Myntra, the popular online shopping portal that had embraced the app only model last year is taking a U-turn. The company has now officially launched its mobile website after it went app only nine months back.
Myntra was testing the mobile website in December but it was not working full fledged at that time. The company said that it does not want to lose out on customers who don’t use the app or are not interested in installing the app. Myntra’s mobile website is as good as its app with colorful UI and easy navigation. You can browse easily from the mobile website however, it offers less animations and looks like a toned down version of the app. The website still has the banner on the home page that urges users to download the Myntra app. A large number of customers were against Myntra’s plan of going app only as the process of selecting and buying products, especially clothes, on a 5 inch or higher mobile screen is tough and not seamless.
Ambarish Kenghe, head of products at Myntra,
We are still focused on our mobile strategy and want to get the consumer experience right. They (consumers) will now have the option of buying on the mobile site but we will keep nudging the consumer to download the app.
Myntra had decided to go app only as it draws 80% of its traffic and 70% of sale from mobile app. Also, Flipkart had decided to kill its desktop site and go app only but in August it put the decision on hold and launched the Flipkart Lite mobile website which lets you buy items without visiting the app. Last week, Myntra founder Mukesh Bansal resigned from the company.