So, thought Flipkart going app-only? Things have changed, India’s top online shopping store Flipkart has brought back its mobile version of the website on smartphones called Flipkart Lite. The mobile website is designed for those who haven’t installed the Flipkart app and offers users a pretty slick shopping experience. It to be noted that, up until now if you try to open Flipkart website on your mobile browser, you will be forced to download the App. And if you have not downloaded the Flipkart App then you won’t able to shop at Flipkart from your smartphone.
So why the sudden change from Flipkart?
It may be due to the public outrage among users on Flipkart going app only and it may be due to Google?
Google seems to have played a major role in bringing back the Flipkart mobile website. When Flipkart dropped its mobile website and opted only for mobile App, Google’s search engine was not able to effectively crawl, index and display content from Flipkart app as easily as data on websites. So ineffective Flipkart was losing a big chunk of users to its site from smartphone and also Google was not able to provide a relevant search result to users searching for products in Flipkart on its mobile search.
So, it seems Google Chrome team has worked out with Flipkart to bring back the mobile website. It uses advanced technology where the website now taps smartphone’s graphics processor, rather than connecting to a remote server and it allow to store website data directly on mobile and helps to render web page pages more quickly. Read more about it under Flipkart tech blog.
“Flipkart’s mobile app is still its primary vehicle for reaching customers on their phones. But some users in India are reluctant to download apps because they have limited storage on the phones and limited data plans. Having a strong mobile website means Flipkart won’t turn away those potential shoppers” commented Peeyush Ranjan, Flipkart.
Flipkart lite offers modern material design for its mobile website. The pages load quickly and offers an easy navigation option to any product category. Users can browse through different categories or search for any products. One can easily check product images & details, rating & reviews, seller information in a quick glance. One can also make a purchase through Flipkart Lite just like in an App.