How to make your eCommerce website more mobile-friendly

More and more people are shopping and making online purchases — not from their desktop computers, but from their mobile phones. Just think of how often you’ve used your phone to stream popular shows, refill prescriptions, or check your bank account.

This means that eCommerce websites need to be optimized for a mobile experience that attracts — and keeps — customers, especially if they want to expand into new international markets.

Why mobile-friendly websites are important to eCommerce businesses scaling to international markets

Mobile-friendly websites are critical for eCommerce businesses that want to grow into new global markets — and the stats speak for themselves. According to a 2020 study by the GSM Association, 1.2 million more people will be using mobile Internet services by 2025, bringing the total number of mobile Internet subscribers around the world to 5 billion subscribers — or more than 60% of the population. Businesses should consider that:

• In 2019, 51% of internet users across all age groups used a mobile retail app on a phone or tablet to make at least one purchase.

• In 2019, 55% of all online visits to websites across nine leading verticals were from smartphones.

• In Q4 2019, 51% of online transactions in North America and Europe were via mobile websites and apps.

• In Q4 2019, 58% of online transactions in Latin America and the Asia Pacific were via mobile websites and apps.

With so many people making purchases from their phones, your site needs to cater to mobile shoppers. The more mobile-friendly your site is, the more likely potential customers will follow through with a purchase.

Tips for creating a mobile-friendly eCommerce website

Take a look at your existing eCommerce website from your mobile phone.

What does the page layout look like? Is the search experience as easy and intuitive as it is when searching on a desktop computer? Is it confusing to navigate your way around the customer-critical aspects of the site (the add-to-cart or checkout functions, for example)?

These are some of the questions every eCommerce business must ask when designing or optimizing a mobile-friendly website. Whatever the results of your quick internal review, there are some effective ways to boost your eCommerce website’s ease of use for mobile users.

1. Increase your loading speeds. If it takes too long for your mobile website to load, there’s a greater chance your potential customer will bail. A speed of one to two seconds is an ideal length of time for a page to load.

2. Space out your links. Given the limited real estate on a mobile website, consider where you place your important links — and how many you use on a particular page. A good tip is to space out your links so that a visitor isn’t overwhelmed by options.

3. Consider your sizes. Font size, image size, homepage hero size — these and other features will translate differently to a mobile website experience. Make sure to adjust the size of these business-critical features so that they look and feel right on a mobile phone.

4. Simplify the checkout process. Once your customer makes a purchase and is ready to check out, get them out of there as fast as possible. For example,  include a “guest checkout” option or use alternate payment methods such as PayPal or Apple Pay.

5. Test your site. Whether you conduct A/B split testing or use automated testing methods, examining the customer journey on your mobile website —and learning from the results — can help improve your customer engagement and conversion rates.

Scale up with LianLian Global

Here’s a sixth tip for making your eCommerce website more mobile-friendly: improve the foreign transaction experience for your customers. As connectivity expands, so does access to international markets — so you’ll want your mobile site to work seamlessly for customers around the world as well as in your own backyard.

For help, join forces with a global payments partner who can streamline your foreign transaction process and give you more time to focus on growing your business.

Start growing your eCommerce business today with LianLian Global.