The e-commerce industry is booming despite the coronavirus pandemic. However, it’s also changing in an ever-evolving industry. These ten trends are predictions for what online retailers might see soon.
The e-commerce industry is booming as quickly as it’s growing. These trends are predictions for what online retailers might see in the near future, due mainly to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Personalization
The online shopping experience may never meet your customer face-to-face. Still, it can be as simple as giving shoppers the option of online purchasing with in-store pick-up, curbside delivery or dropshipping.
The ability to customize the checkout process for each customer is an excellent place to start. In addition, website analytics and data gathered from customer carts and social media platforms can give you many clues to buyer preferences.
Subscriptions
The dream of every e-commerce business owner is to build brand loyalty and repeat customers that benefit your business by influencing orders, forecasts and sales.
Artificial intelligence and augmented reality
The online shopping experience is convenient for customers, as simple as a swipe or click of the button and eliminates the chance of trying on clothing or interacting with the product. In March 2020, 88.0% of shopping orders were abandoned, according to Statista.
The shoppers abandon their carts for many reasons.
Online retailers can help shoppers decide on products they can’t physically interact with through artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR ).
The AI uses purchase history to identify similar items of interest and recommend them before finalizing the purchase.
Payment options
Online retailers make it easy for shoppers to pay. Credit cards are standard options but it’s difficult to enter lengthy card numbers, CVV and expiration dates. E-commerce businesses offer payment through PayPal, Apple, PayGoogle, and others to make online purchases as easy as possible. These options simplify the checkout process and give customers options.
Mobile First
In three years, e-commerce growth was projected to reach $3.56 billion dollars and mobile-friendly is key. The online store should be as easy to use on a mobile device as it is on the computer.
You can test your mobile store to be sure on Google Mobile-Friendly Test.
Cross channels shop
In April 2019, NBCU introduced ads that display a QR code on TV allowing viewers to buy what they are seeing on-screen in real-time. It is likely that the Smart TV producers will add new possibilities in the future allowing the buyers to purchase goods on TV.
Customer experience after-sale
The sale is only part of the equation. Customer service through the delivery and return phase is major to keep customers coming back.
The ability to track orders is one of the top three considerations when buying a product online.