Introduction

Mobile traffic is one of the most important aspects of ecommerce, and many customers will be using mobile devices to access your website. By prioritizing mobile first design, you can greatly increase your chances of converting visitors into paying customers. Here are some of the most crucial elements of mobile-first store design on Shopify:

Key Strategies for Mobile-First Store Design on Shopify

Responsive Theme

  • Key Points:

    • Start by choosing a theme that is fully responsive, and that accurately adjusts to a wide range of different screen resolutions and devices.

    • Ensure that your theme prioritizes mobile users, and that all elements are working and displaying as intended.

    • Test on a range of mobile devices before committing to a specific theme.

Prioritize Mobile Navigation

  • Key Points:

    • Make your mobile navigation as clear, easy to understand, and accessible as possible.

    • Your mobile menu should always be readily available, but should not interfere with the user’s browsing experience.

    • Make sure to test various methods of menu implementation, and see what performs best with your target demographic.

Thumb-Friendly Design

  • Key Points:

    • Place all of your key elements within easy reach of the thumb.

    • Users will naturally use their thumb to browse on a mobile phone, so ensure that everything is easy to use with this in mind.

    • Your buttons, links and other interactive elements should be located where the thumb will naturally rest.

Optimize Images for Mobile

  • Key Points:
    * Compress all of your images, and use image formats that will load quickly, and efficiently on mobile devices.

    • Make sure that your images are the correct sizes, and that the resolution is correct for mobile screens.

      • Poorly optimized images will greatly reduce loading speed on mobile.

Clear Call to Actions

  • Key Points:

    • Use large and clear call to action buttons that are easily seen, and easy to click with a thumb on a touch screen.

    • Make sure that all of your buttons clearly stand out from the rest of the page, using a high contrasting colour.

    • Use clear action oriented text.

Simplified Checkout

  • Key Points:

    • Make your checkout process as simple and easy to use as possible on all mobile devices.

    • Ensure that all steps of your checkout process are well optimized for mobile devices.

    • The more complex your checkout is, the more users will abandon their carts.

Use Vertical Layouts

  • Key Points:

    • Use layouts that are mostly vertical, as this is the preferred method of browsing on a mobile phone.

    • Using vertical layouts will reduce the need for users to scroll horizontally.

    • Horizontal scrolling will often result in users leaving a webpage, as it is not natural for most mobile users.

Prioritize Content

  • Key Points:

    • Place the most important content at the top of your mobile layout.

    • Prioritize the elements that will most likely help increase conversion rates.

    • Do not prioritize other less important aspects.

Test on Different Devices

  • Key Points:
    * Test your website on a wide variety of different mobile devices, and regularly check your site across various different browsers and screen resolutions.
    * Use testing to see how users are interacting with your content on different devices, and use this data to improve your design.

    • Continual testing is essential for a mobile-first design approach.

Avoid Popups

  • Key Points:
    * Be mindful of your use of pop ups, as they will often interfere with the mobile user experience.

    • Popups will often disrupt the flow of browsing a mobile website, and can cause a lot of frustration for mobile users.

    • If popups are a core aspect of your strategy, then ensure they are well designed and are mobile optimized.

Conclusion

By following the above tips, you will be well equipped to improve the performance of your Shopify store on mobile devices. Ensure that you are constantly testing and improving your site to make it as mobile friendly as possible, and to boost conversions on your website.