In order to manage, maintain and grow a successful ecommerce business, keeping on top of trends can’t simply be a hobby. With thousands of competitors out there and an almost limitless potential audience, tapping into popular trends can be a fast-track to success.
But with the ever-changing world of the internet and the varying needs of your customers, it can be difficult to stay ahead. Luckily, we’re here to help. Keep reading to discover the top 8 big ecommerce trends that we’re predicting for 2020…
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1. Conscious customers
Over the past few years, we have seen a huge surge in the number of customers looking for sustainable, eco-conscious ecommerce stores and products. And next year, we expect this trend to continue to grow massively. From sustainable, recycled packaging to sourcing eco-friendly suppliers and introducing fair labour policies, there are a number of ways you can promote sustainable ecommerce shopping.
And the benefits speak for themselves. As well as helping to reduce your own individual environmental impact, an ever-increasing number of shoppers are seeking eco-friendly options when looking for their next purchase. In fact, over a third of consumers say they’re happy to pay more for a product that’s better for the environment.
2. Mobile payments
If you haven’t already, 2020 is the year to set up and establish mobile payments. In today’s mobile-centred world, enabling payments on mobile devices is almost a necessity for ecommerce success. With smartphones accounting for a third of total ecommerce sales imminently, it won’t be long before they overtake desktop purchases altogether.
Since Google’s mobile first algorithm launch, many ecommerce businesses have placed a huge focus on their mobile platforms in order to improve rankings on Google. But, if your customers cannot place orders and make payments using the mobile version of your site, you could be missing out on a huge audience.
3. Social media selling
With worldwide users of social media expected to reach 2.95 billion next year, it’s no surprise that many ecommerce businesses are making the most of this huge market to sell their products. From utilising influencers to promote your products across social media, to purchasing advertising space to target your audience, there is no end to the promotional power of social media for ecommerce businesses.
With Instagram’s new ‘Shop Now’ function, there’s no better time to start making the most of the vast untapped audience on social media. Rather than relying on shoppers finding your online store, searching for the specific product and hoping they go on to purchase, you can allow Instagram users to purchase products as and when they spot them on their feed. It’s modern day impulse shopping at its best.
Visit our article on, The Benefits of Proper eCommerce Shopping Site Design.
4. Goodbye product descriptions
Gone are the days of customers sitting scrolling through lengthy product descriptions to see if your product is for them. Today, a staggering 60% of shoppers would prefer to watch a video to learn more about a product, as opposed to reading about it in a product description.
Not only are videos preferred by the majority of shoppers, they also give you the chance to really show off your product and highlight its key features, along with what your company has to offer. If sustainable packaging is your main USP, then you can highlight this in seconds, showing the journey of your packaging from recycled paper to final product, for instance. Or, if you’re a clothing ecommerce store, you can display the cut and fit of your items by featuring short clips of your clothes in use.
5. Artificial intelligence
In recent years, we’ve seen artificial intelligence becoming increasingly important in all aspects of society. And ecommerce is no different. With live bots helping guide customers through the site, predictive analytics giving a clear insight into shopper behaviour and personalised shopping giving customers recommended suggestions, artificial intelligence is well and truly making its way into the world of ecommerce.
In 2020, predictive analytics will take the forefront as one of the most powerful ecommerce tools you can have under your belt. With insights into customer behaviour, likely purchase patterns and your key target audience, you can tailor your user experience to directly suit the needs and behaviours of your current audience. Whether it’s sending targeted emails at the opportune moment or eliminating website pages that aren’t helping the customer journey, predictive analytics are set to be a huge ecommerce trend that you need to get behind next year.
6. Subscription services
Skincare, makeup, snacks, razors and even watches – subscription services have quickly become a staple in the ecommerce world, with many ecommerce businesses jumping on this trendy bandwagon. And it’s no surprise. The subscription service business model is tried and tested by many and is proven to work.
Essentially, you offer timely, regular boxes to customers in return for a regular payment, be it weekly, monthly or quarterly. Both businesses and customers benefit from this model. Customers get access to a number of products, generally worth more than they are paying, while businesses get a number of loyal, regular paying customers.
Read More: Why Every Ecommerce Site Should Exploit User Generated Content
7. Drone delivery
Drone delivery has been quietly murmured about in the ecommerce world for a few years now. But we’re expecting this trend to become a reality in the next year. A number of large companies, including Amazon and UPS are rumoured to be experimenting with drone delivery technology.
While drone delivery is unlikely to become mainstream in the next year, if you’re wanting to stay ahead of the competition, you could look into this ecommerce trend as a future development.
8. Perfect your website
No matter what ecommerce trends are up and coming, or which new technology is available, everything becomes redundant if your website isn’t up to scratch. For ecommerce companies, your website is the heart of your business. Without it, your customers have nowhere to go to browse, search and purchase your products.
At Bing Digital, we make sure our clients are equipped with a lightning-fast, user-friendly ecommerce website that delivers measurable results. With ecommerce experts on hand to help whenever you need, we’re the ultimate choice for businesses looking to up their game and stay ahead of the competition.
To find out how we can help your business grow, get in touch with our friendly team today.