On Amazon.co.uk, it is possible to begin a conversion on one device and complete it on another
Allow Visitors to Save Searches
The ability to save searches can be particularly useful for travel or local website owners but really it is suited to any website where a user is likely to search for the same things repeatedly. In the case of travel, it is not unusual for visitors to have favourite destinations or even for them to re-visit a site multiple times before completing a purchase. Or a take-away restaurant is likely visited time and again by users who have a favourite meal. Allowing visitors to save their searches makes the journey to their regular purchases that little bit easier. If the visitor doesn’t have an account, make it easy for them to save searches by just adding an email address or use cookies to remember the last search they completed.
Have Clear Calls To Action
This one stands to reason everywhere but it is still a barrier to conversion on many sites. Often the website owner has provided too many conversion options or not clearly enough labeled to the visitor where they are expected to go next. Avoid using multiple conversion options and use button colour and size to clearly indicate to a visitor what you want them to do next.
On Mothercare.com, the call-to-action is clear and easy to find
Allow Visitors to Save Baskets
For website owners with a basket for their visitors to fill prior to checking-out, it is a good idea if those visitors can save their baskets for their return or even for them to access the basket again from another platform. This will also encourage cross-platform purchases. Easy account login is imperative for this to work. Have an account login button on every page and keep login simple. If a visitor doesn’t have an account and is not making an immediate purchase, entering their name and email address should be sufficient for them to save their basket and access it again elsewehere.
Keep Forms Short
The best way to ensure that conversions are easy is to make sure that all forms are only as long as absolutely necessary. Get your conversions in before asking irrelevant marketing or cross-sales questions. By keeping forms short you can make conversion on a mobile device much easier indeed.
Use Top-Aligned Labels
When a mobile phone user taps on a form field, very often the browser zooms in to that field. Mobile devices are also long but narrow when vertically orientated. Thus, having form field labels to the left as is common on desktop is less feasible. By implementing field descriptions above the field it is easier for a visitor to see where they are and it allows more space for form fields.
Booking.com uses top-aligned labels in their checkout
Use HTML5 for Form Fields
By using HTML5 in form fields, it is possible to help users to complete those fields more efficiently. For example, a field for telephone number will be filled using the number keypad. Find a simple introduction to HTML5 in plain English here.
RAC.co.uk have implemented click-to-call buttons for their breakdown service
Use Geo-Technology for Offline Conversions
A key difference between mobile and desktop users is that mobile users are using a device with location based technology. Where a conversion can take place offline, it is advisable to use this technology to help a visitor find their way to your store. In such cases it can be useful for there to be a stock checking functionality on the page and a button which will link to directions, preferably with a map, to the nearest store with the product(s) in stock. If you wish to track purchases which began on a phone, consider allowing visitors to reserve products in advance and attributing a unique tracking code to each reservation. Or to encourage quick offline sales, you might also consider having a discount code for mobile shoppers who come to the shop and convert quickly.
So, in summary, 10 ways to make conversion completions easy from a mobile device include:
Have a Single Customer Experience across Channels
Allow Saved Searches
Have Clear Calls to Action
Allow Saved Baskets
Keep Forms Short
Use Top Aligned Labels
Use HTML5 in Form Fields
Use Check Boxes, Lists & Scroll Menus
Implement Click-To-Call
Use Geo-Technology for Offline Conversions
Mobile Website Testing Tip: When you are building your mobile site, test it on different devices to make sure it looks well on different sized screens. Check out this tool to replicate phones from different operating systems on your desktop.
In my next post, I will be looking at best practices for Search & Refinement on mobile websites. If you have a comment, please post it.
Posted by Shane Cassells, Google Conversion Team