Anyone today who is planning to invest in mobile commerce will surely have faced the Hamletic dilemma of choosing between App or Mobile site. Searching the Internet, you will find millions of discussions on the subject that, however explanatory, will put you in front of a choice that is not easy.
What if we change our point of view?
Quoting one of the most beautiful and famous films of the last 20 years, “it is just when you think you know something that you have to look at it from another perspective…” (Fleeting Moment). Let us not forget that the behavior of mobile shoppers is based primarily on a good browsing experience, beyond design choices; we should not diversify too much the experience we want to convey to the user; the risk is to create too distinct classifications, sometimes applying drastic choices that tend to offer an unsatisfactory and, above all, unified experience among our sales channels. Let us shift our attention to another point, a very simple concept but one that can really make a difference: “unification.” Often in navigation we are confronted with a choice between App or Mobile site, which rarely promise us the same experience. This interrupts the expected flow, as indecision is generated in the mind of the average surfer, giving the idea that one choice might be worse than the other. In addition, if theexperience across devices turns out to be too diverse, we would clearly be looking at a red flag and probably not making the right choice marketing-wise. Offering multiple solutions to the customer, when the solution is likely to be unique, is not always optimal; especially in the initial phase of engagement, where we should reassure, provide clear information, and practical and effective tools.
Mobile Commerce: the goal is to unify
Unified Web Experience: the new goal is to unify, to make a site equally navigable with a consistent user experience, from whatever device is accessed, from landing to checkout. In fact, when designing the website, emphasis must be placed toward a cross/device strategy that embraces the user and takes them with ease to finalize the purchase. The evolution of web technologies now allows us to fully espouse the concept of unification, lowering costs and resources, providing the same result (in most cases) at both technical and marketing levels. The advance of M-Commerce does not reinvent the wheel but rather pushes us to think about the mobile-first concept, increasingly gearing our strategies toward a world on the move and no longer behind a desk.
