M-commerce
Also known as: mobile commerce
M-commerce is an umbrella term for sales activities through mobile devices. These can take place through mobile Web sites, Web applications and native apps.
With the rise of smartphones and tablets and ever faster mobile Internet connections, this part of e-commerce is becoming increasingly important for businesses. Many people still mainly use their cell phones to communicate via the Internet, access information and make online purchases.
Where e-commerce ensured, among other things, that we can order online 24/7, m-commerce ensures that we can do so anywhere, whether on the road or at home on the couch, as long as we have a smartphone in our pocket. At the same time, mobile commerce and other e-business are slowly converging due to developments such as responsive websites and increasingly sophisticated phones.
Mobile commerce through apps
Developing an app for platforms such as Android and iOS provides several advantages over a website. Besides offering the familiar web shop functionality, within a mobile app it is possible to make use of specific functions of the device, such as location tracking (via GPS or wifi), being able to add an icon to the homescreen, personalization and push notifications. In addition to web stores with an app, there are also apps where the app itself is the product, for example to offer information or entertainment, whether or not for a fee or with advertising. The disadvantage of a native app is that customers must install it first, which websites do not require.
