M-commerce optimization, a phased approach
Shoppers are using their phones more and mobile shopping is on the steady rise (an expected $3.56 trillion in sales in 2021). However, many merchants’ conversion rates remain low. This is a universal problem we’re determined to help retailers overcome.
Corra data shows on average, mobile accounts for 60% of our client’s incoming traffic, and desktop traffic averages around 40%. But, the conversion rate on desktop is double that of mobile.
The quick win: optimize your internal site search.
No one is more motivated to make a purchase than the shopper already searching for something specific on your site. According to Corra’s client data, visitors using internal search are responsible for driving 24% to 48% of a site’s overall revenue.
Yet, surprisingly, 85% of e-commerce companies aren’t optimizing their site search.
A seemingly obvious (but too frequently missed) issue is ensuring the search bar is noticeable on all devices, especially if you have a responsive site that shrinks to fit a mobile screen.
Also consider that shoppers misspell product names, it’s inevitable (especially on a mobile keyboard), don’t lose sales because of this! Your site search should be programmed to handle common typos and misspellings, and suggest products accordingly. Look at the list of words customers have previously searched for that resulted in high bounce rates or low conversion rates, and implement suggestions that lead to relevant products.
69% of mobile sites don’t have the ability to show suggestions—so this is also an opportunity for you to stand out from the crowd and make your customers’ lives easier.
For more tips on how to improve your internal site search, watch this 4-minute video on the topic. Or download Corra’s report on the Future of Mobile Commerce.
The makeover: think and act mobile-first.
When it comes to designing an e-commerce site, it’s easier to start small and add later, rather than shrinking things down.
We’re not unique in saying adopting a mobile-first approach is necessary to make mobile experiences convert. Yet, delivering this approach remains a challenge for today’s merchants.
Mobile-first design isn’t just designing a site to fit mobile dimensions. It’s about understanding the fundamental differences in m-shopping behavior.
Thankfully, visitors can be divided into different categories to help us make sense of them:
- Nibblers are searching for something they desire.
- Pop-ins are just looking for what they purchased before, again.
- Seekers are looking for inspiration.
- Explorers are in their research phase and want all the details.
Insider tip: on a mobile PDP (Product Detail Page), give just enough detail so each user type knows what kind of information they would find if they wanted to dig deeper. Be ruthless about what content stays on the page. Ensure it leads the user to an action and remove everything extraneous. For users wanting more info, utilize expandable and collapsible sections they can access if interested, leaving a cleaner browsing experience.
To do this, you’ll need outstanding information architecture. Invest time into learning about your users, adapting sections and features, and understanding how you can serve personalized content to each of these segments (or partner with an agency to do so).
The master plan: implement a headless PWA.
This brings us to the master plan. A deep transformation, proven to dramatically improve your bottom line. A stunning experience. The Progressive Web App.
What is PWA? (asking for a friend)
A Progressive Web App (PWA) is simply a website acting as a mobile app. Unlike mobile apps, they don’t have to be downloaded from an app store.
With PWAs, users can get app-like experiences they save to their home screens, with lightning speed and mobile-first design without needing to actually build an app for both iOS and Android.
PWAs allow for modern web capabilities, including background sync, offline browsing, barcode scanning, and even push notifications. After the first visit, users experience instant load times even on unreliable networks. The result? Lower bounce rates and increased conversions.
Building a successful PWA provides your customers with a modern experience, intuitively designed for mobile.
To learn more about Progressive Web Apps and dive deeper into any of the m-commerce tips we suggested, download Corra’s report (featuring Klarna) on the future of mobile commerce. Or reach out to chat with us about our services.
This article was contributed by Corra.
We are strategic thinkers, accomplished engineers, and award-winning experience designers. We believe outstanding commerce experiences can’t exist without flawless technology, and that flawless technology is pointless without beautiful, human-centered design. Corra has built future-proof solutions and refined a delivery process that helps our clients achieve more with less. From Progressive Web App and headless commerce accelerators to pre-built CX assets, we create the foundation that allows merchants to realize their vision faster.
Morgan Hipps owns content at Corra. Outside of her 9-5, she’s an avid online shopper, “researching” for her day job writing about the latest and greatest commerce experiences.