Welcome back to the second part of our look at what the Suresby team believes the future of ecommerce.
The ecommerce industry grows increasingly competitive every year. To stay at the head of the pack, businesses need to keep an eye on emerging ecommerce trends. No matter how well your ecommerce platform is currently performing, if you don’t keep up on the latest advances and trends, you’ll risk falling behind the competition.
As we move further into 2020 and quickly approach 2021, recognizing new trends will better enable your business to take advantage of what’s working and not waste time and money on those ideas that have fallen flat.
As an ecommerce services provider, our team at Suresby constantly has one eye on the future. With that in mind, let’s continue our look at a few of the biggest current trends in ecommerce.
Say Her Name
Whether Alexa or Siri, millions of users have already grown comfortable asking their smart devices about the weather, the score, or the progress of their take out order. It’s not a stretch to think that shopping online in the future will start by saying “Alexa.”
In fact, voice shopping has already started to grow among online shoppers. In 2017, 13 percent of smart speaker owners claimed they were already making purchases by voice. That number is anticipated to increase to 55 percent by 2022 (OC&C Strategy Consultants). The amount consumers spend voice shopping has already increased in the UK, and the U.S. will likely continue to follow Europe’s example.
Voice shopping does feature some significant limitations. Largely, it’s a non-visual experience, meaning consumers will need to select what they want to purchase by providing a verbal description of the product. Doing so necessitates knowing what you want to purchase in advance. Products purchased with voice are usually of a lower price point, and often include food items, or low-cost groceries or homeware supplies.
However, as voice integration becomes more commonly used (a fact that seems inevitable during a pandemic that makes touching surfaces a hazard) businesses would be smart to position themselves capable of serving this growing audience.
Social Media’s Influence Will Continue to Grow
Most businesses already understand the need for social media marketing, but social media buying is now also on the table. With the introduction of Instagram Checkout and the “Buy” button on Facebook, the role of social media in ecommerce is no longer to just advertise a product, but to enable consumers to actually make a purchase. And the number of social shoppers is quickly rising.
Brands have already turned to social media influencers to advertise their products, but soon seeing your favorite YouTube personality or Insta Influencer tout a product or service will come with a “buy” button on screen. Online platforms like Shopify have made it incredibly easy for online retailers to link their stores to their social accounts so consumers can make a purchase.
To see a trusted personality tout the benefits of a product and then have the ability to immediately purchase said product without having to open a new tab or change screens creates significant opportunity for businesses willing to make the investment in what social shopping has to offer.
Green is Friendly
Green consumerism continues to rise, and brands must take action or risk being viewed as decidedly eco-unfriendly. Nearly half of all digital consumers say that environmental concerns impact their purchasing decisions in some capacity. As consumers become increasingly eco-conscious, online businesses need to make sure their operating policies are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
One such example – Making sure to source products from fair-trade organizations in order to create a greener ecommerce environment.
Younger generations like Gen Z are spearheading this charge towards ecommerce responsibility and greener consumerism. Whether locally sourced products or cage free meat, consumers are letting businesses know that taking care of the environment is a top priority. As consumers feel more responsible for the planet, brands need to better address what role they plan on playing in a greener, more sustainable future.