It is no secret that we live in a mobile-first world, and as a result, users’ expectations while using their mobile devices are also rapidly increasing. The key to unlocking higher conversions is understanding and harnessing the power of mobile user experience design.
In this article, we will cover the importance of mobile UX in conversion optimisation, understanding mobile users’ behaviour, and key areas to consider when designing for mobile devices.
The importance of mobile UX in conversion optimisation
There is a growing dominance of mobile devices in online interactions, with over 55% of website traffic and 92.3% of internet users accessing the internet using a mobile device [ITU, DATATREPORTAL].
These statistics demonstrate that the mobile audience is there. You will achieve great business success if you have a strong mobile UX to facilitate conversions.
Understanding the mobile user behaviour
In the same way that you would when you design for desktop users when designing for mobile users, it is essential to understand users’ journey, pain points, needs and expectations. By conducting user research through interviews, focus groups, individual studies and competitor research, you can build a strong understanding of your users, how they engage with your or other existing mobile products and where you can improve their experience.
Responsive design: creating mobile-friendly experiences
Responsive design is an approach that means that an interface will adapt to a different device or viewport. Responding to the environment in which it is being used improves user experience and engagement with a product.
Mobile optimisation ensures website content is designed so users accessing it from a mobile device have a high-quality user experience.
Some key things to look at when creating responsive design principles are creating a mobile-friendly layout, having media and viewport settings optimised and touch-friendly elements and navigation being considered for users on mobile and touchscreen devices.
Streamlining mobile navigation and usability
Navigation is one of the most essential elements when creating a streamlined and mobile-friendly layout. Intuitive navigation dictates a product’s success, which is the same in mobile. However, there are specific considerations to be aware of when designing for mobile: the menu should be simplified where possible, buttons and clickable fields should comply with accessibility guidance for touchscreen devices, and have a 44px touchpoint. Menu layout should be considered, and no information should be hidden under slides or swipes.
Designing for mobile speed and performance
Page load time can be vital in ensuring user engagement on a website. Faster page load times increase traffic, sales and overall user satisfaction. Reducing page loading time even by a second can dramatically improve your users’ experience.
To improve your page loading speed, all images and media files should be optimised, all CSS and JavaScript should be minified, and caching and content delivery networks (CDNs) should be utilised.
Mobile content strategy for engagement and conversions
It is key to mobile optimisation that content captures and retains users’ attention. To achieve this, content should be tailored for mobile consumption. This means looking at legibility relating to font, size and weight and making sure colour contrasts meet the contrast ratio guidance and that content is broken down into manageable sections that make logical and hierarchical sense to users viewing the website on a mobile device.
Optimising mobile forms and checkout processes
The primary goal with every form is completion most efficiently and intuitively possible. The shorter the form, the better. The more energy users must use to fill out a form, the more likely they are to drop off. This means it is vital to make sure only necessary fields are included. Interactive states should help provide context to users, and form fields should follow accessibility touchpoint guidelines and have a clickable area of at least 44px. Data entry should be made easier by considering the kind of data the user is entering and how additional context, auto-fill or providing options could improve usability and minimise the user’s cognitive load.
Mobile UX testing and iteration
Testing and iteration is a crucial part of the UX design process. Testing a product with users and gathering feedback is the only way to see what works and what doesn’t. Using insights and data collected through quantitative and qualitative user testing enables you to identify and address any usability issues in the early stages of the design cycle.
Leveraging mobile app experiences for conversions
Mobile apps offer users a tailor-made experience that encourages them to engage with their content for longer and, therefore, helps build loyal followings. The rate of app conversions compared to mobile is around 157% and still growing [Abuzar m, Tekrevol]. This means that more and more companies are leveraging mobile app experiences to drive user engagement and see higher conversion rates.
Conclusion
In this article, we have outlined why mobile optimisation is so important when designing for mobile devices. Mobile-first design has been shaping how UX designers work for years, and focusing, testing and improving your mobile presence is the key to unlocking higher conversions now more than ever.
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