ComScore predicted that mobile internet users would surpass desktop users by 2014, according to their 2012 report. ComScore actually reports that this happened for the first-time in the first month this year. Users who accessed the Internet through their mobile devices outnumbered those who used a desktop computer to access it in January 2014.

Consumer purchases made via mobile devices are also on the rise, driven by a desire to be more mobile and faster wireless networks and supported by greater confidence. Juniper Research estimates that there were 393 million mobile shoppers in 2012 and that this number will rise to 580 million by 2014. According to the study, mobile shopping should be considered a major revenue stream for retailers and not an extension of existing online sales efforts. Goldman Sachs published a revised forecast for mobile commerce sales on March 5, 2014. It stated that 2013's estimated sales were $133 billion and that 2018 will see sales close to $626 billion. M-commerce in the US will triple by 2018, accounting for $131 billion or 32% of American online e-commerce sales. This is a huge opportunity!

While hard facts and estimates are not the best, it is becoming increasingly important that online retailers respond quickly to consumer demands with mobile-compatible options or apps. Those who adapt quickly will reap the benefits and prosper. Those who take longer to make the transition will lose out on substantial sales. This shows that all businesses will eventually need to offer mobile-compatible options or risk losing their competitive edge.

See our products:

Responsive Design vs. Mobile Site

Many retailers already have M-commerce sites that are mobile ready. Up until recently, the best way to tackle this trend was to create a separate mobile application that could be hosted on a unique domain URL such as mobile.somesite.com. This has been a good approach so far, but technology is moving faster than ever before, and it is being challenged by a new mobile design method.

"Responsive design" is the new term. It has native differences and, according to Google, even greater SEO benefits than its predecessor. It is still a new and expensive design technique so it remains to be decided which user prefers a mobile app over a responsive design. It's safe to assume that responsive websites will become the norm in the future.

What's the difference between a responsive site and a mobile app?

The traditional mobile app is a copy the website. It has been designed and programmed so that the pages can be delivered to mobile users on a smaller scale. This technology must often'read' the type of device that is accessing it (iPads, smartphones, etc.). It will then check if the pages are optimized for that device before it serves them. This is usually done by a script that checks browser and operating system before serving pages. If it finds a mobile device, it then serves the mobile version. If development costs are low, a standalone mobile application may be a good option.

A responsive design, on the other hand, reacts immediately to optimize the site according to screen orientation (vertical or horizontal) and screen size, regardless the device that accesses it. A responsive website doesn't require an operating room to be installed. Although responsive designs are flexible and can be used on a variety of devices, they may not work well with all current mobile applications. However, it is possible to make costly adjustments. To achieve responsive design, it often requires a complete overhaul of the entire website's framework and backend programming. The early adopters are likely to be larger companies that can afford the investment.

Which Design Technology Wins

Although it's difficult to predict which technology will win, it's likely that the responsive approach will prevail over the others. It is safe to assume that mobile-only sites won't disappear anytime soon, despite the fact that they are expensive. The only option that will win is the one that works for each online retailer, which is going to vary from brand to brand. It will be interesting to see what responsive design looks like by 2014.

Pos for ecommerce stores

Search This Blog

Why Retailers Should Integrate into Mobile

Comments

Post a Comment