The pandemic has already left a print on businesses and eCommerce in particular. They had to adapt to the ever-changing customer demand and come up with novel sales and marketing strategies to keep up with what was happening in the world. Consumers turned to online shopping, increasing the traffic on eCommerce websites to never-before-seen levels.
Now, eCommerce websites are considered long-term investments because online shopping is gaining momentum, and people are less likely to favor offline shops if they have a more convenient alternative.
In case you’ve been looking for ways to create a thriving eCommerce platform, you can hire a development team in Ukraine. Local professionals have substantial experience in delivering services of any complexity level, so it’s a great chance to come up with a commercially viable site.
Now, let’s see what trends will be at the helm of the eCommerce industry in the next several years.
Mobile for Online Shopping
Smartphone users are significantly affecting eCommerce website traffic. More and more customers use their phones for online shopping because it’s an easy and fast option — a few clicks and the purchases in your shopping cart are on their way to your house: no queues, cash, or long strolls in the shopping malls.
So, all the eCommerce website owners are advised to pay attention to mobile optimization because the better the site works, the more eagerly people will make purchases. Mobile-friendliness directly influences the rank of your online shop on any search engine.
eWallet Technology
Enabling your customers to use eWallet functionality isn’t a “good to have” anymore. It’s a must-have. The users aren’t into “add your payment information.” They prefer mobile wallets instead. This technology is more convenient and secure, so most customers expect online stores to offer them a wallet as a final touch to their online shopping journey. If your eCommerce site seems to keep losing customers — make sure to integrate a mobile wallet to increase sales.
Product Customization
As per McKinsey, product customization increases sales by more than 30%. Also, it significantly improves cash flow, increases revenue, and reduces waste thanks to delivering on-demand products instead of stocking up the warehouse with items people don’t actually buy. The customers note that product visualization considerably improves the overall shopping experience, making it more fun, and increasing brand loyalty.
For example, some websites offer their customers to configure custom shoes by selecting the design, decorations, and fabric types. Another example is using recommendation engines to help customers configure their own products, such as chocolate bars. For instance, one chocolate company allows its site’s users to choose base chocolate and then add different toppings. The site also tells customers what ingredients go well with their selected chocolate.
Such an option increases the rates of conversion and prevents people from purchasing products or times they won’t enjoy.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
The inability to try on clothes or experience products before buying them posed challenges both for customers and stores. And that’s when AR and VR came into play. The technologies enable customers to place furniture in their rooms before purchasing items to see if they fit or try on products. This made the shopping experience more personalized and interactive. The augmented reality market is currently expected to attract 2.4 billion users by 2023.
Social Commerce Sales
Nowadays, most brands engage in social media as an additional way of increasing their sales. The companies invest in creating social media campaigns that attract users and help them build connections between people. Although Facebook and Instagram are considered the most thriving social commerce platforms, TikTok is also getting up steam.
The experts mention that this platform can significantly increase sales success because of its “unprofessional feel.” People receive spontaneous sales messages that feel like friends’ recommendations rather than corporate statements, and this tricks them into buying the products.
eCommerce CRM systems
Online stores are reaching out to their clients via various channels, such as chatbots, social media, and email. All these channels need attention and careful management to ensure a top-notch customer experience.
The integration of eCommerce CRM systems helps online stores to keep up with all the information they receive from the customers and make their marketing efforts more effective. Also, this helps to improve forecasting and inventory planning, preventing companies from running out of certain items at a sensitive time (e.g., during Christmas shopping or on Black Friday).
Wrap Up
As you can see, investing in the eCommerce website now might bring considerable profits in the long run. Online shopping is here to stay, so why not leverage the opportunities it offers. Besides, there’s a lot of room for development in the area because, sometimes, a simple TikTok video can increase your sales better than an expensive advertising campaign.
