Desktop or Mobile: Optimising Checkout Experiences on Magento

Let’s talk checkout and payments, but with a twist – we’re diving into how to ace it on both mobile and desktop platforms. According to Adobe Digital Economy Index -“Mobile was the most dominant online shopping channel in 2022, with consumers spending £62.8 billion on their devices during the year, of which £13.2 billion came in November and December.” With this increasing shift towards mobile, it’s crucial for us to strike the right balance between mobile convenience and desktop reliability. 

Here’s the lowdown on optimising your checkout process for both. 

1. Get Friendly with User Behaviour:

First things first, let’s understand how our shoppers roll on mobile versus desktop. Dive into your analytics to see where your traffic is coming from, what devices they’re using, and most importantly, where they’re dropping off. This intel will be your North Star for optimisation. With Adobe Analytics, you’ve got this neat trick up your sleeve. Pick “Device Type,” and you’ll instantly see a breakdown of desktop versus mobile visits. When you spot “Other,” that’s desktop traffic. And if you want more detail, dive into operating systems and browsers. It’s like peeking behind the curtain into your desktop visitors’ world. 

2. Flexibility with Responsive Design:

Magento’s got your back with responsive design tools. Make sure your checkout flow adapts smoothly to different screen sizes and resolutions. Nobody likes pinching and zooming to fill out forms, so keep it user-friendly and consistent across devices. Here’s the scoop: the Blank and Luma themes in Magento? They’re all about being mobile-first. They use fancy CSS and JavaScript to adapt seamlessly to any device, whether it’s your phone, tablet, or desktop. Picture this: same web page, but it looks perfect on each device. It’s like magic, right? So next time you’re browsing, take a moment to appreciate how slick these themes make everything look, no matter what gadget you’re using. Boom, done!

3. Keep It Simple, Silly:

Streamline your checkout steps to reduce friction. On mobile, consider condensing everything into a single page or accordion-style layout to minimise scrolling. Desktop users? Keep it clean and organised with clear progress indicators. 

4. Tap into Mobile Payment Options:

Mobile users love convenience. Integrate popular mobile payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay to speed up the checkout process. Trust us, it’ll do wonders for your conversion rates. According to some research by Statista, UK consumers are all about one thing when it comes to mobile payments: Apple Pay takes the crown as their number one choice. (Bashir,2024)

5. Easy-Peasy Form Fields:

Make sure your form fields are optimised for touch on mobile devices. Big buttons, spacious input fields – you get the drift. And don’t forget about autofill and smart validation for desktop users to keep things smooth sailing. 

6. Need for Speed:

Fast load times are a must for both mobile and desktop. Optimise your site’s performance by trimming image sizes, caching content, and cleaning up your code. According to research by Capterra, customers are all about speed when it comes to online checkout. Get this: two out of three customers expect the whole shebang to take four minutes or less. (Capers,2022) Time is money, right? So, if your checkout takes too long, you might be losing out on some serious sales. Let’s keep things swift and snazzy! 

7. Test, Tweak, Repeat:

Keep an eye on your checkout performance and be ready to tweak as needed. A/B test different optimization strategies and listen to what your data tells you. The key is to keep evolving to meet your customers’ needs.

Wrap-Up:

In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, nailing the checkout experience on both mobile and desktop is non-negotiable. By understanding your users, embracing responsive design, and constantly fine-tuning your process, you’ll create a seamless shopping journey that keeps customers coming back for more. So, keep tinkering, keep innovating, and most importantly, keep delighting your shoppers every step of the way.

References:

Bashir, U. (2024, February 13). Most used mobile payments by brand in the UK 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/forecasts/997928/most-used-mobile-payments-by-brand-in-the-uk 

Capers, Z. (2022, April 6). Your online checkout process should take 4 minutes or less. Capterra. https://www.capterra.com/resources/online-checkout/# 

Team, A. C. (n.d.). Adobe Digital Economy Index: UK consumers spent £110.6b online in 2022, driven by heavy discounting from retailers. Adobe Blog. https://shorturl.at/xHLO4