- The internet is getting smaller.
I mean, it's not shrinking.
There are nearly 2 billion sites and growings,
but the screens on which we access the web are.
With almost 55% of users
accessing the internet solely on their smartphones,
eCommerce transactions are increasingly taking places
on smaller devices.
- So what does your online store
look like on a smaller screen?
Is it easy to go from browsing to checking out?
It's important to consider eCommerce on smartphones,
so let's take a look
at how to best optimize your online store.
- So, here are a few things
to ensure those smartphone visitors
are getting the best experience on your eCommerce site.
Starting off with focus on the user experience.
If your user has a poor experience on your website,
then you won't be shown to those who are searching Google
for your product and services, period.
Creating a good website or online shop
is all about making sure it's easy to use
throughout the purchasing journey,
even on a small screen.
So make sure you have taken the eCommerce journey yourself
on a smartphone so you know what your customers experience.
- When building any kind of website,
you have to think about it through the lens of mobile-first,
which can be difficult
because you'll most likely be building it
on a laptop or desktop computer.
But, of course, you want your website to look great
on laptop or desktop,
but don't forget mobile.
And as you build your site, test it on your phone.
Have your friends test it too,
and then write down any issues, roadblocks,
or dead ends you run into
as you navigate the site on mobile.
And consider using a website building tool
that is specifically mobile-optimized right from the start.
And there are many mobile-optimized layouts and designs
you can choose that are made to look good
actually on both large and small screens
and maintain that optimization as you customize.
- And a good mobile site has a clear and simple navigation.
Add your primary call-to-actions to your navigation bar
to make sure that they are easy to access
even by someone with a large thumb or long fingernails
on their tiny touch screen or,
like my fiance, super long nails.
Huge bonus here because you can present your site visitors
with several options above the fold
without making them scroll down the page.
You'll also wanna organize your products into categories
to make it easy for customers to click and browse.
If you have more than 20 products,
consider adding a search bar
so your customers can find your products
in just a few clicks.
- Next, you need to optimize product listings.
Make sure all images link somewhere
and all links and buttons work.
Seems like simple advice, but it's overlooked all the time.
So go, click around,
make sure it's all doing what's it's supposed to,
and be sure all listings show a product image,
price, and buy button above the scroll line
at the top of the page.
And you wanna make sure
the most important information is visible
without having to scroll down the page.
- And since you want people to actually buy your products,
then you should probably make it easy for them to do that.
If 45% of people are buying from their phones,
then you have to make sure it's easy to conduct eCommerce
on even the smallest smartphone.
One way to make sure people are completing a purchase
is to reduce the number of steps required
during the checkout process.
More steps means more opportunities
to abandon the process and buy somewhere else
that is easy and familiar, like Amazon.
Collect necessary information like first and last name,
email address, and phone number,
and avoid anything that's unnecessary.
You can always follow up after the purchase is made
with an email asking for other information
you may want to collect.
- Optimizing a website or eCommerce store
for smartphones isn't expensive.
Shocking. I know.
I feel like everything costs so much these days,
but it isn't expensive.
In fact, it's all about streamlining and minimalizing.
More and more of us are becoming solely dependent
on our smartphones for access to the internet.
So if they can't figure out
how to navigate your eCommerce platform,
they will just find somewhere else to buy,
which you don't want to happen.
All right, that's a wrap,
but your journey doesn't have to end here.
We have over 250 videos for you to watch.
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Thanks for watching. This is The Journey.