Mobile shopping is growing fast, and optimising your Shopify Plus store for mobile users is essential to boost sales and improve customer satisfaction. Here are 10 key strategies to make your store mobile-friendly:
- Mobile-First Design: Start with layouts tailored for small screens, focusing on responsive designs, clear CTAs, and simple navigation.
- Optimise Media: Compress images, use proper formats (e.g., WebP, JPEG), and enable lazy loading for faster page speeds.
- Clear Navigation: Use logical menus, search bars, breadcrumbs, and touch-friendly buttons.
- Better Product Pages: Include high-quality images, easy-to-read product details, and sticky ‘Add to Cart’ buttons.
- Streamlined Checkout: Simplify forms, enable guest checkout, and integrate mobile payment options like Apple Pay.
- Set Up AMP Pages: Use AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) for faster-loading product pages and better search rankings.
- Local SEO: Use location-specific keywords to attract nearby customers searching on mobile.
- Push Notifications: Send timely updates like price drops, abandoned cart reminders, and order status alerts.
- Mobile-Specific Contact Options: Add features like click-to-call buttons for easy customer support.
- Regular Testing: Continuously test your store’s mobile performance using tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
How to Make Your MOBILE Shopify Store Look Better (2025)
1. Start with Mobile-First Design
When it comes to Shopify Plus, designing with mobile users in mind should be your starting point. Focus on creating a layout that works seamlessly on smaller screens first, then adapt it for desktops and larger devices. This approach ensures a smoother experience for mobile shoppers.
- Use a responsive layout that adjusts to different screen sizes while maintaining usability and visual appeal. Stick to a single-column design, make buttons easy to tap, and leave enough space between elements for effortless navigation.
- Simplify navigation by including a hamburger menu with a few key categories, so users aren’t overwhelmed with choices.
For mobile-friendly content, keep these tips in mind:
- Place your main call-to-action (CTA) above the fold so it’s immediately visible.
- Use clear, zoomable product images optimised for smaller screens.
- Highlight key details like pricing, availability, and standout features upfront.
- Make the search bar easy to find and use.
You can also improve the mobile experience with features like sticky headers, swipeable image galleries, collapsible sections for details, and one-tap contact options. These small touches make navigating and shopping on mobile much more convenient.
2. Reduce Image and Media Sizes
Large or unoptimised images and media files can slow down your mobile store, frustrating shoppers and increasing bounce rates. To keep your pages loading quickly and your customers engaged, it’s essential to optimise these assets.
Shopify Plus helps by automatically resizing images, applying lazy loading, converting them to WebP format, and serving responsive images tailored to different devices.
Here are some additional tips to fine-tune your media:
- Compress images: Use tools like TinyPNG to shrink file sizes without sacrificing quality.
- Pick the right formats: Use JPEG for product photos, PNG for images needing transparency, SVG for logos and icons, and MP4 for animations.
- Scale appropriately: Resize images to their maximum display dimensions to avoid wasting bandwidth.
For even better performance, enable browser caching to store frequently used images locally on users’ devices. Pair this with a content delivery network (CDN) to serve images from servers closer to your customers, reducing load times.
Alinga implements these techniques to create fast, mobile-friendly shopping experiences. These steps, combined with a comprehensive mobile optimisation plan, ensure quicker page loads and better customer engagement.
3. Use Clear Mobile Navigation Menus
Focusing on mobile-first design, a well-organised navigation menu can greatly improve usability and drive conversions. Mobile navigation plays a key role in shaping speed, design, and the overall shopping experience.
Key Navigation Features:
- Search bar at the top: Make it easy for users to find products quickly.
- Logical category structure: Organise primary categories in a way that makes sense to users.
- Breadcrumbs: Help users backtrack easily without confusion.
- Nested menus: Use these for secondary options to keep things tidy.
Tips for Effective Mobile Menus:
- Use buttons large enough for touch (at least 44×44 pixels).
- Keep menu depth no more than three levels to avoid overwhelming users.
- Provide touch feedback so users know their actions are registered.
- Ensure text is easy to read with high contrast and clear fonts.
- Add a "back to top" button for long pages, improving navigation.
For better organisation on smaller screens, consider using a mega menu that transforms into an accordion layout on mobile devices. This keeps everything structured while remaining user-friendly.
Search Integration
Include a search bar at the top of your mobile menu. Make it persistent and enable autocomplete to help users find what they’re looking for quickly and easily.
Regular testing on different devices ensures your navigation works well across smartphones and tablets. Adjustments might be necessary to maintain a seamless experience.
At Alinga, we specialise in designing conversion-focused Shopify Plus stores, ensuring your mobile navigation is clear, intuitive, and effective for your customers.
4. Build Better Mobile Product Pages
Once you’ve nailed easy navigation and fast-loading pages, it’s time to fine-tune your product pages. These pages are the heart of mobile shopping – clear, fast-loading designs can significantly improve conversions. Like other mobile features, your product pages should be quick, easy to understand, and centred on the user experience.
Key Features to Include
- Images and Media
- Use high-quality images with progressive loading.
- Add pinch-to-zoom functionality for better product inspection.
- Include swipeable image galleries for mobile users.
- Display thumbnails in a tappable grid for easy browsing.
- Call-to-Actions
- Ensure buttons are prominent and easy to tap.
- Space out interactive elements to avoid accidental clicks.
- Keep an ‘Add to Cart’ button fixed on the screen during scrolling.
- Product Information
- Place key details above the fold for quick access.
- Use expandable sections for additional details.
- Highlight product features with bullet points.
- Add customer reviews in a collapsible format for readability.
Content Designed for Mobile
Write content specifically for mobile users. Use clear headings and short paragraphs to make information easy to digest. Accordion-style sections are a great way to provide more details without cluttering the page – users can tap to expand sections as needed.
Optimisation Tips
- Choose a minimum font size of 16px and ensure high contrast for readability.
- Clearly display size guides, stock levels, and shipping details.
- Use lazy loading for images below the fold to improve load times.
- Add related products in horizontal scrollable sections.
- Incorporate social proof like ratings and reviews to build trust.
- Ensure interactive elements respond quickly to user actions.
Improving the Shopping Experience
- Keep the ‘Add to Cart’ button visible at all times.
- Highlight stock availability clearly.
- Show shipping information upfront to avoid surprises.
- Let users explore related products without leaving the page.
- Make it easy to select product variants like size or colour.
Quick load times are essential, but don’t sacrifice important details. Test your product pages regularly to ensure they work seamlessly across all mobile devices and screen sizes. This attention to detail can make a big difference in user satisfaction and sales.
5. Make Checkout Fast and Simple
After refining your product pages, the next step is to simplify the checkout process. A quick and easy checkout can boost conversions and lower cart abandonment rates.
Here are some ways to improve checkout:
- Reduce the number of form fields and allow guest checkout for faster transactions.
- Add mobile payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay for one-tap purchases.
- Use auto-fill to save customers time by pre-filling their details.
- Include clear progress indicators so users know how many steps are left.
- Show shipping costs upfront to avoid surprises.
- Offer real-time form validation to catch errors instantly.
For a smooth mobile experience, make sure buttons and fields are easy to tap and spaced out properly. Error messages should be simple and guide users to fix issues quickly during checkout.
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6. Set Up AMP Pages
AMP pages are designed to load almost instantly, providing a fast and smooth experience for mobile shoppers. Here’s how you can set them up:
- Install an AMP-Compatible Theme
Make sure your theme meets AMP standards by using:- Simplified HTML
- Streamlined CSS
- AMP-specific JavaScript
- A layout tailored for mobile devices
- Configure AMP Settings
Adjust your AMP settings to include:- Enabling AMP on key pages like product pages
- Setting image dimensions
- Adding analytics tracking
- Using structured data markup
- Optimise AMP Content
Keep your content focused and functional:- Write short and clear product descriptions
- Use AMP-friendly image formats
- Keep navigation simple but effective
- Add clear call-to-action buttons
Run regular checks with Google’s AMP Test to ensure your pages meet standards and perform well. With mobile shopping growing rapidly, setting up AMP pages can help your Shopify Plus store deliver a better experience for mobile users.
7. Improve Local Search Rankings
Mobile users frequently look for nearby products and services, so it’s crucial to focus your SEO efforts on local searches. For your Shopify Plus store, enhance its mobile experience by concentrating on content relevant to local audiences. Use location-specific keywords tailored to the Australian market, such as postcodes and state abbreviations (e.g., NSW, QLD). This helps search engines understand your relevance to local customers, increasing your visibility in local search results. This approach works hand-in-hand with the mobile-friendly design elements covered earlier.
8. Add Mobile Push Notifications
Pair your mobile-friendly, fast-loading design with push notifications to keep users engaged. These notifications deliver timely updates directly to shoppers’ devices, helping to boost interaction and drive sales.
Here are some effective notification types to consider:
- Abandoned Cart Reminders: Gently nudge customers about items they left behind.
- Price Drop Alerts: Let users know when prices on their favourite items are reduced.
- Back in Stock Updates: Notify shoppers when previously unavailable products are ready to buy again.
- Order Status Updates: Keep customers informed about their purchases, from shipping to delivery.
- Limited-Time Offers: Create urgency with flash sales or exclusive deals.
To get the best results, time your notifications wisely and segment your audience based on their browsing habits and purchase history. For example, you could offer exclusive discounts to loyal customers or send first-time buyers a special welcome deal.
Keep your messages short, clear, and action-oriented. Include a strong call-to-action that directs users to the right product page or checkout for a seamless experience.
Most importantly, respect user preferences. Make it easy for customers to opt in or out of notifications, avoid overloading them with alerts, and test your messages to see what works best. Keep an eye on engagement metrics to refine your approach.
When done right, push notifications can complement a fast and user-friendly mobile design, keeping your audience connected and engaged.
9. Add Mobile-Specific Contact Options
Make it easy for mobile users to reach you by offering a direct contact option. Adding a click-to-call button is a great way to do this. Place it prominently in the header or footer so users can quickly make a call without any hassle.
Just like smooth navigation and easy checkout processes help drive sales, having an accessible contact option ensures users can get support when they need it. This simple addition can improve both engagement and conversions. Alinga offers design solutions to seamlessly integrate a click-to-call feature into your Shopify Plus store.
10. Test Mobile Performance Regularly
Regular testing of mobile performance ensures your website runs smoothly on all devices. Tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help you evaluate how your site performs under different network conditions and on various devices.
Key areas to monitor include page load times, ease of navigation, button functionality, and how content is displayed. Use these insights to fine-tune critical aspects like homepage speed, product page responsiveness, and the efficiency of your checkout process.
A mix of automated tools and user feedback can help you quickly spot and fix any problems. Addressing issues promptly is essential to maintaining a seamless mobile experience for your users.
Key focus areas for testing:
- Homepage loading times
- Product page responsiveness
- Cart and checkout functionality
- Search features
- Image loading efficiency
At Alinga, we stress the importance of regular mobile optimisation checks to identify and resolve potential issues before they impact your customers.
Mobile Optimisation for Shopify Plus Stores
Optimising your Shopify Plus store for mobile users is essential for success in today’s retail landscape. With mobile commerce driving a significant portion of online sales, fine-tuning your store for mobile devices can directly improve conversions and customer satisfaction.
Key strategies include:
- Mobile-first design: Prioritising layouts and features that work seamlessly on smaller screens.
- Optimised media: Ensuring images and videos load quickly and look great on all devices.
- Streamlined checkouts: Making the purchase process fast and hassle-free for mobile users.
Regularly monitoring your store’s performance is crucial to maintaining and improving these elements. This ongoing analysis allows you to build a solid foundation and make informed decisions for advanced improvements.
"We use proven strategies, tailored design, & innovative technologies to make beautiful and conversion optimised eCommerce experiences on Shopify Plus." – Alinga
As a certified Shopify Plus Partner, Alinga has extensive experience in crafting mobile-friendly eCommerce stores that convert. Their expertise includes:
- Developing custom mobile-optimised themes
- Enhancing performance and speed
- Providing ongoing monitoring and maintenance
- Offering strategic advice for mobile-first design approaches
Mobile optimisation isn’t a one-time task – it requires consistent updates and adjustments. By refining these areas and evaluating their impact, you can deliver a mobile shopping experience that exceeds customer expectations.