21 Tips to Beat the Average Mobile eCommerce Conversion Rate

Mobile eCommerce (aka mobile commerce, or mCommerce), is the biggest growth opportunity for most brands today.

Mobile's market share continues to grow each year, yet the mobile shopping experience for many stores is lacking.

With many sites built primarily for desktop, along with the natural limitations of the mobile browser in terms of user experience, conversion rates are typically lower on mobile than on desktop.

That just means there's a huge opportunity to increase your sales, and set your brand apart, if you can get this right.

Keep reading and we'll explain more about the mobile conversion rate problem with most eCommerce stores, and a bumper list of tips to help your brand turn this around.

Did you know that mobile app users spend more, shop more frequently, and are more loyal to your brand? Use our eCommerce App Revenue Calculator to see just how much you can gain by launching an app.

What is the Average Mobile eCommerce Conversion Rate?

The average conversion rate for eCommerce stores on mobile devices is 1.8%.

In comparison, the average conversion rate on desktop is more than double, at 3.9%.

Each year, this becomes a bigger problem, as the market share for mobile commerce continues to grow.

More people worldwide shop on mobile than desktop, and this share is projected to increase further.

Yet the average mobile eCommerce conversion rate continues to lag behind, as many stores haven't caught up to the fact that the majority of their customers are mobile-first.

What is a Good Mobile eCommerce Conversion Rate?

If 1.8% is the average mobile eCommerce conversion rate, should this be the bar you're aiming for?

Considering most eCommerce brands are stuck in a desktop-first mindset, forward-thinking brands should be able to attain a conversion rate significantly higher.

There's no reason you can't convert visitors on mobile at close to the same rate as desktop.

This means you should be aiming for at least 2.5-3% conversion rate on mobile - perhaps even higher, if you really dial in on mobile-first CRO.

With 5.22 Billion Mobile Users, Fixing Mobile Conversion Rates Should Be Your Top Priority

Why do mobile shoppers convert at a lower rate?

Desktop sites have more real estate to work with. 

Bigger screens means it's easier to fit key, conversion-driving elements, without making the page feel cramped.

Mobile users are typically more prone to distractions, too. Notifications appear, and people are already conditioned to bouncing around between multiple actions on their phone, more so than on desktop.

Then, some consumers just have a higher level of trust when using a desktop site than a mobile site.

Whatever the reason, there's almost certainly something you can do to fix the problem and boost your conversion rate on mobile.

Next, we'll list more than 20 things you can do to turn more mobile shoppers into paying customers.

Top Tips to Beat the Average Mobile eCommerce Conversion Rate of 1.8%

Let’s explore best practices to optimize your mobile eCommerce conversion rate. Focusing on creating a better customer experience, particularly on mobile, is key to getting a higher conversion rate.

A large part of this is to build better, more optimized PDPs (product detail pages). If you want to dive deeper into this topic, our Ultimate Guide to eCommerce PDPs is the best resource for this on the internet.

Here are 21 strategies to significantly improve your mobile eCommerce conversion rate and close the mobile-desktop conversion rate gap. 

1. Launch a Mobile App

If you don’t already have an app, now’s the best time to create one.

Mobile apps are tailor-made for higher conversion rates (not to mention higher AOV and LTV).

By removing the browser tabs and serving shoppers a more immersive, contained experience, you remove a lot of the distractions that lead to lost sales.

If the cost has you thinking a mobile app is out of reach, think again.

By simply converting your existing website into a mobile app with MobiLoud, you can launch an app for a small expense, in as little as two weeks.

Click here to learn more about how to convert your website into an app, and why MobiLoud is the best way to do it.

Want to launch your own app in less than 30 days, with zero effort and minimal investment? Book a free consultation now and discuss your project with our team of experts.

2. Make Call-to-Action Buttons Stand Out

Optimizing your calls to action (CTAs) is important for your CRO strategy.

Test and analyze various elements of your CTAs, such as buy and add-to-cart buttons, to stop your customers from scrolling and get them to take action.

Tools like HotJar can help track the effectiveness of your buttons. Make your buttons visible and “sticky” to improve mobile conversion rates.

3. Make Navigation as Easy as Possible

It's vital you make navigation easy for mobile users.

An expandable, hamburger-style menu is standard on mobile. But along with this, you should ensure key sections of your site are easy to find.

It should take zero thought to get to wishlist, add to cart, account, and category sections.

On category pages, make product filters clearly visible, and easy to use.

All in all, just make your mobile shopping experience easy.

4. Show Product Recommendations (in the Right Place)

Display product recommendations on all mobile product pages.

Product recommendations help boost AOV, but can also increase conversion rates.

When someone views a product which is not quite what they're looking for, you may be able to convert them by showing a few similar options.

Just be careful where you place these product recommendations.

Shoppers still want to see the key details for the product they clicked on first.

Below that, below important details like pricing, product description, shipping and return information, display your recommendations.

This ensures the shopper's journey doesn't stop at that page, but doesn't obscure anything that will help you close the sale then and there.

5. Optimize Load Speed

Reduce load times and optimize the speed of your mobile store to improve CRO.

The longer shoppers have to wait for a page to load, the more likely they'll get fed up and go somewhere else.

Make sure your images are optimized, and the underlying architecture of your website is clean.

If you have an app, reduce app launch time by delaying resource-intensive tasks until after the first screen is rendered.

Load data when required instead of when the app launches.

6. Simplify Mobile Forms

Mobile forms should be simple to fill out by design - from sign-up forms to booking forms.

Optimize mobile forms with clear labels and use single-column layouts and larger form fields.

Additionally, forms should be as concise as possible to minimize user effort and make them easy to complete on mobile devices.

Pre-fill information, if you have it (e.g. if the user has an account and is logged in), and in general, do anything you can do reduce friction with user input.

7. Shorten Mobile Processes With Smartphone Features

Design your app to make autofill available, especially for payment details and mobile forms.

Autofill can also save users time and make checkout processes quicker.

66% of consumers expect online checkout to take four minutes or less.

If yours takes longer than this, you'll almost certainly be losing out on sales.

8. Provide Different Payment Methods

Entering payment details on a mobile device is time-consuming, and requires a lot of trust from the customer.

Offer shortcuts by saving customer payment details or providing alternative payment options like PayPal, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.

Not only does this make it quicker and easier for the customer, but there's an higher level of trust when they're not giving a store their actual credit card details.

9. Offer Guest Checkout

To reduce friction for mobile customers, offer a guest checkout option, where you allow users to complete their purchase without creating an account.

This eliminates an additional step that may deter customers from completing a purchase - even if you'd prefer to have someone's contact details, to be able to market to them in the future.

10. A/B Test Your Checkout Process

Optimize your eCommerce checkout process and prevent customer drop-offs by tweaking and testing the process continuously.

A long and complicated checkout process can deter customers from completing their purchases - but you often won't know what the problem is until you test and gather data.

Things like adding guest checkout, reducing the number of input fields, or changes in copy or page design, might bring an improvement - or they might not.

Continuously test factors like this, to come up with the perfect formula to get the highest conversion rate possible for your audience.

11. Use Mobile Conversion Messaging

To increase mobile commerce sales, try being pro-active about communicating with your site/app visitors.

Browse abandonment notifications can recapture shoppers who let their attention drift away, while abandoned cart notifications are a great way to recover abandoned carts.

Otherwise, in-app messages and customer service prompts may help solve questions or objections that otherwise would result in lost sales.

Apps provide the perfect way to communicate with your customers, via push notifications. Check out our complete guide to Push Notifications for eCommerce to learn just how powerful a tool this can be.

12. Use Color Blocks to Highlight Promotions

Make your best deals stand out!

Implement color block items to highlight ongoing sales in your mobile storefront.

Use vibrant and eye-catching colors for sale items to help them stand out, create a sense of urgency, and catch the attention of mobile shoppers.

You could also use pop-ups or push notification to improve mobile conversions (just avoid being too intrusive).

This visual distinction is crucial in a digital landscape saturated with numerous sales and promotions.

13. Build Trust With Mobile Audience

Design your mobile app with trust signals in mind. According to Marqeta’s 2021 Fraud Report, 67% of all consumers think shopping online puts them at a higher risk of scams.

To increase trust, ensure all mobile data is safe by offering user authentication, displaying your data privacy policy, and integrating with trusted payment methods.

Making the buying experience safe can build trust in your brand and improve mobile conversions.

14. Let Users Zoom and Swipe

Most image sections on product pages are designed for desktop first, and fall short on mobile.

Mobile shoppers use pinch and swipe actions to zoom in on or navigate between product images.

If this functionality is unavailable or poorly implemented, it can put a big dent in your CRO.

Images are absolutely vital for conversions, so ensure that mobile shoppers have no difficulty getting up close and personal with products they're considering buying.

15. Let Users Go ‘Back’ Easily

The 'back' button is a crucial and often overlooked UI element.

On many apps or mobile websites, interactive experiences and desktop-first navigation leads to unexpected behavior when a user hits the back button.

As a result, they get lost, they can't get back to where they're supposed to be, and leave your store in frustration.

Make sure your back functionality works intuitively, and include a "previously viewed products" section to make it even easier for shoppers to find their way around.

16. Improve Copy and Product Descriptions

Persuasive copy, detailed, and easy to skim are important for conversion rate.

Find the ideal mix of readability and sales-oriented copy.

Proactively address pain points and common objections, and use real, functional benefits to sell your products.

You should also include important information such as:

• Dimensions,
• Sizing (with links to size guides if applicable),
• Materials or ingredients,
• Compatibility details,
• Included accessories.

However, don't lead with the technical details. Focus on emotion first, and go into more detail lower down the page for shoppers who want to learn more.

17. Create Mobile-Only Exclusive Coupons, Discounts, and Offers

Creating special promotions for mobile users can incentivize mobile users and website visitors to purchase through your mobile app.

Mobile-only promotions, such as free shipping, can create a sense of exclusivity and urgency.

This drives customers to act and purchase on their mobile devices.

Whether it's a limited-time discount, a coupon code, or a special offer for mobile users, these incentives can get mobile shoppers over their trust or usability issuesand boost mobile eCommerce conversion rates.

18. Improve Post-Purchase Mobile Experience

Improving the post-purchase mobile experience can improve your CRO on mobile.

Allowing customers to track the progress of their orders easily is one way of doing this.

Offer real-time updates on order status and estimated delivery time via push notifications or messages in their account, and be clear and prompt with any post-purchase communication.

Do what you can to minimize frustration and provide a more inviting, end-to-end shopping experience, and you'll get more return customers (who will convert at a higher rate than new visitors).

19. Make Reviews and Social Proof Visible

It’s important to establish credibility from the moment someone enters your eCommerce store.

Include customer testimonials or other forms of social proof below product descriptions, around CTA, and in your checkout flow, that highlight your product’s benefits and value.

Real customer reviews, UGC, and social feeds all help built more trust and credibility, and break down the barriers that stop customers from going through with a purchase.

20. Offer In-App or On-Site Customer Support

You can offer in-app customer support through chatbots or chat support software to quickly answer user questions and objections.

Most people won't go through the effort of emailing you or calling you up, so you want to make it extremely easy for them.

An on-site chat widget with live chat can achieve this, and oftentimes answer very minor questions that otherwise would have resulted in a lost sale.

21. Personalize In-App Experience

Personalization can have a big influence on a consumer's journey towards purchasing.

This is true for any device, including mobile.

80% of consumers are more inclined to purchase when brands provide personalized experiences.

Personalization strategies can range from how content is displayed in the customer's local language or currency to product recommendations.

Tailored in-app experiences ultimately drive higher conversions, improve customer satisfaction, and improve app engagement.

Building an app is the best way to boost mobile conversion rate, AOV and LTV. If you're new to app development, and don't know where to start, we made a full guide on building an eCommerce app, that shows you that launching your own app might be a lot easy than you think.

Increase Mobile Commerce Conversions and Optimize CRO with MobiLoud

By following these tips to beat the average mobile eCommerce conversion rate, your business can set itself apart and capitalize on the growing share of mobile-first shoppers.

Many CRO issues can be solved by offering mobile shoppers the option to shop through an app.

All eCommerce businesses should have their own mobile app, and MobiLoud is the best way to do it.

MobiLoud requires little to no effort from you, minimal overhead, minimal investment, yet allows you to ship a full-featured app that looks and feels like a fully native, custom app.

We've created thousands of apps, including apps for high-revenue eCommerce brands such as Rainbow Shops, Jack & Jones and John Varvatos.

Let’s beat the average mobile eCommerce conversion rate and boost mobile conversions together.

Get in touch with us and book a free consultation now to see how we can help you build and launch your own mobile app.