5 eCommerce Tips for Mobile Usability and Marketing

Now that mobile devices have been established as the dominant means to access the internet over desktop computers, what does this mean for your eCommerce store? Well it means a lot considering 50.3% of eCommerce is mobile, according to Shopify. Not only that, but in the grand scheme of things, 7 out of 15 top internet companies are eCommerce companies.

TIPS FOR MOBILE USABILITY

There are a lot of predictions about how much mobile usage will increase in the future. Based on the numbers we have now, it is safe to say that eCommerce on mobile, or m-Commerce, is the wave of the future. Besides basic mobile optimization, here are some tips that will improve your site’s m-Commerce functionality and accessibility.

1. Buttons: Make use of buttons, especially buy buttons, if available. With limited screen size you need to drive the point home. Even large players like Google are launching buy buttons for mobile. This should be a hint to merchants that they work and are useful. Click below to see example of mobile buttons:

2. Phone numbers: Like buttons, if you rely on leads you must make your mobile number clickable. On your mobile site, there should be a click to call option above the fold. 47% of customers will explore other brands if they can’t call you directly from mobile.

3. Load times: Similar to desktop, load times are also important in reducing bounce rates on mobile sites. The goal is to keep people shopping on your mobile site for longer. 50% of shoppers will abandon their cart because of slow mobile load times. Even scarier, 1 in 5 will not come back at all.

TIPS FOR MOBILE MARKETING

4. Mobile Coupons: They are all the rage right now and advertising a specific offer, rather than a generic promotion, can be really effective. Overall, 50% of all internet users will redeem a mobile coupon at least once in 2015.

5. Social Media: This is how brands get discovered by consumers whether or not they are looking to shop. Social media, like Instagram, is often referred to as a discovery tool for new brands and products. Contrast this with mobile Google searches where consumers are researching or looking to purchase specific “commodity-type goods”.

MORE NOTEWORTHY MOBILE STATS

• Local searches: 78% of local mobile searches result in a purchase

• Mobile vs. App: 67% customers prefer mobile websites rather than mobile apps

• eCommerce shopping by device: United States: 50% from computers, down 13% year over year; 11% from tablets, down 13%; and 38% from phones, up 33%.
• eCommerce conversion on mobile: 35% of consumers make a purchase on a mobile device