A mobile eCommerce website is a version of your store that is specifically formatted for mobile viewers. The information on the this page provides you with an overview of the factors to consider when creating a mobile website.
Do you really need a mobile website?
With the number of people browsing the web on mobile devices increasing it is well worth considering whether your eCommerce website is as user-friendly as it should be on mobile devices. Through Google Analytics, a reporting must have for any eCommerce store owner, we can find out the number of mobile visits to your eCommerce website. You can even see numbers of visits from specific devices, this is really useful information to know especially if you are contemplating eCommerce App development – more about that later. Based on the number of mobile visitors you have on your site you can determine the value of investing in a mobile eCommerce website.
What are my options when it comes to mobile eCommerce websites?
Mobile devices have a smaller screen size and therefore your eCommerce store may not be viewed clearly on them. At least your website should be viewable on a mobile device and you should have a touch phone number so people can easily contact you.
Any animated elements on your site, such as a banner on the homepage, that are using the deprecated flash technology will not show up on certain devices. Removing Flash elements and formatting the site so it fits in a mobile screen are the minimum requirements.
Store owners that really understand the benefits of providing mobile viewers with a user-friendly experience will want to consider creating a dedicated mobile theme for their eCommerce store.
What are the benefits of creating a dedicated mobile theme for Magento eCommerce?
Better than just making your website mobile friendly is to provide your viewers a dedicated mobile experience through a mobile version of your website. With Magento eCommerce it is possible to create a separate theme for your website which is displayed when a mobile viewer goes to your website on their device. The mobile version of your eCommerce store displays all your website content directly from your Magento application but formatted differently for mobile screen sizes. A mobile theme focuses on presenting your products in the most relevant and accessible way to viewers. Any changes you make in your Magento website are also picked up on the mobile version so its automatically kept up to date with your website.
Accessibility: A mobile eCommerce website is accessed through mobile phone web browser such as Safari or Chrome and can be found in the mobile Google search results. An App is a stand alone piece of software that has to be downloaded onto the users phone.
Functionality: A mobile App can use all the functionality available on a mobile device such as swipe, multi-touch functions, and notifications. A mobile website runs in the mobile device web browser so doesn’t have access to all the abilities of the device.
Management: The information on a mobile eCommerce website can be edited and updated via your Magento eCommerce website content management system. Changes to an App will generally need to be made by a developer.
Cost: A mobile eCommerce website can be viewed on all mobile devices whereas a separate App needs to be created for each type of mobile device such as Apple iPhone or Andriod. This means that generally speaking a mobile App is more expensive to create than a mobile website.
What are the costs involved in creating a mobile version of your Magento eCommerce store?
Creating a mobile eCommerce website can vary in cost depending on a number of factors such as the degree of customisation you have on your Magento eCommerce store, your specific design requirements, and the version of Magento eCommerce that your website is running on.