Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, is the process of buying and selling goods and services online using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It is a fast-growing segment of e-commerce that offers convenience, speed, and accessibility to consumers. According to Statista, mobile commerce sales are projected to exceed $510 billion in 2023 and $710 billion in 2025 in the US alone.
If you want to take advantage of this trend and reach more potential customers, you need to make your online store mobile-friendly. This means ensuring that your website is responsive, fast, secure, and easy to use on mobile devices. In this blog post, we will share some tips and best practices on how to optimize your store for mobile commerce.
- Use a responsive design
A responsive design is a web design technique that adapts the layout and content of your website to fit different screen sizes and orientations. This way, your website will look good and function well on any device, whether it’s a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
To create a responsive design, you can use a web development platform that offers ready-made templates or themes that are mobile-friendly. For example, Expert eStores is a platform that allows you to build and manage your online store with ease. It offers hundreds of responsive themes that you can customize to suit your brand and products.
Alternatively, you can hire a web developer or use a web design tool that supports responsive design. Some of the tools you can use are Bootstrap, Foundation, or Wix.
- Optimize your site speed
Site speed is the time it takes for your website to load on a browser. It is an important factor for mobile commerce because users expect fast and smooth experiences on their devices. According to Google, 53% of mobile users will abandon a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load.
To optimize your site speed, you need to reduce the size and number of files that your website needs to load. Some of the ways you can do this are:
- Compress your images and videos using tools like TinyPNGor HandBrake.
- Minify your code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) using tools like Minify Code or CSS Minifier.
- Use a content delivery network (CDN) to deliver your files from servers that are closer to your users. Some of the popular CDN providers are Cloudflare, Amazon CloudFront, or Akamai.
- Enable caching to store some of your files on the user’s device so they don’t have to be downloaded again. You can use plugins or extensions like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache for WordPress sites.
You can measure your site speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. These tools will also give you suggestions on how to improve your site performance.
- Secure your site with HTTPS
HTTPS is a secure protocol for transferring data between websites and users. It prevents hackers from stealing sensitive information that users commonly share with online stores, such as their name, address, and credit card details. It also boosts your site’s credibility and trustworthiness among users and search engines.
To secure your site with HTTPS, you need to obtain an SSL certificate from a trusted provider. An SSL certificate is a digital document that verifies the identity and encryption level of your website. Some of the providers you can use are Let’s Encrypt, Comodo, or GoDaddy.
Once you have an SSL certificate, you need to install it on your web server and configure your website to use HTTPS instead of HTTP. You can follow the instructions from your provider or use plugins or extensions like Really Simple SSL or Easy HTTPS Redirection for WordPress sites.
You will know if your site uses HTTPS because it will have a “padlock” icon in the address bar that looks like this:
- Simplify your navigation and layout
Navigation and layout are the elements that determine how users find and interact with your website content. They are especially important for mobile commerce because users have limited screen space and attention span on their devices. You need to make sure that your navigation and layout are clear, intuitive, and user-friendly.
Some of the tips for simplifying your navigation and layout are:
- Use a hamburger menu or a sticky menu to save space and make it easy for users to access different sections of your website.
- Use clear and descriptive labels for your menu items and buttons. Avoid using jargon or abbreviations that may confuse users.
- Use breadcrumbs or a progress bar to show users where they are and how far they have to go in your website. This is especially helpful for checkout and registration processes.
- Use a grid or a list layout to display your products. Avoid using sliders or carousels that may distract or annoy users.
- Use filters and sorting options to help users narrow down their choices and find what they are looking for. For example, you can allow users to filter by price, color, size, rating, etc.
- Use large and legible fonts and contrast colors to make your text easy to read. Avoid using too many fonts or colors that may clutter your website.
- Use white space and visual hierarchy to create a clean and organized look. Avoid using too many images or elements that may overwhelm users.
- Optimize your product pages
Product pages are the pages that showcase your products and persuade users to buy them. They are the most important pages for mobile commerce because they are the final step before users add products to their cart or complete their purchase. You need to optimize your product pages to make them appealing, informative, and convincing.
Some of the tips for optimizing your product pages are:
- Use high-quality and relevant images and videos to show your products from different angles and in different contexts. You can also use 360-degree views or augmented reality (AR) features to enhance the user experience.
- Write compelling and unique product titles and descriptions that highlight the benefits and features of your products. You can also use bullet points, headings, and subheadings to make your text easy to scan.
- Include social proof and trust signals to build credibility and trust among users. You can use customer reviews, ratings, testimonials, awards, certifications, etc.
- Add clear and prominent call-to-action (CTA) buttons that tell users what to do next. You can use words like “Buy Now”, “Add to Cart”, “Checkout”, etc.
- Provide clear and accurate information about the product availability, price, shipping, returns, warranty, etc. You can also offer free shipping, discounts, coupons, or other incentives to entice users to buy.
- Use cross-selling and upselling techniques to increase your average order value (AOV) and customer lifetime value (CLV). You can show related products, bundles, accessories, or recommendations based on user behavior or preferences.
- Streamline your checkout process
Checkout process is the process that users go through to complete their purchase on your website. It is the most critical stage for mobile commerce because it is where most users abandon their carts or change their minds. You need to streamline your checkout process to make it fast, easy, and secure.
Some of the tips for streamlining your checkout process are:
- Reduce the number of steps and fields required for checkout. You can use a single-page checkout or a one-click checkout feature to simplify the process.
- Allow guest checkout or social login options to avoid forcing users to create an account or enter their personal details. You can also offer autofill or autocomplete features to save time and reduce errors.
- Offer multiple payment methods and currencies to cater to different user preferences and locations. You can use popular payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.
- Use security badges and icons to reassure users that their transactions are safe and secure. You can also use SSL encryption and HTTPS protocol to protect user data.
- Provide clear and timely feedback and confirmation messages to users throughout the checkout process. You can also send email receipts or thank-you notes after the purchase.
- Test and optimize your mobile site
Testing and optimizing your mobile site is the process of measuring and improving its performance, usability, and conversion rate. It is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and analysis of user behaviour, feedback, and data. You need to test and optimize your mobile site regularly to ensure that it meets user expectations and delivers optimal results.
Some of the tips for testing and optimizing your mobile site are:
- Use analytics tools like Google Analytics or Hotjar to track and measure key metrics like traffic, bounce rate, conversion rate, cart abandonment rate, etc.
- Use testing tools like Google Optimize or Optimizely to conduct A/B testing or multivariate testing on different elements of your website like headlines, images, CTAs, etc.
- Use feedback tools like SurveyMonkey or Qualaroo to collect user feedback via surveys, polls, ratings, reviews, etc.
- Use usability testing tools like UserTesting or UsabilityHub to observe how real users interact with your website via recordings, heatmaps, clickmaps, etc.
Conclusion
Mobile commerce is not a trend but a reality that every online store owner should embrace and adapt to. By making your store mobile-friendly, you can provide a better user experience, increase your traffic, conversions, and sales, and gain a competitive edge in the market.
However, making your store mobile-friendly is not a one-time task but a continuous process that requires constant testing and optimization. You need to monitor your site performance, user behaviour, feedback, and data, and make improvements accordingly.
If you need help with making your store mobile-friendly, you can contact us at Expert eStores. We can help you with designing, developing, hosting, marketing, and optimizing your store for mobile commerce. Contact us today and let us help you grow your online business.