Mobile optimization is key for online merchants based on Shopify as it helps them reach a majority of internet users that use their mobile devices for shopping. Statista claims in a report that 56 percent of people used mobile phones to access websites worldwide in 2021.
The trend of mobile shopping is expected to grow as smartphones and tablets have become more affordable and accessible than ever. A mobile-friendly website ensures that your content is easily accessible and readable on smaller screens. A mobile-optimized site loads faster and offers a better user experience. It is also easier to navigate on a smaller screen.
How Mobile Optimization Helps?
Mobile optimization helps in increasing engagement, longer page views and ultimately, more conversions. Moreover, Google and other search engines now prioritize mobile-friendly sites in their search results, so having a mobile-optimized site can help improve your website’s visibility and search engine ranking.
Mobile optimization not only helps you reach more users but also improves their experience, increases engagement and drives more conversions. It might seem like a daunting task, though several simple steps can ensure complete mobile optimization for your Shopify store.
1. Theme
It is highly essential to use a responsive theme to optimize your website for mobile devices. The right theme adjusts your website’s layout as per the mobile screen sizes. It helps in easy navigation and accessibility on all mobile phones and tablets.
For the unversed, a theme is a pre-designed template that determines the look and feel of a website, including its layout, color scheme, fonts, and other design elements. A well-designed theme can also help improve the speed of a website, which is critical for providing a good user experience. A fast-loading website is more likely to keep users engaged and on the site.
It also improves the user experience of the website. A theme that is optimized for mobile devices can improve the overall user experience by making the website easy to read, navigate, and interact with on smaller screens.
2. Product Pages
Product pages should look as impressive as the home page of your website. It leaves a positive impact on user experience. To optimize product pages for mobile devices, you must use product images of high quality. The product should also be easy to read and reviews should be visible and accessible to all.
You should also keep clear call-to-action messages on your product pages. Key buttons like “add to cart” and “buy now” also help in mobile optimization as it makes mobile shopping easier.
3. Speed
A website should load faster to be high on mobile optimization. Just minimizing the load times of your website, especially on mobile devices can result in wonders. Most mobile phone users make online shopping using slower internet speeds.
It is quite easy to minimize load times by simply compressing images, avoiding unnecessary codes and using a fast hosting platform. There are also tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights that help you analyze the speed of your Shopify store. After the right analysis, it is much easier to identify areas for improvement.
4. Features
Mobile shoppers also prefer websites that are mobile-friendly. Some mobile-specific features help you improve the user experience. Easy navigation, swiping to see product images and quick customer support are among the factors that help in mobile optimization.
These mobile-specific features not only enhance the user experience but also assists online purchases on mobile devices.
5. Checkout
Mobile optimization is incomplete without a flawless checkout experience as it helps you convert mobile users into potential customers. To ensure smooth checkout, it is essential to keep minimum steps to complete an online purchase.
Shopify merchants are recommended to mention clear and concise shopping instructions on the checkout page. For billing, there should be options like autofill and saved shipping information. You should also offer multiple payment options to process mobile payments based on Google Pay and Apple Pay.
6. Localization
Mobile optimization also requires your website to offer local search as it makes mobile shopping much easier. There should be location-based keywords that guide mobile users to your Shopify store. One way to achieve localization is to get listed in online directories like Google My Business.
Localization does not only help you increase the visibility of your website among local customers but also drives additional traffic. In September, Shopify launched Shopify Translate & Adapt, a localization tool compatible with Shopify Markets. International commerce is all about offering a localized seamless experience to consumers.
Shopify Translate & Adapt helps in localizing customers’ journeys as quickly and accurately as possible. The new tool will translate the information on an online store into different languages. Different shipping terms can be created for different markets. As per Shopify data, translating content increases gross merchandise value from local buyers by 13 percent.
7. Marketing
Shopify merchants are advised to use mobile-specific marketing strategies as it helps you attract more quick buyers. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram and promotions using Google AdWords helps you target a specific audience using mobile devices.
The notifications you send keep these mobile shoppers engaged and informed about new arrivals, promotions and sales. SMS marketing is another marketing tool that helps you optimize your Shopify website for mobile devices. SMS marketing is one of the undervalued communication tools. It is easily available and beneficial to every Shopify merchant.
ALSO READ: SMS And Loyalty Programs: Marketing Strategies to up Shopify Sales
As per everything-pr.com, just over 10 percent of businesses promote via text messages and interestingly, most of the customers prefer receiving text messages instead of emails. Where emails get ignored, most of the shoppers tend to click on every single promotional message sent by the companies. This increases the chance of generating more engagement than email marketing.
8. Analytics
For constant success in mobile optimization, Shopify merchants are advised to monitor analytics and optimize mobile metrics as per changing requirements. Factors like bounce rate, conversion rate and page views can help you understand the requirements better.
With this, you can identify areas for improvement and achieve desired results with the help of mobile optimization. Google Analytics is one such powerful tool that offers insights into your website’s mobile performance.
