In This Article
Why is a mobile-friendly eCommerce site so important?
Studies show that eCommerce purchases made on a mobile device are often more expensive than those made on a desktop. So what’s at stake if your eCommerce store isn’t mobile-friendly? If you don’t have a mobile-friendly eCommerce site, you’re losing money. Period. Consumers can’t buy your products if they can’t access your site. Your conversion rates will suffer, and you’ll lose revenue. In fact, according to Google, 54% of shoppers will abandon an eCommerce site if it isn’t mobile-friendly.
Consumers are on their phones
When was the last time you used a desktop computer? Odds are, it’s been a while. In 2019, people were on their phones an average of 2,600 times per month — that’s about 5.3 hours of phone use per month. That’s a lot of time on your phone, and it’s not about to change anytime soon. In fact, mobile phone use is expected to grow so much that by 2022, 89% of all online browsing will be done on smartphones.
A desktop and mobile eCommerce store is different
If you’ve ever shopped on Amazon , you may have noticed that the experience there is very different from that of a desktop-only eCommerce site. The reason for this is that desktop and mobile eCommerce sites are different animals altogether. Because desktop computers allow shoppers to interact with products using a mouse and keyboard, these shoppers have a high level of control over their experience. They can easily move products around the screen, click on product links, and scroll through different pages. In other words, desktop shoppers have a lot of control over the experience. But with a mobile device, shoppers do not have this same level of control. Because there is no mouse, consumers can’t easily interact with products on a screen. And they can’t easily navigate the site. In fact, 40% of shoppers abandon an eCommerce site if it isn’t optimized for mobile.
Mobile first means leveraging touch and voice recognition
Touch is the first thing to consider when creating a truly mobile-first eCommerce site. Nearly 70% of consumers shop on their smartphones or tablets. Because these devices don’t have keyboards, shoppers interact with these devices using their fingers to tap “buttons” to make selections. You can help your mobile-first customers navigate your eCommerce site by including lots of clickable images and short copy that is easy to read and scan. Using buttons that stand out will also help your mobile-first customers select the products they want to buy.
A responsive eCommerce site is not the same as a mobile-first site
If your eCommerce store is responsive, it will display correctly on any device. Responsive eCommerce sites are great, but they are not the same as a true mobile-first eCommerce site. To truly engage with your mobile-first customers, you’ll need to create a true mobile-first eCommerce site. To do that, you’ll need to think about your eCommerce site in a different way. You’ll need to focus on creating easy-to-navigate experiences that are designed for smaller screens. You’ll need to keep your copy short and user-friendly. And you’ll need to ensure that your images are large and easy to tap.
Summary
A truly mobile-first eCommerce site will be completely different than a desktop-first eCommerce site. To create a true mobile-first eCommerce site, you’ll need to think about your eCommerce site in a different way. You’ll need to focus on creating easy-to-navigate experiences that are designed for smaller screens. You’ll need to keep your copy short and user-friendly. And you’ll need to ensure that your images are large and easy to tap. You can reach customers on desktop computers and mobile devices with a responsive eCommerce site. But you’ll need to get creative with how you showcase your products.
