2019 eCommerce Trends
Worldwide eCommerce sales generated almost $3 trillion in 2018, up by 18% from the previous year. The expectations are that this number will reach $4 trillion by 2020. eCommerce is growing and it’s growing fast.
There are new technologies and trends being introduced to the online environment at a rapid pace. Learn about the most exciting eCommerce trends in 2019 and focus on improving your web store!
This is definitely one of the most popular eCommerce trends this year. Conversation AI, also known as chatbots, is helping merchants interact with their customers, answering their questions and facilitating the buying process for the shoppers. AI-powered platforms will be able to offer more targeted, personalized experiences and marketing campaigns that will drive sales online. According to Oracle, 80% of businesses plan to have chatbots in the next year, not only on their websites but also on social media.
Customer segmentation and online customer behavior are still topics merchants struggle with. AI-powered tools work great to create personalized recommendations for shoppers.
-
Smart assistant and voice recognition
With Alexa being so popular, voice search on mobile is commonly used to make purchases. Online stores should start optimizing their content for voice search. Google’s guidelines indicate that the content for voice search should include more textual content. Voice optimization should include long-tail keywords on product pages by including all possible product descriptions. Product photos should be named properly, have the appropriate alt text and include concise captions. Target Google Snippets, which help both voice search and organic search. Voice-only promotions can be created on Amazon and Google Shopping. Adding a voice search to your website will increase your online revenue by 30%, experts say.
-
More multimedia
Videos become more and more popular, not just on social media, but also on product pages. Shoppers like to see how their product works, how it can be used, what the benefits are and these are only a few reasons why merchants should start using videos more often. Other popular multimedia files in 2019 are animated GIFs and 360° photos and videos.
-
Payment methods
Digital wallets, cryptocurrencies, digital payment methods – nothing new there, but they are expected to surge in 2019. Mobile payments are also expanding, the statistics predict a mobile payment revenue of $1trillion or more this year. Social payments are also a popular way to purchase products online.
-
Subscriptions
As digital payments are becoming more convenient, we will see a rise of subscription-based business models in 2019. Personalized offerings draw more and more customers and recurring sales are quickly rising in the online environment.
-
More marketing personalization
Personalized merchandising in eCommerce refers to using various customer data points to customize your website and provide relevant products and contextual merchandising based on a few factors – IP address, search queries, purchase history, social behavior – all with the purpose of offering better customer experience.
-
Social shopping
Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are constantly looking for methods to improve their platforms so that the merchants can promote their products in a creative, organic way. In-app shopping modals allow shoppers to purchase products without leaving the platform, which offers a great sense of trust and security for customers.
-
Augmented reality
Using AR/VR smart devices will quickly expand in the eCommerce world. People like seeing how the product would fit into their homes or how they can mix and match before purchasing. Famous furniture merchants such as Ikea offer various apps that help shoppers visualize their homes before buying the products.
-
One-click purchasing
Your eCommerce site has to be mobile-friendly and your checkout process as simple and easy as possible. One-click purchasing boosts your conversation rates and satisfies busy shoppers.
-
Enhanced shipping options
What’s the best you can offer as far as shipping goes? Free shipping isn’t that special anymore, it became something quite common which shoppers expect. What everybody likes is getting their products as fast as possible. Based on the “same-day” delivery idea, Amazon started testing drone deliveries in the USA. They have a Google Maps integration included and are able to discover the shortest route to the destination. As hard as it might be to imagine, delivery drones will be a vital element in eCommerce order fulfillment. Until that happens, you can focus on a next-day delivery. If you can’t manage that on your own, consider outsourcing shipping and fulfillment to a third-party logistics company.
Conclusion
It’s only normal for such a dynamic environment such as eCommerce to constantly change and adapt to the latest technologies. What merchants need to do is to embrace new opportunities and always focus on the customers. The better the user experience is, the happier they are and this is what ultimately boosts your sales.
Are you curious about how you can improve your online store with eCommerce trends? Let us guide you!
