The eCommerce industry is constantly growing and changing. And if your business doesn’t keep up with these changes, you could fall behind. That’s why it’s so important to stay up-to-date with eCommerce trends.
By monitoring the latest eCommerce trends, you can keep up with your competition and give your customers the exact online shopping experience they’re looking for. With 2020 around the corner, there’s no better time than now to make your eCommerce business even better.
Check out these 5 eCommerce trends that will dominate 2020.
1. Social media shopping.
Until recently, if you wanted to buy something online, you had to shop through an eCommerce website. But now, consumers have the ability to shop online straight from their favorite social media sites.
For example, with Instagram’s Shoppable Posts, users can click on an item in a photo and buy it, all without ever leaving Instagram. As you can imagine, social media shopping can skyrocket impulse buys.
And social media shopping is becoming more and more popular. In fact, according to Avionos, more than half of consumers (55%) have made a purchase through a social media channel, such as Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest in 2018. So, if your eCommerce business isn’t selling on social media, you need to start doing so in 2020.
2. Real-time conversations.
The ability to have real-time conversations with eCommerce businesses is important to consumers. Real-time conversations allow consumers to get answers to their questions quickly which can ease their buying hesitations and increase conversions. Since it can be difficult to be available 24/7 to have real-time conversations with customers, many businesses are implementing chatbots on their website to handle customer questions for them. As a matter of fact, 80% of businesses said that they already use chatbots or plan to use them by 2020.
But in 2020, eCommerce businesses shouldn’t only offer chatbots on their websites—they should engage with consumers on a number of different platforms. You can use chatbots to have real-time conversations with consumers right from their favorite social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The more live chat options you give consumers, the better.
3. AR and VR experiences.
A big challenge with online shopping is that consumers can’t actually see the product before buying it. That’s why many people prefer to shop in-person for items like clothing and furniture. But now, with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), online shoppers can see products in “real-life” too.
Check out how Ikea uses augmented reality: The Ikea Place app lets shoppers see how Ikea furniture would look in their own homes using their phone camera and AR. The app also has a “visual search” feature that allows users to point their camera at any piece of furniture they love and see Ikea products that resemble it.
Other companies offer AR and VR experiences so consumers can “try on” an item before buying it. For instance, users can see how a pair of glasses looks on them or how a shade of lipstick suits their skin tone. These AR and VR experiences are going to become increasingly popular in 2020 and beyond.
4. Personalization and customization.
Personalization is nothing new in the world of eCommerce; consumers have come to expect personalized messages, offers, and product recommendations. Although, according to studies, 31% of surveyed consumers say they wish their shopping experience was far more personalised than it currently is. Which is why eCommerce companies should improve the user experience by stepping up their personalization in 2020 with omnichannel personalization, dynamic content, and even personalized pricing.
Aside from personalization, customization is an option many consumers will be looking for in 2020 as well. Consumers want to be able to purchase products that are completely unique to them. So, many eCommerce businesses are letting customers customize their own products like in the example below.
An added bonus of customization is that your company will learn more about the preferences of your customers. Then, you can display similar products to them that you know they’ll love.
5. Voice search optimization.
A whopping 49% of people exclusively use their phones for shopping. And many people aren’t searching for products on their wishlist by typing their search queries—instead they’re using their voice. Devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home allow users to search for products online by speaking phrases like “Find me wireless headphones.” According to statistics, 50% of searches will be voice search by 2020.
So, one of the most important eCommerce trends in 2020 will be voice search optimization. You can start optimizing your website content and product pages for voice search by focusing on long-tail keywords that users would likely be searching for. Remember, voice search is more conversational; instead of typing “wireless headphones”, shoppers might ask “What are the best wireless headphones for running?” or “Which wireless headphones work with Nintendo Switch?”
Over to you.
Now that you’re up to speed on the eCommerce trends that will dominate 2020, it’s time to get to work! Start implementing some of these trends into your eCommerce business and you’ll be able to keep up with your competition and boost your revenue in 2020.