Mobile Conversion Optimization Guide (2023): Common Causes of Low Conversion Rate and How to Fix Them

Mobile conversion optimization has emerged as a key component of successful digital marketing strategies. In simple terms, mobile conversion optimization is the process of improving the mobile user experience on a website or app to increase the percentage of users who complete a desired action, like making a purchase, filling out a form, or clicking a call-to-action button.

According to Statista, as of the second quarter of 2021, mobile devices accounted for over half of all web traffic worldwide​. Therefore, it's not surprising that optimizing for mobile conversions has become a top priority for marketers.

What is a good conversion rate?

Before we delve into the strategies for mobile conversion optimization, let's first understand what a conversion rate is. A conversion rate is the percentage of your users who take a desired action on your site or app. This could be anything from making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, downloading a guide, or any other action that aligns with your business goals.

However, what constitutes a "good" conversion rate can vary significantly depending on the industry and the specific action you want users to take. According to a report from Unbounce, the average landing page conversion rate across industries is about 4.02%, but this can fluctuate from as low as 1.6% in the legal industry to as high as 6.1% in the vocational studies & job training sector​.

Common causes of low conversion rates

Now that we understand conversion rates and industry benchmarks, let's look at some of the common causes of conversion leaks in the mobile experience.

Poor Mobile User Experience (UX): A website that isn't optimized for mobile can frustrate users, causing them to abandon their journey. This could include issues like text that is too small to read, images that don't render correctly, or buttons that are too small to click on a mobile screen.

Slow Page Load Speed: According to Google, as page load time goes from one to three seconds, the probability of a visitor bouncing increases 32%​​.

Difficult Navigation: Mobile screens are smaller, which means websites need to be designed with a clean, simple interface that's easy to navigate.

Inadequate Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons: If your CTAs are not clear, not compelling, or hard to find, users may not take the action you want them to.

Lack of Trust Signals: These can include customer testimonials, reviews, secure payment indicators, and privacy policies. Without them, users may not feel confident enough to convert.

How to improve mobile conversion rates

As the trend towards mobile-first experiences continues, businesses must prioritize mobile conversion rate optimization (CRO) to stay competitive. Here are some strategies that can significantly improve your mobile conversion rates.

Responsive Website Design

First and foremost, a mobile-optimized, or responsive, website design is crucial. Responsive design ensures that your site adjusts its layout based on the user's device screen size. This makes navigation easier, significantly improving the user experience, and consequently, conversion rates.

Simplify Your Checkout Process

The fewer steps there are to complete a purchase, the more likely it is that a user will follow through. Implement a simplified checkout process that minimizes the amount of information a user has to enter and reduces the number of steps to finalize the purchase. Tools like Google Pay and Apple Pay can make the process even smoother.

Optimize for Speed

Page loading speed is a crucial factor in mobile user experience. According to Google, as page load time goes from 1 to 10 seconds, the probability of a mobile site visitor bouncing increases by 123%. You can use tools like Google's PageSpeed Insights to gauge your website's speed and get recommendations for improvement.

Utilize Click-to-Call Buttons

Mobile users appreciate the convenience of direct communication. A click-to-call button enables users to make a phone call to your business directly from your website, which can be particularly useful for service-based businesses.

Implement Mobile-Friendly Pop-ups

While pop-ups can be an effective tool for collecting email addresses or promoting special offers, they can also be annoying and intrusive, especially on mobile devices. Ensure any pop-ups on your website are mobile-friendly and easy to close.

A/B Test Your Mobile Site

Just as you would with a desktop site, A/B testing is crucial for understanding what works best for your mobile users. Test different elements of your mobile site, such as the color of your call-to-action button or the placement of customer testimonials, to find out what leads to the highest conversion rates.

Use Geolocation Features

Mobile devices offer the unique advantage of geolocation, allowing you to provide personalized experiences based on the user's location. For instance, you could use geolocation to display location-specific promotions or store directions.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly improve your mobile conversion rates, leading to increased revenue and a better user experience.

Powerful Tools for Mobile Conversion Optimization

Optimizing mobile conversions requires the right tools to gather data, analyze user behavior, and implement changes. Here's a list of some of the most effective tools to help you improve your mobile conversion rates.

1. Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics is a free tool that tracks and reports website traffic. It provides valuable insights about your mobile users, such as where they're coming from, how long they're staying on your site, and what pages they're visiting. You can use this data to identify potential issues and make improvements that will boost your mobile conversion rates.

2. Google PageSpeed Insights

As mentioned earlier, page load speed is a critical factor in mobile user experience. Google PageSpeed Insights analyzes the content of a web page, then generates suggestions to make that page faster. Improving page speed can lead to better user engagement, more page views, and improved mobile conversions.

3. Howuku

Howuku is a comprehensive conversion rate optimization tool that provides multiple features to help improve your mobile conversion rates. Let's delve into some of its prominent features:

Heatmaps: Heatmaps can show you where users click, how far they scroll, and what parts of the page attract the most attention. This user behavior data can reveal usability issues or areas of your site that are particularly engaging, helping you to make informed optimizations.

A/B Testing: A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of a webpage to see which one performs better.

User Feedback: You can get direct feedback about your website's user experiences and perceptions of your mobile site.

Conclusion

Successfully optimizing your website can be the difference between thriving online and falling short in the digital, mobile marketplace. Optimizing should not be a game of guesses either; a comprehensive grasp of your user's behavior is required, which involves understanding the user experience throughout their buying journey.

With data-backed knowledge about how your mobile site is being used, you can make informed optimizations, maximizing your engagement and conversion rates.