Mobile World : tablet

CVS iPad App Gives Shoppers a Virtual Storefront Experience

'Net Features : wm-mobile — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:45:00 GMT

Earlier this week, CVS launched an innovative new iPad application for online shoppers that provides them with a detailed, virtual 3D e-commerce experience in the palms of their hands. With the app, customers can explore a digital version of a CVS/pharmacy...(read more)

iPad Traffic Falls After Holidays

'Net Features : wm-mobile — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:35:00 GMT

There has been a bit of a shake-up in the tablet world, thanks to the Kindle Fire’s popularity over the holiday season. In fact, insights from online advertising network Chitika reveal that the iPad’s tablet Web shares fell by 7.1 percent...(read more)

Survey Says: Ecommerce Sites are Not Tablet Ready

Allison Howen — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:29:00 GMT

A new study from rich media mobile and social merchandising provider Zmags reveals some interesting insights about the top 100 retailers’ readiness for mobile and tablet commerce.

As most Website Magazine readers know, 2012 is predicted to be the year of mobile. But according to the recent Zmags study, less that one-third of the leading online retailers are ready for tablets.

Other key findings include:

While 68 percent of the surveyed retailers have developed smartphone apps and 59 percent have smartphone-specific sites, less than one-third have optimized their sites for tablets.
Smartphone mobile sites typically have little dynamic content and focus on search and category navigation, while tablet browsing is often flawed with technical glitches such as slow loading times, unavailable content or Flash related issues.
More than two-thirds of the surveyed retailers have iPhone apps, with only half offering the ability to make purchases through the apps.
About 40 percent of the surveyed retailers have iPad apps, but 25 percent don’t offer purchasing capabilities.
More than one-third of surveyed retailers offer the ability to purchase on Android apps.

According to the IBM Benchmark December holiday report, iPad shoppers drove more retail purchases than users of any other device. This is why it is important for merchants to optimize their sites not only for smartphones, but for tablets as well. Best practices include de-cluttering the website, focusing on easy navigation, reducing load times and ensuring all video and animation translates to various popular device types .

Tablets Wanted by Small Businesses

Allison Howen — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:13:00 GMT

Does your business plan include purchasing a tablet in 2012?

If so, it’s not the only one. According to a survey from NPD Group, almost three quarters (73%) of U.S. small and medium size businesses that have less than 1000 employees plan on purchasing a tablet within the next 12 months, with the top tablet choice unsurprisingly being the iPad.

“Businesses of all sizes appear to be determined to capitalize on the tablet phenomenon,” says Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. “The iPad, just as it is in the consumer market, is synonymous for ‘Tablet’ in the business market, leaving Apple poised to take advantage of the increased spending intentions of these SMBs. NPD’s research shows that iPad purchase preference is higher among larger firms than smaller ones, which is an important indicator that Apple is gaining traction far outside its typical consumer space.”

The study also reveals that the average small business investment on tablets is projected to exceed $21,000 over the next 12 months, however this number drastically changes depending on company size. For instance, a company with less than 50 employees is projected to spend a little less than $2,000 on tablets, while a company with more than 500 employees is expected to spend more than $38,000.