Has anyone here gone MOBILE yet?

I have been reading a number of shopping carts are including a feature to Switch into Mobile Web Site mode for smartphone access. Any talk about this for Zen?

I have asked this question here about every 6 months for the past year or two and the fact I never get a response indicates Zener's are still not seriously considering that Mobile will dominate the online consumer market, some analysts says within as little as 1-2 years.

So my question is, after that bit of rambling, is there a Mobile Web solution out there for Zen Cart. IN particular, will it be possible to export existing SQL DBs into a mobile web solution? Has anyone tried or been researching this?

I've been searching the entire internet for the same thing. There are two different solutions one is a mod with a very simplified css script (http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139114) and the other is a little more elaborate but from my experience was quite crap and not capable of running as a cart (no offence to those who have donated hours on the mod). Appologies for not including links but I can't for the life of me find them again, I did look.

Overall I haven't found anything and I can't afford masses on paying someone to write one.

If anyone finds one can they please let me have the details

With the capabilities of mobile browsers improving, the need to have a "mobile only" site becomes less and less.

I have yet to find a mobile version of a web store that offers a satisfactory experience compared to the real site and ALWAYS hit the "full site" options. I would be surprised if I'm alone in doing so.

Oh, you're not banging on about this again are you?

It's quite simple really. If you want a mobile version of Zen Cart then employ a developer and pay them to write one for you - but don't expect someone to do it for free.

If you can't be bothered to pay then you can't be that bothered - full stop!

Vger

But then to quote Sir Henry at Rawlinsons End:

If something is worth doing, it is worth forcing someone to do it for you!!!

But while the early bird catches the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.

Vger:

Oh, you're not banging on about this again are you?

It's quite simple really. If you want a mobile version of Zen Cart then employ a developer and pay them to write one for you - but don't expect someone to do it for free.

If you can't be bothered to pay then you can't be that bothered - full stop!

Vger

I just can't understand why there are people like you on here. If you can afford to pay for programmers left right and centre why are you using a free web cart program like zen-cart?

If I could write the code I would share it freely as so many other wonderful programmers/script writers have done to support the site.

I just can't understand why there are people like you on here. If you can afford to pay for programmers left right and centre why are you using a free web cart program like zen-cart?
:jawdrop:

Well, maybe because we're Zen Cart Certified Hosts, and we help people with their "Zen Cart" problems? But this isn't a Zen Cart problem.

If we wanted a Mobile App for Zen Cart then we would either write it ourselves or bring in another developer or team of developers and pay them to write it.

Vger

akincer:

With the capabilities of mobile browsers improving, the need to have a "mobile only" site becomes less and less.

I have yet to find a mobile version of a web store that offers a satisfactory experience compared to the real site and ALWAYS hit the "full site" options. I would be surprised if I'm alone in doing so.

I agree that mobiles are much more improved with web browsing nowadays, not like the early 00's. When ever im on a mobile browsing and encounter a mobile version of the site - many times I find myself trying to find the link tot the regular site because the mobile version did not have the features I want. I think the days of creating mobile versions are about dead - or should be. Developers just need to design sites that are efficient enough to run on both systems and mobiles. :smile:

I think the days of creating mobile versions are about dead - or should be.

That has already been pointed out, but it's good for it to be reinforced. It's just that some people have this bee in their bonnet about it and must have a Mobile App (just so long as they don't have to pay for it).

We routinely check sites on the iTouch synced to WiFi, and they're not special mobile sites that we're looking at. The days of writing WAP sites came and went within about 2 years of the mobile internet starting. That was the shortest lived mobile "revolution" in history.

Vger

"Help People"? Yikes!, if that is your attitude of "helping" I'd hate to be around when you are in obnoxious mode...? But, then again, I'd never hire you for hosting or anything else. So no problem here...:D

Vger:

:jawdrop:

Well, maybe because we're Zen Cart Certified Hosts, and we help people with their "Zen Cart" problems? But this isn't a Zen Cart problem.

If we wanted a Mobile App for Zen Cart then we would either write it ourselves or bring in another developer or team of developers and pay them to write it.

Vger

if that is your attitude of "helping" I'd hate to be around when you are in obnoxious mode...? But, then again, I'd never hire you for hosting or anything else

Phew! Thats a relief. Dodged the bullet on that one.

Vger

Vger:

Phew! Thats a relief. Dodged the bullet on that one.

Vger

Yup, Terra Network, a whole bunch of class there?? (speaking of dodging a bullet) ..:jump::jump:

Meanwhile, aside from this nuisance (who obviously is bored due to lack of business) please continue to provide feedback on any Mobile solutions you have supplemented your Zen with. Would love to hear some genuine case studies.

Agreed people... Please keep the petty crap offline! This is designed to help people and I think I speak for many of us when i say I don't have time to waste reading through pages of back-and-forth from people about stupid non-topic based crap. Please move on!

As for the idea of Mobile apps. I disagree that they are dead. Many larger companies still use them. My sites and very graphic intense and therefore a Mobile app would do me good to enable faster browsing and purchasing.

All I can tell you is I get about 5-10 emails a day from a Mobile phone, from a potential customer who is looking at my site on his mobile device. I would like to be able to give him/her the ability to immediately place an order. I am looking into being able to export my Zen SQL database into a mobile solution.

P.S. Not only NOT dead. But, the last eMarketer newsletter I just read was by 2014, 70% of the population will ONLY have a mobile device to access the internet.
"He who hesitates is a damned fool."
— Mae West

outeredge2:

As for the idea of Mobile apps. I disagree that they are dead. Many larger companies still use them. My sites and very graphic intense and therefore a Mobile app would do me good to enable faster browsing and purchasing.

I am searching for a Mobile solution also! Maybe finding a Freelancer would be the best bet!

No one is arguing against the popularity of mobile devices, esp. smart phones and tablets, and the increase in online purchases via a mobile device. This particular thread has always been about two things:

1. Do you need a specific Mobile Application website, to render your site on mobile devices in a way which is different to how it would render anyway?

The answer to that is "No". You simply need for your website to render to W3C standards and to avoid the use of Flash for buttons etc.

2. If you want a specific Mobile Application of your website then should you expect, as some people do, to have someone code it for free and then give it away to you for free?

The answer to that is also "No". It's great when a group of people like the Zen Cart team put something together, maintain it, and provide it for free - but it's not something you can expect or demand is done just because you want something but don't want to pay for it. If you want something badly and it's not available for free then you should be prepared to put your hand in your pocket and pay for it to be developed. If necessary you can always group together with a bunch of like-minded people and split the cost between you.

Everyone here who's running a Zen Cart website is doing so in order to make money and as with running any business there are business expenses as well as profits. The satisfaction comes when the income exceeds the expenditure. That's when you know you're doing things right.

By the way - there is already a "Mobile Template" available for Zen Cart from the downloads section. I haven't used it so can't vouch for it.

Vger

I probably shouldn't bother responding but maybe it will stifle this tangent.
Re:"free and then give it away to you for free?"

WHO in the world ever asked for FREE? The thread objective was to generate IDEAS, dialogue. That's all.

Vger:

No one is arguing against the popularity of mobile devices, esp. smart phones and tablets, and the increase in online purchases via a mobile device. This particular thread has always been about two things:

1. Do you need a specific Mobile Application website, to render your site on mobile devices in a way which is different to how it would render anyway?

The answer to that is "No". You simply need for your website to render to W3C standards and to avoid the use of Flash for buttons etc.

2. If you want a specific Mobile Application of your website then should you expect, as some people do, to have someone code it for free and then give it away to you for free?

The answer to that is also "No". It's great when a group of people like the Zen Cart team put something together, maintain it, and provide it for free - but it's not something you can expect or demand is done just because you want something but don't want to pay for it. If you want something badly and it's not available for free then you should be prepared to put your hand in your pocket and pay for it to be developed. If necessary you can always group together with a bunch of like-minded people and split the cost between you.

Everyone here who's running a Zen Cart website is doing so in order to make money and as with running any business there are business expenses as well as profits. The satisfaction comes when the income exceeds the expenditure. That's when you know you're doing things right.

By the way - there is already a "Mobile Template" available for Zen Cart from the downloads section. I haven't used it so can't vouch for it.

Vger

Vger:

No one is arguing against the popularity of mobile devices, esp. smart phones and tablets, and the increase in online purchases via a mobile device. This particular thread has always been about two things:

1. Do you need a specific Mobile Application website, to render your site on mobile devices in a way which is different to how it would render anyway?

The answer to that is "No". You simply need for your website to render to W3C standards and to avoid the use of Flash for buttons etc.

2. If you want a specific Mobile Application of your website then should you expect, as some people do, to have someone code it for free and then give it away to you for free?

The answer to that is also "No". It's great when a group of people like the Zen Cart team put something together, maintain it, and provide it for free - but it's not something you can expect or demand is done just because you want something but don't want to pay for it. If you want something badly and it's not available for free then you should be prepared to put your hand in your pocket and pay for it to be developed. If necessary you can always group together with a bunch of like-minded people and split the cost between you.

Everyone here who's running a Zen Cart website is doing so in order to make money and as with running any business there are business expenses as well as profits. The satisfaction comes when the income exceeds the expenditure. That's when you know you're doing things right.

By the way - there is already a "Mobile Template" available for Zen Cart from the downloads section. I haven't used it so can't vouch for it.

Vger
Can you expand on your knowledge of the 'Mobile template'

By the way - there is already a "Mobile Template" available for Zen Cart from the downloads section. I haven't used it so can't vouch for it.

Mia Culpa! I had obviously seen a forum thread (a different one) called "Mobile Template" and wrongly assumed that this meant that there was one in existence. If there is then I can't find one, at least not from here - but there are quite a few commercial ones already available.

Now that mobiles, except for ancient museum pieces, don't use WAP any more then a truly Mobile Application website has quite a few obstacles to get over.

1. The main website has to "sniff" out which type of Browser is accessing the website. This is easily doable.
2. It then has to supply a mobile stylesheet. This is easily doable and has been covered by others on these forums.
3. But if you want to go beyond that and have a truly different website for mobiles that's where it starts to get more complicated.
4. You would not only have to load a different template based on which browser was accessing the site, but you'd need different templates for different browser systems. You'd need one for Apple and one for Android, and there are other systems out there as well - and they all render differently.
5. Emails sent to Mobile Browser email clients would be another ball game, as even non-mobile mail clients deal with and render emails differently.

These are just a few of the things which would have to be addressed.

I guess the starting point would be a Mobile Stylesheet and just making sure that your site, plus any add-ons it has incorporated, is fully W3C compliant. Then hope that the mobile operating system adheres to W3C standards too!

Vger