Smartphones, tablets and other web-enabled devices are driving consumer behavior online. As a business using eCommerce as a sales channel, one challenge is to deliver a web store that performs well across all devices. There are several ways this can be done: offering a shopping app, creating a mobile redirect website or using responsive web design.
The first option, developing an app, delivers a strong user experience on smartphones and tablets. Apps can also be accessed without an Internet connection, making your product catalog available to your customers at all times. On the downside, apps have to be built uniquely for different operating systems and can end up being a costly investment. And, when it comes to eCommerce, there are several shortcomings. In fact, from a survey of 1,000 adults who own smartphones and / or tablets, MarketingCharts found that 51.3 percent who experience difficulties while using a shopping app abandon their shopping cart. Other actions respondents took when difficulties within the app were experienced include, moving to the website on a desktop or laptop computer (39.6 percent), choosing to go to a physical store instead (11.5 percent) and calling customer service (8.2 percent). It’s also important to note that 55 percent of these survey respondents struggle with app usage at least 20 percent of the time.
The second option, creating a mobile site, was discussed in a previous post as an outdated strategy. You can read more by following the link, but to summarize, a separate mobile site leaves a business with two websites to manage. This requires more time and increases the risk of errors from doing manual updates across two sites. The only major advantage of a mobile redirect is the assurance that your site will perform as you want it to on mobile devices, including quick page load times.
When looking for a solution to the multitude of devices consumers use, the best option is a website built using responsive web design. This technology requires just one website with a single URL. Not only does it simplify website management, but SEO and marketing too. And, one website is far less costly to manage than two. On the downside, since this technology is newer, some old browser versions may not be able to load a responsive website quickly, which could affect user experience negatively.
Delivering a strong user experience across devices is a must given the way consumers shop today. Be sure to weigh the options above when in the market for a solution to a web store that offers the same usability on a mobile device or a desktop computer. If you’re most interested in an eCommerce platform that uses responsive web design, consider k-eCommerce. A web store from k-eCommerce uses responsive web design to deliver a website that displays in a user-friendly way no matter the device.
About k-eCommerce
As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, k-eCommerce is a recognized leader in providing eCommerce and ePayment solutions for Microsoft Dynamics AX, GP, NAV and CRM. With offices in Plymouth, Mich. and Montreal, k-eCommerce develops and delivers fully integrated eCommerce websites, payment processing and online bill pay solutions to businesses of all sizes and types around the world. k-eCommerce serves the Microsoft Dynamics partner channel by providing sales and implementation assistance as well as support.
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