Flipkart and Myntra, both have decided to embrace mobile app only interface as they have suspended their mobile websites and forcing visitors to install their application for doing shopping.
So, going forward if you visit Flipkart.com or Myntra in your browser, here is what you will be greeted with, and you will no way to access the mobile website.
The homepage of both of these portals provides a link to their application, and users are encouraged to install that.
Considering the explosive mobile internet usage which India is experiencing right, it is expected that by 2019, there would be 651 million smartphone users and mobile web users will increase 13 times in the next 4 years. These decisions have been taken after considering the mobile usage habits of Indians presently and in near future.
As per reports coming in, Flipkart may opt to suspend their desktop website as well, and only allow shoppers to order via their mobile application.
Around 10 days back, we had reported that Myntra can ditch their mobile and desktop websites and opt only for mobile app based commerce, as 90% of the traffic and 80% of the sales are being generated via mobile internet.
We had never imagined that they will take action in this regards so swiftly, and decide to suspend their mobile websites all together within 10 days. Analysts are proclaiming this to be a redefining decision not only for Indian ecommerce market but also globally.
As per Flipkart, as a customer is always logged into their mobile apps, it becomes easier for the company to share their offers and help them shop, while spending less time.
Representatives from both the companies have confirmed that they are shutting down their mobile websites.
A Flipkart spokesperson shared this with Mint: “Over the past year we have come to believe that we can serve our users much better through our apps simply due to the flexibility it offers. With the app, customers can stay logged in to Flipkart at all times. This helps them save time and get smoother and faster checkouts. Our app is designed to work relatively well even in low bandwidth conditions compared to the m-site,”
Prasad Kompalli, head of Myntra’s Ecommerce platform said, “The app is the best way of offering a seamless, personalized shopping experience to the consumer. We don’t want to compromise on the customer experience, so we’ve shut the mobile website.”
Insiders who are close to the upper management of these portals are claiming that its better to provide a comprehensive, powerful experience on one platform rather than giving shabby and less impactful experience on different platforms. Hence, they can now divert their manpower and resources to make the mobile app more engaging and conversion friendly rather than tuning their mobile website along with mobile app.
Flipkart have recently hired Puneet Soni from Google to head their products head and accelerate their mobile push. Reliable sources are telling that this decision to completely ditch their mobile websites was strongly suggested by Soni.
If we believe reports, then Flipkart along with Myntra may shut down their desktop websites as well, turning them into a full-fledged mobile only commerce platform enabled via mobile app. This will make them into direct competition with PayTm, which is now a mobile marketplace for products.
But, it may also take their customers away to Amazon.
Kneejerk Reaction to Mobile Revolution?
Reddit comments certainly suggests so. In one of the discussions regarding Flipkart (which is not positive for the portal, co-incidentally), the top rated comment was:
If we check the world’s biggest ecommerce portals like Amazon, Ebay, Target, Costco, Alibaba, Ebay, Walmart, Etsy, Shop, Overstock, BestBuy etc, then we will find that all these portals are maintaining their mobile website, along with mobile apps and desktop website. And these websites are based in USA, where mobile penetration is highest in the world, and are much ahead in mobile usage compared to Indians.
Although Flipkart and Myntra gets 60-70% of all their orders from mobile, there is still 30-40% of orders which originate from either desktop website or from mobile website, as not everyone is comfortable in installing mobile apps and tolerating the constant push-alerts and ads which these apps throw at their customers.
If these major ecommerce portals haven’t suspended their mobile website, which logic prompted Flipkart to ditch their mobile websites completely and force the visitors to install their app?
The results would be pretty interesting to observe now. Do share your viewpoint on this decision to completely ditch mobile websites and maybe desktop websites in near future, by commenting right here!
[…] two of the largest portals to buy products online, decided to shut down their mobile websites, and forced the user to install their apps if they wanted to purchase […]
Bye Bye Flipkart, I and my family almost shopped for lakhs on amazon only because u didn’t give us a mobile website option. We don’t want to keep installing apps, and you cannot dictate us how to shop, its our wish. :-)
VERY VERY BAD MOVE BY MYNTRA AND FLIPKART.
I won’t install the apps and being a regular customer of both sites I am forced to forget about both…I will never buy anything from them again…Both of them will understand their mistake very soon, because of 1000s of customers like me.
Its good move to spoil their market. Definitely I won’t install the app and many mobile users also I think, because it will low down the phone and battery will die soon since app will run through out the day and will give shit notifications. If I want a item I’ll search all websites like Amazon, eBay, snap deal etc. mostly Amazon and eBay and jabong is enough for good price and quality most of the time. Even most items are not available in flip kart so we need not bothered about this site. One thing I didn’t understand, how come 60-70% saling through mobiles, I did through mobile only 2 time out of 250 transactions. All the best flopkart and enjoy mobile app customers.
Flipkart shutting down Desktop platform. DUMB decision. who the hell would want to fiddle with mobile phones used to the desktop. I won’t. might buy somewhere else.
Since I dont like carrying large mobile phones; and being a doctor, most of the time I am on my laptop with all the details of my patients thereon; Flipkart has lost a good customer as I have now switched over to amazon.in. I know at least 15 more persons like me who after finding Flipkart not being available on their PCs have now turned to ebay and amazon. Good luck Flipkart.
Fine they are promoting their app all the way but before closing the mobile version of flipkart, they could have atleast made sure all users can use their app. Currently Symbian users like me dont have flipkart apps to install. So they surely will loose out on customers like me. I used to buy from flipkart most often than not. But thank god last few months i started buying from amazon.in too :) Now i have atleast one option available and its amazon. So no probs as of now.
If I am buying something, say, Lumia 630, I would check all the website/ use some price comparision websites like mysmartprice.com or junglee. I cannot compare with the flipkart / myntra app. They don’t want customers to get the best price.. they wanted customers to buy like sheep and make like 80 – 100% profit. It just take small time for people to trust these websites and will start buys at the flipkart app with their eyes closed and getting fooled without knowing it..
This is ridiculous myntra stopped their website. I am a regular buyer at myntra and I find it convenient to use the website then mobile app. They should definitely make the website up again soon.
Flipkart has gone crazy. I’m not going to install their app as it is slowing down my phone. I’ll rather go to other sites and purchase. Flipkart losers.
Is the Flipkart out of its mind?
Why you want to close down your Website?
Have you considered these points –
Many of the first time users try from Website only
You say because 70% sale happened from Apps so what about remaining 30%
Many times Cell phones hung up and dont perform specially Android and Windows ones, what about those customers?
Many Cell phones dont have enough space for apps all the time they have to uninstall or delete etc. and then only will be able to install the app.
A customer point of view: An image on the screen of a webiste is larger and more descriptive than that on Apps.
It is a customer practice that I have observed around me: To check the product online(websites) compare and all googling. Then if all fine take out the mobile and buy from the app.
Please learn this from Amazon or Ebay etc, they are the long runner of this cut throat business.
It is a suggestion to keep the Websites going coz I am using Flipkart since 2011 and I have seen it growing from a big to Huge and above that
I am proud of it because its Indian and it is giving a great competition to foreign Giants…I dont want it to loose out.
This reason i hope can be of the tie-up with mobile operators by these e-commerce companies which which assures mobile internet usage by their customers. In future there can be many changes based on “Net-Neutrality” where i think flipkart making a clever move which can only be revealed in future.
– Mobile apps. Like Flipkart and Myntra makes my phone slower, so i keep very selective apps coz i cannot change my 30k phone every year.
– Their mobile apps is still evolving, ex. It’s really painful scrolling through 4000 different shoes page by page. Once you open any shoe and try come back it takes you to page 1, feels frustrated.
– Sometimes the filtering doesn’t work properly and it made you to flip through everything, which eats a lot of time.
In addition to above their is already a lot of cost saving due to no physical outlets/ shops, staff to manage them etc. so the business should think of to provide various platforms to customers. Are they expecting everyone to first carry a LATEST smartphone; people might think over rather to change their shopping outlet. Hey why are you risking your business and hard earned customers.
It is a ridiculous move by flipkart. I was a almost daily customer of flipkart,but i neither have a android phone nor net connection on my pc. I used to use my symbian phone to place an order there. But now i can’t do so. Thus, i have to purchase my all necessities from snapdeal. Its a really wrong step.
If you guys dont like this move of forced download, stop cribbing and stop going to their sites. Simple.
This is an absolutely ridiculous move by flupkart, Myntra, and snapdeal. I don’t have enough storage in my phone to download each of their apps. And I won’t do that as a matter of principle as well. Because they made me feel forced to do so. They are earning enough revenue to be able to maintain both platforms. And until they reconsider, I am certainly gonna reconsider my options.
A ridiculous and disgusting move by flipkart. Many of us search and select products from website and pay it later using mobile. Their app keeps throwing notifications, prompts to update and does not load reviews, seller details etc properly.
Why would I download an app and make my phone behave weird for this dictatorship attitude of flipkart. Better go with amazon and alternatives..
Simply stupid decision
What about the affiliate program of theirs, have they changed their policies for that as well because I am not able to check that on their affiliate page. What would happen to the business of flipkart if they completely shut down their mobile site and not allow affiliate penetration.
Guys, If you’re on chrome, just hit ‘web view’ in options and then open Flipkart.com, it will open the desktop version on mobile.
Wondering these “executives” ever thought of the user experience impact of shopping from apps? How many of us have browsed the stuff from our desktops and later when we knew the model / specs of the items we want, and when we were ready to shell out the money, we ordered from the mobile phones?
I can’t believe people make these dumb decisions. Why didnt they run a survey? Amazing dumbness.
I am already having a low internal memory due to couple of google apps and thanks to their updates. I was forced to uninstall facebook in order to free up my storage. Upon this I dont think I would favour installing an app for every other service. Mobile site would offer flexibility to users irrespective of the type of phones they are using. Discarding desktop sites implies losing their 30% share in the market which competitors easily capture.
This is disgusting.What about the users using symbian platform
Disgusting experience… I used to be a regular customer of Flipkart but after facing this issue, I won’t be buying anything from Flipkart
Bhai itna kama rahe ho ek website maintain nahi kar sakte…. aur itnahi app se shopping karane ka shauk hai to thoda un logo k bare me soch lete jo jyada internal memory k mbl afford nahi kar sakte ya hum jaiso ko pehle free mbl ka offer dedo phir app install karenge warna tum last option nahi ho.
suspending mobile site is not good. this is autocratic and dictating the customer how he should shop.very bad.
It has become worst I am searching for lappymaster power bank and other products it was showing before this closing but now website open app and app doest open that product now wrist experience this will lead to losing of customers now its wrist
this is very shameful act sometime app not working an example of mean act to get profit from app downloadings.what will happen to java users.simply for many active users it is forcing not only to download app but to buy a smartphone too.in my mind a simple method is to use substitute amazon will be a best option.sure these online traders business will go downnnnn.tak taka tak. enjoy bad luck for ever
Is the newly appointed head in Flipkart is he working for Flipkart or ?
I am a little baffled as to why should Flipkart or Myntra are close down their desktop website. As it is I don’t have the luxury of touch & feel while buying apparel, they are taking away the zoom in feature which makes you see the product better. Also, it will be difficult for new bands to establish themselves. Its a counter-intuitive decision. And obviously if Myntra is giving good deals on the app, the value conscious customer will go there- hence the surge in traffic and sales. Let’s see if this surge remains when no deals are given.
This is really ridiculous.. I was trying to update my return tracking ID on Myntra.. But couldn’t do that from my mobile.. The site was forcing me to download app.. What if I don’t have enough space to download app.. And what if there is any issues which I have to sort it out from Mobil only..?