#ClickZChat: What makes a great M-Commerce experience?
It’s easy to forget just how young the idea of ‘mobile marketing’ actually is. Pre-2007 it mainly consisted of text messages and the occasionally unwanted bluetooth intrusion. No one spotted the iPhone coming, or saw how radically it would change the face of… almost everything.
So it’s not surprising that we often think of mobile commerce as an extension of ecommerce, with the same basic rules. But actually it’s extremely device-specific. Different rules apply, from intent to experience.
This week we took to twitter to ask our followers about the key differences, and rules for mobile success.
Let’s dive in – Q1: For commerce specifically, should businesses invest in an app, or a mobile site? #Clickzchat pic.twitter.com/QIgOR0JkhT
— ClickZ (@ClickZ) June 8, 2016
Not surprisingly, many marketers believed that there was room for both, however each has a different purpose and place in the sales funnel, which may differ radically according to industry and product:
@ClickZ depends what the product is. App if you have an account and make regular purchases. Low frequency use should be onsite #ClickZChat
— Stephanie Bellis (@steffi_j_b) June 8, 2016
@ClickZ A1 Both can be useful. It depends on their goals, their audience, their budget, etc #clickzchat
— Tereza Litsa (@terezalitsa) June 8, 2016
Overall it seems that while a mobile site may be best for a first purchase, apps can increase stickiness and keep repeat purchasers engaged.
Although this isn’t the only function of a mobile website. Users do spend more time in apps, but mobile web outperforms in terms of conversion:
A1: Although most time is spent in apps, very little is just commerce. Web should be the priority. #ClickZChat pic.twitter.com/gJ8MfdJriv
— Andrew Warren-Payne (@agwp) June 8, 2016
It’s also worth remembering that with an app, “you can’t please all of the people, all of the time”. A good mobile site offers a more responsive experience that can help you reach users on various devices:
A1 I’d always prioritise a mobile site for discovery, to deal with different devices etc. #ClickZChat
— Graham Charlton (@gcharlton) June 8, 2016
And of course, while steps are being taken to address this, mobile search is still dominated by mobile sites rather than apps, so findability should be a key consideration:
#ClickzChat A1 Unless you’ve already built a really loyal following, investing in mobile makes sense due to high number of searches.
— Anastasia Yates (@AniAreYouOkay) June 8, 2016
Q2: What are the biggest barriers to conversion on a mobile device? #ClickZChat pic.twitter.com/51zsiM3mWT
— Search Engine Watch (@sewatch) June 8, 2016
This question prompted a number of different responses, but all had UX at heart. From lengthy sign-ups…
A2: One major problem to mobile conversion is a lengthy process. It should be designed for shorter checkout process on mobile. #ClickZChat
— J. Prentice Parton (@tracknicholson) June 8, 2016
To overly-simplistic ones:
Q2: I think the urge towards simple (i: one-click) conversion can be negative if I need further information. #ClickZChat
— Matt Owen (@lexx2099) June 8, 2016
It seems there is a balance to be found, and it does depend on the complexity of your products.
Design is still an issue as well, with many people feeling that in a desire to collect data, forms are ignoring the limitations of mobile devices:
A2 Not designing well enough for mobile – websites too small, hard to navigate, links too close together #ClickZChat https://t.co/UNsjDWWw1A
— Bex Sentance (@rainbowbex) June 8, 2016
A2 lack of shortcuts to address entry, showing correct keyboard for data entry, making people register #ClickZChat
— Graham Charlton (@gcharlton) June 8, 2016
A2 not testing your site for mobile. Missing info. Links 2 full site. Some sites do not look good on responsive. 2 much text!!! #ClickZChat
— Brandon Smithwick (@BJSmithwick) June 8, 2016
Interestingly, several people mentioned lack of screen real-estate:
Biggest barrier to conversion? Lack of screen real estate! #mcommerce #ClickZChat #measure
— Scott Jones (@scottchjones) June 8, 2016
And while this can be an issue, there is a school of thought that sees this as a positive which can focus the attention, particularly through a simple interface (For example, Dominoes one-click pizza ordering).
Final question #ClickZChat-ers! Q3 What are the best or worst mobile shopping experiences out there? pic.twitter.com/0F9UiFQf4N
— ClickZ (@ClickZ) June 8, 2016
Again, simplicity was highly valued…
A3: I’d have to go with Amazon one-click.. again #ClickZChat
— J. Prentice Parton (@tracknicholson) June 8, 2016
And bigger commerce sites had a clear advantage:
A3 I don’t shop a lot on mobile, but eBay and Amazon both have very useable mobile apps. #ClickZChat https://t.co/4f8w2XhAvy
— Bex Sentance (@rainbowbex) June 8, 2016
The travel industry was also mentioned several times as being ahead of the game, possibly because of these businesses’ awareness of context:
A3. Been traveling a lot and really like @KAYAK and @Delta mobile experience! #ClickZChat
— Raj Nijjer (@rajnijjer) June 8, 2016
A3: Virgin America. Very impressive UX for mobile conv. given the typically insane UX of most flight/ accommodation sites #ClickZChat
— J. Prentice Parton (@tracknicholson) June 8, 2016
A3 #ClickZChat some major hotel brands are still behind the times. #usetheapp Beginner companies whom don’t have a grasp on website builds
— Brandon Smithwick (@BJSmithwick) June 8, 2016
Although even mobile-first businesses can cause confusion (or I’m just very fussy):
Q3: Oddly, I’m not a fan of Uber – I want a nice big ‘where do you want to go’ button in there! #ClickZChat
— Matt Owen (@lexx2099) June 8, 2016
Overall the rules for m-commerce seem straightforward. Keep forms and interfaces as simple as possible, and consider the context of a user request. If it is likely to happen on the move, then keep the path as short as possible. For research and Lo-mo requests, providing deeper information is useful, but may be better presented through a mobile site, rather than an app.
For more on mobile marketing, check out Andy Favell’s excellent post on “Mobile Design and the art of doing one thing well” , and be sure to check out our recent Report on the DNA of a great M-Commerce Site.