According to leading experts, COVID-19 propelled eCommerce forward by five years. The way people shop (shift in shopping habits and trends)- ECommerce is preparing for some major changes in the year 2021.
According to the reports shared by Statista, we can check the wave that eCommerce has invoked in the last two decades. But rightly we all care about the future outcome.
Where is eCommerce now?
Well, according to Chain Store Age, the number of eCommerce users globally is expected to expand by 400 million in the coming years.
What’s coming in the year 2021?
If we check the above data closely, it is very much evident that the global eCommerce sales will reach up to $4.2 trillion. It will be only 16% of the sales of total retail. And these figures are predicted to go only up as we continue to the ‘21s.
Online competition is getting tough day-by-day. And this is certainly not allowing any store owner to just sit back and explore the cash flow and check the rates of advertisement. If we look at the shopping trends of the user the business owners need to explore and evade new steps and measures to engage the user. Hence, it is very much evident to get in touch with the top-notch eCommerce development company. They will help you to keep up with the latest trends in eCommerce, which includes both frontend conversion- optimization of all the experiences and the efficiencies in the backend.
How are ECommerce trends leading the show?
Without any further ado, let us delve into some of the latest eCommerce trends that will rock in 2021.
1. Augmented Reality
AR( Augmented Reality) is the major game-changer in the online market, significantly because it closes the gap of ambiguity. This technology can help online shoppers to visualize the product (what they are interested in, be it furniture or apparel).
With this superlative tool, the shopper can visualize and analyze the appeal of the home after painting with certain paint colors or how they will look after wearing certain items. This they can do before hitting the “Buy Now” button.
This will help the online shopper to overcome all the hurdles of not being able to visualize the product first hand. It will surely bring comparison to shopping and add another dimension.
Shipping option has surely added benefits to online shopping but has historically faced a lot of downsides. The major problem was that the user did not have an option to see the product on the body or at home. On the other hand, AR made it possible in the best way. Interesting isn’t it?
2. Voice Search
Loup Ventures forecasted that by the year 2025, 75% of U.S households will rely on smart speakers. It is already pitching in the year 2021. People are more and more relying on voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to purchase products online or to check the weather forecasting.
Let us picture this: Suppose you are in the kitchen and realize that you are running low in dog food, bread, milk, butter. All you have to do is order your requirements with a simple voice command. It will save time to navigate through the browser, entering the payment and shipping information. Moreover, your device will remember your past orders and can repeat the order more simply. And you can do this all without touching the screen once.
3. Artificial Intelligence
The predominance of machine learning and AI has expanded because nowadays the retailers are checking for alternatives to target their potential audience by enhancing the best UI and customer service. They are investing in the best mobile app development company to develop their own personalization and content. This is the reason why all online businesses must invest in this technology.
Benefits of using Artificial Intelligence
- It can help businesses to figure out more about their users (clients) and offer them the personalized experience which they are demanding.
- To improvise the customer experience, AI can be implemented to connect to the personal data of the customer and to improvise the best shopping experience.
- One can easily automate the tasks using chatbots to support their valuable clients 24/7. It can also be used to generate offers and promotions timely.
- Optimize the discounts, pricing, and demand forecasts.
The leading brand, Natori used artificial intelligence and improved 76% in social media revenue.
4. Chatbots
With the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence and the crux of personalization, Chatbots are cheery technology that can serve the role of salesperson and brick-and-mortar greeter.
The shoppers in reality prefer to converse with the digital self-service tools and bots. This technology allows the store to communicate with their customers while giving them an apprehension of thoughtful recommendation and personal attention based upon their navigating trend and responses.
As per the article published in Forbes, 2021 will be milestone years in the development of Chatbot. It is the time when chatbots have finally reached the level of conversational capability and earn a wide acceptance among the consumers.
5. On-site personalization
This will offer an individualized experience to the user. As mentioned above, Artificial Intelligence is expanding the eCommerce market. Since AI is used to gather information about the visitors and then can be adjusted to the requirement and appeal. By implementing the personalized experience on the website, you can experience a strong effect on the revenue. One study suggested that personalization had lifted the revenue by 25%. It can also reduce the bounce rate by 25%.
6. Big data
This technology plays a major role in developing personalized experiences. It’s true that not all personalization is developed equally, it is developed by different experts with different visions.
But as a business owner, you must understand personalization is a double-edged sword because privacy and data are the major concern for any person. Hence, it is always wise to hire developers who have experience in developing eCommerce development services. They will have multi-facet skills to tackle all the things at the crossroads of technical acumen, intuition, social networking, and process management. They will responsibly handle the extent and depth of the challenge.
7. Mobile shopping
It is detrimental to your business if you fail to take the smartphone into account while strategizing for your eCommerce. As per the reports of ReadyCloud Suite, 45% of users go for desktop, 11% on the tablet while 44% of internet retail on smartphones. eMarketers claim that 59% of eCommerce sales were done through smartphone devices.
People are using mobile phones for online shopping for numerous reasons. These devices are reliable and easy to carry. People can use it while traveling or at the office. Additionally, these smart devices can offer a seamless shopping experience to the users through mobile apps and it is the best solution to the proliferation of mobile wallet which includes Google Wallet and Apple Pay Wallet.
Tips for start-up
As an entrepreneur, you must ensure to have a mobile app for your start-up. It has been found that small retailers have noticed 30% conversion rates.
How to make a seamless mobile shopping experience?
It is very much important to develop a seamless mobile shopping experience for your user. It will sail to convert potential visitors.
The first step is to have a responsive mobile website. It will fit the device automatically for the customer (access can be through the tab, phone, desktop). Next thing is to develop a mobile app.
After this, you must streamline all the processes which include auto-filling the information. You must always ensure to make your customers’ life easier and faster checkouts. If you are lacking somewhere then it is always best that you hire an established mobile app development company.
8. Video
To draw the attention of your potential user, it is wise to stream eye-catching videos on your homepage. It will capture the energy and excitement of your brand.
62% of users stated that they watch product reviews before they make their purchase. If you are not using this for your online business, then 2021 is the best year to start.
9. Subscriptions
It is always good to add a catalyst “subscription” for your business to build a greater and longer-term value. The subscription plan has numerous benefits for the retailers as it can predict the requirement needs quickly and will allow maintaining the customers for a longer period.
In a nutshell!!
2021 is surely a great and exciting year to progress and pop up your eCommerce business. Do not forget to explore the above-mentioned eCommerce trends for your business and weigh your options. Know what trends will be best suited for your business. Then come down to know about your potential client-base, competitors, and verticals. Here are few thoughts that you must follow for your online business:-
- Keep track of industry publications and influencers.
- Be observant related to the recent trend reports and research.
- Implement the most recent analytics and digital tools to assess the behavior of your customer.
- Get reviews and feedback from your customer on a regular basis.
- Always check your competitors.
- Appreciate it if your customer has raised any fault in your service.
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