The new app includes the best in app search, filter and sort functions we’ve seen yet.
With holiday buying season’s fast approach, the number of online retailers creating iOS and Android Apps grows with each day. One of these retailers, Urban Outfitters, is tackling an issue a great number of apps have been struggling with: in app search, filtering and sorting of products. With this new addition, Urban Outfitters is making it easier for its most loyal customers to search for and buy items, while also setting the standard in future retail app development.
As consumers become more comfortable with purchasing through mobile devices, search and discovery features in commerce apps are pivotal. Not only are mobile visitors known to be less patient in finding items, the number of different ways an app will be used are ever-expanding. Along with the newest functions, the Urban Outfitters app will feature curated holiday gift ideas and localized store information. “We know our customers are using their mobile devices before they head to a store as well as while they are shopping, so we are providing easier access to content like holiday store hours and will use push notifications to inform customers about events at their local stores.”, says UO’s Program Manager, Carolann Larkin.
Though all retail apps should include easy search and filtering options, the tools needed for easy implementation are just now becoming available. Mobile-optimized APIs are crucial in efficiently pulling in back-end data some retailers’ databases; one such tool is made by WillowTree apps is Monkeypod, a cloud-based API that specialized in connecting databases with smart phones and tablets.
These search, filter and sort features are just a few of the many factors which are making mobile shopping a norm in society. Trinity believes that retailers will continue to put more emphasis on apps and optimizing the mobile experience as time goes on. Though the key is to generate desktop-like revenue numbers, the biggest hurdle for retailers will be to foster a creative mobile experience.
