E-commerce has proven an unstoppable trend, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Online shopping comes in all shapes and sizes, so in this post we thought we’d discuss the five biggest e-commerce trends out there right now. Keep reading to discover what's going on in the world of online shopping
1. Voice commerce, the power of voice
The general public are increasingly using voice commands when shopping on their smartphone. And we're not just talking about getting voice assistants, like Siri and Alexa, to search Google or other search engines. It is also used for shopping. Some of the biggest e-commerce players have developed models that are activated entirely through voice, transforming the shopping experience from a series of clicks. If you've got an online shop, you might want to start thinking about the potential of voice commerce. Surrounded by an endless range of products and information, people are using voice commands more and more on their mobile devices. Adapt your product descriptions on your e-shop to voice searches and see just how successful you will be.
2. Omnichannel integration
Another unstoppable e-commerce trend is omnichannel. Now, you might be well versed in e-commerce, but what do you know about omnichannel? Omnichannel is a sales strategy that focuses on integration and diversification. Simply put, it is a way of selling your products online through a number of digital channels.
Multi-channel strategies enable companies to sell their products not only on their website, but also on Instagram, Facebook and other specific marketplaces. The strength of this trend lies in its ability to draw people in from different places. That said, for it to be successful, you must be mindful of your advertising across all channels and your pricing.
3. For yesterday: instant payment and delivery
Instant payment and same day delivery are highly sought-after e-commerce solutions for customers, particularly those who live in cities and big urban areas. Customers want everything yesterday, particularly when it comes to shopping, which is often an experience where emotions come into play. It is therefore vital that fast payment and delivery options are at the heart of your strategy.
4. Reusing through recommerce
Every list of e-commerce trends features recommerce, which involves selling previously owned products online to give them a second life. Yes, you read that correctly: we are talking about selling second-hand, used products again. Companies, organisations and individuals sell these objects once they have been donated, used or purchased again. A wholly sustainable trend. After all, who hasn’t got a piece of clothing in their wardrobe that they could sell online?
5. Dynamic pricing and mental tricks
In a bid to attract more customers and get them prices that they are happy with, lots of e-commerce sites use strategies like dynamic pricing and mental tricks to incentivise sales. So what is dynamic pricing? Essentially, it involves fluctuating prices depending on stock, availability of the product or service and even the time and date.
E-shops also use mental tricks to make sales more fluid. Examples of these, which are increasingly in use in the e-commerce sphere, involve making the customer believe that there are only a few items of the product they are interested in stock and informing them of how many people are interested in the same product at that specific time. Both of these are used to boost sales.
As you can see, the sector is constantly coming up with new e-commerce solutions. Users can enjoy an increasingly fast, convenient and practical shopping experience. So how about it? Are you going to implement any of these e-commerce trends into your business?