More and more consumers use mobile devices for shopping. This rise in online transactions being processed via smartphones and tablets means that both store owners and consumers are finding mobile devices to be more convenient and trustworthy. While this shopping change opens wider opportunities and advantages for business owners wanting to improve their presence on the web, it also presents some issues that business owners should be aware of before they go online and which they should address as early as possible.
Pros, Cons and Opportunities
The increased adoption of mobile devices has given birth to a more web-savvy generation. Thanks to the advances in communications technology coupled with the bursting industry of internet-capable devices worldwide, consumers today can access online stores more easily than ever via their mobile devices.
Purchasing goods and services from the comfort of your home is more convenient now than driving to actual physical stores. Not only does it saves time, but the mobile shopping experience is more engaging allows one to select merchandise quickly from multiple sites with just a few mouse clicks.
However, despite the fact that online transactions have come a long way, there are still pain points that can significantly affect buyers’ enthusiasm to visit some sites, and this reluctance can in turn reduce a business’ sales.
Slow mobile loading time
Page load time matters for the online shopper. Page engagement requires fast loading time since the average user lacks patience. If a page is slow to open, a user will leave a site. This behavior is confirmed in a Kissmetrics survey that says a typical user will only wait 6 to 10 seconds before leaving a page if it does not load within this time frame. Some consumers might forgive slow load time because of great web design or other functionality, but slow mobile loading can seriously discourage potential customers.
This challenge can be mitigated by employing usable and functional designs like: serving reduced image sizes specifically tailored for mobile devices, limiting fonts and backend scripts, and even reducing third party plugins which can be resource-heavy.
Unresponsive web design
The era of mobile browsing resulted in new sets of problems for web design since sites were originally designed for the wider screens of desktops and laptops. Many sites designed for desktop and laptop viewing become too difficult to browse when viewed on smaller mobile screens. The contents (texts and images) are either too small, do not fit the screen, or become distorted. Imagine a potential customer who visits a non-mobile-friendly website, and then leaves, just because the site looks bad on her tablet or phone. Now, imagine this being repeated hundreds and thousands of times by other users.
Unlike when desktop and laptop websites were the only way to connect to the internet, designers now have recognize and design sites for the continuously growing mobile devices market. Websites now need to be “mobile-friendly” and “responsive.” Being responsive means the website adjusts its look and layout automatically based on the device it is being viewed on whether on a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. The look doesn’t need to be exactly the same across all platforms, but it should look nice and not be distorted wherever it is viewed. This means that all the design elements (the screen widths, menus and navigations, images, forms, text sizes, videos…) should adjust their size and placement on the screen across most, if not all, devices. Making a site responsive also means the user’s need to constantly zoom in or out or pinch to adjust the size of the images and texts is eliminated.
Complex Web Structure
What works well with desktop browsers is not always true for mobile browsers. Because of the narrow screens on mobile devices, web pages meant for mobile viewing should have structures that are direct and simple. The key is to lead the user into converting a page visit into a sale. Removing unnecessary elements that clutter the page and highlighting the more important contents will lead to mobile sales. Short and sweet is the mobile way.
Hire Us
Behla Design has a long history of creating websites that look good on all devices. We recognize the de facto importance of mobile browsing, thus we ensure that the mobile experience is well integrated into our web designs. Our team is dedicated to creating visual experiences that effectively tell clients’ stories while keeping an engaging and exciting experience for our clients’ valued customers. Contact us if you have questions or if you need our help.
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