Many e-commerce store owners ask themselves: "Is having my own app really worth it?"

To give an honest answer to that question, we developed an ROI calculator that shows what an app can mean for revenue and profit, based on realistic assumptions.

In this article, we explain:

• which figures the calculator uses
• what "conversion uplift" actually means
• why apps often deliver much more than just a nice interface
• and what you can expect in practice after going live.

Why Not Calculate Based on Visitors?

Many tools start with: monthly visitors × conversion × order value.

That sounds logical, but it says little about the real value of an app.

Apps don't earn their money through acquisition, but through:

• repeat purchases
• reactivation of dormant customers
• higher engagement
• less friction in the purchase process

That's why our calculator is based on annual revenue or annual orders + AOV, and not on raw visitor numbers.

The Key Inputs

The calculator asks you for:

• Annual revenue
• Gross margin

With these, we calculate your current baseline.

What Is Conversion Uplift?

Conversion uplift is a relative improvement of your current conversion rate.

Example:

• Current conversion: 1.5%
• Conversion uplift: +40%

New conversion:

1.5% × 1.40 = 2.1%

That seems like a small step, but commercially it means:

• same traffic
• 40% more orders

Apps make this possible through:

• always logged-in users
• fast checkout with Apple Pay / Google Pay
• saved addresses
• push notifications at exactly the right moment
• wishlists, back-in-stock alerts, and drop alerts

What Does AOV Uplift Do?

Besides more orders, we also see higher order values in practice:

• customers browse more often
• they respond faster to bundles and promotions
• they order more purposefully

An AOV uplift of, say, +10% simply means:

€75 → €82

How Do We Calculate "With App"?

Step 1 - Baseline

Annual revenue without app.

Step 2 - With App

We multiply your revenue by:

• (1 + conversion uplift)
• (1 + AOV uplift)

So with +40% conversion and +9% AOV:

Revenue_with_app = Revenue_without_app × 1.40 × 1.09

Step 3 - Gross Margin

Additional gross profit = additional revenue × gross margin.

Practical Example: D2C Fashion E-commerce Store

Current situation:

• Annual revenue: €750,000
• Orders per year: 10,000
• Average order value: €75
• Gross margin: 60%

Effect after introducing an app:

• Conversion uplift: +40%
• AOV uplift: +9%

New situation:

• Orders: 14,000
• AOV: €82
• Annual revenue: €1,148,000
• Additional revenue: €398,000
• Additional gross profit: €238,800

App costs:

• One-time setup: €30,000
• Monthly costs: €4,000
• Total costs year 1: €78,000

ROI Year 1

(238,800 − 78,000) / 78,000 = 206%

Payback period: ± 3.9 months.

From Year 2 Onwards

• Annual costs: €48,000
• Net additional profit: €190,800
• ROI year 2+: ± 398% per year.

What Can You Realistically Expect?

Scenario Conversion uplift AOV uplift

Conservative 15% 2% Standard 25% 5% Optimistic 40% 10%

These percentages don't apply to your entire store, but mainly to the portion of your customers who actively use the app - usually your most loyal and profitable customers.

Why Apps Structurally Deliver More

An app is not just another channel. It's an extension of the relationship with your customer:

• you're literally in their pocket
• you're not dependent on email open rates
• you can communicate at exactly the right moment
• you lower the barrier to repurchase

That's where the real value lies.

In Conclusion

The calculator is not a sales trick. It's a tool to honestly show:

• what an app can mean
• when it's likely to pay off
• and when not

Want to know what this means for your e-commerce store? Enter your numbers and let yourself be surprised by the results.