Mobile Apps for E-commerce with Saleeh KV of App Maker

About this episode

In this episode of The eCom Show, host Shan A Salam sits down with Saleeh KV, co-founder of Appmaker, to discuss the evolution of mobile commerce and software development. Saleeh reflects on his childhood curiosity with computers, early online experiments building mobile websites on feature phones, and meeting his co-founders through online developer forums. The conversation traces how Appmaker evolved from a simple tool that converted WooCommerce stores into mobile apps during their college years into an enterprise platform serving prominent Shopify Plus brands. Saleeh explains why ecommerce businesses should avoid building bespoke mobile apps from scratch, detailing the hidden costs of hiring, continuous maintenance, and platform updates. He outlines why brands generating substantial monthly turnover gain the highest return from mobile applications, emphasising app-driven customer retention, brand loyalty, and seamless user experience. Finally, Saleeh shares Appmaker's roadmap towards an open ecosystem and its long-term ambition to become a publicly listed unicorn.

Key takeaways

1. 1Ecommerce brands should focus on core retail operations rather than spending engineering resources building fundamental software infrastructure from scratch.
2. 2Developing and maintaining an in-house mobile app team requires at least four professionals and significant recurring annual expense.
3. 3A dedicated mobile app delivers the highest commercial return once a brand reaches fifty lakh to one crore rupees in monthly turnover.
4. 4Publishing problem-solving educational content yields long-term organic discovery and durable customer acquisition over time.
5. 5Mobile applications drive higher customer retention by offering superior loading speeds and consistent brand touchpoints compared to mobile websites.

Chapters

1. 0:00Introduction
2. 11:02Finding a Co-Founder
3. 17:02From Side Hustle to a Serious Game
4. 26:17Go-to-Market Strategy
5. 34:13The Power of WordPress
6. 39:35Why a Mobile App is Essential
7. 48:22The Next Move for App Maker
8. 55:12The Path to a Billion-Dollar Company
9. 01:01:25Understanding the Audience Mindset
10. 01:11:17Conclusion