Emerging Ecommerce Trends of 2021
Ecommerce has been growing rapidly over the past few years and the COVID pandemic has given it an additional thrust upwards. Previously hesitant online shoppers are now more comfortable with the process. For example, the elderly demography is now more accepting of the comfort and safety of shopping from home. As the space gets more competitive, eCommerce providers are working on making the experience more user-friendly and safer. New trends pop-up as eCommerce continues to evolve. Here is a short piece on the emerging eCommerce trends of 2021.
What are the Emerging eCommerce Trends of 2021?
1. Marketplaces over Brands
Nearly half of all eCommerce shopping happens on marketplaces. Ease of transaction, assured shipping and returns policy, multiple choices all will lead customers to marketplaces rather than brand eCommerce shopping sites. Brand building will become more difficult and important, as it becomes more competitive. Ecommerce businesses should provide rich experiences on marketplaces to compete with other brands.
2. Multichannel sales for growing and retaining customer base
A multichannel sales approach helps to counter the disruption caused by marketplaces to a certain extent. With channels like social media, you can directly talk to your customers about your products and offers. Most social platforms offer incentives when they launch a new service, so take advantage of the offers to engage with customers. Ideally, a mix of multiple online channels and brick n mortar shop would work best. It depends largely on the nature of your business, though. If you are solely an online business, social media, marketplaces and your eCommerce site should be a part of your sales strategy.
To know more about why your business should be online read this post.
3. Personalised experiences mean more than brands
Personalisation never goes out of trend. Customers are looking for solutions rather than brands. And businesses should be looking to create bonds rather than selling products. With recent and upcoming legislation around customer data recording and usage in the US and other countries, data-driven personalisation may become a challenge. Use data from CRMs and information recorded with customer consent to create personalised interactions across channels.
4. Mobile shopping continues upward trend
Mobile has taken over the desktop as the preferred device to connect to the Internet. And with that, mobile shopping has increased tremendously. Ignore mobile optimisation at your own risk! Customers expect brands to provide the ability to shop anywhere and from any device from brands. Ensure that your eCommerce store is optimised for mobile or web apps.
5. Customers expect more payment options
Customers have been shown to abandon carts if they cannot pay through their preferred payment method. More payment options mean more revenue generation possibilities. With newer payment technologies coming up, it is necessary to adopt this trend to reduce abandonment rate and increase customer satisfaction.
6. Voice search continues to grow
More and more homes are adopting smart speakers. This will translate into more voice searches. However, this trend has not yet reached its full potential. As businesses continue to wake up to the immense possibilities of voice search, early adoption will give your business an advantage over your competitors.
7. Sustainable commerce to get more attention
Customers are increasingly conscious of how their purchase decisions affect the environment. The younger demographic make conscious purchase decisions favouring eCommerce businesses that focus on sustainability, recycling, zero-waste and reducing carbon footprint. Eco-friendly supply chains, recycled or biodegradable packaging, non-GMO raw materials, supporting social causes are some ways you can contribute towards sustainable eCommerce. Consumers are also willing to pay more for brands that contribute or adopt causes that they care about.
8. Videos continue to grow in popularity with shoppable ads
Video content is more engaging than other forms of content. It is no wonder then that videos are very effective in showcasing your products or services. Social media is giving this trend a huge boost with shoppable video ads. Unboxing videos, explainer videos, reposting user generated content are some of the most popular ways videos can help you connect with your audience.
These are some of the most happening eCommerce trends for 2021. All these latest trends are about bringing the human touch to how you interact with your customers. Of course, you do not need to adopt all the trends. You will have to work out which trend is best suited for your business model and budget. To learn more about eCommerce solutions and trends, contact us today or email us at sales@computingaustralia.group. Our skilled eCommerce website designers in Perth will help you with solutions that give your customers a seamless shopping experience and your business a good ROI.
Jargon Buster
eCommerce – The buying and selling of goods over the internet through websites or webapps.
Marketplaces – An online site or app where different products from different sellers are offered. The marketplace owner facilitates the transaction and does not own any inventory.
CRMs – Customer Relationship Management software is a tool that provides all data on customer interactions in one place. It is used to track, organise and prioritise sales to customers.
Data-driven personalisation – Personalised solutions offered to customers based on their activity and interactions with the products on multiple channels.
by The Computing Australia Group