While traffic on mobile is increasing, the conversion rate is still low compared to the desktop. So, what are the best practices to put in place to increase mobile conversions?
Mobile is gaining more and more ground in Internet traffic, accounting for more than 55% of global Internet traffic by 2021. As for the use of mobile applications, let's not talk about it. In 2021, total spending on mobile applications worldwide is estimated at $170 billion. It is therefore obvious that mobile optimization of websites should no longer be an option, regardless of the sector of activity.
But Internet users do not have the same habits when they surf on their mobile. For example, they tend to make momentary/spontaneous searches and stay less time on sites. They also have different expectations regarding the user experience, looking for more simplicity in navigation, more personalization and instantaneous exchanges. As a result, there are adjustments to be made to improve your mobile conversion rates and here are some avenues to follow.
1. Adapt your UX to mobile navigation
Simplicity and convenience should be the key words in your mobile optimization strategy. You must allow users to navigate easily on your mobile site and provide them with the most satisfying experience possible. This implies having a site adapted to all screen sizes, the very principle of responsive design.
Remember that on mobile, reading is done vertically. Therefore, the most important and attractive content must be placed at the top of the screen. The golden rule is to go to the essential and this consists in particular in not loading the pages with too much information, and in adapting the titles so that they are the clearest and most concise possible. A good practice is also to set up dynamic menus or burger menus, more accessible on mobile.
Finally, we also recommend dividing the product pages into two columns, rather than one, in order to display 4 products at the same time and thus facilitate the search of users.
2. Simplify and streamline the buying process
As we said, Internet users do not have the same habits when they surf on their mobile and are looking for a fast and fluid navigation, which allows them to quickly proceed to payment. It is therefore advisable to abandon some features, such as the mandatory creation of an account, and to develop others, such as the connection via social networks or Google & Apple accounts, the numeric keypad to facilitate input in forms requiring numbers, the persistent cart (which allows the user to retrieve his cart even after leaving the page), the editing of quantities directly in the cart, the payment via Google or Apple Pay, the ability to take a picture of his credit card, or the securing of the payment via the 3DS Secure authentication
3. Reduce page load time
A site with slow loading times can see its conversion rate decrease significantly and this is even more frequent on mobile. Indeed, depending on the operator, the network, the device, the connection speed can vary. It is therefore essential to reduce page loading times as much as possible by reducing the weight of the pages in order to make navigation more fluid.
But how? To begin with, it is advisable to eliminate high definition images and videos, or at least to optimize them by reducing their weight as much as possible or by opting for lower definitions. It is also advisable to lighten the code, especially in CMS, plug-ins, CSS and JavaScript code banks, keeping only the minimum necessary.
> Suri-tip: the challenge of automated testing to optimize mobile conversion rates
There is nothing like a bug to negatively impact the user experience and thus reduce the conversion rate, whether on the web or on mobile. According to our survey conducted in 2020, 86% of French people give up a purchase because of a bug .
It is therefore imperative to regularly check that the functionalities of your site or mobile application react as agreed, by performing functional tests, especially for the creation and connection to the customer account, the shopping cart, the delivery mode and the payment methods. One should also not forget to perform performance tests (to check page loading time), security tests, especially for payment and customer account connection, accessibility tests (to ensure that all audiences can use the product) as well as end-to-end tests, performed by the people who use the product in their operational practice.
The automation of tests is all the more relevant as it allows to execute these functional, performance and security tests faster and more frequently. It has been demonstrated that this improves move-to-prod, reduces time-to-market, and thus improves web and mobile conversion rates.
