For B2B brands with complicated purchasing setups, OroCommerce handles things that standard ecommerce platforms can't.
But as your buyers do more business from their phones, you face a practical problem: how do you give them the same purchasing experience in a mobile app?
Mobile apps matter for B2B retention and growth. Gartner forecast in 2020 that 80% of B2B sales interactions would move to digital channels by 2025, a shift that's now reality, with most happening on mobile devices.
Building a native app the traditional way means hiring specialized developers, maintaining separate codebases for iOS and Android, and recreating your entire feature set from scratch.
This guide explains why building a mobile app for an OroCommerce website is difficult, and shows you a faster, more affordable way to launch iOS and Android apps.
The Challenge: The High Cost of Replicating Your OroCommerce Storefront
OroCommerce manages specialized features that standard ecommerce platforms can't handle. But those same features make building a native app difficult and expensive.
Starting From Scratch
To build a custom native app for an OroCommerce site, you have to rebuild your entire frontend from the ground up using Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android (or React Native for both).
You're recreating every workflow, every purchasing rule, every approval process, and every integration you spent years building on your website.
This is where most template app builders fail. They work fine for simple product catalogs and basic checkout, but they can't handle what OroCommerce does: tiered accounts, custom pricing for different buyers, multi-step approvals, and specialized purchasing processes.
A custom agency build at this level typically costs $100,000 to $500,000 upfront, plus ongoing maintenance costs to keep the app updated with your website changes.
You also lose years of testing and improvements you've already done on your mobile site.
Progressive Web Apps Aren't Enough
OroCommerce offers a Progressive Web App solution, including the Field Sales App.
PWAs work well for making your mobile experience faster and available offline. But they have a discovery problem: customers don't find them easily, and the installation process is hidden compared to downloading an app from the App Store or Google Play.
PWAs can send push notifications on many platforms, but users have to install the PWA first, then opt in separately. This extra step reduces how many people actually enable notifications compared to a native app.
Ultimately, the easiest “always-there” experience is still a store-installed app with one-tap access from the home screen and native engagement channels like push notifications.
The Ongoing Maintenance Burden
If you build a custom app, you're committing to maintaining two separate systems permanently.
Every time you update a pricing rule or add a feature to your OroCommerce site, you have to pay developers to make the same change in your iOS and Android apps.
You've doubled your development work and costs for every future update.
The Solution: A Native App Powered by Your OroCommerce Site
This is where MobiLoud changes things. MobiLoud isn't a DIY app builder, and we're not a custom development agency.
We're a managed service that converts your existing OroCommerce website into native mobile apps for iOS and Android.
The idea is simple: your website powers the app.
Instead of rebuilding everything in a new codebase, MobiLoud uses your existing OroCommerce site as the foundation.
We add native features on top: app navigation, a tab bar at the bottom, splash screens when you open the app, and push notifications.
Because the app runs on your website, everything you've already built carries over. Your storefront, purchasing processes, and business rules all work the same way. If something needs adjusting specifically for the app, our team handles it.
Your tiered pricing for different customers works immediately. Your approval processes work the same as they do on the site. Your third-party integrations and extensions are already there.
When you change a banner or update a price on your site, it updates in the app instantly.
Why MobiLoud is Ideal for B2B OroCommerce Brands
Your app won't replace your website for attracting new customers through search engines. That's not its purpose. The app is for your most valuable customers: the high-volume, repeat buyers who order from you weekly or monthly.
An app puts your store on their home screen, always one tap away. They don't need to type a URL or search through browser bookmarks to place an order.
Push Notifications Bring Customers Back
This is what makes the biggest difference for B2B. With a mobile website, you wait for customers to visit you. With a native app, you can reach them directly.
- Order Updates: "Your order #12345 has shipped."
- Reorder Reminders: "Time to restock for Q3?"
- Account Alerts: "Your invoice is ready for approval.
These notifications bring customers back to the app right away. Unlike email, which gets buried in inboxes or caught by spam filters, push notifications appear on the phone's lock screen where most people see them.
The MobilLoud Process: Transforming Your B2B Site into a Native App
MobiLoud is designed to be a light lift for your team. You bring your existing site. We turn it into a polished iOS and Android app and manage it end-to-end.
Step 1: Get a Free App Preview
We start by showing you a real preview based on your site. You’ll be able to see how your storefront looks and feels in an app format, and we’ll walk you through how launch works.
This is also where we flag anything that matters for your setup, like authentication, account pages, checkout, and any custom flows.
Step 2: Configuration and Design
Next, we apply your branding and shape the in-app experience. That includes your icon and visual identity, plus the navigation structure customers will use (menus, tabs, entry points).
If anything on the site needs small tweaks to feel more “app-like” on a phone, we’ll guide those adjustments.
Step 3: Build, QA, and Submit
We produce the iOS and Android builds, test across devices, and prepare everything required for the App Store and Google Play.
We also handle back-and-forth with reviewers so you’re not stuck dealing with the process.
Step 4: Launch and Keep It Running
Once the apps are live, MobiLoud continues as your managed service.
We handle maintenance, OS compatibility updates, and support for the native app experience so mobile doesn’t become another product your team has to own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my custom OroCommerce features work in the app?
Yes. Because MobiLoud uses your existing website as the engine of the app, your custom features, plugins, and workflows carry over without rebuilding. If anything needs an app-specific adjustment, our team handles it.
Is this just a PWA?
No. While we leverage web technologies, you get a fully native binary (.IPA for iOS and .AAB for Android). Your app is distributed through the App Store and Google Play, giving you access to native features like push notifications.
How do I manage the app?
You don't. You manage your website. Any changes you make to your OroCommerce site (products, content, pricing) reflect automatically in the app. There is no separate dashboard to update content.
Can I send push notifications?
Absolutely. We provide a dashboard for sending push notifications. You can send manual broadcasts or set up automated flows (like abandoned cart recovery) to drive revenue on autopilot.
Ready to Launch Your OroCommerce Website’s Native App?
Your B2B customers are already waiting for a better mobile experience. You don't need to spend six months and six figures to give it to them.
MobiLoud is the solution that respects the complexity of your OroCommerce build while delivering a premium, native mobile experience. It is the efficient, scalable way to future-proof your B2B sales channels.
Book a free consultation today to see how your site would look as a native app.
