E-commerce trends for 2018
As online shopping appears to firmly etch itself into the minds of many consumers and business owners and as the global e-commerce revolution reaches new heights with a $2.3 trillion increase in 2017 and an expected $4.5 trillion mark in 2021 according to a Statista report, e-commerce has transitioned into something far beyond simply buying products on a website.
It is shaping the very way in which we view retailing as a concept. Today, we can sync products from diverse sources into one online shop and the process of walking into a store to purchase from shelves has now been challenged with a series of interactions that rely on technology to move goods. This disruption continues to mold our society, driving it towards a life where we are increasingly connected to the products and services we want.
As things shift and change with every new development in e-commerce that is introduced, we find that up to 11 percent of online shoppers now shop online via their smartphones on a weekly basis while 35 percent confess that it will become their main tool for purchasing.
Social networks are appearing at the forefront of consumer interest with 39 percent of online shoppers using social media to get inspiration for purchases.
What other up and coming trends can we expect to see this year? Which ones are set to dominate 2018? Here are a few things you may want to pay attention to.
Focus on stronger visuals
You’ve probably heard it said that consumers can be moved to action by visual stimulation. With high-quality photography and video content very much in demand, original photography remains a challenge for many businesses and poor image choices can be detrimental to maintaining the integrity of your brand.
There is a growing requirement for diverse visual alternatives within the e-commerce sector. Everything from 360-degree images of models wearing products to animated GIFs that creatively showcase the features of your offerings (as done by thin wallet design company Bellroy), high-quality video content is also quickly becoming a well sought-after method of marketing. As a means of showcasing products in a more immersive context with the ability to capitalize on high-traffic platforms like YouTube, video can go a long way in terms of added benefits.
A B2C approach to B2B eCommerce
As it stands, the B2B e-commerce movement is about to hit nearly 1 Trillion dollars in value. B2B buyers’ expectations are now shifting to B2C-like functionality due to the growth of a digital- savvy workforce, mobile ubiquity and the optimization of e-commerce technology. The traditionally slower-moving B2B sector is forced to keep up with the seamless purchasing capabilities of B2C.
This year will see a rise in more B2C-like experiences among B2B e-commerce practitioners across the board, everything from product discovery and buying behaviors shifting to online and mobile mediums to catalogs and sales calls being replaced by digital-first discovery processes and simplified ordering processes.
Social shopping
With social platforms like Instagram and Pinterest now allowing merchants to bring their products to customers without them even knowing it, the concept of social shopping will be fortified as a viable means of marketing. 2018 may see social media as a perfect landscape for retailers to create buying scenarios by showing customers products on apps they spend most of their time with.
It will become a more common trend to purchase products straight from Instagram without having to switch between sites or apps. This brings a more immersive and seamless approach to how we shop online.
AR and VR
As augmented and virtual reality devices become more advanced, they also become cheaper. Google Cardboard, for example, is practically free. There are very likely experts who believe that retailers will begin experimenting with various AR/VR marketing strategies to get their products across in a more unique way. AR and VR will eventually become integrated through in-store experiences as part of the packaging of products and QR code triggers. Brands that incorporate AR and VR as part of their shopping experience may see a leap in the percentage of loyal buyers.
Voice search
With Google Assistant and Alexa, we could see more voice search capabilities used in e-commerce marketing initiatives. Over 40 percent of millennials have used voice search before making a purchase online and about 20 percent of Google searches on mobile are through voice. As the technology becomes more common, we may also see a surge of voice search integration across various e-commerce brands.
Stock Sync is changing the game for e-commerce inventory management. With a huge number of integrations, your e-commerce store can now sync stock from various suppliers and sources such as Etsy, Walmart, eBay and more. Your intelligent Stock Sync app gets all your stock nicely fitted into format and you can even set it to automatically download latest stock items from your suppliers via download links. There are plenty of other features and functions that you shouldn’t miss out on as well. Head on over to the Stock Sync website to get your online shop synced up with the future.
