Digital marketing and e-commerce expert, Syed Waqas Pervez, recently developed a web app for Zellbury, which included insights derived from Alavi.  As head of the e-commerce team at Zellbury, a popular online fashion brand in Asia, Waqas chose to build web app over a mobile app because it was much cheaper and quicker to produce. This strategy has so far been very successful for the company with the web app accelerating the customer journey, converting visits into purchases and encouraging repeat business.

Mobile Apps and Web Apps: What’s the Difference?

• A mobile app is individually developed for each operating system (e.g. iOS, Android) and requires a user to download it from an app store and install on his/her phone.
• A web app is also installed on a phone but is an adapted website that can viewed through the device’s browser. It is not specific to an operating system and does not need to be downloaded from an app store.

Key Features and Benefits of a Web App from Zellbury.com’s Experience:

• Installable and light weight: One of the advantages of a web app is that it uses very a little of a devices resources and is easily installed on a person’s phone. This means there is a Zellbury icon on the user’s home screen (like a regular mobile app) and makes shopping convenient for individuals who prefer to buy goods and services through an app.

• A home screen icon helps improves brand stickiness: It is getting harder and harder to get people to remember brand names (and spell them correctly), especially if they aren’t fluent in English. It is therefore easier to encourage customers to install a web app and get them to click on it on their home screen to get the Zellbury shopping experience.
• An improved log-In and checkout experience: Zellbury’s web app has a new and improved log-in and checkout experience with only ‘five fills’ and smart validations. The smart validations ensure the form is filled correctly and optimizing the ‘five fills’ has significantly decreased the number of orders that get returned due to incomplete or incorrectly entered information such as typing errors. Additionally, it has helped increase the number of customers who create an account at checkout – because it is preferable for customers to create an account for future marketing and to make purchasing easier) and not simply checkout as a guest.

• Lightning fast shopping experience: The web app allows Zellbury customers to have a fast and seamless shopping experience without having to download a resource-heavy mobile application. The product page on the web app has been optimized as a single page shopping experience, and it includes detailed product information, fabric care instructions, delivery timelines and customer service contact information. The web app seamlessly switches between these elements and includes bottom navigation. Customers can also shop by print pattern, style cut, pockets (i.e. with or without pockets), color and more.

• Easy cart page: Using the new web app, customers can easily remove items from the cart without needing to load a new page, which can save a lot of time.
• Direct courier integrations: Zellbury’s web app is integrated with different couriers so customers can choose the delivery option they prefer.
• Offline browsing capability: Customers can easily view pre-loaded pages of the web app, even when they are offline.
• Improved network usability: The web app can be used by customers in places with low data speeds. It works well even in areas with 2G and 3G network connectivity.
• Fun micro-interactions: Zellbury’s web app is full of micro-interactions (like the sliced banner on the homepage and the add to bag animation) that allow customers to seamlessly switch between different elements and screens.

“We tried to improve the perceived performance of our web app by reducing the user’s cognitive load to maximize usability. Looking at the numbers it seems we are on the right track.” – Syed Waqas Pervez, Head of Ecommerce, Zellbury

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