A fact that the marketing area of ​​an eCommerce must be clear about is that mobile purchases or Mobile Commerce are not an option, but a trend. In 2021, up to 77% of Spaniards have at some point used a mobile device to shop online, according to a Klarna study . From this perspective, there are many e-commerce stores that have implemented a Mobile First design on their websites, since it is from there (tablets and mainly smartphones) where most purchases come from.

The Mobile-First trend, however, goes far beyond eCommerce. Since March 2021, Google does the first indexing and ranking of a website through mobile crawling. This means that companies' websites and online stores must give priority to the design of their mobile web version. Taking into account that most of the traffic comes through mobile devices, it is logical that it has evolved along these lines, something that also needs to be applied to any eCommerce.

What is Mobile First?

Mobile First consists of a web design method that gives priority to the mobile version of a website over the desktop version. Taking into account that the majority of potential customers will access the online store to purchase using a mobile device, it is more convenient to take the smartphone as a reference for the design of your Shopify store .

Smartphone screens are smaller than desktop screens. Although today's smartphones have excellent speed, it is very important to create online stores thinking that the end user has good performance with any type of smartphone with which they connect.

The focus of Mobile First web design for eCommerce is on maximizing the user experience. We want potential customers to be able to navigate comfortably and easily, and desktop-oriented designs are not always suitable enough for them.

It is important to be clear that a Mobile First design goes far beyond having a Responsive online store . Responsive designs try to make a website designed for desktop look good on a mobile device. However, Mobile First designs take as priority the design of the online store for smartphones and tablets, and from there a desktop version is created.

Websites viewed on mobile devices must have good visibility and offer an adequate browsing experience. With the Mobile First approach, the mobile version of your website will not be an alternative to the desktop design, but rather the website on which your efforts will mainly focus.

Characteristics of a Mobile First website

What are the differentiating aspects of an online store with Mobile First Design ? There are several aspects that should be focused on.

1. Simplicity

It is important to eliminate all elements that do not add value to the user. Clear content should be offered, with a simple, easy-to-read font, and images adapted to the screen. The design should appear simple and not busy.

2. Oriented to touch navigation

The main difference between a mobile user and a desktop user is that the former navigates by touch. This must be taken into account when designing a Mobile First online store , since it must be made easier for the user to move around. You should avoid pages that are too long, or in which it is not easy to click on the buttons, which must be optimized to the appropriate size.

3. Performance

The loading speed of a mobile online store is essential. Mobile devices can often have lower speeds, since their hardware usually has lower features than that of a computer, although the differences are becoming smaller. Therefore, the weight of each element of the online store must be optimized, a task that an expert designer must solve.

4. User experience

In short, we want mobile users to be able to navigate in a comfortable and simple way, so that they can have a good user experience. Mobile websites should be focused exclusively on responding to the user's immediate needs. Being a small screen, there is no point in trying to introduce numerous elements. There should be a clear call to action, and prioritize and simplify content, especially on product pages, so it can be more visible.

Why Mobile First is important in your online store

There are a number of reasons why you should prioritize a Mobile First design in your online store .

1. Helps you improve the user experience

Your mobile customers are the first to benefit, as they will be able to browse more comfortably. A better user experience is one of the factors for a good shopping experience, so it is very important for your brand that your customers feel comfortable browsing your website.

2. Improved SEO positioning

Google takes into account the design of your mobile website as a priority for positioning. If an online store is well optimized for mobile devices, it will be strengthened for Google algorithms.

3. Increase conversions

With an online store and a checkout designed for mobile devices, you will improve the customer's user experience and increase conversions. One of the aspects that customers value most in an online store is that the purchasing process is simple, fast and comfortable.

4. Helps you get more clients

If your online store was geared toward desktop users, you likely had a higher percentage of sales in this area compared to mobile users. However, creating a Mobile First design would help you increase sales from customers who prefer to buy from their smartphone.

At Webmefy we can help you optimize your online store to increase your conversions and improve your user experience. Discover in which areas your eCommerce needs to improve to continue growing and request our personalized advice for your online store now .