Today, mobile applications play a significant role in online sales. Most e-commerce companies try to offer their customers their programs for smartphones. This allows them to retain customers, increase conversion, and expand the brand’s presence in the market.
However, before contacting an ecommerce app development company and starting to create your program, you need to decide on a very important question. It is which mobile platform to focus on – iOS or Android.
Your target audience
One of the most logical differences in the market for your goods and services, as well as the target audience:
- in the USA, Japan, and Europe, the percentage of iOS users is about 50-60%;
- in Latin America, Asia, and India, as well as in Eastern Europe, Android prevails.
If you clearly understand what target audience your product will be aimed at, half of the question is already solved. Additionally, it is worth considering the issue of the solvency of your potential customers. It is iOS users who spend money on applications and make online purchases more often. Therefore, iOS is better suited for the premium segment.
Complexity and cost of development
Next equally important issue of choice is development. It is necessary to understand how difficult it is and how much financial resources will need to be spent.
Technically, the development of e-commerce applications for the two leading mobile OS has differences.
- iOS. Applications for this system are created using Objective-C and Swift. They are intended only for devices running this OS. As a result, it is possible to speed up testing and reduce fragmentation.
- Android. Kotlin and Java are used to write such applications. Support for a large number of devices from many manufacturers of smartphones and tablets is important for them. Therefore, the costs of testing and adaptation of the interface will be higher.
As for time and budget, with separate development, creating an Android application will cost 20-30% more. The solution to this problem can be the use of cross-platform frameworks. They allow you to create programs for both OS using one code. Although they also have some limitations and disadvantages.
UI and UX
When choosing an OS for developing a mobile e-commerce application, it is important to consider the user experience and visual elements. They differ in iOS and Android.
- iOS uses a minimalist interface, which is due to standardized Apple solutions and strict restrictions;
- Android has a large number of settings and the ability to visually customize.
If your project is designed for high engagement, then the design must be adapted to the user preferences of each audience.
Publication and monetization
Official app stores for these mobile OSs are also different. The App Store has strict requirements, design restrictions, and moderation. Therefore, verification upon publication can take about 3 days.
Google Play is less demanding and selective. But this increases competition and the risk of facing bad reviews.
To make the right and final choice, contact specialists in the field of e-commerce application development. They will be able to analyze your ideas and help you make an informed decision.
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