Magento Moment that Matters

Consumer trends show website visits via mobile devices are growing exponentially. It is estimated that nearly 50% of e-sales will be mobile, some markets may even reach 80% by 2021. However, the research Statista conducted in 2018 reveals that only 12% of users find shopping via smartphone convenient. Moreover, the area of mobile shopping demonstrates the highest cart abandonment rate – nearly 86%.

Considering the data, we see a fast and convenient mobile store a moment that matters in the modern e-commerce industry. That is why our team shares some insights for the retailers to succeed in mobile sales, meet consumer trends and achieve the desired conversion. The tips we provide are supported by recent innovations of the Magento platform and our experience in testing e-stores, of course 🙂

Speed Matters

Another data by Magento exhibits the way website load plays a critical role in web-store management. With the latest Magento 2 version, the speed of page load and checkout procedure has noticeably increased. Have a look:

Data source: Hostingtribunal.com

The numbers prove that speed means convenience for mobile users. This is the reason why a website you build on Magento platform needs a thorough check-up on page speed and behavior under different traffic volume.
One of the ways is to check it yourself. Google (and not only) offers the range of tools that display website speed. Here are some:

• Google Insights. Insert URL for the tool to test the speed on both mobile and desktop devices. The URL will get the percentage rate out of 100% and the suggested ways to improve the page.
• Pingdom. To test the URL, there is a need to select a testing server location. The choice of a server should be related to the users in your target market. If your website visitors are from Canada, you may select the server in Ottawa, as an option. But the choice by the continent/country is also available. Currently, Pingdom offers 5 region groups to monitor website speed: North America, Europe, APAC (Australia and Asia), LATAM (South America).
  But nothing new, enter the URL and get the report. The tool provides with a 1-100 performance grade, displays page load time and page size. Pingdom will also provide you with examples of pages that are slower than yours. This enables you to evaluate your page performance in comparison to others.
• WebPageTest. This a common free speed measuring tool that offers the diagnostic information on speed optimization and suggestions for improvement. Along with the server, the tool enables to choose a browser for the test. The tool provides with the option to check the connection speed as well.

Load Conditions

The tools could be useful assistants for effective website management. But they won`t analyze website behavior if the number of visitors suddenly grows. The idea to conduct stress testing would benefit for both desktop and mobile versions. As the number of mobile users increases, stress testing helps to analyze app behavior under huge traffic for a prolonged period. The system under extreme load conditions displays a typical error message. But stress testing makes sure if your app recovers after the overload and continues functioning. This way, the app is better prepared for abnormal traffic.

QA engineers usually perform stress testing along with the load tests. Because of an advertising campaign or discount offers, your app might fail to handle the unexpected traffic spikes. Also, those who have come across the tough times of Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales remember: such events are often challenging for an app unless it is tested for traffic surges. This way, load tests check app sustainability with peak traffic load and ensure it is scalable for more visitors.

User Interface

No need to explain a lot, responsive or adaptive web design for Magento is an integral solution to build a mobile-ready online store. Along with clarity and intuitive navigation, have the interface undergo GUI testing. A quick reminder of some web design testing criteria:

• Make sure the URL is the same for both desktop and mobile devices.
• Content check-up: products are displayed correctly, size, color options are available. Locate the hamburger icon in the upper right corner to easily access menu option and ensure the call-to-action button is distinct.
• Visuals: in case you test a responsive website, use resolution specific images to fit mobile, tablet, and desktop requirements.

Mobile-Friendly Checkout

Mobile users are the ones who require a simplified checkout process when shopping with the smartphone. This is the reason why Magento offers to make it less distractive. By automating coupon code use, credit card update, zip code fill, they hope to increase incoming revenue for the merchants.

One of the innovations may refer to the coupon use while making a purchase. Users frequently leave the websites to google the discount code and never get back. This is the case when additional search interferes the customers from the checkout making them abandon the cart. The data suggested by Magento says that introducing coupon collapse feature is the way to increase Revenue per Visitor rates by at least 8%. Looks like the Magento team is going to present an effective solution for the scenario in the forthcoming years 🙂

Although the suggested features have all chances to transform e-commerce we know, Magento hasn`t embedded them yet. For now, a good idea will be to review some other ways to make the web store mobile friendly and simplify the shopping experience for the users. Since Magento development team works well on the default checkout, the standard version is almost bug-free. But the custom features added to the checkout undergo testing. As our experience shows, the shipping methods, additional payment features, gift cards, discount programs may fail to function correctly. Here are the two background scenarios we test when working on Magento store checkout:

• Coupon verification
  A coupon is a great marketing tactic to boost sales. As an additional feature to the Magento store, the code often fails to verify when entered. That`s why QA engineers check the options of correct and incorrect discount code added in the cart and track the results of system behavior.
• Payment system
  This is a sensitive yet crucial part of a purchase. In most cases, QA specialists make sure the system detects the credit cards with invalid details (e.g. number or CVV code) and declines the payment. It is essential to test all types of credit cards used by your future visitors (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, etc.) Moreover, instant purchase adds value to customers` convenience. It enables the visitors of Magento shop to speed through the checkout and have the credit card information stored in their account. This option is also tested by QA engineers to ensure the customers don`t have to enter the data each time they`re back to the store.

The following chart analyzes the most popular form of online payment in the U.S. in 2018:

Data source: Statista.com

E-commerce is expected to become popular among mobile users. And Magento team seems to develop a range of innovative ways to keep the customer concentrated on the buying process. For now, remember: smartphone owners are likely to enjoy shopping on the go, quick navigation, and easy checkout. Take care of their experience 🙂