Mobile-first content is everywhere — Instagram, TikTok, and even LinkedIn. Today, over 60% of LinkedIn’s traffic comes from mobile devices.

And that means B2B SaaS growth marketers need to change their approach to content — including interactive demos.

To help marketers engage and capture these viewers, we recently launched a new demo builder created specifically for mobile viewers.

Unlike some website-building platforms, it will automatically detect whether a viewer is viewing the demo on a phone or desktop, so you won’t waste advertising spend on an asset that isn’t designed for mobile.

In this post, we share best practices for building mobile demos based on the data we’ve collected from millions of demo sessions and real-life examples from 6 leading B2B SaaS companies.

Before diving into the steps to create a mobile demo, let’s talk about how mobile demos differ from desktop demos.

In desktop demos, you have more freedom to add complexity and length. But on mobile devices, you may not have that luxury.

Mobile demos need to be convenience-driven — avoid cluttering them with unnecessary steps or text.

Keeping the content focused and concise makes it easier for users to digest and understand. And optimizing for accessibility will increase the likelihood of users engaging with your demo and ultimately converting.

With that in mind, let’s jump into the how-to:

Step 1: Plan your condensed story

Our data shows that, on average, demo visitors view half the number of steps on mobile devices than on desktop.

If you already have a template demo, reduce it to just the aha moments and avoid navigation steps (for example "click here"). That will ensure users still get value while keeping the demo bite-sized.

Step 2: Use engaging copy

On average, the bounce rate on mobile is 15.6% higher than on desktop. That means you’ll need powerful language to draw viewers in and engage with your demo.

If you’re struggling with this, consider reading High Converting Interactive Demos Tips from a Copywriting Expert.

Step 3: Include mobile-optimized images

Designing for mobile isn’t just about miniaturizing images and content, so don’t use a full, scaled-down desktop thumbnail.

Instead, showcase key features and functionality using high-quality, zoomed-in product shots. Alternatively, you could use GIFs to showcase product focus areas.

Step 4: Keep copy short

On average, viewers spend 25 fewer seconds viewing demos on mobile than on a desktop. Knowing you have less time to engage users, keep your mobile demo to 5-8 steps.

Try to keep text between 0 - 99 characters.

We also created this checklist to use as you're building out mobile swipe demos:

The transition to mobile demos can be tough if you’re only used to creating desktop-oriented content. That’s why we’ve compiled six excellent examples of mobile demos to give you a jumping-off point.

Note: You will only be able to see these mobile swipe demo examples on a mobile device.

HackerOne

HackerOne, attack resistance management software, uses a mobile demo to show how easy it is to run a pentest and track the results in their platform and in Slack.

Each of the seven steps has mobile-optimized screen capture and short text to describe what the user is seeing and how it works.

Just like other mobile apps, users can swipe right to advance to the next step. The user sees their progression at the top.

Quarter20

Quarter20, a CAD-connected wiki that automates hardware documentation, does a great job of explaining what their product does and how it works in a swipeable mobile demo.

That matters a lot for Quarter20’s user base: engineers working in the field.

And the team targets that audience very specifically with their copy, opening the demo with the line: “Less screenshotting, more engineering.”

It makes the value of Quarter20 clear right away, and then continues on to show how the software (1) pulls operation steps directly from CAD and (2) generates perfectly formatted documentation and instructions:

The demo closes with an invitation to book a demo – but not before sharing a convincing ROI stat: Quarter20 users cut documentation time by 80%.

If a user takes the leap and clicks “Book a demo today,” they go straight to a Calendly landing page where they can pick a time to meet with a rep as soon as the next day.

Hello Retail

Hello Retail, a personalization platform for ecommerce brands, goes into considerable detail in its mobile demo, running through three specific features.

The first is Search, which, as you can imagine, is really important for ecommerce brands. If a consumer can’t find what they are looking for, they’re probably not going to buy it.

The Hello Retail team shows prospects exactly how they can customize Search settings to ensure consumers land where they should – and they see other products they might like.

Next, they run through their “Retargeted Recommendations” feature, showing how to personalize the front-page experience for consumers while highlighting how easy it is to set up on the back-end.

Finally, they show users how to automate manual merchandising with Pages, an AI-powered tool to organize products into personalized categories for each customer.

Again, they explain why this feature is important, what it does, and how it works with real examples to hammer home the value.

At the end of the demo, visitors are invited to book a live demo with an expert.

But really, visitors can start the booking process at any time with Hello Retail’s perpetual “Book a demo” button at the bottom of the mobile demo screen.

ThoughtSpot

ThoughtSpot, an AI-powered analytics platform, plugs its free trial from the start of its mobile demo with a CTA button at the bottom of the page that remains throughout the demo.

The demo takes users through a typical search workflow, from typing in a question to getting an answer to visualizing and detecting anomalies in company data.

At the end, prospects are prompted to sign up for a free trial, where they can explore the tool with sample data or connect their own.

Yokoy

Yokoy, AI-powered spend management, uses a mobile demo to showcase its Workflow Designer.

Each step shows users how to build separate processes for invoicing and expenses with company policies built in.

The Yokoy team also uses a perpetual CTA button to motivate users to explore more of the Yokoy platform.

CompanyCam

CompanyCam’s mobile demo is a fantastic example of less is more.

The CompanyCam app serves contractors who need help managing their projects while they’re out in the field.

Because they know their target prospects don’t have much time on their hands, the CompanyCam team limits step descriptions to just one sentence. They also show users their progression through the demo at the top of the screen.

The demo concludes by driving users to a free trial sign-up.

Have you built a mobile Navattic demo yet? Have tips for folks building theirs? We want to hear about your experience!

Reach out to your CSM or send a message via the in-app chat and let us know.