Introduction
Ecommerce is growing, and this is a good thing. But there are always new trends popping up in the industry that will either help or hurt your business. If you’re not careful, you could end up missing out on some lucrative opportunities while at the same time wasting time and money trying to keep up with trends that just aren’t worth it. To ensure that your ecommerce business stays ahead of the curve in 2023 and beyond, here’s what you need to know about five hot new trends:
- Introduction
- 1. Omnichannel sales
- 2. Video marketing
- 3. Personalization
- 4. Predictive analytics
- 5. Voice search
- Mobile apps are on the rise
- Personalization is on the rise
- Social media will continue to be important
- Live shopping is on the rise
- Conversion optimization is more important than ever
- Some trends in ecommerce are here to stay, others are on their way out
- Conclusion
1. Omnichannel sales
Omnichannel sales are more important today than ever before. But what is omnichannel sales and how do you get started?
Omnichannel sales refers to the customer experience of buying products across different channels, such as online, in-store and on the phone. Omnichannel retailers use all of these channels to provide customers with a consistent experience that they can access when they want it.
Multichannel retailing is a similar concept but it’s focused on managing multiple selling channels rather than an integrated approach across them (such as having a website, app and physical store). You may also hear multichannel referred to as omni-channel or multi-channel.
Multichannel vs. Omnichannel
Multichannel is a relatively new term. It refers to the ability for businesses to sell goods and services through multiple channels, such as online shopping and mobile apps. Multichannel is not omnichannel, though: in order for an experience to be truly omnichannel, customers need seamless integration across all channels.
The distinction between multichannel and omnichannel can be confusing because both terms refer to selling goods through multiple channels (e.g., websites, call centers). However, when it comes down it—and we’ll get into this more later—omnichannel is more than just multichannels; it’s also about managing customer experiences across those channels by using data insights and automation technology like chatbots or artificial intelligence (AI).
Preparing for omnichannel success
- Integrate your ecommerce platforms
- Use the right tools
- Prepare for the future
- Use a single customer view (and don’t use any others!)
- Use a single order management system (and don’t use any others!)
- Use a single inventory management system (and don’t use any others!)
- Use a single reporting system (and don’t use any others!)
Omnichannel doesn’t end at checkout.
Omnichannel doesn’t end at checkout. You have to think about the complete customer journey if you want your omnichannel sales to be successful.
Consider one of the main aspects of the omnichannel experience, customer service.
In addition to live chat and email, consider using a phone number for customers who prefer to talk over the phone. Some companies also offer text-based customer service via SMS, which is especially useful for people who don’t have smartphones or internet access. You can also provide information on returns and refunds via social media channels like Twitter or Facebook rather than having customers contact you directly through email or telephone as they might otherwise do in a traditional online/offline (O/O) setting.
2. Video marketing
Video marketing is a great way to get your message across. You can use it to educate, engage and even entertain your customers. Video marketing is more effective than text because people are visual creatures, which means they respond better to video than text.
In fact, most people watch videos when they’re bored or waiting for something else—for example, in line at the grocery store or while they’re waiting for their laundry to finish drying in the dryer (we all have our vices). Videos are also easy-to-understand and easy-to-share on social media platforms like Facebook Live and Instagram Stories, which can help boost your brand awareness among potential customers who may have never heard of you before.
3. Personalization
Personalization is a hot topic these days. The idea is that instead of targeting customers with mass-market offers, businesses can offer more relevant products and services based on individual needs. Personalization can be done in many ways, including:
- Customer segmentation—Targeting your marketing efforts to specific groups in the customer base will help you tailor your messaging and offerings to those consumers. This can be as simple as sending different emails to customers who have purchased from you before than ones who haven’t bought anything yet, or doing things like creating custom landing pages for each buyer persona.
- Customized content—Creating customized content that speaks directly to each customer’s needs or interests makes them feel valued as individuals and lets them know you care about their unique situation. Using personal data collected through surveys or analytics software like Google Analytics will help inform what types of content are most effective for each person so that you don’t waste time on irrelevant products or copy-and-pasted articles containing information they already know about themselves.
- Personalized offers—A personalized offer lets customers feel special because it was tailored specifically for them based on their preferences rather than being mass marketed like most advertising campaigns tend to do nowadays (which is why people are so tired of seeing banner ads all over social media!). This can take many forms:
For example, it could simply be giving discounts when someone purchases multiple items at once; offering free shipping/returns if something goes wrong with an order; or creating unique combinations of items based on past purchases so that future buyers don’t needlessly reorder old favorites over again – which helps reduce costs while increasing repeat sales volume!
4. Predictive analytics
Predictive analytics is a growing trend, and it’s one that you need to be aware of. Predictive analytics is the use of data, statistics and modeling to predict future outcomes based on past trends. It’s used in all kinds of industries such as retail and healthcare; however, there are several reasons why it’s especially useful for ecommerce businesses:
- It helps you understand what your customers want. By analyzing how they interact with different elements on your website, you can find out what content resonates most with them and then adjust accordingly.
- It helps reduce costs by making sure you only spend money on marketing campaigns that are likely to yield results without wasting time or money on those that won’t work.
5. Voice search
Voice search is the fastest growing search engine. It’s already a major factor in the ecommerce world, and it’s only going to become more important over time.
For example, voice search has been shown to be faster than typing when it comes to searching online stores. In addition, it’s also more accurate than text-based searches because you can actually speak directly into your device instead of having to type out what you want using letters on a keyboard—which takes time. Voice search also works well with mobile devices since most people use their phones when they shop in stores or at events such as festivals or concerts where there might not be any Wi-Fi signal available for an internet connection anyway!
Finally: voice recognition software is constantly getting better so that you can ask questions about products or services without worrying about whether or not they’ll understand what exactly it was that made sense said originally meant.
Mobile apps are on the rise
Mobile apps are becoming more and more important, so it’s no surprise they are one of the top 5 trends in ecommerce for 2023. Mobile apps allow you to engage with customers in a different way than other digital marketing channels. They can help you reach a wider audience and increase sales, customer loyalty and brand awareness.
If your company doesn’t have a mobile app yet, now is the perfect time to create one! Contact us at b2b@getit.qa to learn more!
Personalization is on the rise
Personalization is the new buzzword. Personalized shopping experiences are considered by consumers to be a top priority, and it’s easy to see why: they ensure that customers are being heard, which is an essential part of the customer experience. This trend not only helps you build relationships with your customers; it also improves your marketing strategy as well.
Consider how you can use personalization in different areas of your business, like:
- Customer service – Personalization isn’t just about what products you sell; it’s also about how those products are delivered to shoppers (and their expectations around this). For example, if a shopper orders something online but would rather have the item shipped directly to them instead of waiting at home for delivery, then he or she should be able to request this option before completing checkout so there aren’t any surprises later on down the line.
- Marketing – Consider using personalized ads based on previous purchases or behavior with specific retailers/brands by incorporating data gathered from third parties into ad targeting strategies like retargeting efforts across multiple platforms including social media channels such as Facebook Ads Manager or Google AdWords (formerly known as DoubleClick). Those who have purchased items from Company A might see an ad from Company B promoting similar items at discounted prices because Company B wants all those sales riyals!
Social media will continue to be important
As we go into the new year, social media will continue to be a strategic focus for many retailers.
Social media is a powerful tool that can help you grow your e-commerce brand. Whether you’re selling on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, it’s important to know how to use these platforms effectively. In this blog post, we’ll teach you everything there is to know about social media marketing and why it matters for e-commerce businesses.
Social selling
Social selling is a sales approach that uses social media to engage with potential customers. It’s a great way to get in front of your audience and build trust, especially when you’re just starting out with ecommerce. Social selling can be used to generate leads, build brand awareness and increase sales.
As an ecommerce business owner or marketer, you need to understand how social selling works so that you can use it to promote your products and services on sites like Facebook or Instagram.
User generated content
User-generated content is a great way to build trust and customer loyalty. When people see other people using your product or service, they start to see it as the industry standard, not just something you’re selling. It also gives you a chance to showcase what makes your company unique and differentiates itself from its competitors—for example, by showing off users’ stories about how they use the products in their daily lives.
User-generated content also helps with customer retention by getting feedback on your products or services and acting on that feedback. You can see what’s working well while also getting ideas for new features that might excite customers even more! Additionally, user-generated content gives people an opportunity to share their own experiences with others who may be interested in buying from you but aren’t sure if they should yet based on lack of trust or just general uncertainty about whether this will work out for them (like many first time customers).
Customer acquisition with social ads
Social ads can be used to drive traffic to your website, social media page, email list or blog.
For example, if you want to get more people who are interested in your product or service on your email list so that they can receive updates about the latest news and offers from you, then you would promote an offer through social ads. This is because when someone clicks on that ad and opts-in for a free gift or special discount etc., it automatically adds them as a subscriber without them having to do anything else other than click on the link (and hopefully enjoy what they see).
Brand awareness and building trust
The first step to building trust is to be genuine. Social media is a great way to show your customers that you’re human and not just a business trying to sell them something. You can do this by sharing stories about the people in your company, posting photos of staff members doing fun things together, or even taking the time to answer customer questions or comments on social media platforms.
Referrals and user reviews
Referrals are one of the most important ways for ecommerce businesses to generate sales and they’re also one of the most overlooked ways.
Once you have a referral program in place, here’s how to increase your referrals:
- Offer incentives that are relevant and interesting to your audience. Because this is social media, think about using things like games and contests as incentives.
- Make it easy for people to refer their friends by making buttons that they can share easily on social media (Facebook, Twitter).
Paid social advertising
Paid social advertising is available through Facebook, Instagram, Google and LinkedIn. Each platform has different options to choose from in order to customize and target your ads based on location, demographics and interests.
This is a great tool for ecommerce businesses when trying to gain new customers or increase sales for existing customers. The key here is to find the right audience that will be interested in your products or services before running ads with them!
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You can also measure the success of your campaigns by using conversion tracking pixels within Facebook Ads Manager or Instagram Business Tools (IGBT). This allows you to see if someone clicked on one of your product images within an ad post on Facebook or IGBT then converted through an online sale at checkout while logged into their account on EcommHub.
Learn more about how you can use social to market your brand.
Social media is a great way to market your brand. There are many different ways to use social media to market your brand, but the most important thing is that you have a strategy in place and you’re consistent with it.
Social media can be used as an extension of traditional advertising, or it can be used on its own as part of an overall marketing campaign. The goal of any kind of advertising should be increased sales and awareness of your product or service.
Live shopping is on the rise
Live shopping is a trend that’s on the rise. It’s a way for customers to see exactly what they are buying in real-time, helping you build trust with them and sell more products.
Here’s how it works: Your customer can see as you take their order, process their payment and get it shipped out immediately. This element of immediacy builds trust and helps users feel more confident about purchasing from you.
Conversion optimization is more important than ever
In the past, ecommerce sites were less complicated and easier to navigate. But as online shopping becomes more popular and consumers become more sophisticated, it’s getting harder for ecommerce businesses to stand out.
To get ahead of the competition in a crowded marketplace, your website needs to be designed with conversion optimization in mind—or you’ll be left behind. Here’s what we mean by conversion optimization: The goal of conversion optimization is to increase the number of conversions on your site so that you can increase sales or signups (or whatever action you want).
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Conversion optimization isn’t just about getting new customers; it’s also about improving customer retention so that people keep coming back again and again.
Some trends in ecommerce are here to stay, others are on their way out
Some trends in ecommerce are here to stay, others are on their way out. Some of these changes can be hard to get used to, but they’re a good thing in the long run.
In this article we took a look at some of the top trends in ecommerce and how they might change over time. In short,
- Some trends are here to stay, others are on their way out.
- Some trends will be replaced by new ones, some will fade away.
Conclusion
We’ve looked at the top five trends in ecommerce for the coming year. Now it’s time for you to get out there and start using them! If you haven’t already launched an ecommerce site, then now is the time to do it. You could be missing out on some serious revenue by not taking advantage of all these opportunities.
Ecommerce Trends by Steffi&… by Steff, the Blogger