Optimising Conversions On Mobile Websites
Creating a mobile device friendly version of your website doesn’t automatically equal more conversions by way of mobile devices. The gap between desktop and mobile conversion rates is often significantly different, largely due to the urge to condense too much information onto small screens, essentially making the mistake of regarding mobile devices as mini-desktops.
Building mobile-friendly websites has become a necessity, but the focus needs to shift from supplying large amounts of information (duplicating desktop website formats), to tackling the issue from a more user-friendly perspective, addressing the specific needs of mobile users. Identifying the purpose and intent of mobile users when they visit your site is crucial to success.
Keep in mind that it’s not always possible for a site to keep within the following mobile conversion optimisation recommendations, since each site is different, but they are useful concepts to consider.
Enhance Navigation
Simple, clearly visible navigation is top of the list in helping mobile visitors quickly access the information they seek. Research into the way mobile users are utilising your site will aid in tailoring navigation elements to suit individual businesses, but generally speaking a simple menu system and search bar option offer website navigation greater flexibility and speed.
Avoid Pop-Ups
Pop-up boxes are often a concern for mobile conversions, not only are they distracting, but they require an extra click and can potentially disrupt the original intent of user. The mobile website experience should be as fast and efficient as possible, bombarding your users with irrelevant information is best avoided. Pop-ups might be an option to consider if you’re very sure it’s highly targeted but you’ll need to be aware that you’ll annoy a certain percentage of your users.
Simplify Content
On a small screen space is at a premium, the most important content should take priority in the first screen or two. Avoid overcrowding, keep text brief and to the point and re-evaluate the over-use and/or importance of images. Don’t underestimate the value of readily available contact details, customers who are out and about can quite often be looking for an address or phone number to make immediate contact and remember to factor in the automatic instinct to scroll on mobile devices. Upon landing on your website most mobile users instantly begin scrolling looking for something that grabs their attention; however they will quickly lose interest if too much scrolling is required.
Create Obvious Calls-To-Action
A prominent call-to-action button that supports the purpose of the user should be the first thing to attract a mobile users attention, this tells the user what to do next, prompting further engagement without the need to wade through multiple pages.
Automate Device Transfer
Many mobile users dislike filling out forms on mobile devices (e.g. entering credit card and shipping details can be tiresome on a small screen). Often users will want to transfer the checkout process to their desktop to complete. An automated “email me my shopping cart” or “send me the link” button simplifies and speeds up the transition process making it more attractive to mobile users.
Mobile First
These days most websites are built using the popular “responsive web design” approach which typically creates a different layout of the same content for desktop, tablet and mobile devices. You’d usually start out with a design focussed on how it looks on a desktop, then trim it back to look ok on smaller screens. But if you think that mobile devices are going to be the majority of your traffic, then you may want to use a “mobile first web design” approach. As the name implies, mobile first is about designing the layout, content and navigation of a website before you design the desktop version. Since mobile devices have much smaller screen sizes to work with, you can concentrate more on the content and how the site is used, rather than focussing on a visually-arresting desktop design.
A great mobile experience is one that places more importance on the behaviour and needs of its mobile users, providing them with rapidly accessible, readily available information, while still keeping within core business objectives. How does your business’s mobile website experience measure up?
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