Shopify stands out as an exceptional platform that offers seamless mobile user experiences. All themes available on Shopify are fully responsive, ensuring they adapt to the screen size of the device being used.

However, if you’re serious about Shopify mobile optimization, merely having a responsive design isn’t enough. There are numerous other factors to consider to transform your website into a truly mobile-friendly application. Here are some issues that can arise from a Shopify site that ignores mobile users. 

Issues Arising from a Shopify Store Poorly Optimized for Use on Mobile Devices

Low SEO Rankings

An effectively optimized Shopify mobile website is more likely to be favored by search engines, particularly Google. Google introduced mobile-first indexing on July 1, 2019, giving higher rankings to mobile-optimized content during searches performed on mobile devices. If you’ve made efforts to optimize Shopify for mobile, your site will be more visible. If not, you risk obscurity.

No or Poor Sales

Even if someone stumbles upon your non-mobile-friendly Shopify site and begins exploring it on their Android or iOS device, they may quickly lose interest due to difficult navigation, slow loading times, text overload, or other user-experience obstacles. This will inevitably lead to a sales decline.

Damage to Brand Image

Most importantly, your brand image could take a hit. Word of mouth, a crucial business tool, could be negatively impacted. People will be less likely to recommend your brand after struggling with your Shopify mobile website. A tarnished image can result in significant losses.

Fortunately, you can evade all those problems by adhering to the crucial guidelines we’ve compiled for you.

Strategies to Optimize Your Shopify Store for Mobile Users

Optimize Tap Targets

Optimizing tap targets involves increasing the size and spacing of links, buttons, or any other elements on your website that require a tap action. This is particularly important for mobile users, who navigate websites using their fingers rather than a precision tool like a mouse cursor.

On a small screen, too closely placed or small-sized tap targets can lead to erroneous taps, causing frustration or even leading users to abandon their shopping. The Google recommendation for minimum tap target size is about 48 pixels wide and tall, with at least 8 pixels of space between different tap targets.

Shopify themes usually come mobile-friendly out of the box, but it’s still essential to test your store on various mobile devices to ensure all tap targets are easily tappable and well-spaced. If necessary, you can adjust the sizes in your theme’s CSS. Remember, enhancing usability for mobile users can significantly improve user engagement, reduce bounce rates, and increase conversion rates.

Simplify Navigation

A well-structured and simple navigation is key to improving your mobile users’ experience on your Shopify store. With smaller screens, the navigation menu should be designed to allow users to find and access different parts of your store with ease. A common practice is to use a collapsible, hamburger-style menu that takes up minimal screen space while still providing access to all necessary website sections.

Remember to keep your navigation menu clear and concise. Avoid cluttering it with unnecessary options that can confuse your users. Instead, prioritize displaying important sections like product categories, search bar, and checkout. The fewer steps users need to take to find and purchase products, the better your conversion rates.

As mobile users typically scroll vertically, it can be beneficial to have a sticky header that stays at the top of the screen as users scroll down. This way, the navigation menu is always accessible, enabling users to switch between different sections without having to scroll back up.

In terms of the site search, consider adding an auto-suggest feature to make product search more comfortable for users. This will not only speed up the product discovery process but also provide users with a personalized shopping experience.

Lastly, make sure your site’s navigation is consistent across all pages to avoid confusing users. Consistency in design elements and navigation structure can help build familiarity and enhance user trust in your brand.

Again, it’s crucial to test your navigation on multiple mobile devices and browsers to ensure optimal functionality. Any glitches in navigation can significantly hamper the user experience and result in lost sales.

Optimize Text Usage

A key aspect of optimizing your Shopify store for mobile users is the effective use of text. Mobile screens are smaller than desktop screens, meaning that large blocks of text can be intimidating and hard to read. For this reason, it’s important to keep your text concise and to-the-point, only providing essential information.

Start by using larger fonts that are easy to read on smaller screens. Shopify recommends a base font size of 16px for mobile users. Avoid using small fonts as they can strain the eyes and hamper the overall user experience. Furthermore, ensure there is enough contrast between your text and background. Dark text on a light background usually works best.

Next, consider the structure of your text. Break up large blocks of text into smaller paragraphs or bullet points to make it easier for users to digest. Headers and subheaders can also be used to organize information and guide visitors through your content.

Lastly, keep in mind that some words and phrases might take up more space on a mobile screen than they would on a desktop. Hence, opt for shorter, concise phrases when possible. This is especially crucial for your navigation menu and product descriptions. Remember, the goal is to provide users with a smooth and efficient shopping experience on their mobile devices.

Again, like other aspects of mobile optimization, rigorous testing is necessary. Test your text presentation on different devices and browsers to ensure it’s easily readable and effectively conveys your message.

Visible Call-to-Action (CTA) Button

A visible and compelling Call-to-Action (CTA) button is crucial in driving conversions on your mobile Shopify store. CTAs guide your visitors through the buying journey and directly impact your store’s conversion rates. 

The placement of the CTA button matters significantly. It should be positioned strategically, where users can easily access it without having to scroll excessively. For example, placing the CTA button near the product details can prompt immediate action.

The color and design of the CTA button should make it stand out from the rest of the page. Choose a contrasting color that doesn’t blend with your website’s color scheme. The text on the CTA button should also be concise yet persuasive, such as “Add to Cart,” “Buy Now,” or “Continue to Checkout.”

The size of the CTA button is another important factor. As a rule of thumb, the button should be large enough for users to tap easily, typically around 44 pixels tall. Avoid making the button too small or too large as it could lead to accidental taps or disrupt the user’s experience.

Remember to perform A/B testing on different CTA variants to determine what works best for your mobile audience. This could include testing different button colors, texts, sizes, and placements. The goal is to create a CTA button that is both visually appealing and effective in driving conversions.

Conclusion

Optimizing your Shopify store for mobile users is a multi-faceted process that involves numerous elements, from text presentation to CTA button design to main navigation bar. Each of these elements plays a crucial role in enhancing the user experience and driving conversions.

Remember, the key is to maintain simplicity, deliver clarity, and provide a seamless shopping experience for your users. Continuous testing and refinement based on user interaction data are essential to stay ahead in the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.

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Diversity and inclusion are often seen as separate concepts, but they are actually two sides of the same coin. Diversity refers to the range of different groups that make up a population, while inclusion refers to the active effort to ensure that all members of those groups feel welcome and included.

Why is Diversity & Inclusion in the IT field Important?

The IT industry has long been dominated by white, male employees. However, this is starting to change, as companies are beginning to realize the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and refer to IT outstaffing company to get the diversity of the workers.

There are many reasons why diversity and inclusion are important in the IT industry. For one, a more diverse workforce can bring a wider range of perspectives and skills to the table. This can lead to more creativity and innovation within the sector.

In addition, a more inclusive workplace can help to attract and retain top talent. When employees feel like they belong in an organization, they are more likely to be engaged and productive. Finally, promoting diversity and inclusion can help to improve a company’s bottom line.

Despite the importance of diversity and inclusion, the IT industry still has a long way to go in terms of creating a more equitable workplace. In order to move forward, organizations need to commit to making changes at the organizational level. This includes things like implementing policies and practices that support diversity and inclusion, as well as increasing the representation of underrepresented groups within the workforce.

What challenges does the IT industry face when it comes to diversity and inclusion?

The IT industry faces a number of challenges when it comes to diversity and inclusion. One challenge is that the industry is still largely dominated by white, male employees. This lack of diversity can make it difficult for underrepresented groups to feel included and motivated in the workplace. Additionally, the IT industry has a history of being unwelcoming to women and other minorities. This hostile environment can discourage talented individuals from pursuing careers in IT.

Another challenge facing the IT industry is that many companies have not made a commitment to diversity and inclusion at the organizational level. Without this commitment, progress is likely to be slow. Additionally, some companies may be reluctant to make changes because they fear it will be costly or difficult to implement.

Despite the challenges, there are a number of ways to improve diversity and inclusion in the IT industry. One way is to increase the representation of underrepresented groups in leadership positions. This can be done through affirmative action programs or other initiatives that encourage companies to hire and promote qualified individuals from underrepresented groups. Additionally, companies can make an effort to create a more diverse and inclusive culture within their organization. This can be done by ensuring that all employees feel respected and valued, providing training on diversity and inclusion, and increasing communication about these issues. By taking these steps, the IT industry can become more welcoming and supportive of all employees.

What the IT Industry Can Do to Improve Diversity and Inclusion

The IT industry has been struggling with diversity and inclusion for years. There are many factors that contribute to this problem, but there are also many things that the industry can do to improve the situation.

One of the biggest problems is that the IT industry is predominantly white and male. This is a reflection of the fact that most of the people who work in the industry are white and male. This lack of diversity makes it difficult for women and minorities to get ahead in the industry. It also creates an environment in which discrimination and harassment are more likely to occur.

The industry can start to address this problem by making a concerted effort to hire more women and minorities. This will help to create a more diverse workforce, which will make it easier for everyone to get ahead. Additionally, the industry can work to create a more inclusive environment, where everyone feels welcome and respected. This can be done by ensuring that there are policies and procedures in place to prevent discrimination and harassment from occurring.

The IT industry also needs to do more to support women who are already working in the field. This includes providing mentorship and networking opportunities, as well as offering flexible work arrangements that allow women to balance their work and home lives. Additionally, the industry can provide training and development opportunities that help women to advance in their careers.

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We can’t say for sure, but we have some ideas.

Here are a few trends that we think will shape the future of mobile development:

1. The rise of Kotlin

Kotlin is a programming language that’s gaining popularity among developers. Its concise syntax and support for functional programming make it an appealing choice for those to improve their productivity.

2. The continued growth of Flutter

Google launched Flutter, a cross-platform mobile development framework. It allows you to build apps for both iOS and Android using a single codebase. Its hot reload feature makes it particularly appealing to those who wish to quickly flesh out their concepts.

3. The popularity of React Native

React Native is a JavaScript framework for building native mobile apps. It’s popular among developers who want to create cross-platform apps with a consistent codebase. Additionally, its use of declarative UI makes it easy to create interactive and responsive user interfaces.

4. The rise of serverless computing

Serverless computing is a way to run code without having to provision or manage servers. This means that developers can focus on building their applications instead of worrying about infrastructure. Additionally, it can help reduce costs since you only pay for the resources you use.

5. The need for better security

With the rise of mobile and web applications, security has become a top concern for developers. There are a number of ways to secure your app, but it’s important to choose the right approach for your needs. Additionally, you need to be sure to keep your app up-to-date with the latest security patches.

6. The popularity of containerization

Containerization is a way to package code so that it can run in any environment. This makes it easy to deploy and scale applications. Additionally, containers offer isolation from other parts of the system, which can help improve security.

7. The growth of artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is becoming more popular as a way to automate tasks. Additionally, AI can be used to improve the usability of apps and make them more intelligent.

8.  The increasing use of cloud services

Cloud services are becoming more popular as a way to deploy and scale applications. Additionally, they offer many features that can improve the usability of apps.

9. The rise of chatbots

Chatbots are becoming more popular as a way to interact with users. Additionally, they can be used to automate tasks.

10. The popularity of voice assistants

Voice assistants are becoming more popular as a way to interact with users. Additionally, they can be used to automate tasks.

Why are these trends important?

These trends are important because they represent the future of app development. By understanding these trends, you can be better prepared to develop apps that are more user-friendly and intelligent. Additionally, you can use these trends to your advantage to develop more unique and innovative apps.

Conclusion

Voice assistants and artificial intelligence are two of the most important trends in app development. By understanding these trends, you can be better prepared to develop more user-friendly and intelligent apps. Additionally, you can use these trends to your advantage to develop more unique and innovative apps. Thanks for reading!

FAQs

Q: What are some other important app development trends?

A: Some other important app development trends include the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Big Data.

Q: How can I use these trends to my advantage?

A: You can use these trends to your advantage by developing more user-friendly and intelligent apps. Additionally, you can use these trends to develop more unique and innovative apps.

Q: What are the latest trends in mobile development?

A: The latest trends in mobile development include the use of cloud-based services, the rise of cross-platform development tools, and the increasing popularity of wearable devices. Cloud-based services allow developers to create and deploy mobile applications without having to worry about infrastructure or platform compatibility. Cross-platform development tools make it possible to write code that can be used on multiple platforms, making it easier to reach a wider audience. And finally, wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers are becoming increasingly popular, providing new opportunities for developers to create innovative applications.

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The main peculiarity of mankind is that we always get used to new things. The arrival of COVID-19 gave us a powerful push to transfer critical industries online with the help of the latest technologies. In this article, we will talk more about eLearning platform development and share our expertise.

Here you can see an incredible forecast for the e-learning platform development market projected by Research and Markets. 

Today we will discuss the benefits of virtual learning platforms. Why are they so popular now, and which web development tools for online eLearning platforms will help you to create a usable and secure product? What do you need to know to create an impactful product? We will give you answers to these questions.

“So far technology has hardly changed formal education at all. 

But a lot of people, including me, think this is the next place where the Internet will surprise people in how it can improve things—especially in combination with face-to-face learning.”

— Bill Gates, an American business magnate, software developer, 

investor, author, and philanthropist

Benefits of using the virtual learning platform

Let’s talk about some distinguishing features of studying online. Why is there such a big number of people, who intend to develop their own products? And why are there plenty of people, who prefer online classes to face-to-face lessons?

Unlimited availability

Due to the accessibility of the Internet all around the world, students can join their classes just from their homes at any minute of the day, despite the weather, location, or any other conditions. This is much more convenient for a student and for a tutor.

Cost-effectiveness

If we look from the point of view of the individual tutor or the organization, we’ll see that it costs much less to build eLearning website than to manage the actual educational organization. Yes, you need more money to build an online learning platform, but you will not pay rent for a building, train your workers, and pay their fares. When you develop an eLearning platform, it will pay off over time and won’t need extra costs later.

Flexibility for students

Online learning gives students a lot of privileges. A student can choose a course he likes and get the personalized material, without huge pressure and a strict schedule. Virtual learning platforms give creators the opportunity to build unique education programs for specifically qualified users. 

Utmost results

Your online learning platform is not limited by any distance. All students who desire to learn and have the Internet can easily buy access to your educational material from any part of the planet.

Easy Launch

To enter this industry as a creator, you don’t need any earlier experiences. The most essential thing here is the quality, aim of your product, and does it meet the needs of users. An experienced development partner can help you with the eLearning platform design.

eLearning platform development: 6 types of platforms you can build

Now, when you know what you want to build, we can discuss in more detail your possible approaches.

Massive open online courses

This option works similarly to eCommerce platforms. Any tutor can put up for sale his product, and any student can buy any course he likes. 

Traditional learning management platforms

In this platform students can create their accounts with a subsequent saving of their results and achievements. These features are commonly used by big organizations like universities.

Open-source learning management platforms

This type of virtual learning platform is similar to the previous one but has more liberty for creators and students. Anyone here has an opportunity to build a platform based on already existing ones, and edit or adapt them. 

Modern learning management solutions

With this type, you can create learning processes, which will be the greatest and the most effective because they are built on specific pedagogies.

Learning management ecosystems

This option offers users specific knowledge, assembled and developed from the best results of the market and collected into a unique ecosystem. Usually, these are very aspirational projects, like Notre Dame’s NeXus platform.

Custom systems

The last option we will look at is the custom development approach. This is a great solution if you want to create an online school with specific sets and approaches for courses and educational programs. For example, you want to create game-based learning platforms for high schoolers that you have never seen before on the market. 

eLearning platform development: Examining key features

Registration and profile management functionality

The first step in creating your own platform is making a login function. It is a crucial function for every user of the project, for students, admins, developers, and tutors. Account information should be protected by using an email/phone number and password combination or social media login.

Students’ profiles should have options like user information, profile picture, a list of active and completed courses, information about achievements, purchase history, and settings. A  teacher profile should include an information page and a list of added courses. If you build some unique solutions in the realm of the cooperative learning platform, you may need some additional options here. 

Search function

Your eLearning platform design should include a search function, as users need to be aware of all the possibly interesting courses. This function should include keywords, categories, filters, and recommendations.

Control panel

This option will give students and tutors information about their achievements and expertise in your platform. Students should be provided with the usable design, the number of courses, the state of implementation, and the number of hours spent. For teachers, you should develop options with the number of courses, number of students, ratings, traffic, and possible financials.

Course page design

To effectively design the page of the course you need to add functions like attaching PDF files, audio, video, textbooks, and comments. For adding unique options to your project, coding is mandatory. If you want to build a game-based learning platform for teens, for example.

Convenient payment model

If you plan to charge for using your product, you need to think about payment mechanisms. They should be usable and secure and integrate indispensable elements like debit and credit cards, and integrations with famous payment systems like PayPal or Stripe. 

Course creation and editing page

Your platform must support all of the demanded tools, materials in PDF, video, and audio formats, and extra resources like articles from other websites.

Reminder and notification functionality

Reminder and notification functionality is a good way to notify users about updates or new products. You can send them monthly digest emails and add some personal offers for users.

Admin panel

Your platform should be equipped with an efficient and handy panel for admin.

What do you need to do to develop an eLearning platform?

Explore and plan

You should determine your aim and what kind of product you want to create. We recommend you begin with a market analysis of similar platforms. Compare your potential project with them, think of what you might improve, and what might meet the needs of the users? What will you modify to make your platform unique?

Finding a development partner

As stated above, you can join this market and build an online learning platform even if you don’t have any substantial experience in this area.

If you want to have the greatest customization, you should probably think about a custom solution. For adding more technical expertise to your project, you can form your own team or hire an outsourcing partner. There’s no way to know which option is better without knowing the context. Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Search for a trusted software development partner on such platforms as Clutch.co, GoodFirms, and IT Firms. Make sure that reviews from previous clients are good. A good outsourcing company makes their job great despite the remote processes and can become an essential part of your organization.

Creating great content

Only valuable content makes your project successful in the end. Find professional tutors at universities, higher educational institutions, or other platforms to provide users with efficient knowledge!

FAQ

What is an online learning platform?

An online learning platform is a website or an application, which makes it possible for students to learn online and for tutors to teach

What is eLearning development?

eLearning development is the creation of educational platforms, which help people to study online from any part of the planet if they have Internet access, of course.

What should an online learning platform have?

An online learning platform should have registration and profile management functionality, a search function, a control panel, a convenient course page design, a convenient payment model, and management tools for students and tutors.

What is a game-based learning approach?

The game-based learning approach is using some game principles in the education system. This approach makes it easier for students to remember the new information because it is provided in a playful, interesting way.  

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Swift will seem familiar to Objective-C developers. It combines the readability of named parameters with the power of Objective-C’s dynamic object model.

Pros:

Speed. The language is now almost on par with C++, and Cupertino promises that’s not the limit;
simplified navigation through project files. Unlike Objective-C, which creates two files for declaration and implementation, Swift makes do with just one. In addition, method names and comments between files are synchronized automatically;
easy readability, because the language is not built in C. For example, there is no need to put a semicolon at the end of a line and no need to write parentheses to surround an expression inside an if/else. No square brackets, Swift resembles regular English, is much cleaner and has a simplified syntax;
brevity. The amount of code with Swift becomes much less. For example, you can use the “+” operator to add two lines;
more opportunities compared to Objective-C. For example, generics (universal patterns). Generic code allows you to write flexible, general-purpose, functions and types that can work with any other type. You can write code that is not repetitive and expresses its content in an abstract form;
full interoperability with code written in Objective-C, allowing you to use two languages simultaneously;
increased security. Swift, unlike Objective-C, is strictly typed, that is, when declaring named parameters you must explicitly specify the type of data, otherwise the compiler causes an error when executing the code. This will make it easier to fix bugs, because you can solve the problem right away;
support for dynamic libraries. One significant change in Swift is the shift from static libraries to dynamic libraries, which are essentially executable pieces of code. They attach to the application and “link” to new versions of the language, allowing the program to run stably.

Cons:

Swift is constantly evolving and changing. For example, method calls can change after an update. Fortunately, Apple has structured this process so that code written in earlier versions will not be broken. You just see a warning saying that your code is written in an older version, and the editor will offer to switch to the newer version and help you do the process line by line;
interacting with Objective-C files is done with a “bridge”, which greatly slows down the build process.

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Pros:

A high degree of code maintainability: with each update, changes to Objective-C are minimal;
a large amount of documentation, technical literature, and a huge community. Apple provides and regularly updates official books and resources. What kind of knowledge an iOS developer needs, you can learn from our article;
A quick transition from one of the languages of the C family. Objective-C is an extension of the C language. This means that any C code is also correct code for Objective-C, you just need to get used to the syntax;
Objective-C compatibility within projects written in Swift will allow you to apply the two languages at the same time.

Cons:

If you’ve never encountered programming and decide to start with Objective-C right away, you may have difficulty understanding OOP principles and cluttered syntax. Difficulties will disappear in the process of learning;
low code readability: at the beginning of the study syntax will seem complicated;
dynamic data type system, which is also a plus, suggests that errors may appear or be missed even during compilation. In particular, typos can delay the process;
poor performance in comparison with the Swift language;
interacting with Swift files using a “bridge” (a conditional adapter that translates code in Swift into Objective-C format), which greatly slows down the build process.

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What iOS programming language should you learn?
Where can I get materials to study?
Do I need a Mac?
Do I need an iOS device?
which editor is suitable for writing code?
Where can I learn to be an iOS developer?
This article will answer these questions and help you achieve your goal.

The iOS operating system was released by Apple in 2007. It is not limited to the iPhone and iPad, but I will talk about app development for these devices only. The article is divided into several parts:

Native App Development.
Programming languages for creating iOS apps.
Development environment for iOS.
Developing iOS apps and augmented reality games using ARKit framework.
Game development using the SpriteKit framework.
In addition to native development, there is also cross-platform, when the application is written simultaneously for iOS and Android in a language other than native. We will talk about it another time, but you can satisfy your curiosity now and read the article by Leonid Bogolyubov, Editor in Chief of Apptractor, written for Live Tipip.

Developing native apps
The process of developing a native app is writing a program in one of the main iOS development languages: Objective-C or Swift. This path was created by Apple Corporation and involves following all of its ideas. Apple provides developers with the latest versions of the SDK (software development kit), documentation, and the Xcode development environment.

The advantages of native development:

The app is optimized for the iOS platform, which means it will work quickly and correctly;
The application responds instantly to taps, there are no delays in animation and when scrolling content;
clear and easy access to the device hardware – camera, microphone, accelerometer, geolocation, address book, player, etc. On these and other features of the device you can base the functionality of the application;
platform native interface. Native apps usually operate with “platform-specific” interface elements: menus, navigation, forms and all other design elements are taken from the operating system and are therefore familiar and understandable to the user;
Syntax of Objective-C language does not change with each update of iOS, so support of the application is virtually painless – you will have to change or rewrite only a small amount of code.
Disadvantages:

Swift language application support. Regular updates of iOS platform versions make it necessary to update the code, but with the arrival of the fifth version of Swift, Apple promises to make this process easier;
Most current projects are written in Objective-C. Every year it becomes more and more difficult to find a programmer willing to write in it, and many companies refuse to rewrite projects in Swift, because this is a huge and incredibly time-consuming process.
For clients of development studios, the question of what kind of development to pay for – native or cross-platform – is also relevant. Cross-platform development can be advised when the budget is limited, you need to know the demand for a mobile application, or if the client has their own web programmer. In other cases, it is better to opt for native development. Live Tipiping can help with both. Send us a request if you intend to start working on your mobile app for iOS – we’re ready to discuss everything.

What language iOS apps are written in
Apple developers provided two options:

Objective-C. A veteran with a long history, gradually receding into the background;
Swift. Very young and rapidly gaining popularity among developers.
Both languages for creating iOS applications belong to object-oriented programming (OOP) and successfully implement its basic paradigms: inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation and abstraction. In simple terms, OOP is a style of writing code that allows a developer to group similar tasks into classes. The code conforms to the DRY principle (don’t repeat yourself) and becomes easy to maintain.

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