Depending on the statistic you look at, eCommerce may or may not look like a good candidate for mobile devices.
Looking at the conversion rate of mobile devices vs desktop computers you’d think mobile shouldn’t even be a focus.
If you look at the percentages of different devices people use then you’d think it’s where the future is.
Well, fortunately for you if you’re not a numbers person you don’t need any numbers to understand mobile.
A gut feeling and taking a look at how you and maybe a few others use mobile is enough to understand its importance.
If you don’t use a mobile device very much then go to a public place and see if you can make it 5 minutes without seeing a smartphone.
Go ahead, I’ll wait.
How’d it go?
You probably saw someone within the first 30 seconds looking at their smartphone. Within 5 minutes you probably saw 15 people with their smartphone in hand.
I’m not a big number guy myself. For all the ruckus made about numbers and data it sure doesn’t surprise me that most people still make their decisions based on gut feelings.
That doesn’t mean data isn’t important or has no place in the decision process though. We refer to data, analyze data, and overall use the data but when it comes down to the final decision, the gut weighs heavily on the decision.
It doesn’t take a lot to see mobile eCommerce trends. Even if mobile devices aren’t currently the best converting, they’re a vital step in the path to the transaction.
That’s why mobile first shouldn’t be something merely talked about for an eCommerce store. Mobile first is something to live and breath and understand that it’s vital to an eCommerce stores survival.
Mobile First
The device your visitors use to access your website depends on your target audience. Regardless, mobile still plays a big role.
My website caters to businesses and marketers. My mobile traffic is only about 19% of my total views in the past year.
I manage several websites though.
I have consumer facing websites where the mobile audience is over 61% of the total views in the past year.
Most eCommerce websites are consumer focused so a mobile first design is an absolute must.
There's no getting around the absolute need of a mobile first design for an eCommerce store. Click To TweetMobile eCommerce trends wouldn’t point to an exodus of website moving towards a mobile focus. Mobile is important and you can either be with the curve (ahead has already passed) or behind risking extinction.
Put aside for a second that Google says mobile is absolutely important for eCommerce and all websites.
Consumer’s shopping behavior is determining that mobile must be put first.
Not all markets are demanding mobile-friendly websites but the market is changing daily.
Coveted Market
You can break down the most coveted market of consumers into an almost limitless number of ways.
I could define it by age group but that’s not accurate. The most valuable group could be broken down by education and that may be a little more accurate but still inaccurate.
Because of the inaccuracies of trying to classify the most coveted market for eCommerce, I won’t even try.
Whatever way you slice the data the stats on how mobile devices have penetrated our society still show.
They have pierced our daily life deeply and go with use wherever we go.
Because a mobile device is almost always within arms reach, mobile is an important part of a consumer’s journey to purchase.
It’s necessary for you to connect to customers on the go.
Mobile eCommerce trends show that consumers love their mobile devices. Whether they make the final purchase on them or not, they’re an important link in the sales process.
Not only that but as people age and head towards retirement, younger generations who are even more attached to their smartphones will also move into the most valuable consumer bracket.
As people age, they don’t suddenly forget how to use technology. They will take that knowledge and habit with them.
This transition of more tech-savvy consumers is shifting the coveted consumer market towards mobile first.
Make It Easy
You know how important an eCommerce store that’s designed for mobile first is now.
So how do you do it?
There’s more to it than just making your eCommerce store website responsive.
Making shopping on your eCommerce store is all about:
- Making it easy to browse for products.
- Speeding up web pages including images.
- Consistent branding across all devices and sites.
- Offering many payment options for convenience (PayPal, credit card, Apple Pay, etc).
Then there’s the question of whether a mobile app is the way to go. Unless you have a large audience and you’ve surveyed them finding a mobile app would be used, it’s usually the wrong path.
Mobile apps under most circumstances are expensive and ineffective for small and medium businesses. Click To TweetWhy is a mobile app the wrong approach?
Because the mobile app market on most people’s smartphones belongs to just a handful of apps (200 apps out of over 2 million get 70% of the usage).
In most cases, a well-made eCommerce website is the best solution to give your customers a seamless shopping experience across all their devices.
With a great mobile first website for your eCommerce shop, people will share your products on social media and find you in search engines easily.
Not only that but customers will be able to easily access your products from within one of the handful of apps they already use, most likely Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
If you’re not planning on or making the transition to a mobile-first eCommerce store then you’re behind.
Transition Your Store
Even the smallest barrier can get in the way of a customer making the purchase. A website that doesn’t meet a customer’s expectations means your customers will leave frustrated.
If your website isn’t meeting customer expectations on their many devices then you need to make the transition to a modern eCommerce website.
Transitioning to meet mobile eCommerce trends isn’t as simple as just adding a mobile option but it doesn’t have to be difficult either
It’s better to transition to a mobile-first online store now because it’s demanded by both consumers and Google. Working with the right web design agency can ensure you effectively transition to the mobile age and have a website that evolves with a goal.