eCommerce is an ever-evolving sector. It can never standstill. After all, the changing technology, trends, and cut-throat competition propel the industry with innovation and growth at a breathless pace.
To keep up with the trends of this evolving industry, online retailers need to integrate new innovative solutions to stand out in the coming years. It won’t be wrong to say that 2021 was a year of change for the eCommerce industry because of the growing scare of the pandemic.
We saw automation, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality becoming an essential part of this space. The pandemic caused a paradigm shift to do things the “new way.”
Clearly, the eCommerce business is ready for a big leap of faith to emerge as a winner amidst the challenges. In this article, you will find a few game-changing trends that will change eCommerce forever.
So, let’s begin!
Table of Contents
Online price negotiation
In this digital era, many customers still look for websites where they put their bargaining skills to use. It makes them think they are in control of their finances and the prices of the products they wish to buy. Companies like Buyr.com introducing price negotiations online will help customers initiate a dialogue with the sellers.
But what is it exactly? In this method, the customers can name their own price. It allows sellers and buyers to reach a consensus where both parties profit. It helps companies introduce a fair pricing system in their model, which will enable customers to save more than they could use other eCommerce marketplaces.
This is a novel concept, but many believe it will soon become a reality in this space. Early adopters will gain a lot in terms of revenue and customer acquisition.
Voice search
Voice search for shopping is helping customers practically shop from anywhere and while doing their anything. With so many voice-enabled gadgets coming into the market and the popularity of voice search AIs like Siri, Alexa, and Google assistant, this is something an eCommerce marketplace can enter.
Many surveys suggest that the voice assistant market will reach around $4 billion in 2022. And the voice shoppers will increase by approximately 50%. So, it is safe to assume that it will remain a trend in the coming years. It will give businesses a chance to rank for keywords or phrases that suit voice search queries. And with around $40 billion voice shopping hitting by the year 2022, it’s time that startups or SMEs start adopting this new-age technology.
Omnichannel selling
If you are using a single channel to sell your products, it means that you are doing something right in terms of customer acquisition. However, you limit your opportunities to reach customers on various channels. For instance, more than 80% of customers won’t purchase any product until they see it multiple times.
Global Web Index also shows that around 35% of users use social-media channels to research the product. The startups and other eCommerce businesses need to expand their reach using different channels to stay ahead of their competition.
Besides these trends, one can also see a spike in mobile shopping, social media selling, the desire to shop with independent businesses, and the use of personalized or customization. If you aren’t using the right trends in your online retail business, you can miss the opportunity to expand your business.
Therefore, it brings us to an important question…
What do startups or retailers must do to capture this opportunity?
Clearly, if you are stuck with age-old strategies, you can’t capture the interest of the modern-age customer. Whether they are baby boomers, millennials, Gen Z, or others, if you are not showing why they should choose you, you will become one of the brands of this saturated sector.
This is why you need to build upon trends to reform and present yourself as a new player. This is how you can create a niche for yourself by capitalizing on ongoing trends. You need to do the following things to capture this opportunity.
Enhance the shopping experience by using advanced technology, allowing customers to have a seamless experience. Nowadays, customers want more options and expect more automation and a human element. If you can do that, you can certainly attract your customers.
Customers look for options. It doesn’t matter your target market and how overpopulated your niche is with established brands. You will find your customer base if you do something different, like price negotiations or omnichannel experience. However, this requires some creativity and commitment. If you lack USP, you can never capture a saturated market. You can never sell “sameness” and expect mind-blowing results.
How do you capture a market that doesn’t need you?
The answer lies in the value you are offering. You need to learn about your customers’ pain points related to a particular product or service and use the same to fill the gap. For instance, customers don’t like switching to different sites for price comparisons. But with online price negotiations, you help them save time and allow them to be in the drivers’ seat.
You need to use these strategies to develop solutions and build brand awareness and credibility. Try to think of them to do things differently and capture the market.
Final Takeaways
The last two decades have been quite heartening for the eCommerce industry. With over 2 trillion US dollars in sales already worldwide, there is no looking back at all. The inception of eCommerce completely revolutionized the retail sector.
With the advancement in different technological trends, you need to keep an eye out for these eCommerce trends in 2022. Even today, this sector is evolving to meet the needs of the changing consumer behavior and changing trends. If you are still wondering whether the trends will be the future of eCommerce, you will be left behind with other adopters taking their status one level ahead of yours. Make sure to take advantage of these trends to stay ahead of the competition in the year 2022 and further.
But whichever trend you adopt, make sure the aim is to improve your customers’ shopping experience and build long-lasting relationships.