<div>Myntra, the e-retailer giant, has decided to offer its service only in the app format, shutting down all its operations from the desktop version. The Flipkart owned platform has done detailed study before this “strategic” move, and according to the company around 70 per cent of the sales and approximately 95 per cent of the internet traffic is through mobile devices, hence the decision to go app-only.</div><div> </div><div>However, few apprehensions still surround the decision. E-market in India is still in a nascent stage, and although it is growing at a remarkable pace, questions arise that are the customers ready to embrace the facilities only through a mobile device. </div><div> </div><div>The few problematic issues are:</div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Apps are better suited to smartphones as compared to feature phones:</strong></span></div><div>Although India is slowly marching towards smartphones, a vast population is still comfortable with feature phones, which do not support many applications. How viable will then this move be considering the compatibility issues.</div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Speed of the internet, and costs incurred :</strong></span></div><div>Many apps consume a substantial amount of mobile data, and presently the cost of a 3G connection is still very high, raising doubts as to whether shifting to an app-only service will be beneficial in the longer run, since the costs of Internet services in India are not likely to come down in the near future.</div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Desktop versions do offer better navigational facilities:</strong></span></div><div>Indians still want to compare products, and pay according to what suits their pockets the best. PCs thus offer better navigational facilities and multiple choice options. The users have a general tendency to switch to different products almost simultaneously and here Desktops trump mobile phones.</div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>The advantages of offering variety:</strong></span></div><div>The more the choices, the better the chances to tap into requirements. Hence, availability of both the desktop as well as mobile versions could serve the purpose better, as only compared to one platform. </div><div> </div><div>The company is confident enough to go ahead with the move, and the trends that will filter out in the coming days, will be an interesting watch and might just be a benchmark for others to follow.</div><div> </div><div> </div>
