How brands are breaking the norm with ecommerce mobile apps in 2025

You’re leading the ecommerce engine for a high-growth brand. You’re ready to take the next step—launching a mobile app to capitalize on customer loyalty and drive more revenue.

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The business case writes itself: mobile apps convert 2-3x higher than websites and drive 3-5x more repeat visits per customer. A well-executed mobile app could increase revenue for your business by 10% or more.

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You want an app that delivers an elevated experience for your best customers—one that’s as unique as your brand.

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So, what are your options?

❌ Option 1: Hire an expensive agency and pay hundreds of thousands for a custom app—plus a fortune in ongoing maintenance. 

❌ Option 2: Use a cookie-cutter app builder that barely lets you customize beyond colours and logos. 

🤔 Option 3: Work with a company that sells an App Builder and offers Professional Development Services to bridge the gaps.

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On the surface, Option 3 seems like the best of both worlds. The company’s professional services team can ensure your needs are met, and who better to customize the app than the people who built the platform?

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⚠️ But BEWARE—this setup creates a fundamental conflict of interest that leads to poor products and disappointed brands.

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Misaligned Business Incentives

A truly product-led company should focus on building a scalable, intuitive platform. But when professional services enter the mix, the incentives shift. Instead of improving the product, the company may intentionally leave gaps, using services as a revenue stream rather than enhancing self-serve capabilities.

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Compromised Product Roadmaps

This conflict distorts product roadmaps. Do they prioritize features that simplify and automate tasks, or do they keep things complex so their services team can step in? Too often, services-driven businesses favour short-term revenue over long-term product excellence.

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Slower Feature Development

Custom work for individual clients creates tech debt that requires ongoing support. This fragments the codebase, bogs down engineering teams, and slows down innovation. Instead of pushing out cutting-edge features, they’re stuck maintaining scattered one-off projects.

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Disappointing Results

Brands that take this route almost always regret it: 

👎 Feature Gaps - The product has more missing features than expected.
👎 Overbudget - Professional services hours end up far higher than anticipated.
👎 Delays - The project runs months longer than promised.
👎 Poor Quality - Custom development full of bugs and performance issues.

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The app launches later than expected and lacking in appeal. The brand’s most loyal customers download the app. But the app stagnates. Basic feature requests take years to roll out, if they ever come. New ideas require more costly custom development. Before long, the app is buggy and outdated. Even the brand’s most devoted customers abandon it.

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What Reactiv Does Differently

At Reactiv, our approach is simple: build products that stand on their own. We don’t offer professional development services because we focus on relentless product innovation. This is why we roll out more features in two weeks than our competitors do in two years.

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That’s why we offer industry-leading innovations like:
🚀 AI-Powered Onboarding - use the power of AI to cut down the time and effort needed to launch an app
📈 Reactiv Clips - drive customer acquisition and growth without pushing an app download.

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What about brands that need customization?

Instead of locking customers into expensive service contracts, we empower them with Reactiv Plus - a set of enterprise tools built for developers and agencies. We handle the complex problems (platform, security, and infrastructure), so they can efficiently build your custom experiences on top of a solid foundation. 

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Reactiv Plus is the foundation of our platform. There is no conflict of interest when we invest effort into it because it doesn’t compete with our core feature roadmap; it enables it. Reactiv’s engineering teams use the Reactiv Plus foundations to build features. As we enhance it, we simultaneously enable your agencies and developers to build customizations faster and enable Reactiv’s internal teams to launch features faster.

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Evidence that Reactiv’s approach works:

• Reactiv enabled the Missouri Star Quilt Company to turnaround around their collapsed app from another app provider into a growth success story (Link here)
• Agency Partner Domaine loves building custom app experiences with Reactiv (Link here)

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When you invest in a mobile app, you’re investing in your business’s future. Choose a platform that’s built to scale, not one that profits from your struggles. Choose Reactiv.

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What’s your perfect marketing campaign? …We’re guessing it’s one that gets you results.

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For most marketers, what your campaign is doesn’t matter as long as it’s performing and delivering the conversions you’re looking for.

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So, what if we told you there’s a new campaign that is high-converting, and very few brands are using it? It’s leveraging a new tool called Reactiv Clips.

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Imagine getting your audience to engage with your mobile app—without requiring downloads—and retargeting every ad click using push notifications. 

Yes, you can actually do this.

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With Reactiv Clips, your campaigns deliver more conversions, less friction, and double the value of every click. Let’s explore how Reactiv Clips can elevate various marketing strategies and bring your campaigns to life.

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But first, what are Reactiv Clips?

Reactiv Clips are a revolutionary way to provide smartphone users with the functionality of a mobile app without requiring a full download (no more App Store redirects!).

These lightweight, instant experiences load in seconds and allow users to engage with a brand seamlessly.

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To get it straight, these aren’t just app-like experiences; they’re fully integrated marketing powerhouses. 

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Reactiv Clips transform how brands engage with users by providing rich interactions while also enabling retargeting through push notifications. This feature alone allows brands to connect with customers long after the initial interaction—whether that’s reminding them of an abandoned cart or promoting a Black Friday sale.

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When integrated into your ad funnel, Reactiv Clips create a streamlined journey. Instead of leading users to static landing pages, ad clicks direct them to a Reactiv Clip, where they can interact with products or explore offers in an immersive way. Coupled with the ability to retarget users who don’t convert immediately, Reactiv Clips transform every part of the customer journey into a conversion opportunity.

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Campaigns transformed with Reactiv Clips

Let’s break this idea down farther. What campaigns could you actually run leveraging Reactiv Clips? Here are just a few.

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Turning brand awareness campaigns into an experience

Building brand awareness requires connecting with your audience on a deeper level. Reactiv Clips allow you to share your story and highlight your unique value propositions in a way that static ads cannot. 

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For example, a lifestyle brand could use a Reactiv Clip to present a curated collection of its top offerings, paired with a video introduction from the founder. 

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This immersive experience draws the audience into the brand’s world, creating a memorable first impression while driving awareness.

Supercharging your flash sales

Seasonal sales, flash sales, and clearance events are the bread and butter of ecommerce. 

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Reactiv Clips bring these campaigns to life by offering interactive experiences that highlight specific sale categories. 

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Imagine a fashion retailer promoting a Black Friday sale through a Reactiv Clip. Shoppers could swipe through featured categories like “Outerwear,” “Party Looks,” and “Winter Accessories,” each leading to a seamless checkout experience. 

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Paired with personalized push notifications, these campaigns drive urgency and conversion.

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Running product launch campaigns

When launching a new product, excitement is key. Reactiv Clips offer a dynamic way to spotlight your latest innovation. 

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For example, a tech company unveiling a new gadget could use a Reactiv Clip to showcase its features in an interactive demo. Users could explore the product’s capabilities, view pricing options, and even pre-order—all within the clip. This approach not only captures attention but also simplifies the purchase process, ensuring fewer drop-offs.

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Capitalizing on timing or trends

The holiday season, back-to-school shopping, or summer sales are opportunities to connect with your audience’s seasonal needs. Reactiv Clips enable brands to create curated collections that align with specific times of the year. 

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A home decor brand could design a Reactiv Clip featuring its holiday gift guide, complete with shoppable product categories like “Stocking Stuffers” and “Cozy Living.” By embedding push notifications, the brand can remind shoppers of time-sensitive offers or limited stock.

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Upselling and cross-selling

Encouraging customers to purchase complementary or higher-value items becomes seamless with Reactiv Clips. 

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Imagine a skincare brand using Reactiv Clips to recommend a moisturizer on the product page of a cleanser. The clip could highlight the benefits of using the two products together, increasing the likelihood of an upsell. 

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These personalized interactions not only enhance the shopping experience but also boost the average order value.

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Winning back inactive customers

Winning back inactive customers requires thoughtful re-engagement strategies. Reactiv Clips allow brands to send personalized emails linking to collections tailored to customers’ past interests. 

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For example, a fitness brand could re-engage dormant users by sending a Reactiv Clip featuring workout gear or fitness plans aligned with their previous purchases. Plus, cart abandonment campaigns become more effective with clips that show the exact items left behind and provide a seamless checkout option.

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Using paid ads to drive ROI

Reactiv Clips are a game-changer for paid ad campaigns, lowering customer acquisition costs and increasing conversion rates. Instead of directing users to a static web page, paid ads can link to Reactiv Clips that offer interactive product demos or curated collections. 

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For new customers, Reactiv Clips boast significantly higher add-to-cart and conversion rates compared to traditional web links. Even better, every visit to a Reactiv Clip comes with up to eight hours of re-engagement through push notifications, ensuring your ad spend delivers long-lasting value.

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Boosting organic traffic

For brands focused on organic growth, Reactiv Clips enhance the effectiveness of content-driven campaigns. By integrating Reactiv Clips into blog posts or SEO-driven landing pages, brands can offer dynamic experiences that keep visitors engaged. 

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For repeat customers, Reactiv Clips are even more impactful, offering tailored product recommendations or exclusive offers that align with their preferences. This approach not only increases add-to-cart rates but also drives app downloads for longer-term engagement.

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Turning every interaction into a conversion

Reactiv Clips redefine the potential of digital marketing campaigns. 

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Whether you’re building brand awareness, driving sales during peak seasons, or re-engaging past customers, Reactiv Clips ensure your strategies deliver more conversions and less friction. 

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By transforming every touchpoint into an interactive, app-like experience, Reactiv Clips help brands capture attention, drive action, and achieve their goals. 

If you’re ready to make your campaigns smarter, more engaging, and highly effective, it’s time to start your Reactiv Clip Ad Funnel.

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We designed Reactiv to be much more than a mobile app builder. And we’re working on that mission every day. 

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2024 was filled with learning. We introduced Reactiv to more ecommerce merchants, helping them build truly unique mobile experiences that increase conversions, boost AOV, and reach customers where they are. 

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In 2025, we’re building on our insights to deliver even more value. Starting with this post.

We’ve compiled everything we’ve learned, backed up by real stories from real customers, to teach you how to build the best ecommerce mobile strategy—one that’s literally guaranteed to close the gap between discovery and conversion.

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Creating interactive pages to drive up engagement 

Ecommerce mobile apps aren’t just another sales channel. 

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They’re a way to create a unique experience that customers won’t find anywhere else, including your website. Go beyond the standard product pages and checkout and give your customers a reason to use your app (and return to use it again). 

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Building a valuable mobile app seems like a lot of work, but it’s not with Reactiv. You can quickly launch a mobile experience that drives acquisition, conversions, and customer loyalty. 

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Don’t just take my word for it, though. 

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Missouri Star Quilt Company (MSQC) launched a mobile app to create a personalized shopping experience for loyal customers. In just 2 weeks, the app garnered 50,000 users and drove 10% of total revenue. 

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That type of success requires a clear, well-defined mobile strategy. 

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Before launching an ecommerce app, consider two questions: 

1. What are the incentives for customers to download your app vs. just using your mobile site?
2. What are the incentives for customers to re-visit your app?

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Having a re-engagement strategy can help answer those questions.

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I recommend incentivizing app downloads and repeat visits with in-app offers for new customers and loyalty rewards for repeat users.

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Let’s take a look at two ecommerce brands that have tailored their app directly to their ideal customer’s needs. 

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Med School Bro creates excitement with in-app daily quizzes

Founded as an alternative to archaic medical school study resources, Med School Bro sells engaging study guides, flashcards, and PDFs to help students ace their exams. 

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Staying true to their mission, Med School Bro designed a mobile app that was just as exciting. They’ve embedded ‘Question of the Day’ quizzes and weekly trivia features to encourage user engagement. 

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Based on the first-party data collected in-app, like quiz results, Med School Bro provides personalized product recommendations to increase conversions.

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This unique element of their app closes the loop from engagement to conversion to re-engagement. 

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MSQC incentivizes app visits with live shopping and daily deals

MSQC created a curated and thoughtful user journey for its quilting community via its mobile app’s intuitive UI. 

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To help customers navigate the thousands of SKUs they offer, MSQC embedded two elements in its mobile app:

1. Bundles: These allow shoppers to hold items for seven days while they add items to their cart, aiming to qualify for free shipping and consolidated shipments. 
2. Daily Deals: MSQC lists deeply discounted items each day to encourage swift, impulse purchases. 

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Offering these unique features exclusive to the app has sparked frequent transactions and increased customer loyalty. 

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Using Reactiv Clips as an acquisition tool

It’s clear mobile apps hold a lot of revenue-generating potential for ecommerce brands. 

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But what if your customers don’t want to download another app? 

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Well, they don’t have to. 

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Reactiv Clips eliminate the need for app downloads while delivering a full, seamless app experience for shoppers. They are mini versions of mobile apps that allow users to access a specific app feature, like making a purchase or browsing a product, directly from an ad, email, or QR code. 

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Not only does this combat app fatigue for your shoppers, but it also gives you the ability to retarget users.

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Reactiv Clips give you an 8-hour window to retarget customers with personalized push notifications—no email, SMS opt-in, or cookies required. This gives you a second chance to convert up to 95% of ad clicks that would otherwise lead to nothing, all while providing deep, actionable insights into user behavior.

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Here’s how it works:

1. Engaging Discovery Across Platforms:
   Run ads on channels like Meta, Instagram, or TikTok, or send iMessages, emails, or even create NFC tags with QR codes that direct customers to a Reactiv Clip. Shoppers can instantly engage with a specific feature or product page in your app, without needing to download anything. This first interaction is both smooth and valuable, designed to capture attention right when they’re interested.
2. Instant Re-engagement with Push Notifications:
   The moment someone clicks on your Reactiv Clip, you have a unique opportunity to keep them engaged. Without requiring an opt-in, you can start sending push notifications that gently re-engage them, reminding them of any items they browsed or encouraging them to complete their purchase.
3. Seamless Purchase Flow:
   With a Reactiv Clip, if a customer leaves before completing checkout, you can send a targeted push notification that brings them right back to where they left off, making it easier than ever to finish their purchase in just one click.
4. Drive Post-Purchase Engagement:
   After a customer completes their purchase, use a final push notification to invite them to download the full app. This step provides added value, allowing them to track their order, explore more products, and stay connected with your brand beyond peak season.

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Reactiv Clips’ impact on BFCM 

Since introducing Reactiv Clips, we’ve seen Reactiv Plus merchants take full advantage of their potential. Especially during peak shopping periods like Black Friday Cyber Monday. 

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During BFCM 2024, Reactiv Clips users saw:

• 60% click rate on notifications
• 5.08% conversion rate on those ad clicks
• 7.16% of ad clicks leading to an app download 

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Over BFCM, Reactiv Clips helped brands decrease CAC, increase their ROAS, and double their add-to-carts. Achieving these results during a period when shoppers are bombarded with notifications is no small feat. 

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Reactiv Clips turn ad clicks directly into shopper engagement, closing the gap between discovery and conversion. 

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Customizing push notifications to match buyer intent

Push notifications are an effective way to grab user’s attention with personalized messaging delivered right to their phone. But like any retargeting strategy, they have to be well-planned and relevant. 

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Customizing your messaging and directing traffic to the relevant page based on the buyer’s intent increases the likelihood that they’ll convert. 

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Some of the most effective types of push notifications are:

• Abandoned cart:

When a customer leaves items in their cart, sometimes all they need is a gentle nudge to complete their order. If they’re browsing multiple stores and comparing options, they may have unintentionally forgotten about their cart. Sending a push notification reminding them about their order can help capture otherwise missed revenue. 

• Browse abandonment:  

Similarly, you can send a push notification when a customer spends time looking at a specific item without actually adding it to their cart. Browse abandonment notifications encourage users to take a second look, which could be the difference between a conversion and a lost opportunity. 

• Sales announcements and reminders: 

Create FOMO with push notifications about your sales and promotions. This works especially well for exclusive, limited-time-only sales by creating a sense of urgency. Customers won’t want to miss out and reminding them about their chance to save can drive a purchase. 

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One way to leverage push notifications is with Reactiv Clips. 

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The advantage of leveraging Reactiv Clips to send push notifications is the fact that you don’t have to wait for a user to download the app to send the notification. Once a customer engages with your app through a Reactiv Clip, you can retarget them for up to 8 hours through personalized push notifications (on iOS). 

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Ecommerce brands can now retarget every single ad click with a push notification—without an opt-in. Unsurprisingly, this has helped brands greatly decrease their CAC, improve the efficacy of their ad spend, and meet customers where they are. 

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Engage more customers—with zero friction—with Reactiv Clips

Reactiv Clips help you bring your mobile experience to more customers—even those who haven’t downloaded your app. 

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And that’s not even the best part. 

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Every ad click unlocks the ability to retarget customers with tailored, personalized push notifications turning discovery into conversions. 

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Book a demo of Reactiv Clips to see how it works for yourself.

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