subject: Guidelines For Mobile Web Design [print this page] By focusing on the top guidelines of usability best practice, an ecommerce website can adjust its mobile site to deliver a more effective, efficient and satisfactory user experience, helping resolve any design problems and ultimately improving return on investment.
Before employing a web design agency to create a mobile ecommerce website for your business, it is essential that they understand the following guidelines.
Usability Guidelines For Mobile Websites:
1. Redirect mobile searchers to the mobile version of your site.
2. A simple (but not too simple) homepage that displays the appropriate amount of information and navigation options without cramming too much onto the screen.
3. Provide a prominent search box.
It is vital that users are presented with a prominent search box on the homepage to aid instant navigation and retrieval of desired information in a timely manner, particularly relevant to mobile users.
The search box may be supplied in a prominent position but this can be rendered ineffective if the calls to action are in potentially frustrating positions.
4. Add auto suggest.
5. Ensure the same stock range as the main site is available.
6. Provide filter options.
7. Provide multiple product images to allow customers to make informed decisions.
8. Detail on product pages should be as close to their desktop counterparts as possible (use tabs).
This means that product pages should contain all the information that customers are likely to need about a product, as well as multiple zoomable images, and reviews where applicable.
The mobile aesthetics are not always reflective of the desktop sites. Information is text heavy and lengthy. Reviews and delivery are not accounted for.
Larger image is supplied however it is at the bottom of the page and easily missed as users associate it with the larger image. In this case, try using bullet points to highlight the benefits of a product.
9. Offer alternative payment methods - the addition of PayPal and alternative payment methods such as Google Checkout can help.
10. Is essential function available when needed?
11. Do menu categories immediately expose or describe their subcategories?
12. Is the text legible? Is the font size appropriate?
13. Does site functionality provide clear feedback in response to user actions?
14. Present privacy and security policies.
15. Does the site help users avoid and recover from errors.
16. Does the site perform well?
17. Provide a telephone number for alternative purchase.
Once these guidelines have been met, an online business can look forward to making an impressive return on investment from its ecommerce website.
