Anyone who’s managed an e-commerce store knows that conversions from mobile devices tend to lag behind desktop considerably. While this might not be true for app purchases, (think Amazon or Wish) mobile e-commerce tends to be a place where window shopping is the norm. So what steps can you take to increase that conversion rate?
We took a look at 7 different ways to increase your mobile conversions without having to invest in building an app. These items cover from development to marketing, because like most things, a holistic approach is always best.
Offer Free Shipping
One of the number one reasons that people put items in their cart is to determine the cost of shipping. While shipping certainly is an expense to you as the business, you generally know how much it costs you to ship those items. Baking that cost into the cost of an item, then offering free shipping will help users know what the total cost of an item will be.
Quick Account Setup
As the name states, mobile shoppers are on the move. Even if they’re sitting on their couch with their phone, it’s not the only thing they’re doing. Creating an account setup that’s easy will allow them to either finish their order, or worst case, be able to pick up their cart on a desktop device later. The conversion still happens even if it’s not on a mobile device.
Speed Up Your Site
E-Commerce hosting can be expensive that’s true. This is especially true if you have a lot of products. One area you shouldn’t skimp is on your hosting. Think of if like the entrance to your business, you wouldn’t want a bunch of clutter or a small driveway to keep folks out. So why would you do it on your website? Work with your developer to get the most robust servers, and the most trimmed down website you can to keep mobile users happy on their devices.
Optimize, Optimize, Optimize
Whether it’s product descriptions, categories, or images, optimizing your pages for search engines as well as for the users themselves. For this you’ll want to pay attention that your images are not only high quality, but the colors match what is offered. They also need to be small enough in file size to load quickly.
In terms of product descriptions, unique descriptions that help the buyer understand the product better is always optimal. This is hard to do with thousands of products. In those cases, focussing on your top sellers and growing those first, is probably your best move.
Encourage Customer Reviews
Following up with those that have already purchased to leave a review of the product is a great way to get folks to speak up about what they liked or didn’t like. Many e-commerce shoppers rely on reviews to know if a product will fit, or if the colors are accurate. Since they obviously can’t try the product before buying it, reviews help them make those decisions.
Have a Great Return Policy
Just like reviews, the barrier to mobile e-commerce shopping is often the fear that if a product doesn’t fit or is not what they really needed, that it will be hard to return. A great return policy can help lower that barrier and give buyers the peace of mind that they won’t get stuck with something they don’t want.
Integrate with Mobile Payment Systems
Payment processors like Strip and Authorize give you the ability to work with mobile payment options such as Google Wallet or Apple Pay. These give buyers a level of payment security if they don’t feel comfortable entering a credit card on their phone. It’s also helpful for them because it saves time over traditional payment methods.
Conclusion
There are really two key factors that go into mobile e-commerce. Speed and lowering fear barriers. As I said earlier, they’re called mobile devices for a reason. If a shopper is multi-tasking while they shop, the speed at which they can get to what they need is imperative. Slow load times, long checkout processes, and the inability to use easy payment systems will keep folks from closing the sale on that device. Hopefully they’ll complete the order later at another device, but that’s not always the case.
Additionally, use reviews and descriptions as virtual dressing rooms. Let your customers tell them why they should buy it, and describe the product in a way that would be appealing. Finally, have a return policy that will prevent buyer’s remorse.
Even though taking these actions may never get your mobile conversion rate to the level that desktop is, any steps you take that make improvements will be sales that you otherwise wouldn’t have gotten.