In a nutshell: Mobile is gaining more and more ground in terms of internet traffic, accounting for more than 55% of global internet traffic in 2021. This guide covers: Adapting your UX for mobile browsing, Simplifying and streamlining the purchase funnel, and Reducing page load times.
While mobile traffic is on the rise, the conversion rate remains low compared to desktop. So, what best practices should be implemented to increase mobile conversions?
Mobile is gaining more and more ground in terms of Internet traffic, accounting for more than 55% of global Internet traffic in 2021. As for mobile app usage, that’s a whole other story. In 2021, global spending on mobile apps is estimated at $170 billion. It’s therefore clear that mobile optimization of websites is no longer optional —regardless of the industry.
But internet users don’t have the same habits when browsing on their mobile devices. For example, they tend to conduct more spur-of-the-moment searches and spend less time on websites. They also have different expectations regarding the user journey, seeking, in particular, simpler navigation, greater personalization, and more immediate interactions. As a result, there are adjustments you can make to improve your mobile conversion rates, and here are a few tips to follow.
1. Optimize Your UX for Mobile Browsing
Simplicity and convenience should be the guiding principles of your mobile optimization strategy. You need to make it easy for users to navigate your mobile site and thus provide them with the most satisfying experience possible. This means , in particular , having a site that adapts to all screen sizes—the very essence of responsive design.
Keep in mind that on mobile devices, users read vertically. Therefore, you should place the most important and engaging content at the top of the screen. The golden rule is to focus on the essentials, which means not overloading pages with information and tailoring headlines to be as clear and concise as possible. Another best practice is to implement dynamic menus or hamburger menus, which are more accessible on mobile devices.
Finally, we also recommend dividing product pages into two columns, rather than a single column, so that four products are displayed at once, making it easier for users to find what they're looking for.
2. Simplify and streamline the purchase process
As we mentioned, internet users have different habits when browsing on their mobile devices; in particular, they look for fast, smooth navigation that allows them to proceed quickly to checkout. It is therefore advisable to eliminate certain features—such as requiring users to create an account—and to develop others, such as logging in via social media or Google and Apple accounts, a numeric keypad to make it easier to enter numbers in forms, a persistent shopping cart (which allows users to retrieve their cart even after leaving the page), the ability to edit quantities directly in the shopping cart, payment via Google or Apple Pay, the option to take a photo of their credit card, or securing the payment through 3DS Secure authentication.
3. Reduce page load time
A website with slow loading times can see its conversion rate drop significantly, and this is even more common on mobile devices. In fact, connection speeds can vary depending on the carrier, network, and device. It is therefore essential to minimize page loading times by reducing page size to ensure a smooth browsing experience.
But how? To start, you should remove high-definition images and videos—or at least optimize them by reducing their file size as much as possible or opting for lower resolutions. You should also streamline the code—particularly in CMSs, plugins, and CSS and JavaScript libraries—by keeping only what is absolutely necessary.
> Suri-tip: The Role of Automated Testing in Optimizing Mobile Conversion Rates
Nothing affects the user experience more negatively—and thus lowers the conversion rate—than a bug, whether on the web or on mobile. It’s important to note that, according to our 2020 survey, 86% of French people abandon a purchase because of a bug.
It is therefore essential to regularly verify that the features of your website or mobile app function as intended by conducting functional tests, particularly regarding the creation of and login to customer accounts, the shopping cart, delivery options, and payment methods. It is also important not to forget to conduct performance tests (to monitor page load times, among other things), security tests—particularly regarding payment and customer account logins— accessibility tests (to ensure that all users can use the product), as well as end-to-end tests, performed by the people who actually use the product in their day-to-day operations.
Test automation is particularly valuable because it allows functional, performance, and security tests to be run more quickly and more frequently. In fact, it has been shown to improve the move-to-prod process, reduce time-to-market, and thereby improve web and mobile conversion rates.
