Is your eCommerce store mobile friendly?

Mobile continues to play an increasingly important part in eCommerce success. According to Statista forecasts, retail sales from mobile eCommerce (mCommerce) in the UK are expected to exceed £100 billion by 2025, aligning with the widespread use of mobile devices.

Customers use their mobiles to investigate purchasing decisions before making purchases in-store or on a desktop, in addition to completing the entire buying journey on their mobile devices. In 2023, nearly all individuals aged 16 to 54 in the UK owned a smartphone, and mobile appears to be the preferred channel for online shopping in the country.

Customers’ comfort with mobile buying is ever-increasing, and as a result, the industry cannot disregard mobile’s importance in the eCommerce market when it comes to the design and user experience of their websites. Integrating data verification software, such as address verification, can also help create the experiences that keep customers coming back.

Mobile sites vs responsive sites

You’ve probably seen the “m.website.com” domain before; it denotes a separate mobile website. That means the mobile version of your site is hosted on a different domain from the desktop version. Mobile websites are distinct from the desktop version of your website since they are developed exclusively for mobile devices.

Responsive sites are much more inclusive for the modern-day user. Responsive websites can detect the type of device a visitor is using and automatically alter the layout of the content to fit the user’s screen size.

Separate mobile sites can be more difficult to manage than responsive sites. Any updates to a single URL in responsive sites are made to that site rather than having to go in and update two distinct sites. Most crucially, a responsive site’s functionality and content are consistent across all versions. There will be no more debates over which features are best for desktop and which are best for mobile. The look and feel of the site will be consistent across the board.

If the website is consistent for mobile users, they’ll be able to access all products and services wherever they are, which in turn makes your business completely accessible. Additionally, implementing address lookup software can enhance the user experience you deliver to your customers.

Tips to make your website more mobile-friendly

Website speed

According to research, 53% of customers will abandon a mobile site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. You can do a few things to discourage the majority of those visitors from abandoning your site due to latency.

Above-the-fold components can be served while elements farther down the page are loaded in the background. This is known as lazy loading, and it’s a frequent method for hiding the true loading time.

However, when it comes to using lazy loading to hide latency, be mindful. Google warns that if you use lazy loading on your mobile site incorrectly, it may prohibit Google from crawling your content. So make sure you do your homework and get it right.

You can also serve smaller-sized images for mobile pages. Techniques such as srcset (which defines a set of images for the browser to choose between, and what size each image is) make it possible to display larger images on desktops while serving smaller versions of the same images on mobile devices. Because you’re offering a smaller total page, you can use this to your advantage to reduce the loading time on mobile devices.

Moreover, integrating address lookup software can streamline the user experience by reducing keystrokes by 90%.

Minimise forms and make use of address verification

The more effort required to complete a form, the less likely users are to complete it. That’s why the first guideline of form design is to make it as short as possible and eliminate all non-essential fields.

An address lookup software can make the mobile checkout process so much quicker and easier. Instead of filling in up to 6 individual fields, the customer just begins typing their address (from any point, whether they start with the town or the street number doesn’t matter) and the type-ahead address verification makes suggestions from the first character. Once the correct address has been located using the address finder software, the customer simply needs to select it, and the entire address form will be automatically populated with validated information.

Optional fields

Consider whether you truly need to add optional fields in your form. Determine what data you truly require rather than what you want. In a perfect world, your form would have no optional fields. By minimizing the information required from customers, especially with the aid of address finder software, you not only enhance their experience by expediting the process but also increase the likelihood of their return.

Optimise your mobile eCommerce with address lookup

After browsing the above knowledge to optimise your mobile experience, you should consider the many benefits of an address verification or postcode lookup software. The main benefit of using a mobile device is that it’s already right in front of you, whether you’re at home or on the commute to work.

Giving customers the ability to enter their full, correct, validated address with just a few keystrokes is the perfect finish to the convenient ease of a mobile commerce experience. It is the quick-fire tool your business needs to increase conversion rates and decrease cart abandonment. And of course, another financial gain your business will receive as a result of an address finder API is a reduction in failed deliveries as the human error of entering the incorrect address will be eliminated.

Make payment methods easy

Payments can be problematic for mobile users because large number sequences, such as those required for a credit card, are typically challenging to type. Instead, you may invite visitors to create an account on your website, where you can store their credit card information. Although be sure to also offer guest checkout, to avoid deterring customers who just want to get on with the transaction as quickly as possible. 

You may also make use of mobile payment methods like PayPal, Google Wallet, or Apple Play for customers. Offering wallets not only makes the UX smoother and simpler on mobile devices, but it also increases customers’ trust in your website, an important factor in mobile commerce. Integrating an address finder software into your checkout process can further enhance user experience by automatically suggesting accurate address options in real-time, preventing typos, missing characters and abbreviation.

The Fetchify difference

We process millions of data transactions weekly for thousands of clients, from small e-commerce start-ups to large household brands such as LG, Heinz and RBS. Our flagship products, Address Lookup  and UK Postcode Lookup, reduce friction on checkouts, leading to increases in conversion rates, and help reduce failed deliveries and customer frustration.

We are proud to offer fit-for-purpose plug-and-play integrations with most leading business software platforms. We enjoy global coverage in over 250 countries, with businesses from various industries benefiting from our address finder offering.

If you’re looking to boost conversion rates, eliminate failed deliveries, minimise human errors, and provide a seamless experience for customers on your platform, then look no further than the experts in customer data validation and address verification solutions – Fetchify.

The best part is you can try out our 14-day Free Trial before committing to our services. Our excellent technical and customer support team is on hand to answer your burning questions. Make sure to Get in Touch and experience the Fetchify difference – like thousands of e-commerce businesses around the globe.

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About Fetchify

Fetchify’s address lookup and data validation platforms cover more than 250 countries, and increases customer conversion with the fastest, most accurate customer data capture. Fetchify’s flagship products – Address Auto Complete and Postcode Lookup – reduce friction at the checkout, and also significantly increase the number of successful deliveries. Founded in 2008, Fetchify processes millions of data transactions every day for clients ranging from startups to established high-street names, and offers a full suite of data validation tools, including phone, email and bank, too.

Smarter Data Cleansing Decisions for Smarter Data

By Fiona Paton • December 3, 2025

New Year. New Approach. The countdown to 2026 is on, and if you want to hit the ground running, it’s time to think about the one thing that can make or break your year: your data. We’ve all heard the saying “start as you mean to go on.” Well, if that start involves messy, inaccurate data, you’re already tripping before you’ve left the starting gates. Clean, accurate customer data is the foundation for everything: smarter campaigns, smoother deliveries, and sales that actually reflect the effort you put in. Without it, you’re fighting uphill from day one. The truth? Bad data isn’t harmless. Every failed delivery, bounced email, or wrong phone number chips away at your bottom line. In the UK alone, dirty data drains an eye‑watering £900 billion a year from businesses. And with 1 in 5 records typically incorrect, each one costs around £81 annually in wasted spend, lost opportunities, or compliance risks. Why it matters? Still need convincing? Here are the stats that show why clean data is non‑negotiable: Confidence in every customer record : Royal Mail PAF makes 3,000–5,000 updates a day - over 1 million a year. Compliance and reduced risk : UK GDPR requires customer data to be accurate and up to date. Get it wrong, and you risk fines of up to £17.5M or 4% of global turnover. Lower delivery failure and service costs : UK businesses lose £1.6 billion a year to undelivered parcels. At £125 per parcel, even small errors add up fast. Protect marketing ROI : 50% of customers walk after a single failed delivery, and 80% won’t come back at all. The Challenge That’s why starting 2026 with a data cleanse isn’t just smart - it’s essential. Clean data means clear visibility, fewer delivery failures, better targeting, and reduced compliance risk - without the operational headache. By tackling bad data upfront, you give yourself the perfect launchpad for growth, instead of joining the many organisations that end up spending 10–30% of their revenue fixing problems after the fact. So here’s the challenge: make 2026 the year you stop letting bad data hold you back. Cleanse it, validate it, and set yourself up for campaigns that connect, deliveries that delight, and results that truly count. The message is clear: dirty data costs growth, trust, and opportunity. By cleansing upfront, you protect your ROI, strengthen compliance, and give yourself the platform to launch a year of real momentum.

Improving customer onboarding and fraud prevention in financial services with Fetchify

By Fiona Paton • November 24, 2025

The Background A leading financial services provider needed to strengthen the accuracy of customer information during digital onboarding. They handle thousands of new applications every month and rely on fast, frictionless sign-up journeys that still meet strict compliance, risk and verification requirements. Their existing process struggled with poor quality address and bank details, leading to increased manual checks, slower approvals and higher abandonment. Incorrect or incomplete address data was also creating downstream issues for customer communications, account documentation and regulatory reporting. The organisation wanted a solution that could improve data quality at the point of entry, reduce friction in the onboarding journey and support their compliance teams with more accurate source information. The Solution The client selected Fetchify to enhance customer onboarding with accurate, validated address and bank data as soon as a user enters it. Fetchify provided: Global address validation UK enhanced datasets where deeper detail is available Bank account validation to check the sort code and account number accuracy Simple integration into their digital onboarding flow Consistent formatting to support KYC, AML, and compliance checks By validating information early, Fetchify helped streamline the entire customer journey. The Result After implementing Fetchify, the organisation achieved: Reduction in applications failing due to incorrect address or bank details Faster onboarding with fewer manual reviews Greater confidence in customer identity information Better outcomes for compliance and risk teams Improved data quality flowing into internal systems A smoother experience for new customers Why Fetchify? The organisation chose Fetchify because it offered: Reliable global address validation Additional UK data where extra detail helps accuracy Fast and predictable performance A simple, low-effort integration A single platform for address and bank checks Helpful and responsive support A cost structure that fits digital volume growth The Outcome Fetchify now supports the business with ongoing customer onboarding, ensuring address and bank details are accurate before progressing to further checks. This has reduced operational workload, improved customer experience, and strengthened compliance processes across the customer lifecycle.

Man checking out newly arrived shoe stock to add to his online store

Frictionless Footwear: Delivering Checkout Speed and Trust Online

By Fiona Paton • November 17, 2025

How an online shoe store is using data validation tools to provide a speedy, frictionless checkout, reducing failed deliveries and increasing ROI

Photo of fields and countryside with Fetchify traditional, postal and ceremonial counties

The Curious Case of Counties: When Address Accuracy Meets Human Geography

By Fiona Paton • October 27, 2025

Counties are one of those quiet curiosities of UK addressing - the kind of data field that often sparks more debate than you’d expect. Should they be included? Which kind? And do we even need them anymore? As with so many things in data, the answer is: it depends. Three Counties, One Country In the UK, the word “county” doesn’t describe one single thing. It describes at least three - each with its own history, purpose, and quirk: Postal counties were once the backbone of the Royal Mail’s sorting system. They helped machines (and people) get mail to the right place efficiently. But in 1996, Royal Mail officially dropped them, and by 2010, county data was removed from the official address dataset entirely. For the postal system, counties simply no longer exist. Traditional (or historic) counties trace their origins back centuries — the counties of record, land, and local identity. They don’t match today’s administrative borders, but they persist in cultural memory and local pride. To some, these are the real counties of England. Ceremonial counties , meanwhile, are what most modern maps and local authorities recognise today. They loosely align with lieutenancy areas — the basis for everything from local government to BBC weather maps. And just to add another layer, the UK also has metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties used for administration, because nothing in British geography would be complete without a little complexity. So… Do We Still Need Them? For Royal Mail, the answer is simple: no. County names are ignored by modern sorting systems, and they don’t affect delivery. But in the real world of databases, integrations, and overlapping address systems, the answer is less clear-cut. Counties still appear because: Some legacy systems require a county field for validation. Some organisations and couriers still use them for regional routing. And sometimes, humans just like them — they help people orient themselves, especially in places with duplicate town names. It’s a reminder that addresses aren’t just for machines. They’re for people, too — and people often bring context, emotion, and memory into their sense of “place.” The Bigger Picture: One World, Many Formats Counties are just one example of how geography, history, and technology collide in addressing. Every country — sometimes every region — does it differently. Some use regions, provinces, or prefectures. Some rely on hierarchies of towns and municipalities. Others have no subdivisions at all. For global platforms and data validation providers, that diversity creates a fascinating challenge: how do you standardise something that isn’t standard anywhere? It’s the quiet work of address intelligence — understanding not just where something is, but how people describe it. Why This Matters The goal of address accuracy isn’t to erase local identity or force uniformity; it’s to understand and support variation intelligently. Whether you’re sending a parcel, mapping customer data, or building systems that work across borders, knowing how and why these differences exist is part of getting the data right. So next time you’re faced with that little “County” field — think of it not as a relic, but as a reminder. Behind every address is a history, a structure, and a story. And understanding that story is where true data quality begins.