eCommerce is an endlessly shifting space, with new trends and technologies changing the game every day.
But one thing that’s constant is how Ecommerce revenue grows year over year. In fact, by the end of 2019 it’s expected that Ecommerce retail sales will total over a record $3.4 trillion. By the end of 2020, projections show that number will rise above $3.9 trillion.
But staying ahead of the ample competition in Ecommerce and earning of share of that revenue isn’t a simple thing. To ensure that your businesses makes the most of the lucrative opportunities in the online marketplace, it’s imperative that it stays on top of the Ecommerce trends which impact it most.
After all, organizations must remain persistent when optimizing their brand toward the changing expectations of modern-day customers. It’s a never-ending job, but when done right, the performative advantages that a well-informed, optimized, Ecommerce operation brings are invaluable.
On that note, here are 5 of the most influential Ecommerce Trends to watch out for as we enter 2020.
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5 Top Ecommerce Trends in 2020
1. Social Media Shopping
Social media has erupted into unprecedented levels. Over 3.5 billion people have a social media account worldwide, including 77% of everyone in the United States. As such, it only makes sense that advertising and social media product purchases have become a top 2020 Ecommerce trend.
Many website platforms, like Magento and WordPress, make it easy to integrate Ecommerce products and services into social media websites. They let webstores sell products and services directly through social media links, enhancing their advertising outreach and sales potential. This isn’t just a convenient feature to have, in 2020, it’s become something of a necessity to drive sales.
According to this 2018 study, over 55% of online shoppers bought a product directly through a brand’s social media post. In the years since then, that number has only continued to increase—demonstrating the huge market of social media buyers.
With that in mind, no Ecommerce operation can afford to ignore spreading their message, and purchasing opportunities, through social media.
2. AR and VR Web Store Showcases
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology has come a long way these past few years. Now, they’re making big splashes in the world of Ecommerce product pages.
With WordPress and Magento officially enabling VR tools on their platforms, Ecommerce stores can easily display their products in 360-view. This gives online shoppers the ability to better familiarize themselves with products through 3D photos and videos to inform purchases. At the same time, it also gives websites a whole new realm of media possibilities to impress and entice visitors to their store.
For instance, virtual webstore visitors can try on products without actually touching them and tour sites they’re nowhere near. Companies like Ikea are even using VR to allow online shoppers to see how furniture will look in their homes.
As more websites begin to utilize VR, customers will come to expect its conveniences more so than they do today. When that happens, it’s important to ensure your own website is ready.
3. Environmentally and Socially Conscious Initiatives
In this day and age new consumers are becoming far more conscious about the environment and ethical business behavior.
More than ever before, customers seek out businesses that make these pillars a part of their brand identity. In fact, according to this 2017 study, 87% of surveyed consumers expressed they are more inclined to make purchases from brands that support the social and environmental causes which they care about.
This is exactly why products like plant-based meat and ethically-sourced clothing have become so very popular over the last decade. Learning from them, it’s prime time for Ecommerce businesses to enact and advertise their own green initiatives and socially-empowering campaigns. This can be anything from donation-per-purchase product campaigns for charities, to reducing shipping waste by using biodegradable or recycled materials.
Because the reality is, throughout the course of 2020 many more webstores will undoubtedly follow this growing Ecommerce trend. To stay relevant and favorable in the eyes of consumers, your business should start considering the same.
4. Ecommerce Chatbot Support
Chatbots enhance websites with an automated support assistant who remains online 24/7 to engage with the customers visiting your pages.
Whether providing the answers to frequently asked questions, taking down support tickets, or directing customers to the products they’re seeking, chatbots are a versatile tool—and they’re being adopted by websites at an incredible rate. In fact, projections show that by 2020 roughly 47% of organizations will have chatbots deployed to support their customer service.
Of course, there’s good reason for this accelerated implementation. These 2018 statistics from Facebook’s Chatbot Guide show 73% of customers prefer to engage with businesses through live chat software. Plus, as chatbot technology has spread and become more normalized since, those percentages have gone on to increase accordingly.
5. Mobile will be More Important than Ever
With the advent of smartphones, it’s become commonplace for people to browse the internet from their mobile devices. But that’s no surprise.
Stop and look around you next time you’re on public transportation, and more likely than not, you’ll see most everyone absorbed in their mobile browsing. As such, mobile-friendly page designs have become a key concern for websites of all kinds.
By 2020, it’s expected that 45% of Ecommerce revenue will come in through purchased made from mobile devices. That totals to roughly $285 billion and means nearly half of all online shopping taking place on smartphones. If a website isn’t built to cater to those shoppers, it’s effectively cutting its Ecommerce performance potential in half.
Despite this reality, there’s still many businesses that have yet to fully optimize their online mobile interface. That’s why mobile-friendly designs remain a top Ecommerce trend in 2020, just as they have for the past few years.
Ecommerce Support for WordPress and Magento in 2020
Making the most of your ecommerce takes constant maintenance and an open-eye for improvement as new opportunities arise.
But of course, staying on top of Ecommerce trends is a vital part of any online business’ operations. For those that would like assistance in implementing new features to their website and ensuring that their website is positioned to perform its best, feel free to check out the support services we offer for WordPress and Magento here.
