E-commerce UX refers to the overall experience a user has when interacting with an online store. It focuses on making websites easy and enjoyable to use which increases user satisfaction and boosts sales. Both desktop and mobile experiences are crucial for customer conversion and retention, but often in different ways and in different circumstances.
Responsive design adapts a website to fit different screen sizes. It helps provide a good UX on both mobile and desktop. When a website is intuitive and visually appealing, users are more likely to stay longer, explore more products and return for future purchases. However, the way users interact with a website varies based on the device they are using as mobile shoppers expect speed and simplicity whereas desktop users often look for detailed product information and advanced filtering options. So optimizing UX isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach as mobile and desktop users interact with online stores differently which requires tailored strategies for each platform.
For example, mobile accounts for 73% of e-commerce sales, but desktop users have a higher average order value. Plus, 53% of users abandon slow mobile sites within three seconds. To maximize conversions, businesses must optimize UX for both platforms, ensuring fast, intuitive navigation on mobile and rich, detailed experiences on desktop.
However, in this article we will understand how mobile and desktop UX differs and we will share actionable strategies to improve conversions across both screens.
Mobile vs Desktop: Key differences in user behaviour
1. Screen size:
One of the most obvious differences between mobile and desktop devices is the screen size and layout as mobile phones have smaller screens, which requires responsive design to ensure that the content is easy to read and easy to find. Mobile screens prioritize uncluttered key content as mobile navigation often uses techniques like hamburger menus and tab bars. These approaches help save screen space and the key information is easily accessible.
For example, a travel booking site struggled with low mobile bookings because users had to zoom in to see details. After implementing a mobile-friendly layout with larger text and buttons, mobile bookings increased by 30%. This highlights that designers should use large text which is easily readable without zooming.
Whereas, desktops screens are larger which allows for detailed product information, side bars and multi column layouts which helps users to save time as they don’t have to scroll they can see all the information at once and it allows high quality images and videos as there is much space to display videos and images without compromising the quality or loading speed like users can compare the quality of the clothes on clothing sites. However, users can get distracted by multiple tab browsing and it can be cluttered because of too much information at once.
2. Navigation:
Navigation systems are how users browse or move through information. As users are more comfortable in scrolling on mobile because it requires just a thumb to scroll or to type and they can easily switch between the screens which makes the experience more seamless and intuitive and this emphasises the need for mobile friendly navigation like touch friendly buttons, smoother scrolling and easily accessible menus.
whereas, to navigate the website in desktops users have to use the physical mouse and keyboard which requires both the hands as one for type and one for scrolling which allows for smallest and more precise controls also, it’s difficult in desktop to scroll vertically so websites should also support vertical scrolling on desktops to ensure user comfort, especially during more precise tasks such as filling out forms.
Do you know that customers are more comfortable making final purchase decisions on expensive items on desktop screens? Because site navigation is less cumbersome but people usually look at them on their phones and then buy them on their computers so it’s important for businesses to give customers a good experience on both devices. A study found that desktop users had a conversion rate of 4.14%, higher than the 1.53% for smartphone users. This trend highlights the importance for businesses to provide a seamless and efficient user experience across both mobile and desktop platforms
3. Speed:
Since mobile users are often impatient so they expect a fast loading page. Faster loading can lead to increased traffic as users can quickly get what they need whereas, slower loading times can lead to frustration and they may abandon the site. According to research, users tend to leave the site if it doesn’t load in a few seconds as they get frustrated. So it’s important to use compressed images and lazy loading to improve speed and to improve user experience.
Whereas, desktop users are more patient than mobile users but they also expect fast loading pages due to stable internet connections and high processing power so it increases conversions as users don’t abandon slow pages but complex websites which include animations and pop ups can reduce the speed of website and can slow the performance. Websites that load within 1 second have e-commerce conversion rates 2.5 times higher than those that load in 5 seconds so optimize JavaScript and CSS files to minimise delays also, upgrade to faster hosting solutions for better performance and to improve user experience.
4. Browsing habit:
Mobile usage has increased because of advancements in technology like faster internet, powerful smartphones and user friendly apps have made it easier for people to browse anytime even while at work or in college during short breaks as 73% of e-commerce traffic comes from mobile, but mobile conversion rates are lower than desktop as there are high cart abandonment rates due to complicated checkouts and smaller screen limits the the information.
Whereas, Desktop users tend to browse in longer and more focused sessions. Users spend more time on researching before making a decision as they often compare multiple products, read reviews, and then make informed purchasing decisions. A study shows that Desktop users have a 20% higher AOV than mobile shoppers. However, there is lower traffic compared to mobile. For example, A high-end electronics store found that while many users first discovered products on mobile, most big-ticket purchases happened on desktop, where customers could open multiple tabs, read specs, and compare features.
Bridging the Gap: Creating a Seamless Cross-Device Experience
Both mobile devices and computers serve as the foundation for accessing the internet and making online purchases. However, it’s important that users can easily and consistently find what they need. This can include information, tools, actions, products, and more. If they’re available on desktop, they should be available on mobile too.
1. Responsive and adaptive design:
More than half of all internet searches are made using mobile devices, and sites optimized for mobile are ranked higher than those optimized for desktop so it’s important to ensure mobile friendly websites. As if page loading times change from 1 second to 3 seconds, bounce rates on mobile sites increase by 32% and the abandonment rate by 75%.
Responsive web design aims to build websites with user-friendly navigation, appealing aesthetics, and optimal performance across all devices. It ensures that content adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes and provides a smooth experience whether users are browsing on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop. A well-designed responsive website allows easy accessibility and increases engagement.
2. Cross device Remarketing:
Since users frequently switch between devices, businesses should use cross device tracking to retarget the users with the reminders and the relevant ads as a result customers may complete their purchases and engagement will increase. For example, an online electronics store noticed that many users browsed products on mobile but hesitated to purchase. By retargeting them with desktop ads featuring the same products and limited-time discounts, the store increased its conversion rate by 35%. This strategy ensures a seamless shopping journey across multiple devices, improving both user experience and sales.
3. Personalised User experience:
As mobile users may prefer quick suggestions and just key content not too much details or images, easy checkout options like no filters and no longer process like one click checkout and autofill payments details which can increase satisfaction and they will revisit the website. On the other hand, desktop users might prefer details, advancing filters and side by side comparison so businesses can provide features like customisable search filters, comparison tools and saved preferences which can help users to make informed decisions.
For example, An online store after analyzing the user behavior, they simplified their mobile checkout with one-click payments and autofill options, reducing cart abandonment by 30%. At the same time, they enhanced the desktop experience with advanced filters and a side-by-side product comparison tool, leading to a 15% increase in conversions. This approach ensured that both mobile and desktop users had a seamless shopping experience tailored to their browsing preferences.
So businesses must deeply understand why customers choose a specific device to complete their eCommerce transactions. By understanding it, businesses can make the shopping experience better on every screen for their customers.
Why is designing ECommerce websites for different platforms so important?
1. User behaviour:
As each device has different user behaviour like mobile users are impatient they need quick navigation and one click checkouts whereas desktop users tend to research more they expect a more feature rich experience and there are some tablet users they are a mix of both as they enjoy visual browsing but at the same time they also need detailed information.
So people use many devices like phones, tablets, and computers. Each has different screen sizes and operating systems. A website that works well on all platforms gives a better user experience. This can increase sales and customer happiness.
As we are also customers, we know how frustrating a poorly designed website can be. If an eCommerce website has tiny buttons on mobile, would you struggle to click them, or would you just leave and buy from a competitor? A seamless, responsive design ensures users stay engaged and complete their purchases without frustration.
2. Brand consistency:
Brand consistency is important for recognition and to build trust. As if the colors and fonts are completely different in desktop and mobile so users will get confused and they will be disconnected as the same colors, fonts and design elements are different in devices so they may doubt the brands authenticity and professionalism.
And if a brand is not consistent, it can confuse customers and can also weaken brand recognition which may cause a loss of trust and sales and users may switch to competitors. A study by Lucidpress found that consistent brand presentation across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%. This tells how important it is for eCommerce websites to maintain a uniform look and feel across different devices.
3. To reach wider audience:
As people use different devices like some use desktop and some use mobile phones so the audiences vary across devices so by improving the websites across all platforms it will help businesses to reach wider audience and if the website is not optimised for all the platforms then it’s risk for businesses to lose potential customers who find it difficult to browse or make purchases.
Imagine visiting an online store on your phone, but the text is too small to read and the checkout button is hard to tap. Would you struggle to complete your purchase, or would you leave and buy from a competitor with a smoother experience?
4. Search engine optimisation (SEO):
A clear, logical structure with categories and subcategories improves crawlability which makes it easier for search engines like Google to index and rank the website as a result potential customers will easily find the website and Internal linking also helps search engines understand the relationships between pages which further improves SEO and user navigation.
For example, an eCommerce website selling electronics can have categories like Laptops, Smartphones, and Accessories, with subcategories such as Gaming Laptops, Android Phones, and Wireless Earbuds. If these pages are well-linked, both users and search engines can navigate them easily, increasing visibility and sales.
Both mobile and desktop are important for making sales, so businesses should make sure that their websites work well on both devices as optimizing an eCommerce website for both platforms can bring numerous benefits which includes increased conversions and customer satisfaction. And businesses must deeply understand why customers choose a specific device to complete their eCommerce transactions. By understanding it, businesses can make the shopping experience better on every screen for their customers.
By optimizing navigation, improving page speed, implementing responsive design, and ensuring brand consistency, businesses can create a seamless shopping experience across devices and strategies like cross-device remarketing and personalized experiences further enhance engagement and boost sales. To improve your eCommerce UX, start by analyzing your website’s mobile and desktop performance.
