START UP IDEAS :

SEARCH ENGINE FOR APPS IN DESKTOPNaveenKumar Namachivayam

Founder: www.QAInsights.com | www.Excel2013.org

APP ONLY: GOOD OR BAD

Major online mega store Flipkart and Myntra decides to shutdown its website and keep only apps

Myntra closed its desktop site on May 15, 2015

Flipkart offers more discounts if you checkout from your mobile

Flipkart and Myntra traffic analytics shows that most of their customers buying from mobile device.

Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/myntra-to-shut-its-desktop-site-on-may-15/1/437282.html http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/flipkart-to-become-app-only-platform-to-shut-down-mobile-website-259744.html

PROS OF APP-ONLY

It saves operating costs

Reduction in human resources (development, maintenance, support help desk etc.)

CONS OF APP-ONLY

Forcing the end-users to use only mobiles

Losing customers base

Losing its online presence in search engines

Average customer spent at least 5-8 minutes in an e-commerce apps Mobile carrier charge might affect

the customers to checkout from mobile

If the user needs items like apparels, it is ideal to see it in the desktop and buy. Such items appeals in the bigger screen.

CURRENT SCENARIO 1

Assume that e-commerce site ABC Store has mobile-app only store

Say user is searching “shirts for men” from desktop

Now the search engine displays

www.abc-store.com/shirts

If the user clicks on it, it will redirect to www.abc-store.com/shirts

ABC Store displays “WE ARE APP ONLY”

Now the user MIGHT grab mobile and MIGHT place the order

Else, the user switches the store which has web presence

CURRENT SCENARIO 2

Assume that e-commerce site ABC Store has mobile-app only store

Say user is searching “dual sim mobile under 5000 Rs” from desktop

ABC Store has lots of dual sim mobile under 5000 in its listings

Search engine might display the results

But if the user clicks and ABC Store displays mobile-app only.

Now the user MIGHT grab mobile and MIGHT place the order

Else, the user switches the store which has web presence.

CURRENT SCENARIO 3

Assume that e-commerce site ABC Store has mobile-app only store

XYZ Store is the competitor who has both mobile and desktop versions

Say user is searching “refrigerators under 10000 Rs” from desktop

ABC Store has lots of offers in its listings.

XYZ Store also has the similar offers.

Search engine might display the results the both the stores

But if the user clicks and ABC Store displays mobile-app only.

User frustrates and now he/she clicks on XYZ Store

Now the user places the order

ABC Store loses their customer base SLOWLY

INNOVATION

HOW CAN APP-ONLY STORE RETAIN THEIR CUSTOMERS?

If the user search tablet under 10K search engine should search within app-only store and display the results.

But now, major search engines will display the app link e.g. Play Store, Apple Store links in the search results page.

When the user clicks on that link, browser should open the respective mobile page with the mobile user agent string (if the store allows).

Or else, it should give an option to open that link in a mobile simulator.

HOW CAN APP-ONLY STORE RETAIN THEIR CUSTOMERS?

There are two options:

Building a dedicated search engine which should search inside the apps

Building an interface which should be able to place an order without mobile

IT’S JUST MY THOUGHTS/IDEAS

I am not sure my idea works or not

I am not sure my thoughts are great or not

If my idea is great, I do not know how to proceed further

If you feel this can be done, please contact me at naveenkumar.n@outlook.com

THANK YOUVisit www.QAInsights.com and www.Excel2013.org

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