eCommerce Trends For 2018
With 2017 fading away to make room for the new year, eCommerce vendors, marketers, and brand managers need to keep up to date with the most promising trends for 2018. Time and tide wait for no man, so don’t wait to get started now — hop on board and don’t risk falling behind!
MOBILE GROWTH CONTINUES
Failing to optimize your site for mobile commerce is likely the single greatest mistake you could make right now. According to Statista, mobile purchases make up over 34% of eCommerce sales (in the US alone). In 2018, that number is expected to exceed 39% and continue growing, which isn’t a surprise given our reliance on smartphones.
People often own several devices and expect quick, easy, and user-friendly experiences from all of them — avoid dividing desktop and mobile users into two categories, and look at them as a single customer base For example, someone using a desktop at home could easily become a mobile user the moment they step out for a business meeting or when they’re taking the bus to get to work. Customers will be identified singularly by their online habits, rather than separately as desktop or mobile users.
Here are some simple tips we recommend following: include fewer videos and animations for fast loading and lower usage of mobile data, use attractive formats and bigger fonts and CTA buttons, and always deliver appropriate content (more on that below).
DESIGN STILL ROCKS, BUT CONTENT RULES
Nowadays, lots of websites tend to look the same, using similar layouts and product pictures so it’s crucial for a landing page to stand out and aim for originality. Give your customers less content to wade through and more visual impulses to increase their desire to buy your goods. Every image on your site matters, and depending on professional photography and high-resolution graphics can help secure the attention of potential customers. As a result, visual storytelling such as cinemagraphs, semi-flat design, and illustrations will likely be huge hits in 2018.
When trying to differentiate from the other brands, the best weapon you can use is your content. But even though it takes minimal resources to launch a blog or create a product guide, it’s tough to do it right. Audiences have high standards for what they’re reading, watching, and interacting with, so you really need to be able to cater to their preferences. Keep in mind that great content is educational, helpful, and entertaining, and as a marketing strategy, it’s also cost effective and impactful to ROI.
CUSTOMER CENTRICITY REACHES FEVER PITCH
All of the above trends come down to one thing: improving the customer experience. High-quality products and reasonable prices are crucial, yes, but customer experience is the ultimate brand differentiator. According to Defaqto Research, 55% of consumers would be willing to pay more for a better customer experience. Your primary goal should be to provide a seamless, personalized, and relevant experience.
Consider opening a point of sale and definitely try adapting the multichannel strategy. As well, offering quick and free delivery is an absolute must these days, and an easy return policy goes hand in hand with that. What will also help you in improving your customers experience are data aggregators, chatbots, and usage of big data.
Lastly, let’s think outside the box for a second and go through some interesting trends that are likely to be popular in the new year, especially thanks to big companies. Maybe some of them will inspire and motivate you to try implementing something truly extraordinary in 2018!
1. The INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT) is becoming an increasingly growing topic of conversation. According to Forbes, this will allow merchants and customers alike to connect any device with an on and off switch to the Internet and/or to each other (cellphones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices, etc.)
2. Some companies have even begun using VIRTUAL REALITY to provide virtual in-store experiences and this flashy trend will grow in 2018.
3. AUGMENTED REALITY (remember Pokémon Go?) has already been deployed in retail and will most likely outperform virtual reality.
4. VOICE SHOPPING has seen rapid adoption as well (Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa).
5. VISUAL SEARCH will grow in popularity by 2020 (eBay, Amazon, Wayfair).
Most of all, don’t forget those three (more realistic) basics:
- optimize your site for mobile commerce
- provide great interactive content
- focus on your customers’ experience
What do you think about this topic? Do you have any tips for 2018 eCommerce trends we didn’t mention? Share it with us in the comment section below.
