Mobile applications are no longer an option for businesses - They have become a requisite. Our so well loved smart phones are incomplete (actually, if you really think about it, quite useless) without them.
Mobile applications are no longer an option for businesses - They have become a requisite. Our so well loved smart phones are incomplete (actually,
if you really think about it, quite useless) without them. Be it entertainment, shopping, work, communication - they cater to almost everything with just a press of a button. Mobile apps are a must have for business owners too. Just like our personal lives, the applicability of these little pieces of code in the enterprise domain is also fairly universal. One of the beneficiaries of the boom in mobility is ecommerce.
The advent of mobile technology is taking the ecommerce businesses to higher levels. The mobile apps increase the reach of their businesses, making them much more visible than ever before. Customers embrace this technology for convenience, User experience and flexibility it has brought into their lives. The ecommerce of the yesteryears is complemented well, if not replaced by mcommerce of today.
Mobile commerce is growing very fast. As per the eMarketer report, mobile-driven online sales in the U.S. are expected to reach $2.12 billion in 2013 and to $62.2 billion in the next three years. And this goes without saying that mobile applications will be playing a very vital role in this phenomenal growth. Therefore, business owners are moving fast and working towards creating mobile apps to get their business to the hands of customers.
Having understood the impact of mcommerce and the respective applications, it is vital that the approach for building the same should be well thought through and focused. Some important considerations for the same are:
1.Define the vision: Firstly, examine you organizational goals because they will decide your future roadmap that can take you ahead of your competition. Once you have the goals in place, evaluate the pros and cons, prioritize and work on it.
2. Decide the technology platforms: The future of the application will depend on the success of the platform on which it runs. Also, the technical capabilities may differ based on this choice. Android and iOS are the two most popular platforms, with Window 8 and Blackberry far behind. Therefore you would definitely want to include them in your strategy. Develop and test for the Android and iOS, including the resolutions of both the phones and tablets.
3. Choice of language: Having your product in just one language effectively limits your consumer base to the people who can understand it. Be cognizant of this fact, and unless you want to target only a specific group of individuals, create a choice of language.
4. Think about the ecosystem: Remember, your application does not work in isolation. You need a financial ecosystem to execute transactions. One of the critical components of the ecosystem is the payment gateway; you need to ensure proper integration for smooth operations.
5. Design for performance and usability: The mobile site needs to be optimized for smart phones and tablets. The layout should be simple and user friendly. Also, the site should be responsive which means it should change size and layout in response to the user’s device or device. The interface should be simple and easy to navigate on the small screens.
6. Test thoroughly: This is the last and the most crucial part in creating your app. Spend time with your target audience to ensure you understand their needs and whether it is working as per their expectations. The fragmentation of devices is a major challenge here. Different specs and resolutions may make your site behave erratically. Therefore, testing is very important.
