For direct-to-consumer brands at the eCommerce Forum, mobile is often the primary storefront. Yet many still face a persistent gap: strong mobile engagement, but weaker mobile conversion. The issue is rarely a lack of marketing investment. More often, it’s friction in the journey that turns ‘mobile-first’ into ‘mobile-frustrated’. The brands winning on mobile are those treating optimisation as a revenue discipline, not a design refresh…
Performance still matters more than ever
Speed remains one of the most expensive blind spots for D2C. Heavy imagery, unoptimised scripts, third-party tags and feature creep continue to slow page loads, particularly on mid-range devices and real-world networks.
Optimisation starts with ruthless prioritisation: optimise Core Web Vitals, compress and lazy-load assets, audit third-party tools quarterly, and design experiences that load fast before they load fancy. For D2C brands competing on paid social, every additional second of load time increases bounce and wastes acquisition spend.
Navigation and discovery must be effortless
Mobile shoppers don’t browse like desktop users. They scan, scroll and search with intent, often in short bursts. Yet many D2C sites still hide key categories behind complex menus or overload users with pop-ups.
High-performing brands simplify navigation, invest in mobile search quality, and make product discovery frictionless. Sticky filters, clear hierarchy, and fast-loading collection pages outperform cluttered “brand storytelling” layouts when the customer is trying to buy.
Product pages: reduce doubt, not just add content
Mobile PDPs need to answer questions instantly: fit, delivery, returns, trust. Too often, critical details are buried below long scrolls or blocked by intrusive overlays.
Leading brands use strong visual structure: concise benefits, visible reviews, clear sizing guidance, and frictionless access to shipping and returns information. Video and rich content work best when they support decision-making rather than distract from it.
Checkout is where most revenue is still lost
The mobile checkout remains the highest-leverage optimisation point. Guest checkout, express pay options, autofill-friendly forms and minimal steps are now baseline expectations.
Brands that still force account creation, long address entry or unnecessary validation loops are leaking revenue. Best practice is ‘one clear path’: wallets first, minimal fields, and reassurance on security, delivery and refunds at the moment of commitment.
Optimisation is continuous, not seasonal
The strongest D2C operators treat mobile UX as an ongoing programme: weekly testing, session replay insight, funnel diagnostics and clear KPIs by device type.
Mobile conversion is rarely fixed by one redesign. It improves through consistent iteration, removing friction step by step. Brands don’t win on mobile by doing more. They win by making it faster, simpler and easier for customers to say yes.
Are you searching for Mobile Optimisation solutions for your organisation? The eCommerce Forum can help!
Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash
