Tailoring a seamless shopping experience for both desktop and mobile users is crucial to the success of online retailers today. Currently, over half of e-commerce sales are being conducted on mobile devices, and this number is projected to increase in the coming years.
Ensure that your mobile customers have the same personalized shopping experience as desktop users so that you can tap into this market more effectively. Below are some tips that will allow you to cater your shopping experience to both mobile and desktop users, allowing you to provide top quality service on both platforms.
Utilize a Flexible Platform
The software platform you deploy should incorporate support for both mobile and desktop shopping experiences. Whether you generate more sales from one group or the other, having a platform that includes a robust set of tools for both mobile and desktop will allow your customers to have a seamless shopping experience between the two.
Both systems should utilize intelligent predictive search. This is particularly true in mobile applications, where users typically don’t want to spend the time typing an entire search query. Additionally, the platform should incorporate smart product recommendations for both mobile and desktop users, allowing them to more easily navigate to products they may be looking for.
Ultimately, this will increase the size of your transactions and your bottom line. Be wary of using two completely different software systems for mobile and desktop. Customers want a consistent shopping experience when they navigate to your site on a mobile device, not a surprise.
Keep Navigation Simple
Your site’s navigation should be simple and intuitive. While this tenet has a long track record of success when it comes to desktop sites, user-friendly navigation on mobile has experienced slower implementation. Mobile users should have access to collapsible menu buttons that allow them to quickly navigate between different areas of your site.
Mobile e-commerce sites also benefit greatly from easy-to-use and intuitive filtering options. Collapsible and easily understandable filters help your mobile users avoid scrolling through pages of items they aren’t interested in.
Lastly, mobile shoppers operate on a number of different devices with independent needs. Ensure your software will allow users with smaller screens or slower loading times to access your content in a responsive and easily navigable manner.
Continuous Support is Required, Not Optional
The rate at which both desktop and mobile shopping patterns change over time demands using a system that has continued support. This will allow you to continue to fine-tune the experience for your users, regardless of how they access your content.
And it is important to remember that mobile shopping behavior is always evolving based on new mobile technologies. Features that you may not use now might prove crucial by next year. Make sure you have the support you need to continue to customize the shopping experience for both users. This will allow you to stay competitive, while increasing customer return and retention.
Rely on Real-Time Analytics
Utilize real-time analytics software to track how customers are using your site. This information will allow you to tailor their shopping experience quickly and efficiently. Ensure you are using software that has a robust set of analytics metrics, so that you are armed with the information you need to gain insights into shopping patterns.
Also, use analytics software that provides the data you need in real-time, so that you can act on information that is current rather than outdated. By doing so, you will be able to quickly respond to changes in customer patterns, as well as customize user experiences for both mobile and desktop users.
Incorporate a Variety of Payment Methods
While desktop shoppers may be happy to type in their credit card information to complete a transaction, mobile shoppers often prefer a more streamlined approach to the check-out process. Ensure that your system has a variety of payment options for users, including support for mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Paypal. These systems offer the flexibility for mobile users to pay how they would like, even if they don’t happen to have their card on them.
For more tips on creating a seamless mobile shopping experience for your customers, download our e-book Site Search and the Mobile Experience.
