Companies that sell online will think of moving from their website (that caters to both desktop and mobile users) to a complete mobile app due to an increase in the no. of smartphone users.
Now this can be a good move if you pull it out right! But they will have to consider a few things before that can be done. Many companies that sell online have moved completely into a Mobile-app platform, and very few have sustained growth and profitability.
Firstly, we are looking at a possible invasion of privacy as most apps today want access to all your personal information such as device and app history, contacts, identity, location, phone, and media files along with a lot more (Karrishma Modhy, tech.firstpost.com). Now the issue is that many people will disapprove this, they will not be ready to download certain apps that seeks a lot of information about them…Even I won’t download in this case!
Secondly, what are the network capabilities of a particular user (Customer using mobile app) they will be either connecting through a Wi-Fi or mobile network. Most people face issues with their mobile network due to low bandwidth, download rates, overall speed etc. This is really risky especially at the payment period. Wi-Fi speeds are good for shopping through mobile apps but the catch here is the location where they use the Wi-Fi: if it’s at home the more convenient method of shopping is a laptop or desktop, and on the go Users will need to find a place to connect to free (or paid) Wi-Fi.
Finally, the customer’s freedom of shopping from any platform is reduced. They will now be forced to use a mobile-app which is quite not comforting with the recent studies showing heavy mobile users are exposed to a higher risk of spinal injuries (Health 24). And competitors are always waiting for the right time to strike and take-over your customers with better strategies.
What can be done?
In simple terms, don’t judge by the number of mobile users and shift into a mobile-app completely. Rather have a diversified strategy; use both mobile-app and website (responsive) to cater to customers searching for your products, this will give them more freedom and they will be obliged to shop from your company. The 21st century customers are smart; they always tend to compare your products with the competitors to see what suits their expectations.