eCommerce Solutions: Connecting with Multi-screen Viewers

With the rise of smartphone and tablets, it’s not surprising that there’s been a surge in multi-screening behaviours. 90% of shoppers move sequentially between one device to another to complete a task whether it be shopping, planning a trip, or browsing content. And simultaneous multi-screening is already the norm in living rooms, with nearly 40% of smartphone users watching TV while browsing their smartphones on a daily basis. [1]

What’s more, mobile usually ignites or sustains these multi-device sessions as it is the device closest to the shopper at any given time. 65% of multi-screen shoppers report that they began their shopping process from a smartphone. 84% of all multi-screen shopping experiences included mobile either as the first or second interaction. [2] “Playing up mobile during a TV ad should be a no-brainer move for most companies,” says Mike DiMarco, Director of Media at FiddleFly, a digital creative agency. “More than 65% of people who watch TV do so while also using their smartphones or tablets, so giving them an advertisement that highlights a product they already have in their hands can be a home run,” he said. [3]

Results of Local Searches

90% of shoppers move between devices to complete a task

40% of smartphone users watch TV while browsing their smartphone

65% of multi-screen shoppers report that they began their shopping experience from a smartphone

84% of all multi-screen shopping experiences included mobile either as the first or second interaction [4]

Multi-screen Takeaways

Layout:

Be touch-friendly. For the human finger, 48 dp (density independent pixels), is the minimum recommended touch target, with at least 8 dp between targets. Too-small targets, and the click mistakes that result, are a fast way to turn off a mobile user.

Avoid mouseovers. On a desktop screen, the mouse-over is a great way to uncover hidden content. But mouseovers require a mouse. On touch screens like tablets or smartphones, users’ fingers can’t hover like a mouse. So avoid the mouseovers. Instead, use buttons that users can tap to display deeper menus.

Pick the right font. Your minimum font size should be 12 pixels; anything smaller and users will be squinting. Be sure to choose a typeface that is clean and easy to read. If possible, avoid use of image-based text.

Don’t use pop-ups. They’re irritating on desktop sites, and they’re just as irritating on mobile sites.

Set the right width. Most web users are used to scrolling vertically up and down a page, but being forced to scroll sideways makes for a bad user experience. Your users will think your site wasn’t built to help them on the smaller screen.

Do use descriptive buttons. Label your buttons clearly, then use bread crumbs and clear category names to help them as they navigate.

Content:

Don’t overload users. On mobile, more isn’t necessarily better. Avoid the urge to squeeze in every last bit of your desktop page, only smaller.

Customize, don’t cut. Mobile and tablet users expect the same core functionality you offer desktop users, whether that means being able to watch videos or buy office supplies. Instead of cutting core content, restructure it to fit the mobile screen.

Don’t hide key actions. Be sure to give users access to all the key functions they’ll expect on your site. If you’re a retailer, that means things like product search and the shopping cart (and mobile-friendly tools like a store locator) should be front and center. Include a link to your full site for mobile users who simply prefer that experience.

Double-check media files. Flash video, for instance, won’t play on many mobile devices. Make sure that the media files on your multi-screen sites will really work on the screens they’re meant for.

Simplify checkout. It’s hard to fill out lengthy forms on mobile, thumb-typing full addresses and other data over multiple steps. To increase your conversion rates, simplify the payment process however you can. Enables services that allow customers to check out quickly with payment and shipping details auto-generated from the cloud.

Speed:

Let’s speed it up. Optimizing your site speed is a sure way to improve user experience -- especially on mobile, where users are on the go and data networks can be slow. Speed typically boosts visitor engagement, retention and conversions. Here are three common mistakes to avoid:

Too many HTTP requests. While mobile users may try to do the same things as desktop users, their processing power is limited. Their bandwidth may be unreliable. To help them go faster, cut down the on-page elements that drive extra HTTP requests.

Image overload. As smartphone displays get better, it’s tempting to serve the largest possible image and let the device downsize it to fit. Bad choice! This wastes time and processing power. Serve the right image sizes to each device.

File overload. Consider if the JavaScript and CSS styles are helpful for mobile users. Too much JS or CSS may cause the page to slow down. Compress your code where possible and consider reorganizing your CSS altogether. Make sure assets are being cached by the browser so that the visitors don’t have to re-fetch them on every page load. [5]

For more on eCommerce solutions, contact us or see: How Millennials Shop

Graphic: Mary Winkler

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