How to Engage Consumers Shopping on Multiple Devices

Consumers shopping on multiple devices

The average number of devices a person owns is on the rise, making it harder to pinpoint exactly how users will enter and engage with your site. Given the increased use of smart TVs, wearables, mobile devices, and personal computers, consumers now have multiple ways to shop and they expect a seamless experience as they jump from one device to another. According to Criteo’s State of Cross Device Commerce, “Nearly one-third of all transactions involve two or more devices from the first website visit to the point of purchase.” Ecommerce brands must adapt their site experiences to keep pace with consumer expectations. I’ve outlined 3 ways you can design with a multi-device path to purchase in mind.

Rethink Customer Journeys

Personas are no longer limited to a one device preference. Users may have a device preference for different actions or different times of day. Consider a young professional who may browse products on their desktop at work and opt to complete their purchase at home on their mobile phone. Now more than ever, it’s important to consider all possible touchpoints when mapping out consumer journeys and acknowledge which devices those touchpoints occur on.

Prioritize Personalization

Personalization throughout the site plays an important role when it comes to familiarizing the user. Being able to remind them of recently browsed items, that may have occurred on a previous device, helps consumers stay focused on why they came to your site and increases their chances of converting. An example of personalization is displaying previously viewed items and keywords in the search bar. If a product the user was previously viewing appears in their search, they will spend less time scanning the search results and more time on the Product Description Page (PDP).

Design Mobile First, Not Mobile Only

As the big push for mobile first design continues, it’s important not to lose sight of the various ways people are coming to your site. Mobile first is a valuable best practice when designing your site for a smaller screen, but it can’t be the sole focus. According to Monetate’s Ecommerce Quarterly Report, “The detected multi-device users outperform the average user in several key areas; including product view rate, add-to-cart rate, purchase rate, and average order value.” If we can better accommodate more devices in our designs, the ecommerce experience will be more familiar for a multi-device user and far more successful for brands.

We expect the ecommerce ecosystem to continue trending toward a multi-device path to purchase, making a cohesive cross-device site experience essential, not optional.