2016 saw mobile traffic overtaking desktop for the first time, and has continued its domination throughout 2017 so far.
The rise in mobile traffic looks like it is here to stay as compared with August 2016, desktop was leading the month at 50.61% with mobile at 44.41%, however the tables have turn in August 2017, where mobile has 52.64% of the share whereas desktop has fallen almost 10% behind with 42.75%.[1]
Ofcom previously reported in 2015 that smartphones had overtaken laptops as the most popular device for UK internet users getting online[2]. Smartphones allow consumers to connect with friends and family through SMS, social media and phone calls; they can look up any piece of published information, bank online, make purchases and watch TV/videos. It’s even possible to create memos, Word documents and Excel spreadsheets, creating a central hub for consumers’ daily lives all from the touch of their fingers.
Consumers will abandon websites that do not provide a smooth customer experience and frustrates them at any point during their journey. This can include websites that are not mobile responsive, a third of visitors will give up and try somewhere else if they cannot interact with the website properly on their mobile device[3], for example, they have to zoom in and continuously scroll from left to right to read the information. Any aspects included on the website, such as any call to action buttons (call, email, start a chat), should be visible and clickable causing the relevant action to initiate.
Email forms and live chat software windows will need to be optimised for the screen size to ensure making contact via these channels is easy and seamless. These design aspects should also take into the account that the on screen keyboard will take up some of the room available on the form/window, therefore space is limited and needs to be considered carefully.
Making your communication methods simple to use, can be the difference between encouraging leads to provide their details or abandoning your website.
If the website is responsive and contact methods are optimised to fit seamlessly, visitors should continue to the checkout page. This is the last hurdle where they could abandon your website; these are just some of the reasons why:
- Lengthy checkout process
- Poor shopping cart experience including design and loading speed
- Checkout resetting due to incoming or other action interfering
- No guest checkout, forced to register
- Restricted payment methods
- Only browsing on mobile to complete a purchase in store or on a desktop
The checkout process should be streamlined; simplifying the steps it takes for visitors to complete a purchase. This should include a guest checkout and making multiple payment methods available; if visitors are limited they feel uncomfortable about parting with their money.
Organisations should regularly review their shopping cart process to identify any issues during the experience or areas with slow loading speeds; they can then plan to make improvements on their findings. To encourage visitors who browse on their mobile to make a purchase via another method, companies can offer discounts to complete the purchase online via their phone.
Has your company changed your online strategies to concentrate on improving the customer experience for your mobile traffic?
Author Bio: Gemma Baker is the Marketing Executive for UK live chat software provider, Click4Assistance, with a range of digital knowledge within PPCadvertising, SEO practices, email campaigns and social media.
[1] StatCounter 2017, Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet Market Share Worldwide
[2] Ofcom 2015, The UK is now a smartphone society
[3] Adobe 2015, The State of Content: Expectations on the Rise