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Are you waiting for Black Friday?

There were headlines recently that online retailers had experienced the  weakest August in terms of year-on-year growth since 2000.


The  growth for August was 5%, the smallest percentage since the IMRG  Capgemini index started recording retail sales data 15 years ago.
 
But  there is good news behind those isolated stats. Year-to-date figures  are up by a healthier 10% and Capgemini's head of digital, Alex  Smith-Bingham remains optimistic for retailers.
 
Ecommerce growth is “far more positive”
 
Mr  Smith-Bingham said that shoppers during August were most likely taking  advantage of the sun by shopping on the high street, and figures were  also affected by the late bank holidays.
 
IMRG's chief information  officer, Tina Spooner, said growth had been “far more positive” since  the index recorded a 7% growth in the first quarter of 2015, and  considered August's growth to be “a blip”.
 
Speaking to The  Guardian, IMRG's editor, Andy Mulcahy, also pointed out that sales would  likely rationalise over time anyway, and that in recent years, growth  had remained so buoyant because of the rise of mobile and tablet  ecommerce.
 
Nonetheless, IMRG identified five possible areas that  could have affected August's growth. These were: shopping reaching its  peak; disruption from the general election, strength of the pound  affecting custom from overseas buyers; people spending on leisure rather  that ecommerce; and shoppers holding out until Black Friday.
 
Will ecommerce boom again for Black Friday?
 
Earlier  this year, warnings were made by John Lewis about the negative impact  of Black Friday sales – namely that shoppers would buy Christmas  presents early at a discount and retailers would suffer overall.
It  remains to be seen how the rest of the year will pan out for ecommerce  sales, although a year-to-date growth of 10% suggests it has not  plateaued quite yet.
 
Next month will also give us a better idea  of whether shoppers are holding out for Black Friday, or if the  traditional American sale day is not as much of a draw this year.
 
About the author


 
 
We are Eastpoint Software web and mobile app development team based in Cambridge and London.
Eastpoint  Software Web, Mobile Apps and eCommerce Development Company London, Cambridge and UK.  If you have any questions and are looking for eCommerce and mobile app  development, please give us a call on 01223 690164 or Mail Us info@eastpoint.co.uk. Our tech team love building apps, and are keen to  take on new projects.
 
Visit us: https://www.eastpoint.co.uk/

 
If you are looking to have a web app built, or have an idea for a web app that you need to see realized, you may be looking for a bit more information about what it is and how it is built.
 
The information below should shed a bit more light on the phrase 'web app', which is often interchangeable with 'website', just to be awkward.
 
How does a web application differ from a website?


A web app is more about functionality, so a web app is like a tool that you use to do something. Facebook is a web application because go on there, talk, share photos etc. Google is a web application; users specifically go on there to search.
 
A basic website would not really be called a web app. A website is the bigger picture, and sometimes offers little functionality, for example a simple brochure website, which is a marketing tool for a company to explain what they do.
 
A web app usually suggests a greater degree of interactivity or complexity.
 
When to choose a web app over a desktop application


A web app is often chosen due to ease of maintenance and support, as all the complexity is hosted centrally as opposed to being installed in devices.
 
Web apps allow you to take advantage of certain tools available on this platform, such as jQuery and responsive web design - to be able to create mobile friendly versions of the apps.
 
A device dependent desktop application will have limitations on the type of computer or device it can be used on, for example developing something with the Microsoft language has to run on Windows computers.
Web apps typically depend on the user having access to a web browser, which all connected devices would have.
 
Web App Development Services – what should I expect and what is the process?


Although all projects differ, this is an abbreviated and general guideline explaining what to expect from the web app build process.
 
Generally, you will first chat to a web app developer about your objectives and requirements, after that the developer may need to gather further details.
 
Once those are decided on, a developer would usually next design how the user interface will work and design the technical solution. Then programming work can start, which is normally between a third and a half of the total effort required.
 
After completion of the build, testing is carried out. Then it's time for the customer to test and make sure they are happy with the result. Then your web app can be launched!
 
Web App Development Outsourcing:


You may know all about web apps already, and have clients wanting this service, but do not have the resources to fulfil a project within the timescales needed.
 
Outsourcing the web app development could be a good option. Here at Eastpoint Software, we have experience working with other agencies on projects. We treat any outsourced work just as we would if it has come directly to us – we work to a high standard to fulfil the brief.
 
Web application outsourcing allows you to make use of a specific skill-set without the hassle of recruitment and permanent staff.
 
About us


 

We are Eastpoint Software, web and software app developers, Cambridge. We offer high quality, cost effective web development.

 
If you are looking for a web application development company in Cambridge, give us a call on 01223 690164.
Our experienced developers have worked on a number of projects. See more at our website www.eastpoint.co.uk or email us at info@eastpoint.co.uk.