14 Ways to Maximise Your Mobile Investment

Online shoppers have little patience for sites not optimised for mobile in fact 30% will abandon a transaction if the shopping cart isn’t optimised for their mobile device (Mobify).

Considering that on average mobile users spend more money per purchase than customers do on a desktop website, it’s hard to ignore the growing case for mobile.

Research carried out by Google on mobile shopping revealed that consumers are still finding sites hard to navigate, poorly designed, and sparse in features when access from a mobile. This research spanned 100 different mobile websites and was carried out to help fill an obvious void in what we know about mobile website design and how people respond to it.

Considering how important a website can be for businesses small and large it seems amazing how many websites still don’t cater to mobile shoppers. Based from Google’s research, we’ve outlined 14 ways you can optimise your mobile website to delight your mobile customers.

1. Keep calls-to-action front, centre and high on the screen

Primary calls-to-action need to be where you know your users will be able to see them they should appear in the most prominent site space. Secondary tasks can appear in menu options or below the fold.

2. Keep menus short and sweet

Large menus may work well for some verticals on desktop sites but mobile site menus need to be concise and clearly defined. Refine your product categories to make it easier for your mobile users to navigate.

3. Make it easy to get back to the homepage

Mobile and desktop users alike expect to be able to tap the logo at the top of the page to take them back to the homepage. To make your mobile site as easy to navigate as possible make sure your logo has a link to do so.

4. Keep site search visible

Site Search is essential for users in a hurry it should be one of the first things they see on your site. Make sure the results your site search returns first are the strongest to make life easier for your users on a small screen – they’re not likely to bother swiping through multiple pages.

5. Use filters to improve search results

Mobile users especially rely on filters to narrow down search results to reduce volume. For added usability, let users know how many results will be returned with each filter applied.

6. Don’t expect too much too fast   let users explore

Allow users to browse and explore your site first, without demanding registration in order to continue. If users are new to your site and your brand, they may want to get a sense of what you’re all about and what you have to offer first. Having a guest check-out option, for example, helps avoid frustration for the user and lets them quickly and easily complete their purchase. Encourage registration with some sort of offer or tangible benefit to entice them to take that next step.

7. Make it simple to switch to a different device

Many users still new to mobile browsing may not be comfortable completing their purchase on their mobile device. Having the option available to share information across multiple devices means they can resume their journey later on, keeping them in the sales funnel.

8. Design efficient forms

Ensure your forms only have as many fields as necessary, are auto-filled where possible and for multi-page forms (ecommerce checkouts and more complex online registrations) have a progress bar i.e. along the top, allowing users to see exactly where they are in the process. The more efficient you can be when creating your forms the better. Once the user has entered their info, validate it in real-time to prevent users from having to re-submit the entire form as a result of one mistake.

9. Provide a visual calendar when selecting dates

It’s easier for most users to select their dates using a visual calendar than it is to enter the numbers in manually. Take your usability a step further by providing clear labels for start and end dates as well.

10. Don’t make users pinch-to-zoom

By having to pinch-to-zoom on your site users may miss valuable messages or calls-to-action. Design your website so users never have to pinch.

11. Make product images expandable

People like to see what they’re purchasing, and in this day and age they expect high quality, high resolution images (if not videos of the product in use/being worn) to be able to see every single detail.

12. Be clear why you need a user’s location

Be clear when asking users for their current location on why you need it   for example some sites have a feature which offers the user all the best deals nearest their location. Often this can cause confusion if the user is looking for prices for other locations, e.g. hotels. By leaving these fields blank by default, users can always choose to populate them themselves when encouraged with a clear call-to-action.

13. Don’t let promos steal the show

Attacking users upon arriving to your site with pop-up promotions could put them off even landing on your site. Try not to expect too much too fast, and encourage them towards deals or promotions once they’ve had a chance to explore your site.

14. Optimise your entire site for mobile

In some cases the mobile site contains a mixture of desktop and mobile-optimised pages, which can actually be harder for the user to navigate than a straight desktop site. Making all pages of your site optimised for mobile ensures there is no confusion.

Conclusion

Mobile browsing is no longer a trend it affects any business aiming to communicate with their audience online. It is up to businesses to take advantage of the opportunities provided by mobile to cater to and connect with these visitors who will be accessing their website. If you’re interested in taking the next step and making the most of your online presence, contact our team today. We’re happy to discuss your particular needs, and show you the different tools and resources we use to help our clients every day.