Go Mobile only, not mobile firstIn mid 2013, mobile Internet access surpassed fixed Internet access, and according to comScore the gap is only widening.

Many people are not as easily frustrated with mobile as they are with desktop, because their expectations are still low. It was the same way in the late 90s and early 2000s with desktop experiences.

However, that forgiveness won’t last very long. Consumers will keep expecting more and more great experiences like those they get from mobile-optimized companies like Amazon.

As more apps and mobile websites improve, we will see more companies leapfrogging forward by creating richer, easier, and more persuasive mobile experiences, allowing their customers to become comfortable with starting and finishing their buying process on mobile alone. Still, the current metrics show mobile has a long way to go when it comes to its ability to convert.

 

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There is no bigger opportunity online than committing yourself to evolving your mobile customer experience into something that doesn’t feel like it is a desktop experience crammed onto a teeny weeny screen where gigantic thumbs and a finger are the primary mode of interaction.

If you don’t want to wait for this to change, then you must commit sufficient resources to creating superior mobile experience for the customers. They deserve it, and you will reap the reward.

Stop designing for mobile first; design for mobile only!

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To begin, consider the constraints of the mobile platform, and then figure out how to use those constraints as a positive. Find ways using design, tech, or UI to make the experience satisfying, to become more like a snack-sized version of your desktop experience, which will highlight your service or products. Find an alternative that will keep your customers from having to perform difficult tasks with their thumbs.

  • Can you use a smaller screen to your advantage?
  • Instead of forcing mobile customers to type awkwardly on the phone, can you use their cameras to take pictures of their credit cards?
  • Can you use an API like Google Maps to autocomplete their addresses when they start thumb typing them?
  • Can you find a way to make your product pages snack sized, instead of trying to cram everything you have on the desktop version?
  • Can you allow mobile customers a way to email their carts to themselves so they can finish on a computer or a tablet?

There are just a few things I had at the top of my mind. What ideas do you have about improving the mobile buying experience?