If you haven’t already made the move to mobile, then why not? It’s plain and simple that retailers who haven’t optimised their sites for mobile usage are missing out on masses of visitors and in turn, sales.
Mobile set to shine this Christmas
Recent forecasting from John Lewis has suggested that mobile is set to be the shining star this Christmas. In what is being called the UK’s first-ever mobile Christmas, the department store has predicted that traffic from mobile phones and tablets is expected to overtake visits from desktops on December 25th. The store has said that last year almost 50% of its website traffic came from mobile on Christmas Day, a figure that it expects to increase come this Christmas.
UK leading the way in mobile shopping
Mobile shopping isn’t just something for the likes of John Lewis, it is something all retailers, both large and small, should be focusing their attention on. Adobe’s 2013 Online Shopping Forecast has predicted that 20.4% of all UK Christmas sales will be made on a mobile device and the UK will have the biggest percentage of mobile shoppers in Europe.
It’s plain and simple why really, while smartphones and tablets aren’t cheap devices, they are cheaper than most laptops and desktops. They are also more widespread; there are currently around 30.9 million smartphone users and around 17.4 million tablet devices in UK, according to a YouGov study. Key to this is the fact that they are almost always switched on, while with smartphones in particular, they are almost always with their user.
Making your site mobile-friendly
So what should be done? If you don’t already have a mobile site in place, you firstly should ensure your website features a responsive design and will automatically adjust to the screen resolutions of mobile devices and tablets. This is a basic really, if your website doesn’t align correctly on a visitor’s device and they cannot decipher your content, they will navigate away, simple.
Developing your mobile strategy doesn’t just end at creating a site that fits the screen of a mobile device though. Your mobile strategy should also include developing content that can be easily be viewed and engaged with on the go. Devices have become more interactive and shopping has become more social. No longer do people just shop on their desktops, they now want content they can show their friends, content that they can share on social media.
Creating a visual landscape
Think about including more mobile-friendly visual content to your website. The old adage “a picture speaks a thousand words” couldn’t be truer; research from the Forrester Research company in the US found that a single frame of video can deliver the same amount of information as three pages of copy. That’s not to say copy shouldn’t be used, it just needs to be more succinct and digestible for people reading on the go.
Imagery and video can also be used by retailers to appeal to the “see it, want it, buy it” mentality. Many people act on impulse when shopping and by using imagery and video you will be able to capitalise on this visual engagement and appeal to a shopper’s emotions.
