In an age where a five-second elevator ride can feel like an eternity without a phone check, mobile commerce is soaring to new heights. Retailers are catching on that their patrons would much rather buy a llama-themed sweater while waiting for their latte than if they actually had to, you know, go into a physical store. So let’s dive deep into mobile commerce best practices, ensuring that tiny screen reels in those big conversions.
Bigger is NOT Always Better
You’d think in the age of “Go Big or Go Home”, everyone would be making giant, in-your-face buttons for their mobile websites. Wrong. Our screens may be getting bigger, but our patience for unnecessary fluff is dwindling. Opt for sleek, concise design. Keep in mind that the thumb is the new mouse. If it can’t be clicked with a thumb without accidentally selecting the “Buy Now” button 27 times, it’s a no-go.
Make It Snappy
Mobile shoppers have the attention span of a caffeinated squirrel. If your site takes more than a few seconds to load, they’re already on to the next shiny thing, or worse, posting on social about how slow your site is. For swifter mobile speeds, compress images with tools like ImageOptim and use CDNs to distribute load efficiently. Minimize code, reduce redirects, and leverage browser caching while prioritizing above-the-fold content through lazy loading. (We know that’s a lot to throw at you in a mostly not-so-technical blog … more on technical speed enhancements coming in a future post).
“Where the Heck is My Cart?!”
If your user has to play detective to find essential features like their shopping cart or the search bar on mobile, you’ve already lost. Nobody wants ‘Where’s Waldo’ with their potential purchases. Imagine the horror of navigating a maze of a website, only to realize you accidentally added 15 identical garden gnomes to your cart. Here are some best practices on placing your mobile icons:
- Hamburger Menu (☰): Top-left or top-right for main navigation.
- Search Icon (🔍): Top-right for quick content access.
- Home Icon (🏠): Use the logo to link, or bottom-left for a bottom nav or top-left for top nav to return home.
- Shopping Cart (🛍️/🛒): Keep it top-right for purchase readiness.
- User Profile (👤): Top-right to the left of the cart or use the bottom bar for account access.
Know Your Crowd… And Match Their Vibe
Tailor your design to resonate with your target audience. Align visuals and tone with their expectations, maintaining a consistent and relatable narrative. Always adapt based on feedback, but stay true to your brand’s unique essence. If you’re selling chic vegan handbags, perhaps neon colors and Comic Sans aren’t your best design choices. Though… that would be a choice, for sure.
Mobile Payment Gateways, Please
Leveraging mobile gateways like Amazon Pay or PayPal? Genius! Why? Because nobody wants to squint and typo their way through credit card details on a screen smaller than a cracker. Truly, we’ve embraced the era of ‘tap, pay, and go’ with arms wide open! With a payment gateway like Paypal, Amazon Pay, or Apple Pay, people are more likely to be logged into their accounts already on their phones, making checkout smooth sailing.
Speak Clearly, Not in Riddles
The product description shouldn’t feel like a cryptic message from the universe. “This shoe embodies the ethereal spirit of moonlit dreams.” Great Shirley, but is it waterproof? Keep it snappy, relevant, and for heaven’s sake, useful. Bullet points and tap-to-expand accordions are great for product specs that fit well on mobile.
Reviews: The Good, The Bad, and The Hilariously Ugly
Allowing users to leave reviews is an excellent way for potential buyers to judge a product. Let’s face it, sometimes the reviews are more entertaining than the product itself. “Gave this vacuum cleaner as a gift. Now I’m single.” If that’s not a cautionary tale, I don’t know what is. For optimal mobile commerce review display, highlight key reviews and use a star rating system for quick product assessment. Offer a responsive, swipe-friendly review slider with filtering options and brief excerpts, followed by a ‘read more’ link. Ensure user trust by spotlighting verified purchases and allowing easy submission of photo-inclusive reviews.
Keep it Personal, But Not Creepy
It’s great that mobile sites can personalize based on browsing history. “Hey, saw you checking out those glittery boots!” But there’s a thin line. “Hey, noticed you wear size 7 and walk past our store every Tuesday at 3 PM.” No, thanks. Remember, there’s a difference between attentive and creepy. Tread lightly.
Those Pesky Pop-Ups
A gentle reminder for a mailing list is one thing. But if your site spawns more pop-ups than a whack-a-mole game, it’s a turn-off. Particularly when a single popup can obscure the entire mobile screen. With (legally required) cookies acceptance popups and automated chat bots making their way to mobile homepages, it can get real busy on the pop-up front, and a user may just decide to bail if you’re not strategic about what you allow on mobile.
In the frenzied world of mobile commerce, where the line between convenience and chaos is razor-thin, remember the golden rule: keep it fun, simple, and user-centric. So developers, when you sit down to create the next big thing in mobile commerce, remember these guidelines. And for everyone else, happy mobile shopping – may your carts be ever full and your Wi-Fi strong.
