According to a survey report by Shopify in 2014, 50.3% of the eCommerce traffic comes from the mobile phone users and the number would have surely gone up after two years. And everybody in the ecosystem has figured out by now that there is no disputing the eCommerce trends. Mobile cCommerce has now become the default way people choose to shop online!
Getting bored on the way to the office? Have a friend’s birthday coming up and you don’t have time to go to the market? Need accessories with the dress you bought last month? ‘Surf mobile and Shop online’ – It has become the mantra of people these days for all the discovery-based and spontaneous purchases.
Since mobile eCommerce is contributing such a huge share in online shopping, the demand for mobile friendly websites that can cope with every evolving trend, upgrading OS and iOs systems and different responsive mobile devices are also on a high.
So, how will you manage to do that? Simple! You just need to keep a few things in mind about which we are going to discuss today while developing your web portal.
#1. Responsive Designing
You have mobile devices available in the market varying from the size of a watch to the size of a tablet. So, how will you make sure that your website fits each of those screens without breaking or requiring zooming in and out to view the text and images clearly? Make your website responsive. There is no way out of that.
Remember! Your website should look easy on the eyes of the visitor and maintain a consistent style across all platforms.
If your cohorts ask you about something you are not aware of or have little idea about, what would be your instant response? Search it online! That is exactly what everybody does – searching has become a hobby as well as a necessity of this smart generation. So, make sure that your website has a clearly visible and operational search box on each web page.
Most importantly, your navigation system should be smooth and well organized. Eliminate the functions which you feel will be unnecessary for a mobile phone user and organize your menu options with great consideration.
#3. Optimize the Media Images and Videos
Nobody has the patience to wait in this age! It is really annoying for a visitor when an image takes too long to be displayed. In such a scenario, the immediate reaction of the user is generally to press the back button and go to another website. Now, you certainly don’t want that to happen. Therefore, ensure that all your media files are optimized appropriately for the smartphone users. Remember that your audience might not always have the best internet connection available, they use internet on 2g data pack too!
#4. Integrate the Social Media
One thing is certain if your audience is using a smartphone they will be on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. So, why don’t you the social media integration tools for your benefit? Provide your customers to log in through their social media accounts to make the process convenient for them. Also, you can integrate share buttons on the pages or with each product to make it easier for the customers to share their favourite products among their circle on social media websites, hence providing you with word of mouth marketing benefit.
#5. Use Geo Location
Mobile phones have this one feature which your desktop computers lack – Geo Location. Use it while you can benefit from it! Whether it is about providing information to your customers about the nearest store located to them by tracking their current location or auto-filling their location for home delivery forms, you can use the smartphone map app to provide your customers easy one-click options and hence a better experience.
#6. Confirm when Product is added to the Cart
It often happens that customers add items in the cart but they start feeling disinterested while browsing and the items are left abandoned in the cart. Now you surely don’t want that to happen. So, you should ensure that your customers always have the products they have already added in the cart at their eye view. But, how will you do that? You certainly cannot keep on giving pop-ups to your customers as that would bug them and you cannot even enlarge the size of the cart.
The best way to make your customers review their cart is by giving them a confirmation option every time they need add a new product. This will keep them interested and therefore, ensure that they take the necessary check out action on the website.
#7. Keep your Forms Short
We understand that you need your visitors’ data for future communications and hence cannot avoid not asking them to fill certain details, but you can certainly ensure that the information you ask for is straightforward and required less typing. Trust me! Though almost every smartphone user is addicted to chatting, nobody likes to fill boring information with their phone keypads. Use more drop downs or integrate auto-filling options to make it easier for them.
#8. Be Memorable
Why should the customers make a purchase from your store instead of going to Amazon, Flipkart or any other competitor? Let’s assume that they will make a purchase from your portal out of curiosity, but shouldn’t there be something that keeps them intriguing enough to come back to make purchases.
To Wrap Up
If you like the above content and it inspires you to make up your mind to jump into an eCommerce business, keep an eye on the above tips in order to ensure that your eCommerce business gets visibility in the modern era. Set your goals and depending upon your goals execute the above tips in your overall business growth.
Though I have shared my views these certainly aren’t the only tips that could be followed. In this virtual world it’s very hard to predict exactly what’s hiding around the corner and what users find more friendly— so keep yourself updated by reading worthy blogs, and always be on the lookout for the next nice piece of content at Tweak Your Biz.
Image: Hand holding smartphone with choose shoes on eCommerce website
