Mobile Commerce: Guide to Implement

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, mobile commerce has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. With smartphones and mobile internet becoming ubiquitous, the rise of mobile commerce has been nothing short of astounding.

Statista’s data speaks volumes: in 2021, mobile ecommerce claimed a staggering 73.4% share of total ecommerce sales, and this dominance is projected to continue with a forecasted 72.9% share in 2023. These remarkable statistics underscore the immense importance of mobile commerce in shaping the future of online business.

In today’s increasingly mobile-centric world, keeping up with the trends in mobile commerce is more important than ever. Thus, it is imperative for eCommerce businesses to invest in enhancing their mobile experience offerings for customers.

Moreover, some retailers need to improve their mobile experience for customers aimed not to miss out on a growing shopper segment and significant sales potential.

If you’re interested in venturing into mobile ecommerce but unsure where to begin, this article is for you.

Table of Contents:

• Mobile Commerce: The importance of mobile experience in ecommerce
• Why a mobile-friendly ecommerce website is more than just a trend
• Proven strategies for optimizing mobile commerce experience
• Conclusion
  

Mobile Commerce: The Importance of Mobile Experience in Ecommerce

With the popularity of mobile shopping with more people than ever before using mobile devices for shopping, retailers must keep pace with this rapidly growing consumer behavior to avoid falling behind. Statistics indicate that mobile is on its way to becoming the preferred method of online shopping.

• The popularity of mobile shopping ✔️
  As the number of people shopping on mobile devices continues to rise, retailers must keep pace with this consumer behavior or risk falling behind. The data indicates that mobile shopping is on its way to becoming the preferred method of online shopping.
  
  
• Mobile-First SEO ✔️
  Google’s algorithm now prioritizes mobile sites and ranks websites based on their mobile performance. Googlebot crawls and indexes web pages based on their mobile rendering. Consequently, websites with subpar mobile versions will not rank highly in search engine results, potentially leading to lost visibility and competition from rivals who prioritize their mobile offerings.
  
  
• Enhanced Customer Experience ✔️
  An exceptional mobile website not only benefits SEO but also prioritizes the customer and appeals to a broader audience. A well-performing mobile site enhances the customer experience, leading to increased conversions. According to Google, 62% of shoppers are less likely to make future purchases from a brand following a negative mobile experience. For instance, when a desktop site is poorly rendered on a small mobile screen, it reflects poorly on the brand, eroding trust and credibility.
  
  
• Support for Omnichannel eCommerce ✔️
  The utilization of filters on your online store encourages more purchases and ultimately generates higher revenue for your business. If customers cannot find the products they desire while browsing your online store, they will likely move on to a competitor’s eCommerce site. This highlights the significance of implementing product filters in any online store that features complex products.
  
  
• The Popularity of Mobile Payments ✔️
  Mobile payments have become highly popular among consumers. Payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay offer convenient ways to pay for goods with a simple tap on a smartphone. Mobile websites and apps easily adapt to customer needs, facilitating faster and more secure mobile payment methods. With these digital payment options, many users feel safer authorizing payments using their fingerprints rather than entering their card details.
  
  
• Harnessing Social Media ✔️
  Social media holds immense power in mobile experiences and eCommerce. With 91% of social media users accessing platforms through mobile devices and 80% of browsing time spent on mobile phones, retailers have a huge opportunity. Aligning social media marketing with mobile landing pages is crucial. Users expect seamless transitions from social media to responsive websites for a positive shopping experience.
  
  
• Faster Mobile Browsing ✔️
  Mobile websites optimized for speed are essential for eCommerce success. When a mobile site loads slowly, potential customers are likely to leave. A well-designed mobile site automatically adapts to the user’s device, ensuring fast loading of images and content. This prevents high bounce rates and maximizes sales opportunities.

Why a Mobile-Friendly Ecommerce Website Is More Than Just a Trend

A mobile-friendly ecommerce website ensures that users can seamlessly navigate it on their mobile devices. The website adjusts to fit the smaller screen, eliminates unusable features and flash animations, reduces image size, and simplifies navigation.

Although mobile conversion rates are slightly lower than desktop conversion rates (1.81% vs. 1.98%), it doesn’t mean that mobile optimization should be disregarded. A mobile ecommerce website can serve as the initial touchpoint for users who later convert on a desktop after conducting product research on their phones. In fact, a survey revealed that 67% of customers are less likely to engage with a brand that lacks mobile optimization.

The benefits of having a mobile-friendly ecommerce website go beyond improved conversion rates:

1. Enhanced User Experience (UX): It drives more traffic from devices of all sizes, offering a better UX for users.
   
2. Increased Customer Satisfaction: Users are less likely to leave your website feeling frustrated, preserving a positive brand association.
   
3. Search Engine Visibility: Optimized websites are favored by search engines due to their focus on providing excellent UX.
   
4. Customer Loyalty: Non-mobile-friendly websites can appear untrustworthy and low-quality, while mobile optimization fosters trust and loyalty.

Mobile optimization may seem like a minor aspect, but its impact on your ecommerce business can be significant. It can boost sales, increase traffic to your main website, and ensure a successful online presence.

Decoding the Differences: Friendly vs Mobile-Optimized vs Responsive

When it comes to creating a mobile version of your eCommerce website, three distinct approaches exist: mobile-friendly, mobile-optimized, and responsive designs.

• Mobile-Friendly Ecommerce Website
  A mobile-friendly design adapts the existing web user experience (UX) for mobile devices. It involves shrinking the desktop version to fit mobile screens, making it the easiest approach to implement. While it can improve search rankings, it may not fully optimize user experience, particularly on checkout pages.

• Mobile-Optimized Design
  Mobile-optimized design follows a mobile-first approach. It involves designing a separate website specifically for mobile devices, taking into account their limitations. Examples of this approach can be seen in Progressive Web Applications (PWA) like Alibaba or Flipkart, which prioritize mobile design.

• Mobile-Responsive Design|
  Responsive eCommerce mobile website design dynamically adjusts content to fit the user’s screen. It responds to changes in screen size and device types, such as various iPhone or Android versions. Responsive design ensures that images, fonts, and layouts adapt accordingly. While it requires more investment and development, it offers the most user-friendly experience among the three approaches.

Differences between Web and Mobile Ecommerce Design

Web and mobile ecommerce designs differ significantly due to various factors:

• Design Freedom
  Designing a desktop website provides greater freedom compared to mobile design. The smaller screen size of mobile devices and interface limitations necessitate adapting the design to accommodate less information. Zooming in/out and adjusting font sizes are common features in mobile design to compensate for these limitations.
  
  
• Input Method
  Mobile websites rely on touch-based input, unlike desktop websites that use a mouse or keyboard. Mobile-specific functionalities such as click-to-call or location-based mapping enhance user interaction.
  
  
• User Context
  The context of using a website differs between desktop and mobile. Desktop users are more likely to complete a purchase, while mobile users often engage in quick research or browsing activities. Optimizing mobile ecommerce design can enhance conversions and increase customer loyalty.
  
  
• Visual Appearance
  Web and mobile ecommerce designs showcase noticeable visual differences. For instance, a consumer electronics website like TurcomUSA may have a different layout on desktop compared to mobile. The important elements such as search, cart, and user account are retained, but the content and visual elements are reorganized for an improved mobile experience..

Understanding the distinctions among mobile-friendly, mobile-optimized, and responsive designs helps tailor your eCommerce site to provide the best user experience across different devices.

Proven Strategies for Optimizing Mobile Commerce Experience

As mobile commerce continues to thrive, it’s crucial to prioritize the mobile experience of your ecommerce store. To help you achieve this goal, we have compiled seven practical strategies that will optimize your mobile site and drive customer satisfaction.

Enhancing the mobile shopping experience for your ecommerce store requires careful planning and implementation. Here are seven tips to help you achieve success:

#1. Know Your Users Inside Out

Gaining a comprehensive understanding of your users is essential. Having a deep knowledge of your customers is crucial in order to create a remarkable mobile user experience (UX). Before diving into the design of your mobile commerce site, take the time to familiarize yourself with your customers’ shopping behaviors, identify potential pain points they may encounter, and understand their ultimate goals.

However, relying solely on assumptions is insufficient. It is necessary to delve deeper into the thoughts and preferences of your website visitors, gathering concrete evidence to support your understanding.

There are various methods available to collect valuable UX feedback from your customers. Consider employing incentive-led surveys, social media polls, organizing focus groups, and engaging in discussion forums. By gathering both positive and negative feedback about their experiences, you can accurately identify what aspects are effective and what areas require improvement.

#2. Prioritize Mobile Site Speed

In the fast-paced world of mobile browsing, speed is everything. A delay of just a few seconds can significantly impact user engagement and conversion rates. Use speed analyzing tools to identify areas for improvement and optimize your mobile commerce site for fast loading times. Minimize unnecessary code, reduce plugin usage, and optimize images to create a lightning-quick browsing experience.

Mobile users have little patience for slow-loading websites. Optimize your site to reduce loading times, especially on critical pages like the checkout process, to minimize cart abandonment and retain potential customers.

Did you know that nearly half of all customers expect websites to load within a mere 2 seconds? Any longer than that, and they’re likely to abandon ship. It’s not just users who prioritize speed—Google also factors in loading times when determining the ranking of your website in search results.

The speed of your website plays a significant role in both organic traffic and customer satisfaction. Take Walmart, for example, who observed that each second of improved website speed resulted in a 2% increase in conversions, and even a mere 100ms improvement translated to a 1% boost in revenue.

Thus, ensuring fast page load times is essential in retaining visitors and encouraging engagement.

In addition to speed, you should also focus on delivering relevant and easily readable content. Google suggests using a base font size of 16 CSS pixels to enhance readability and accessibility on mobile devices.

To assess the mobile-friendliness of your site and identify areas for improvement, Google’s mobile-friendly test tool is a valuable resource.

Optimization techniques to ensure your website delivers a lightning-fast experience

1. Leverage content delivery networks (CDNs) to distribute your website’s content across multiple servers for faster delivery.
   
2. Minify and combine CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files to eliminate unnecessary code and reduce file sizes.
   
3. Implement asynchronous loading to prioritize the loading of essential content, allowing the rest of the page to load simultaneously.
   
4. Upgrade your hosting plan to one that offers better performance and scalability.
   
5. Enable compression to reduce file sizes and enable faster transmission of data.
   
6. Leverage browser caching to store certain elements of your website locally, allowing for quicker access upon subsequent visits.

Recommended Reading:

? Technical SEO Issues You Shouldn’t Be Ignoring

#3. Streamline Mobile Navigation

A cumbersome and cluttered navigation system can instantly drive shoppers straight into the arms of your competitors. Today’s consumers seek effortless mobile interactions, so it’s crucial to keep your mobile navigation concise, consistent, and easily accessible.

Mobile navigation should be intuitive, so it is important to get straight to the point by eliminating unnecessary elements. The objective is to streamline the mobile navigation experience by minimizing cognitive load, scrolling, and clicking.

When designing your mobile site’s navigation, take a moment to consider the following questions, both from your perspective and that of your users:

• What are the key pages that deserve prominence?
• What actions do mobile users commonly take?
• Are there any elements from the desktop version that can be eliminated for the mobile site?

By having clear answers to these questions, you can determine which items should be included in your mobile navigation.

[Menu: Adidas]

[Menu: Nike]

For a clutter-free mobile user experience (UX), the hamburger menu is the way to go. Neatly tucking everything away, prevents users from feeling overwhelmed with choices and helps avoid decision fatigue. It also provides direct access to navigation, allowing shoppers to click directly to their desired pages, resulting in improved usability and speed.

TIP:
To prevent users from feeling overwhelmed, it is advisable to limit your mobile navigation to a maximum of four to eight items on the top level. Remember that your mobile navigation menu should not include links to every single page on your website.

Navigating your mobile commerce site should be effortless. Utilize a clear and simple language that precisely conveys what users can expect, and ensure the font size is large enough to be easily read without the need for zooming.

Consider implementing an image-based navigation menu to enhance the mobile UX even further. This approach maximizes usability, enabling users to make swift navigation decisions and locate desired products with ease.

[Menu: Showpo]

Recommended Reading

? Mobile navigation: patterns and example -Justinmind

? Designing Navigation for Mobile: Design Patterns and Best Practices – Smashing Magazine

Mobile on-site search

Effective on-site search is crucial for mobile eCommerce platforms, as users often have to navigate through numerous items to find what they’re looking for. To optimize your on-site search for mobile, consider the following strategies:

• Keep it Concise. Make your search interface concise, displaying the most important pages first. This allows users to quickly find relevant products without scrolling through lengthy lists.
  
• Emphasize Button Size. Mobile users have larger fingers compared to desktop users, so ensure that your search buttons are large and easily tappable. This improves usability and reduces the risk of misclicks.
  
• Avoid Hover-and-Expand Menus. Hover-and-expand menus can be challenging to navigate on mobile devices. Instead, opt for straightforward menus that don’t require hovering or expanding, minimizing friction in the navigation process.

[Search & breadcrumbs: Showpo]

Breadcrumbs in mobile search

Breadcrumbs have long been a consistent and simple interface component. However, the rise of mobile-first design has necessitated modifications to these historical best practices.

Implement these practices for seamless single-line breadcrumbs that enhance UX and SEO on mobile.

• To optimize mobile UX:

1. Consistent Availability: Ensure breadcrumbs are present on every relevant page.
2. Logical Location: Position them below the navigation menu and above the H1 heading.
3. Clear Start and End: Show the journey from the homepage to the current page.
4. Symbolic Separator: Use the “>” symbol for hierarchy.
5. Appropriate Size: Keep them simple and unobtrusive, matching text links.

• For SEO:

1. Visibility and Crawling: Make sure breadcrumbs are visible and crawlable on both desktop and mobile.
2. Full Navigational Path: Include the complete path, except for the last item.
3. Avoid Shortening: Don’t truncate or omit steps; maintain the SEO impact.

Recommended Reading

? Best Practices for Designing Breadcrumbs for Mobile – Telerik

TIP: You can have control over how your breadcrumb URLs appear by implementing schema markup in the HTML of your web pages. Refer to Schema.org’s structured data for breadcrumbs for detailed instructions, and consult Google’s help documentation on breadcrumbs.

#4. Create Compelling Calls to Action (CTAs)

In the realm of ecommerce design, the ultimate goal is to persuade visitors to convert. One effective way to guide users toward making a purchase is by employing clear, compelling, and clickable calls to action (CTAs). Let’s delve into some best practices for crafting mobile CTAs that drive conversions.

Ensure that your CTAs are presented as clickable buttons that are thumb-friendly and stand out from other elements on the page. Utilize bold colors that create a contrast with the rest of the screen, capturing the user’s attention (while still adhering to your brand’s color guidelines, and avoiding random neon shades).

When it comes to the wording of your CTAs, keep the copy short, positive, and straight to the point. Utilize active commands such as “Buy Now” and “Add to Cart” to convey a sense of urgency and inspire immediate action from your customers.

[CTA: Amazon]

Consistency in your CTAs across your mobile commerce site is key. By using uniform button styles and wording, you help users become familiar with the CTAs, ultimately guiding them swiftly through their purchasing journey.

Consider implementing a fixed CTA button on your mobile product pages. This provides users with the convenience of completing a purchase at any given moment. As they scroll and explore more about the product, they can easily add it to their cart with a quick tap.

#5. Elevate Your Product Pages

When it comes to product pages, optimizing them for mobile screens is crucial.

Improving the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of product information can boost conversion rates by 17% to 56%.

To create an engaging product page, consider it as a virtual salesperson. It should enable customers to visualize themselves using the product.

[Product page: Intergalactic Bath Bomb – Lush]

Key features for a perfect product page

1. Descriptive titles
   
2. Unique and comprehensive descriptions
   
3. Detailed specifications
   
4. Prominent “Add to Cart” and “Checkout” buttons
   
5. High-resolution product images with zoom functionality
   
6. Relevant meta information for images
   
7. High-quality demonstration videos
   
8. Clear shipping and return information
   
9. Related products and customer reviews

While the product descriptions should not be compromised in terms of content, it is recommended to keep them concise (max 200 characters) and position them just above the fold, accompanied by high-quality product photos.

Avoid excessive scrolling, collapsible content blocks, and overly sensitive tapping. Including a “back to top” button is beneficial, but ensure it doesn’t interfere with smooth scrolling.

To provide personalized product recommendations, start by optimizing your website’s product descriptions. Clear and concise descriptions enable shoppers to grasp important details before making a purchase. Utilize bullet lists to facilitate the scanning of essential product information.

By optimizing product pages with compelling information, you can drive sales and enhance the eCommerce customer experience.

#6. Simplify Mobile Forms

Lengthy and complex forms can be a major deterrent for mobile shoppers. Simplify your forms by including only essential fields and optimizing their layout for mobile screens. Position form fields within thumb-reach and minimize unnecessary spacing. By streamlining the form process, you can enhance user experience and reduce cart abandonment.

Recommended Reading

? Best Practices For Mobile Form Design – Smashing Magazine

#7. Optimize the Footer

Don’t overlook the importance of the footer in your mobile commerce UX. While not the flashiest element, when properly utilized, it becomes a valuable navigational tool, providing essential links to shipping rates and return policies. Such information directly influences buying decisions, making a seamless user experience (UX) imperative.

Ensure your footer is easily discoverable, predictable, and consistently present. Avoid the mistake of hiding or collapsing the entire footer, as shoppers expect its presence and often reference it.

Give priority to footer content and employ clear, conventional link names for seamless navigation. Consider dividing your footer navigation into distinct semantic sections, reducing cognitive load and enabling users to quickly locate desired information with a simple scan.

[Footer: Adidas / Nike]

To optimize mobile UX, continuously learn, adapt, and engage with your consumers, keeping up with trends and changes. Regularly monitor, measure, and make improvements over time, conducting frequent tests and seeking feedback from your customers.

Avoid making UX decisions based solely on intuition; instead, iterate based on real user behavior. Whenever you make changes to your mobile e-commerce site, perform A/B tests to evaluate their impact on your conversion goals.

With mobile ecommerce experiencing rapid growth, neglecting the UX of your mobile site is not an option. Implement these seven straightforward strategies to deliver a seamless mobile shopping experience to your customers and unlock increased sales from the small screen!

#8. Ensure secure and easy checkouts

In 2000, Amazon revolutionized the eCommerce industry with its super-simple purchase process, setting a gold standard for all businesses. Surprisingly, many retailers still offer complex, multi-step checkouts, which not only frustrate customers but also discourage them. According to Splitit, 87% of customers abandon their online carts if the checkout process is too complicated.

To enhance the user experience and maximize conversions, it is crucial to streamline your checkout process.

[Checkout process: Lush]

Implementing a guest checkout option instead of mandatory registration can significantly streamline the process. Minimize distractions and avoid requesting unnecessary information from shoppers. Prioritize data security by implementing a secure payment process, as customers are understandably concerned about their personal information when making online transactions. Additionally, offering a variety of payment methods will provide customers with flexibility and contribute to a seamless shopping experience.

Address users’ security concerns by offering trusted mobile wallet options and clearly communicating your commitment to data protection. Reassure customers about the security measures you have in place to build trust and increase conversion rates.

To create a truly customer-friendly webshop, it is essential to have an intuitive and simple checkout system.

Steps to simplify checkout

1. Design a mobile version of your ecommerce website that seamlessly adapts to fit the user’s screen. Ensuring a responsive and visually appealing layout enhances user experience and makes the checkout process more intuitive.
   
2. Simplify the checkout form by minimizing the number of required fields. (Reduce the number of checkout steps to four.) Streamlining the information needed reduces friction and speeds up the process, making it more likely for customers to complete their purchases.
   
3. Eliminate distractions such as ads and email subscription forms on the checkout page. Keeping the focus solely on the purchase helps users stay engaged and prevents any unnecessary detours that may lead to cart abandonment.
   
4. Utilize security seals to instill trust and confidence in your customers. Displaying recognized security badges and certifications reassures users that their personal and payment information is secure.|
   
5. Optimize the design of buttons in the checkout process. Use clear and easy-to-read text, and ensure that buttons are large enough to be easily tapped on mobile devices. This improves navigation and reduces the chances of users making errors during checkout.
   
6. Incorporate a progress bar that visually indicates the user’s progress throughout the checkout process. This feature provides transparency and reassurance, letting customers know how close they are to completing their purchase.
   
7. Enable autofill functionality whenever possible. Allowing users to auto-populate their information, such as shipping and billing addresses, simplifies the checkout process and saves time for returning customers.
   
8. Keep customers within the checkout process by avoiding unnecessary external links. Minimize the risk of distractions or disruptions that may lead users away from completing their purchases.
   
9. Customize keyboards for specific fields to optimize input. For instance, automatically displaying the numeric keyboard for phone number input streamlines the process for users, eliminating the need for manual keyboard switches.

By implementing these strategies, you can optimize the checkout process, enhance customer satisfaction, and reduce cart abandonment.

#9. Leverage Social Media

Connect your online store with social media platforms to engage with customers and enhance their mobile experience. Respond promptly to messages and comments, providing exceptional customer service through mobile channels.

[Social Media: Tieks]

Mobile devices have become the primary gateway for users to access social media platforms, presenting a valuable opportunity for brands to enhance their online presence. Here are some effective strategies to leverage social media on mobile:

• Simplify social media engagement by incorporating social follow and share icons throughout your website. This makes it effortless for users to connect with and follow your brand’s pages, amplifying your social media reach and fostering a loyal community.
  
• Maximize your presence on Pinterest by embedding pinnable images that capture attention and encourage users to save and share your content. This visually appealing platform can significantly enhance brand visibility and attract potential customers.
  
• Streamline the registration process by integrating social logins, enabling users to sign up or log in with their existing social media accounts. This simplifies the onboarding experience, removing barriers and increasing conversion rates.
  
• Foster user-generated content by embedding social feeds on your website, encouraging customers to share their experiences and showcase your products through photos. Offering incentives, such as exclusive discounts or rewards, can motivate users to participate and drive repeat engagement. Our client, Carbon38, successfully implemented this strategy and achieved outstanding results.

#Finally. Don’t forget to test your mobile commerce website

Testing your ecommerce website for mobile responsiveness is crucial to ensure a seamless user experience across various devices. Keep an eye on loading speed, intuitive navigation, readability of information, and the placement of key elements on product pages.

Recommended Reading

? How to Optimize Your eCommerce Website For Mobile Devicess

Conclusion

The mobile-first approach goes beyond mere design principles; it plays a vital role in Google’s indexing and ranking algorithms. With half of the world’s web traffic originating from mobile devices, it is imperative for e-commerce businesses to prioritize creating an exceptional mobile shopping experience.

Now is the time to optimize your ecommerce website for mobile. Whether you choose a mobile-friendly design or develop a mobile app, keep these points in mind:

1. Prioritize Mobile Optimization: Mobile optimization is essential for ranking high on search engines. Even without a dedicated tech team or a large budget, make it a priority during your e-commerce development process.

2. Focus on Speed: Ensure that your mobile website is fast, if not faster than your desktop version. Optimize product images for mobile, use concise descriptions, and implement a streamlined, single-page checkout.

3. Enhance User Experience: A user-friendly mobile experience is crucial for higher conversion rates. Make product search easy, incorporate social media connectivity, and leverage mobile-native features to enhance your website’s functionality.

4. Embrace the Potential: Don’t underestimate the power of mobile for your ecommerce business. It has the potential to drive significant growth and unlock new opportunities.

By optimizing your ecommerce website for mobile, you can tap into the mobile trend and provide a seamless shopping experience for your customers, ultimately boosting your business’s success.

Need specific, targeted advice for your store?

Get in touch, and we’ll provide you with a free audit of your website and show you where you can improve conversions.