7 Strategies to Boost Mobile Conversion Rates Shoppers increasingly use their smartphones to find what they want, at the price they'll pay. Help them find what you're selling.
By Brett Relander Edited by Dan Bova
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Web traffic via mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones now constitutes a third of the total traffic, and it's only going up from there. Mobile users are enthusiastic buyers and up to 15 percent of the sales for ecommerce sites are from mobile consumers.
There is tremendous potential yet to be tapped. Here are seven strategies to boost mobile conversion rates.
1. Build it right. Optimize the website to match your objective and user intent. If the objective of your website is to sell and users arrive there intending to buy, make it easy for them.
It should take no more than two clicks to reach anywhere on the site. Display the search box prominently. Speed checkout by providing multiple payment options, especially since more than a third of US online shoppers have PayPal accounts.
Related: How to Diagnose and Repair 'Conversion Rate' Problems on Your Website
2. Build with features in mind. Make full use of features available on mobile phones. Product videos help buyers make informed and confident purchase decisions. The click-to-call button increases comfort and boost sales. Use GPS built into smartphones to estimate shipping costs and delivery times.
Barcode and QR-code readers on mobiles can generate sales for bricks and clicks retailers. eBay's mobile site lets you browse classified ads from the neighborhood you're in. Get creative.
3. Good old email. Email capture can increase your sales conversions multiple times. The email capture form should be easy and quick to complete. Use large form fields for easy input of information and buttons on the touch screen should be big enough for easy use.
The minimum recommended size for buttons is at least 40 pixels. Eliminate typing wherever possible, offer options via a drop-down menu.
Related: How to Tell if Your Social Media Efforts Are Paying Off
4. Think local. Research by Google/Nielsen reveals that almost 70% of mobile consumers want businesses to be located within five miles of their location.
Capitalize on this preference to mobile to boost conversions with store locators and product locators on mobile devices, text messages and push notifications from your mobile app, and coupons for in-store shopping offered both in store and online. Mobile searches are invariably local searches.
5. Be personal. Mobile devices can be used to send personalized messages to names in your database. These messages are opportunities to up-sell, cross-sell, promote new products, invite to limited-time offers, link loyalty rewards to engagement, etc.
6. Just enough. A case study by Loyaltyreward.co found too much content distracts from the main message, an indicator to review the content on your desktop website to get it more focused. Leaving the central offer below the fold, excessive links and a "busy'' appearance create friction that detracts from a smooth user experience.
Follow the dictum of less is more. Work toward less content and the fewest possible clicks to reach a destination. When bounce rates go down, conversions increase.
7. Encourage sharing. Images and videos lead to more engagement on social media and serve as social proof. Facilitate the capture of visual media and its sharing on social media sites. Place social sharing buttons strategically so the desired action is naturally part of a good user experience.
Related: How Healthy Are Your Sales?
