Your customers are mobile – are you? The era of mobile devices has already begun. Successful online merchants already know what they need to do to take advantage of this new trend. In this article, we will try to share with you some of the most important features a mobile app should have if you want to win over the mobile shopper market.
#1 A Fast and Responsive Site
Don’t let visitors to your mobile site waste time waiting for it to load… Judging by recent research, when choosing between two competing sites, the average user will avoid the slower one. What is astonishing is that a site only needs to be 250 milliseconds slower to be perceived as the slower one.
That is why it is very important for the site to be streamlined and, without exception, adapted to mobile screens. Responsive design helps the content of your site adapt to the screen sizes of mobile devices, which makes it easier and faster to use. So, responsive design is exactly what online merchants should apply right away to make things easier for customers and shorten the time needed for the site to load.
#2 A Simple SDK
It is important to know whether the SDK you use is truly “lean”, i.e. optimized and lightweight. Finding such an optimized SDK may take time, but it is essential if you want to run a successful business in the long run. A lightweight SDK will give your mobile site a better response time, which clearly helps in the battle for customer comfort!
#3 Instant Payment
Do you know what annoys customers the most? Complicated and rigorous payment processes! When a user or potential customer decides to make a payment (especially customers who have already paid with you before), the last thing they want is a complicated payment process. Anything more than one or two clicks (that is, screen taps) is already too much. Not to mention how customers react to being redirected to another page.
Provide them with a simple payment procedure. Add features such as “one-click” payment for returning customers. That way you meet customers’ wishes, and they will appreciate it.
#4 It’s Secure. Take Our Word for It!
Rest assured that you will regret it if you are not careful about the security of your mobile site or app. This is not a warning, but a fact! The sense of security determines the level of trust a customer has in your mobile site, and this ultimately translates into overall trust in your business. Trust in the security of a mobile site or app can be achieved in several ways. Start by allowing mobile users to pay with payment cards and other payment methods they recognize as secure (e.g. PayPal). Our sincere advice is to find a payment gateway that makes this possible, and you will eliminate any lack of trust the customer may have.
#5 Solve the “Fat Finger” Syndrome
The “fat finger” syndrome is a common problem, especially for users of mobile phones with smaller screens. And imagine – your customers expect you to solve this problem. Of course, the choice is yours. You can try to design your mobile app or mobile site in a way that reduces this problem, or you can let your customers go to your competitor (which we don’t think is a good scenario).
The “fat finger” syndrome makes us use bigger buttons, bigger icons, bigger everything! It has been shown that simply applying these changes significantly improves the user experience. An easy way to judge how big a button should be is to compare it with your fingernail. The smallest button should be only slightly smaller than the nail on your index finger.
These are just some of the elements you should pay attention to and that your mobile site or app should include. Since we live in times when the saying “the customer is always right” is truer than ever, try to meet your customers’ needs by giving them the mobile store they expect. You will be surprised by the results.