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Optimize Your Website for a Growing Mobile Audience
Posted:
12-31-1969 |
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With the explosion of mobil technology, more and more business is being conducted on the go. According to recent research by Limelight Network, 80% of smartphone or tablet owners who used their device for product research or purchase say they will abandon a mobile site due to a poor experience.
Customers expect their mobile shopping experience to match their expectations of what occurs on a desktop computer. In the minds of consumers, there is no mobil Web - there's only the web.
Google research in 2011 shows that after conducting a mobile search, 68% of users visited a business online or in person and 53% made a purchase. Yet only 33% of advertisers have a mobile website, says Google. It seems businesses have some catching up to do.
And, the growth in mobile commerce isn't coming just from smartphones. Tablets now drive 2@ of all Web traffic in the U.S., says comScore, and half of all tablet owners have made a purchase on their tablet.
What steps can you take to ensure a positive experience for visitors to your mobil website? Here are six things to keep in mind:
1. Watch your load time. The time it takes for a site to load ranked as "extremely important" or "important" to 88% of Limelight Network's survey respondents. Keep the number of pages to a minimum.
2. Pay attention to images. Use product videos and up-close product shots that help to show detail on a smaller screen. A 2010 eMarketer survey showed online retailers consistently reported higher conversion rates and lower rates of shopping cart abandonment with the use of product videos... something to consider for a mobile experience too.
3. Keep design and content simple. Mobile site optimization was "extremely important" or "important" to 82% in the Limelight Network survey. That means avoid cramming all of the information you have on your primary website onto a mobile version. Include just the key pieces of information your visitors will want, like your location (address and map), hours of operation, phone number, any current promotions and a simple shopping cart and check-out function for purchase.
4. Maintain your brand identity. Like every other interaction you have with your customers and prospects (direct mail, email, social media and standard website, etc.), a mobile site experience should be consistent in look and feel.
5. Satisfy the need for more. Provide a link to your standard website for visitors who want information that didn't make the cut for your mobile site.
6. Limit text entry. Even the most nimble-fingered can be challenged by filling out multiple, small data fields on their phone. Use drop-down menus and radio buttons for making data selections when possible.'
- Marketing Insider, Issue 2, 2012 |
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