Top eCommerce Trends To Look Forward To

In a way, eCommerce is shaping the way people interact and purchase from businesses. Consumers are embracing new means of shopping, such as social media. Moreover, companies are reinventing their strategies to adapt to these new mediums.

Online commerce is the future, and therefore, businesses need to understand new and emerging e-commerce trends, which we are going to uncover one by one.

1. Direct to Consumer Marketing

With the advancement of e-commerce, firms can now afford to sell directly to customers, eliminating the need for a huge number of resellers and intermediaries. In the e-commerce world, the term used to describe this type of transaction is D2C commerce or direct-to-consumer commerce.

If we talk about Direct to Consumer (DTC) marketing, it has changed the way buyers shop. The advancement in DTC marketing overtakes traditional DNVB practices because of the increased scalability it offers.

But what is DNVB? DNVB, also known as a digitally native vertical brand, is simply a DTC brand that began online and now manages the full customer journey from factory to consumer.

Manufacturers and big wholesalers have become more focused on this sort of trade because of their direct connections through online retailers. Big companies frequently exit huge trade platforms such as Amazon since they already have their own web store. Nike, for example, has abandoned Amazon and eBay in favor of its own store.

Brands can leverage their Instagram feeds to create end-to-end retail shopping experiences, keep customers informed about products available in shops, or sell things through Livestream.

D2C marketing allows businesses to sell directly to customers, eliminating intermediaries. Key aspects include:

• Scalability: D2C marketing enables businesses to scale by establishing direct connections with customers.
• Digitally Native Vertical Brands (DNVBs): DNVBs manage the entire customer journey, providing end-to-end retail experiences.
• Social Media Integration: Brands leverage platforms like Instagram for seamless shopping experiences.
• Enhanced Customer Relationships: Personalized content and communication strengthen customer loyalty.

Overall, D2C marketing enhances the shopping experience, fosters customer relationships, and drives business growth.

2. The Social Media Plaza

Social media is known for its diversification. From podcasts to webcasts on YouTube, and video content to social media ads, you can leverage this platform to boost your e-commerce sales.

According to recent studies, a significant majority of marketers, specifically 93%, have incorporated influencer marketing into their advertising campaigns. This approach has gained prominence and is now widely recognized as a crucial strategy for reaching and engaging target audiences. Consumers' interest in social media purchasing is steadily increasing, with a growing number of customers expressing a desire to buy products directly from businesses on these platforms. 

Many customers find the idea of purchasing items seamlessly through social media appealing, as it offers convenience and a streamlined shopping experience. By leveraging social media platforms to showcase and offer their products, businesses can tap into this growing consumer preference and provide a more accessible and engaging shopping experience for their audience.

Brands can leverage their Instagram feeds to create end-to-end retail shopping experiences, keep customers informed about products available in shops, or sell things through Livestream.

Social media platforms are becoming key channels for eCommerce growth.

• Influencer Marketing: Marketers are leveraging influencers to reach and engage target audiences on social media.
• Direct Purchasing: Consumers increasingly desire to buy products directly from businesses on social media platforms.
• End-to-End Retail Experiences: Brands are using social media to create comprehensive retail experiences, from product showcases to livestream shopping.

The Social Media Plaza enables eCommerce businesses to reach wider audiences, leverage influencers, and provide seamless shopping experiences. Embracing social media as a core eCommerce strategy maximizes reach and drives sales.

3. Sustainability

Sustainability has become a key consideration for consumers, and eco-friendly brands are gaining popularity. Their message is clear: if firms continue to engage in unsustainable methods, they will face a dark future. 

Developing an eco-friendly brand, from green packaging to more eco-friendly delivery, is essential for e-commerce sustainability today. It's not only the correct thing to do for the environment but also a major concern for many customers.

To put it another way, going green might help you grow your market share significantly while also making the world a better place to live. This trend reveals a shift in consumer environmental sensibility, as well as a huge potential for e-commerce firms eager to embrace sustainability. Businesses are prioritizing:

• Eco-Friendly Packaging: Using biodegradable materials and reducing packaging waste.
• Carbon-Neutral Delivery: Offset shipping emissions through renewable energy projects or reforestation.
• Supply Chain Transparency: Partnering with sustainable suppliers and promoting fair trade practices.
• Circular Economy: Minimizing waste, promoting product longevity, and encouraging recycling or upcycling.
• Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing: Prioritizing fair labor, responsible mining, and animal welfare.

4. Personalization 

It is critical to be able to tailor the purchasing experience in order to keep customers happy. Customers who purchase online demand assistance in locating items and seek a more personalized experience. Furthermore, shoppers may avoid specific businesses outright due to dangerous product suggestions.

To improve the purchasing experience, e-commerce companies are following the trend of personalizing content and investing in customization tools. One of the ways to do so is by sending personalized emails to your prospects. It helps ensure that you are sharing only useful and relevant information with your target market.

Personalized content delivers the greatest shopping experience and enhances the relationship with your clients by providing individualized customer communication, giving relevant discounts, and interacting with customers through videos.

Personalization is a key focus in eCommerce, providing customized experiences to keep customers satisfied.

• Tailored Content: eCommerce companies are personalizing content and utilizing customization tools to enhance the shopping experience. Personalized emails, relevant discounts, and interactive customer communication are key aspects.
• Individualized Recommendations: Customers expect assistance in finding products and dislike irrelevant suggestions. eCommerce businesses are investing in recommendation algorithms to provide personalized product suggestions and enhance the purchasing journey.
• Video Engagement: Brands are leveraging videos to interact with customers, providing personalized demonstrations, tutorials, and product showcases. Video content enhances customer engagement and fosters a more immersive shopping experience.

Personalization in e-commerce improves customer satisfaction, enhances relationships, and drives sales. By tailoring the shopping experience, businesses can cater to individual preferences and create a more personalized and engaging journey for their customers.

5. mCommerce – The Rising Future of eCommerce

mCommerce or mobile commerce might sound like a fancy term for eCommerce users, but it is the future for not only the world of eCommerce but also marketing. It is geared at mobile consumers; this makes it easier for consumers to purchase things using their smartphones and tablets.

As a result, marketers and developers must traverse this extremely competitive arena. Striving for a simple and engaging buying experience is no longer an option—it's a need.

Mobile commerce sales in the United States are predicted to more than double. To be competitive, your company must provide an easy and compelling experience for mobile users. A great mobile commerce experience will keep your clients coming back to your business and ensure your sales continue to increase in the years to come.

mCommerce is poised to be the future of eCommerce and marketing.

• Mobile Consumer Focus: mCommerce targets mobile users, making it easier for consumers to make purchases using their smartphones and tablets.
• Increased Sales Predictions: Mobile commerce sales in the United States are projected to more than double in the upcoming years, emphasizing the importance of optimizing the mobile shopping experience.
• Competitive Necessity: To stay ahead of the competition, businesses must prioritize creating a seamless and engaging mobile commerce experience. This includes mobile-friendly websites, optimized user interfaces, and streamlined mobile checkout processes.

By embracing mCommerce, businesses can cater to the growing number of mobile users, provide a convenient shopping experience, and increase sales in the years to come. mCommerce is a rising trend that is reshaping the future of eCommerce.

6. Loyalty Programs for More Impact

eCommerce loyalty programs are popular because they reward loyal consumers for making repeat purchases. Consumers get cashback, discounts, next-purchase coupons, and freebies, among other things. Companies such as Starbucks can use data from their loyalty programs to better understand their customers' shopping behaviors and provide them with individualized offers based on their purchase histories.

Loyalty marketing can transform new consumers into repeat customers and persuade those repeat buyers to buy more across all channels. Making loyalty reward programs simple to engage in benefits both companies and customers.

Loyalty programs are popular among eCommerce businesses as they reward loyal customers and drive repeat purchases. 

• Rewards and Incentives: Loyalty programs offer customers cashback, discounts, coupons, and freebies to incentivize repeat purchases and foster customer loyalty.
• Data-driven Personalization: Businesses utilize customer data from loyalty programs to gain insights into shopping behaviors and provide personalized offers based on purchase histories. This enhances customer satisfaction and encourages ongoing engagement.
• Customer Retention and Expansion: Loyalty programs help transform new customers into repeat buyers while motivating existing customers to increase their purchases across multiple channels. By making loyalty programs easily accessible and beneficial, businesses can foster long-term customer relationships.

Implementing effective loyalty programs can drive customer retention, increase customer engagement, and lead to business growth. By rewarding and engaging customers, businesses can create a loyal customer base and drive sustainable revenue.

7. Omnichannel Selling for Business Expansion

A report from Sprout Social shows that 84.9% of buyers don't start shopping until they've seen the items many times.

Consumers targeted through a single channel have a lower likelihood of engaging with new customers and growing your business. Every business and store should plan to expand their sales channels across numerous marketplaces.

Online buyers also utilize social media to learn about product features, user feedback, and company reputation. Taking your business to different social media platforms, online sites, marketplaces, and other platforms will help you gain new clients and grow exponentially.

Omnichannel selling expands sales channels across multiple platforms, increasing brand visibility and customer reach.

• Customer Engagement: Businesses engage customers through social media, online sites, marketplaces, and more, providing a seamless shopping experience.
• Comprehensive Shopping: Customers can explore product features, read feedback, and learn about reputation across platforms, enhancing their confidence in making a purchase.
• Higher Conversion Rates: Omnichannel approaches lead to increased conversion rates by exposing customers to products through multiple touchpoints.

Omnichannel selling enables businesses to reach new customers, provide a seamless experience, and drive growth.

8. Live Streaming Is Here To Stay

The primary trends predicted to disrupt the shopping experience include live video commerce, virtual trial rooms, bespoke lifestyle items, and 3D animation UX interactions.

Influencer or user-generated content would be a major driver of video or content commerce attracting end users. Multiple SaaS businesses will offer solutions to streamline handshakes between brands and influencers in the content acquisition, ingestion, and performance-driven payment areas to boost scalability.

In the consumer internet sector, 3D and animated material has become a UX trend. Many designers and developers used to avoid using animations since they might slow down the website loading speed and use a lot of data. But now, designers will choose to utilize more animations as 5G expands and 4G becomes the standard all across.

Live streaming has become a prominent trend in eCommerce and is here to stay:

• Enhanced Shopping Experience: Live video commerce provides interactive and engaging experiences for customers, allowing them to connect with brands in real-time.
• Influencer and User-Generated Content: Live streaming drives content to commerce, with influencers and users showcasing products and driving end-user engagement.
• Advancements in Technology: SaaS businesses offer solutions to streamline collaborations between brands and influencers, boosting scalability and content performance.

Live streaming enriches the shopping experience, fosters brand-consumer connections, and leverages the power of influencers. It remains a significant trend reshaping the eCommerce landscape.

9. Augmented Reality for More Satisfactory Customer Experiences

Another eCommerce technique that encourages clients to make a purchase is augmented reality. Companies needed to provide clients with in-store experiences without requiring them to leave their homes during the worldwide lockdown. Users have additional opportunities to browse for new items, compare them, try them on, and make purchases with AR in retail.

Since many business titans are using AR, it's not surprising that it will be a flourishing trend in the years to come. Let’s take an example of Nike; it has created an augmented reality software that exactly scans the user's feet and displays the shoe size. 

The list is long, and it is possible to see more and more use of AR in the e-commerce industry.

Augmented reality (AR) continues to enhance customer experiences in eCommerce:

• In-Home Experiences: AR allows customers to virtually try on products, compare options, and make confident purchasing decisions from the comfort of their homes.
• Improved Product Discovery: AR offers customers new ways to explore and interact with products, leading to more informed purchasing choices.
• Growing Adoption: Major brands are utilizing AR technology to enhance the online shopping experience, indicating its increasing importance in eCommerce.

Augmented reality enriches customer experiences, boosts product exploration, and enhances purchasing decisions. It remains a key trend shaping the eCommerce industry.

Final Thoughts

The above trends show how the world of eCommerce is continuously changing to accommodate the needs of new customers. Simultaneously, eCommerce companies are turning to advanced technologies to automate marketing, manufacturing, fulfillment, and other aspects of their business operations. 

To talk about more things e-commerce, write to us at info@growthnatives.com, and we will get back to you.