Mobile app versus website for eCommerce

No one can ignore the importance of the mobile platform, especially eCommerce businesses who are witnessing an influx of customer visits to their site from a mobile platform. According to a 2015 study, 85% of consumers prefer mobile apps to websites and 41% of smartphone owners have made at least one purchase from their smartphone. Furthermore, the global mobile commerce market share is expected to reach 70% by 2017 and by 2020 the revenue generated by mobile commerce is expected to be around $284 billion.

However, that does not mean that the web platform can be completely neglected in favor of the mobile platform, or having a web application will mean that you will get a larger market share. As much as people prefer the mobile platform for eCommerce purchases, studies have also shown that of the 8.52% of desktop users who add to cart, 2.78% make an actual purchase. On the other hand, on the mobile platform, the add to cart rate is 4.7% and the conversion rate is 80%.

1. Responsive, mobile or both?

It has become imperative that all websites and web applications be responsive or responsive as they can be accessed from a desktop, tablet, or smartphone, and business owners have to work with this assumption while they embark on the implementation of their solution. In addition, Google lowers the page ranking of web solutions that do not adapt to different screen sizes. The user experience and interface presentation vary for mobile and desktop platforms. Therefore, the treatment of the web solution will vary depending on the device from which it can be accessed. If half of daily website traffic is coming from a mobile device, the business is likely to lose a large portion of customers. A Google survey of smartphone users in the US revealed that more than 65% preferred to use a mobile website over a mobile app to shop online. Additionally, conversions have improved significantly for major eCommerce businesses since they adopted responsive websites as they offer a better customer experience. Also, 40% of web users abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Responsiveness trims the web interface to ensure the website is not heavy and loads fast.

2. Need for a mobile app

Established eCommerce businesses have a mobile app at hand along with a responsive website for their business. Quite a few companies have tried to adopt mobile apps on their own instead of launching a website. Depending on the type of product or service offered, very few have been successful, although they have even done so at the cost of losing more market share. According to a VisionMobile study, more than 55% of mobile apps earn less than $500 per month. Another Gartner report suggests that 25% of app users use it only once and that 80-90% of apps are eventually removed.

Despite these discouraging numbers, a mobile app makes sense and is even preferred in many scenarios by online shoppers because it is convenient, fast, and easy to navigate. In addition, it is easier to send personalized notifications about new offers and the customer can also respond faster.

3. More about mobile technology and its advantage over the website

In a mobile app, the user is always logged in, so the shopping cart can be accessed faster and credit card details are safer to store. Also, in case of using online banking and other payment modes where one-time passwords are required, they are automatically filled in, speeding up the payment process. Device technologies also make a big difference in improving the shopping experience for users. some cases,

• Mobile Camera: The buyer can use the front camera of the mobile to upload their image and check the outfit or accessory for themselves. The camera can also be used as a barcode scanner to make payments or find products online.

• iBeacon: iBeacon sends real-time alerts to app users as they walk through the store, letting them know of any new deals or which aisle they can find a specific product in.

• iNFC: NFC can be used for one-touch payments

• GPS: GPS and the map can be used to locate stores, centers and even track the real-time location of the package to be delivered.

4. Mobile and web strategy

Whether the business launches a mobile app right away or not, having a fully functional mobile strategy is essential. Whether it is a responsive design or a mobile app, there must be clarity of goals when designing the solution so that the user experience is enriched by the shopping experience.

A new company can opt for web development services in India or any of the major web service provider countries in favor of mobile app development solutions in the early days of launching your e-commerce solution. A responsive website or web application will be a significant investment in the long run and will also give the customer a sense of permanence about the business. Expanding the service with a mobile app thereafter will ensure more downloads and establish brand loyalty, which is a fickle currency in times of stiff competition.