout tracker, online fitness club app, or personal trainer app.

It is forecasted that this particular market will grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 14.08 percent between 2024 and 2030. So, this is the best time to take advantage of this app idea.

#6 Travel App -

This is the best thing to gift your users when they have to either track flight delays, board accommodations at the last minute, or even locate the public restrooms nearby. These apps are helpful whenever someone is leaving for a travel destination and is not familiar with the place. Travel apps help travelers save time and money and make their journey less stressful.

From providing local recommendations to planning your entire tour, travel apps help you breeze through the best travel experience. Citymapper, PackPoint, Rebtel, and Dayuse are top-rated travel apps used by the majority of users to plan their tours and have a carefree trip with their friends, family, or colleagues. These apps help users plan and prepare for all the stages of their travel days by allowing the best rewards and coupons.

Key Features To Include In Travel App

• AI-power search
• In-app ticket booking facility
• Cultural insight
• AI Translator
• Itinerary planning assistance
• City guides
• Ensure that the app can also be used in offline mode so that users can access maps or travel guides anytime they want.
• With a well-designed travel app, you can generate revenue through different methods like advertising, commission fees, and merchant models.

Benefits of Creating Travel App

• Most people prefer to plan their holidays and book tickets using a travel app.
• A travel app allows users to save money by finding affordable hotels and flights.
• The online travel booking industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 9 percent by 2029 and may cross USD 1074 billion. So, investing in this app development idea wouldn’t be a bad decision at all.

#7 Hotel Booking & Reservation App –

This is slightly different from the travel apps. Hotel booking and reservation apps come with slightly complex software programs that help with scheduling reservation dates and calendar schedules to record the length of stay of the customers. These apps also come with payment gateways to accept advanced payments while booking reservations. Users get the facility of selecting rooms for their hotel stay with multiple facilities and amenities. 

The best apps are those that support multiple currency options, keeping in mind the convenience of their visitors from foreign countries. Trivago, Skyscanner, Tripadvisor, etc. are some of the top-rated hotel booking and reservation apps in the USA that have a huge user base for hotel bookings.

Creating a hotel booking app like Booking.com may look challenging, but it is not impossible. You can take inspiration from the app’s features and facilities they offer. 

Key Features To Include In the App

• Add an option that allows users to explore different rental properties like holiday homes, vacation rentals, apartments, etc.
• Ensure that your app can help users find the nearest attraction.
• Let the users filter their searches and compare prices of properties using the app.
• Give virtual tours of hotels.
• You can add a commission-based model, advertising, and subscription fees to access premium app features.

Benefits of Creating This App

• There is great demand for hotel booking apps in various industries like hospitality, transportation, travel, and healthcare.
• It provides users with real-time information about the availability of hotels along with the cost, helping them make informed decisions.
• This app also offers personalized recommendations as well as promotions.

#8 Video Streaming App –

When every 4 out of 5 people has a smartphone in the USA, video streaming, social networking, and chatting are obvious on a broad level. The media services in the country are totally ruled by online video streaming applications, which are absolutely altering the way people are exploring information. 

The best service they give is an uninterrupted live video streaming to the users or paid subscribers with hassle-free registration and login, the facility to watch live TV shows and movies, series, documentaries, stand-up specials, and kids-friendly shows, followed by push notifications for new episodes and latest releases. YouTube, Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu are the most watched video streaming apps globally and are loved by users.

Key Features To Include In The App

• Integrate some customization or personalization options like playback speed, playlist creation, smart recommendation, streaming quality, etc. Consider apps like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Peacock for inspiration.
• Create a cross-platform video streaming app so that it can run smoothly on different devices.
• Integrate social media platforms so that users can directly share their experience and videos from the app to their social media accounts.

It would be great if the app could offer sophisticated monetization strategies and personalized subscription models. Create an app with a user-friendly/eye-catching interface design and provide original content. More than 33 percent of people said that they will use a video streaming platform if the content is original.

Benefits of Creating This App

• The video streaming market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21.5 percent between 2024 and 2030, this is the right time to enter the market with a well-developed video streaming app.
• You can choose from different types of video streaming apps like live streaming, VOD- Video on Demand, social media streaming, and more.
• Most customers are now shifting towards video engagement.

#9 Finance and Bill Management App -

The Finance and Bill Management App takes up all the headaches of your users, from managing their money to bills and finances. It is like a simple and easy-to-use budgeting app that organizes their bills and helps them pay them easily. Custom notification reminders can also be set in such apps for making payments, tracking bills, and checking account balances. They are top budgeting apps that help your users spend and save money smartly by utilizing spending alerts, financial reports, and automated savings. These apps work on user preferences and are based on the user’s personal goals. They are compatible with all devices and platforms and are the best to budget for, from beginners to proficient businesses.

If you are looking for some perfect examples of successful personal finance apps, you can consider apps like GoodBudget, You Need a Budget, Mint, and Acorns. 

Key Features To Include In the App

• Assist users in setting financial goals and tracking their spending.
• Add a feature that allows users to mark their spending with a sad or happy emoticon. At the end of every month, they can check what emotions their expenses provoke.
• There should also be a feature that lets app users integrate the app with their banks.
• Integrate robust security features like two-factor authentication to protect users’ financial information.
• For monetization, opt for revenue models like personal finance advice, insurance, bill payments, financing, and lending.

Benefits of Creating This App

• The global personal finance app industry, in 2023 was valued at around USD 101 billion, and by 2030 it is forecasted to attain USD 450 billion mark. So, the business scope in this sector is huge.
• Such apps can help businesses streamline their financial tracking.
• These apps work on user preferences and are based on the user’s personal goals.

#10 HR Management App –

HRs today have become more advanced. They seek hi-tech, advanced tools and solutions to perform operational activities in their organization instead of following the manual, traditional tasks. They use HR management apps to store all information about their employees, perform HR functions, and execute critical HR activities like payments and payroll, etc. 

The purpose behind these apps is to streamline employee management using an efficient app that contributes to the success of a company. These apps simplify scheduling, enhance productivity, track attendance, and provide an efficient digital solution to manage and optimize daily HR-related tasks and overall organizational goals.

Key Features To Include In the App

• Integrate AI-based candidate selection and automated onboarding to simplify the hiring process for HR managers.
• Add an employee self-service feature that can help them take care of tasks like viewing PTO, clocking in or out, downloading tax applications, etc.
• Integrate options like Employee training, talent retention, and performance evaluation.
• For monetization, you can go for options like B2B sales models, in-app advertising, and partnerships. Most HR apps like Pycore, BambooHR, Zenefits, and Rippling are using such strategies.

Benefits of Creating This App

• The HRM software market is now growing at a CAGR of 12.2 percent. Every business is now looking for an effective solution to streamline, automate, and manage HR tasks. You should capitalize on this opportunity by hiring the best mobile app development services.
• These apps simplify scheduling, enhance productivity, track attendance, and provide an efficient digital solution.

#11 Taxi Booking App –

Apart from all essentials, our daily commute and random visits are also now completely dependent on technology. These taxi booking apps and destinations located through GPSs let the users book the cab instantly through their mobile phones and reach desired destinations with ease and security. These apps are integrated with the payment apps and charge costs based on the distance traveled and the type of vehicle chosen. They are supported by multi-platform operation and allow easy installation

Key Features to Include In The App

• Easy registration process to make user onboarding journey hassle-free
• Add vehicle categories so that one can choose a vehicle based on their preferences.
• You can opt for aggregator apps, ride-sharing apps, or branded taxi apps based on the current market trends.
• Integrate the latest technologies like IoT, AI, Augmented Reality, and contactless payments, like in-app wallet.

To monetize the app, you can opt for various methods like driver’s fees, commission from trips, cancellation charges, premium subscriptions for extra services, and advertising.

Benefits of Creating This App

• Taxi app sales in 2028 are projected to increase to USD 283 billion.

Another report has informed that the total number of taxi users in North America will reach 73.88 million by 2028. This is a stable and promising market for every entrepreneur.

Why should Maneksoft be chosen for Best Ecommerce App Development Services?

For impeccable software development, web development, and app development solutions, Maneksoft has been constantly working hard for decades. The company excellently designs, develops, and maintains tech solutions that help establish small businesses in the competitive markets of the United States of America.

The company’s high-class mobile application  design & development services involve the speedy delivery of attractive and responsive applications at a reasonable cost. The company aims to meet all the requirements of a business and offers precise, modern, and business- and user-friendly e-commerce app development services to meet their clients’ business goals.

Maneksoft holds more than 500 reputed clients across the world and has the experience of satisfying over 2,500 clients from various types of companies. The developers and engineers in the company are proficient in Android, iOS, and hybrid app development, mobile app UX/UI design, mobile app QA and testing, and native mobile app development solutions to create engaging applications implementing complete transparency and trustworthiness. For obtaining the latest responsive and impressive mobile applications, Maneksoft is a perfect destination to choose for all types of businesses.

Conclusion

Whatever type of app you want to develop, choosing the perfect e-commerce app development company is essential to meeting your objectives in the way you want. Join hands with Maneksoft and acquire the best tech solution for your business. The company believes in serving customers with optimum quality and best practices that help build their existence stronger than ever.