Statista projects that U.S. retail m-commerce sales in 2023 are expected to hit a staggering mark of over 500 billion U.S. dollars. This statistic underscores the need for e-commerce website owners to prioritize optimizing their platforms for handheld device users, both current and potential.
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.