How To Optimise For mCommerce

mCommerce is overtaking eCommerce.

mCommerce is the use of a mobile device or a tablet to shop online. 

People have access to their phones 24/7. Online shopping is just a search away. 

We need instant gratification, and shopping through your phone provides this. 

Most sites were initially designed to be optimised for eCommerce. 

We discuss how you must optimise your site to convert via mCommerce. 

User Experience (UX) Design 

Designing your site to provide the best user experience is optimal for converting. 

Visitors will not want to proceed with a purchase if they cannot navigate your site.

A hard-to-navigate site will cause visitors to bounce before they find the product they are looking to purchase. 

You can aid this by using a site template that optimises for mobile. If your site hosting platform does not offer a template for you, here are a few things you can add to help your site perform best via mobile. 

A visible menu bar. Having a menu bar which is easy to see and utilise is vital. People don’t always go to a site with a specific item in mind to purchase. An easy-to-find menu bar allows visitors to search and flick through subsections quickly. 

Additionally, having easy-to-identify icons is a must. 

Visitors will not likely click on an icon they don’t recognise. Using menu icons that are the same as others, such as the three little lines, will eliminate any chance of a missed tap. 

If your site is optimised for a phone, it must behave like it is on the phone. Mobile users are accustomed to swiping left through images and pinching to zoom. 

Your site and products should allow this muscle memory to have a site that requires no frustration. Sites on mobile should aim to have two products side by side when scrolling to keep users interested in new items and shorten scroll time. 

Once a product is tapped on, avoid the item opening in a new tab. A new tab open means a visitor must ‘x’ the tab off to find their original position instead of swiping to the right back. Your user experience on your site is of the utmost importance. 

Easy to navigate, familiar to use and friendly to phone shortcuts is the way. 

Speed

Site speed is a must. 

We are impatient creatures who are used to receiving instant gratification. 

That means waiting any longer than three seconds for a site to load is a no-go. Especially when shopping on your mobile device. 

We’re all used to computers being a thing of the past, so expecting slower load times is a given. However, mobile phones are optimised to provide us with instant results. 

Your site cannot escape that. If your site is a slow loader, you will most likely lose out on customers. There are other sites which can offer the same product. Visitors have no loyalty. 

Your site speed can be optimised by limiting the number of large images uploaded. Every image used should have a purpose. If it does not, it’s wasting loading time. 

Your site server can also increase your load time. Measure your site speed and make sure to compare it with other servers out there. 

If yours takes the longest to load, consider switching servers. If competitors use a faster server, they could also be taking your customers. 

Checkout 

We’ve all been there. We arrived at the last page on the site, ready to checkout, asked to make an account, and abandoned the basket. 

Site users want a simple checkout process. The time has already been spent finding the perfect on-site item to purchase. 

I know my favourite way to checkout is Apple Pay. Two clicks on the lock button and a face ID scan later, my name, address, and payment details have been processed, and the order is mine. 

Keeping your site up to date with different payment methods is a must. Offering buy now pay later options such as Klarna is a highly utilised payment method, as is Apple Pay, PayPal and lastly, your standard credit/debit card transaction. 

Making each payment option easy to locate visibility is also essential. Highlight your buttons clearly, or even consider using different colours per payment option, so your users find this easy to select. 

Avoid having to create an account. Guest payment options are much more preferred. 

You can optimise your site with a tick box for future email retargeting at the end of the guest checkout in place of an account. No one likes signing up for an account, primarily if the purchase is intended as a one-off. 

There it is—our top three tips on how you can optimise your site for mCommerce. 

Users much prefer using their phones to shop online. Having a site that is quick to use, easy to navigate and simple to check out can give you an edge over your competitors. 

If you'd like to upgrade the content on your site and optimise it for mCommerce, we can help. Book a call with our experts, and we will see how we can help!