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A report released by Adobe has shown that this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday were the biggest ever in the US, with $11 billion in online sales during the long-weekend sale.
 
Adobe's estimates, based on aggregated anonymous data spread over millions of visits to thousands of websites, show other trends within the record spending.
 
Mobile shopping


As businesses mull over the worth and profitability of mobile app development or mobile-friendly versions of an existing website, figures continue to rise for the popularity of purchasing via a mobile device.
 
According to Adobe, sales via a mobile device accounted for 34% of sales, the majority of which were made on smartphones. Of those, iPhones were used for 67%, leaving Android with 33%. Sales via tablet were down a couple of percent to 15%. In the UK, iPhone and Android mobiles are split about about 50/50 in terms of use, so it's worth noting that this figure may be less relevant when considering the reach of iOS development versus Android mobile development in the UK.
 
Adobe also highlighted how shoppers like to browse via mobile too, accounting for 53% of shopping visits on Black Friday, split 40% for smartphones and 13% for tablet.
 
Mobile use in general was up on last year, and again singled out as a future growth area, this time by analysts Com Score, who have predicted a 14% rise on last year for holiday mobile sales.
 
What does this mean for retailers thinking of mobile development?
 
For those thinking of mobile versions of a site, or mobile friendly layouts, mobile sales aren't slowing down and iOS or Android mobile development would look to be a good investment.
 
Although consumers prefer desktop for certain purchases (usually higher priced items) it is clear that we're increasingly using our mobiles and tablets to make quick, convenient purchases.
 
If your site is not optimised for mobile, you could miss out on sales. It does depend on your target audience, but the expectation is that we want to be able to browse and buy on mobile devices.
 
Incidentally, according to Adobe the iPad Air 2 was one of the top sellers on Black Friday. Another little factoid from Adobe is that of the estimated $905m worth of purchases via mobile devices on Black Friday, iOS iPhone and iPads accounted for 75% of that total.
 
What about mobile ecommerce in the UK?


Ok, so these figures relate to the US. UK mobile shopping is usually in line with the US – we all know Black Friday itself is a US phenomenon based on the Thanksgiving weekend, which Brits have embraced in recent years.
 
However, if you'd prefer to just look at UK figures, please refer to our upcoming article on mobile device sales in the UK.
 
About us

Eastpoint Software Web and Mobile Apps Development Company Cambridge, UK and London. We specialize in iOS mobile software development and android mobile development, as well as bespoke web applications. We also have a strong record of ecommerce mobile development.
 
Visit us: https://www.eastpoint.co.uk/

 
A  survey by Ofcom has revealed that the majority of people in the UK   prefer to go online using their mobile phone ahead of laptops, tablets,   and desktop computers.

 It's the first time the survey has put smartphones on top, with laptops being the most popular previously.

 How important is mobile app development?

 So what does this mean for websites? If more people are viewing   websites and apps on their mobile, should development be prioritising   mobile-specific designs?

 Our feeling is that the survey shows that mobile should, when   applicable, always be an option, but that it's often best alongside more   traditional software development.

 People preferring mobile doesn't mean laptops are not being used.   Think of your own browsing habits. Do you reach for your mobile most of   the time all things considered, but prefer to make purchases on a  laptop  or desktop?

  That is certainly the case for me. While I would have to pick mobile   for preferred device due to the amount of times a day I check emails and   new websites, I much prefer using my huge desktop monitor to view   websites. I would appreciate a mobile friendly website, but I also want   to be greedy and be able to see desktop designs and tablet-sized   websites too.

 But  even so, for certain areas, mobile development is the way to go.  You  don't necessarily need to 'cover all bases' and it very much depends  on  your target consumers/users, as well as budget.

 What now for desktop development?

 The survey shows a decline in website browsing via a desktop computer   as a preferred method, which is to be expected. How many people do you   know who still fire up a desktop pc at home?

 But there are other factors to consider. Mostly, that checking your   phone to check something like a news headline is fine, but often people   will want a larger screen to do anything more involved. A lot of people   will still have desktop computers at work, and view websites via a   standard monitor while browsing on lunch breaks.

 In terms of web design, desktop and laptop are covered by the same   scale design, so although less people prefer desktops, plenty of people   still use it, and plenty still prefer laptops. So a regular   “desktop/laptop” design (ie, the usual full size website or application)   should still be your first port of call in many situations.

 The most important thing is to offer choice when possible, and take into account what will work best in specific circumstances.

Navigating web and mobile development – what should I get?

 We always help our clients understand the pros and cons of creating   apps for different devices and, with their input, weigh up what is best   for them.

 If a  client has a budget in mind, we make our suggestions for what we  think  might be a good starting point based on that budget, and how to  reach  the most people in the best way, for their spend.

 About us – Mobile Apps Development in Cambridge, London and UK:

 Eastpoint Software Web and Mobile App Developers and Development Company Cambridge, London and UK.   Our team has decades of experience and are always striving to learn  and  stay up to date, to give our clients the best possible mobile app   development.

  Visit us:  https://www.eastpoint.co.uk/Mobile-Apps/
https://www.eastpoint.co.uk/Mobile-Apps/

Why develop a mobile app?

Use of mobile devices is set to overtake desktop for accessing   websites . Think about how often you use your phone, or you see other   people using theirs. It's common to use your mobile to browse websites, search for information and make purchases.

A mobile app enhances the user experience further and achieves a   greater engagement with your users. Often a mobile app offers features   that a mobile web site (or web app) isn't capable of because it can have  greater access to the mobile device's hardware (such as GPS, camera and  microphone).

Planning:

Thorough understanding of what you want and ensure we've got all the information that we need to design a solution to meet that.

Design and user experience:

We will look at who your app needs to appeal to, and be appropriate   for, the intended audience. It needs to be consistent with existing   branding where applicable.

Development:

Creating the working product based on those things using our   experience with various technologies to devise and develop a solution.

Testing:
We make sure that what we've produced is what we set out to produce, and ensure it all works correctly on varied device types.

We like automated and manual testing, making sure that where possible   we have automated tests to cover the design functionality, backed up   with the manual testing. You can't beat a human set of eyes looking at   it.

Support, analysis and improvement:

We'll work to ensuring that product continues to perform in the way that it's expected long after the product is launched.

Long term support for mobile apps is key to it's success as new   devices and device updates often change the underlying systems which   could otherwise harm performance of the application.

And as user uptake of your application grows, we'll work with you to   collect and analyse information about usage and help to guide design   changes and enhancements.

We like to maintain relationships with clients over the years,   supporting systems, offering advice, and remaining a part of the   project.

Native, web and hybrid apps:

There are options for type of mobile app you can build, depending on how you want it to be used.

A native app is specific to, for example, Android or iOS (Apple).   Generally, the result is slicker and perhaps better access to things   such as accelerator, camera, location, because it has built   specificially for that device.

Mobile web apps are applications run via a website, and can be seen in the browser on your mobile phone.

A hybrid app is a HTML5, CSS and Javascript web application (the same   technology used for normal websites), that is then adapted to be used   on various devices. Hybrid apps are installed in the same way (through   App Store or Play Store), so depending on the features and/or design the  user may never be aware of the difference. Hybrid apps do have some   limitations, but they have the benefit of being much quicker to develop and deploy to different devices types.

Eastpoint Software Mobile Application Development Company in UK, London and Cambridge.  We have offices in Cambridge and London, and are based in Cambridge.   Our office is at the Hauser Forum, do come and meet us to discuss   projects. Get in touch with us at info@eastpoint.co.uk or, as Blondie   would say, call me on 01223 690164.

Visit us: https://www.eastpoint.co.uk/Mobile-Apps/