{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-post-js","path":"/posts/are-apps-needed-for-ecommerce-on-the-iphone","result":{"data":{"site":{"siteMetadata":{"title":"Daniel Bull","author":"Daniel Bull"}},"mdx":{"id":"4e343c63-af2a-5466-9e15-ca581926e9e7","excerpt":"When the iPhone launched back in 2007, one of the TV adverts boasted about its web browser capabilities. It wouldn’t be a stripped down…","fileAbsolutePath":"/opt/build/repo/src/posts/are-apps-needed-for-ecommerce-on-the-iphone/are-apps-needed-for-ecommerce-on-the-iphone.mdx","frontmatter":{"title":"Are apps needed for e-commerce on the iPhone?","subtitle":null,"slug":"are-apps-needed-for-ecommerce-on-the-iphone","date":"2010-03-09T00:00:00.000Z"},"body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"Are apps needed for e-commerce on the iPhone?\",\n  \"date\": \"2010-03-09T00:00:00.000Z\",\n  \"slug\": \"are-apps-needed-for-ecommerce-on-the-iphone\"\n};\n\nvar makeShortcode = function makeShortcode(name) {\n  return function MDXDefaultShortcode(props) {\n    console.warn(\"Component \" + name + \" was not imported, exported, or provided by MDXProvider as global scope\");\n    return mdx(\"div\", props);\n  };\n};\n\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"When the iPhone launched back in 2007, one of the TV adverts boasted about its web browser capabilities. It wouldn\\u2019t be a stripped down version of the internet, or a \\u201Ckinda sorta looks like the internet\\u201D, but instead a user would be able to access the web in all its glory.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"As an iPhone user, I know that this is true for news and other content-heavy sites. But how about the websites where functionality and user experience are far more important \\u2013 like an online store? Do retailers need to build a dedicated app to get people to shop using their iPhone?\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"It should in fact be possible to create a good shopping experience without using an app at all. I decided to review a couple of ecommerce sites that I discovered were iPhone optimised, just by landing on their home pages. They may also display well on other smart phones but I only had an iPhone handy at the time.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Amazon\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"I started by visiting amazon.co.uk, naturally thinking this would set the benchmark. A link to their iPhone app is immediately present - I suspect many people tap this link before even browsing the site. The simple fact is by the time you\\u2019ve found and downloaded the app, you probably could have made a purchase on the mobile site (assuming you know what you\\u2019re looking for).\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"Pros:\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"Prominent search boxes\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"Carousels of product recommendations\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"Clear navigation in the footer\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"Clear link to the full site, should you need/prefer it\")), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"Cons:\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"Only features parent category browsing of top sellers (the iPhone app doesn\\u2019t even offer that).\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"Too may taps required (I don\\u2019t want to have to tap on \\u201Cgo\\u201D after selecting an item in a drop down).\")), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Comet\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"I was a little suprised that out of the many sites I visited, Comet was one that had decided to optimise for iPhone. I was very suprised at just how good it was \\u2013 until I tried to checkout and realised you couldn\\u2019t actually buy anything online, even if you tried to view the full site.\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"Pros:\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"Excellent landing page takes you straight to a clear list of departments\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"Clear category list and product pages with refinement/sort options\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"All the product information you need on one page\")), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"Cons:\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"Can\\u2019t purchase anything online, collect from store only\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"Impossible to navigate the full site without being redirected back to the mobile site again\")), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Conclusion\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Despite being slightly disappointed, firstly by the browsing limitations on the Amazon store and then by the fact that I cannot actually buy anything from the Comet online store via iPhone, the user experience on both sites was good. Although apps can offer slick animations and transitions, they will eventually clutter your menu and you can\\u2019t multitask like you can with Safari. Some apps do not even save the contents of your basket after quitting.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"There are some exciting developments such as jQTouch, which means you can get more of an app-like experience from the web, including the use of swipe detection. I think combining this kind of technology with an iPhone optimised site that has all the features of Amazon and Comet would provide an experience that could easily rival most apps.\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;"}},"pageContext":{"slug":"/are-apps-needed-for-ecommerce-on-the-iphone/","collection":"post","prev":{"node":{"body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"Best Buy Mobile Site Review\",\n  \"date\": \"2010-08-16T00:00:00.000Z\",\n  \"slug\": \"best-buy-mobile-site-review\"\n};\n\nvar makeShortcode = function makeShortcode(name) {\n  return function MDXDefaultShortcode(props) {\n    console.warn(\"Component \" + name + \" was not imported, exported, or provided by MDXProvider as global scope\");\n    return mdx(\"div\", props);\n  };\n};\n\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In my previous blog post, I discussed if apps were really needed for e-commerce on the iPhone. It seemed to me that retailers should instead focus on making their websites more usable for customers using mobile phones. In my research I had only really looked at UK sites. When looking further afield, it would seem the US are way ahead of the game.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The Best Buy US mobile site is a fully transactional, mobile version of the full site with some features you wouldn\\u2019t normally expect on a mobile device.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Homepage\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The header features a basket icon, indicating that the site is transactional and not just for browsing. There is also a clear link to a store locator which has geolocation support \\u2013 perfect if you are actually mobile.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Right underneath the header is a search field, for those who know exactly what they are looking for. Especially useful if you wish to compare prices whilst you\\u2019re out shopping.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"One of the things that first takes your eye is the large slideshow which has a great horizontal slide transition. I was disappointed that you can\\u2019t navigate to each slide, via a swipe gesture though. You have to wait until it was visible and then tap it.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Probably my favourite part of the homepage was the faux dropdown for browsing categories. Excellent iconography and design makes this page clearer and easier to use than many other sites.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Browsing and Navigation\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Best Buy have really taken advantage of the fact they sell, on the whole, electrical devices that have a list of specifications e.g. screen size, megapixels, memory etc. You can refine your results by many criteria, but clear expandable menus mean you never really feel as if things are cluttered.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Incredibly, you can also compare 2 similar products side-by-side. This works much better than you might expect on such a small screen. It really made buying decisions that much easier and enjoyable.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Product pages\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"This is where it becomes clear that there is definitely a focus on collecting in store. The information on the first page is dominated by information on where and when items can be picked up. As a result, the \\u201Cadd to cart\\u201D button isn\\u2019t even immediately visible.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The enlarged product image was also only around twice as big and had no alternate images. This would likely prevent me from making a buying decision.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Further down the page, however, there are comprehensive details including an overviews, customer reviews (with sort options) and specifications.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"It\\u2019s also possible to email or text the product details to yourself or a friend, which is very useful if you want to continue shopping when you get to a PC.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Shopping Cart and Checkout\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The basket page is informative and well laid out, although if you don\\u2019t scroll down you may miss some obvious features, such as update quantity, recommended accessories and store pickup (if you somehow managed to miss it on the product detail page!)\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The checkout itself is all fairly standard and clear enough to proceed without too many issues. Shipping options and the final total are all well laid out. There is even some nice informative graphics for those trying to pay with gift vouchers etc.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Summary\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"I was really impressed with what Best Buy have achieved on a mobile device without relying on an iPhone app. It\\u2019s probably the best e-commerce experience I\\u2019ve had on my phone and almost preferable to using the full site.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"I think it\\u2019s let down by not having better product images and limited touch gesture support (swipe, pinch etc). The footer is also a bit bloated and fiddly \\u2013 Amazon seem to have got this right.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"With half a dozen stores in the UK already, a great brand and some awesome innovations, I can see Best Buy becoming a big success over here and I look forward to being able to use a UK version of the mobile site.\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","fields":{"slug":"/best-buy-mobile-site-review/"},"frontmatter":{"title":"Best Buy Mobile Site Review"}}},"pathPrefix":""}}}