Predicting what lies in store for the future of ecommerce is a notoriously tricky business. Sorting the passing fad from the enduring innovation is difficult no matter what your level of experience, but a sound knowledge of what has gone on in the last few years, and the ways in which the sector has changed should provide a solid foundation for anyone working in web design in London. One field which is moving at a rapid rate, and which is likely to be vitally important in the coming years, is that of mobile application development.
The rise of hand held applications has been rapid and dramatic. Devices such as the iPhone, the Ipad and other android platforms have made it possible for anyone to access vast swathes of online information and commerce no matter where they are in the world and no matter what time of the day or night it is. The technological developments contained within these devices, allied to a change in the attitude toward mobile web access - wherein people now feel much more confident when spending money via mobile technology - has led to a massive explosion in the amount of ecommerce which is now carried out on the move.
In the early days of mobile application development, the majority of ecommerce which took place via hand held devices tended to be centred upon the devices themselves, with consumers feeling happy to buy things such as ringtones, wallpapers and games. In recent years, however, this has changed dramatically. Whilst these items still undoubtedly form a part of the picture, they now line up alongside the kind of purchases which would traditionally have been made either in person, or from deskbound home or office based computers. This change in the approach toward mobile commerce is something which has to be borne in mind by web developers of every type. It's now no longer good enough for a company's mobile site to be a €shrunk down' less impressive version of their mains site, and one which is mainly used for promotional purposes. In the modern market place a mobile site is just as likely to be the first port of call - indeed, in many cases it will be the only means via which consumers interact with your business since, for a new generation, hand held web surfing is second nature.
Another facet of mobile commerce which has to be taken into account when working on the next wave of web design is the rise of technology such as the Google Wallet system - a cash free payment system which utilises smart phone technology to make paying for goods as simple as tapping your phone on the relevant pay point. Whilst the take up for the system is relatively slow, with some people citing concerns around the area of security, it should be remembered that similar concerns were present in the earliest days of €conventional' ecommerce, and that time and take up eventually served to put them to rest. Whilst the Google wallet system itself may or may not take off, it is symptomatic of the fact that the mobile revolution has a way to go yet, and that innovations in Near Field Communication will provide web design opportunities for businesses of every size.
The rise of hand held applications has been rapid and dramatic. Devices such as the iPhone, the Ipad and other android platforms have made it possible for anyone to access vast swathes of online information and commerce no matter where they are in the world and no matter what time of the day or night it is. The technological developments contained within these devices, allied to a change in the attitude toward mobile web access - wherein people now feel much more confident when spending money via mobile technology - has led to a massive explosion in the amount of ecommerce which is now carried out on the move.
In the early days of mobile application development, the majority of ecommerce which took place via hand held devices tended to be centred upon the devices themselves, with consumers feeling happy to buy things such as ringtones, wallpapers and games. In recent years, however, this has changed dramatically. Whilst these items still undoubtedly form a part of the picture, they now line up alongside the kind of purchases which would traditionally have been made either in person, or from deskbound home or office based computers. This change in the approach toward mobile commerce is something which has to be borne in mind by web developers of every type. It's now no longer good enough for a company's mobile site to be a €shrunk down' less impressive version of their mains site, and one which is mainly used for promotional purposes. In the modern market place a mobile site is just as likely to be the first port of call - indeed, in many cases it will be the only means via which consumers interact with your business since, for a new generation, hand held web surfing is second nature.
Another facet of mobile commerce which has to be taken into account when working on the next wave of web design is the rise of technology such as the Google Wallet system - a cash free payment system which utilises smart phone technology to make paying for goods as simple as tapping your phone on the relevant pay point. Whilst the take up for the system is relatively slow, with some people citing concerns around the area of security, it should be remembered that similar concerns were present in the earliest days of €conventional' ecommerce, and that time and take up eventually served to put them to rest. Whilst the Google wallet system itself may or may not take off, it is symptomatic of the fact that the mobile revolution has a way to go yet, and that innovations in Near Field Communication will provide web design opportunities for businesses of every size.