The future of the world is changing at a rapid pace, and the demand for eCommerce is quickly outweighing the supply. Today you can order takeout with just a button press, get an Amazon delivery the next day, and even chat with friends and coworkers digitally without having to leave your bed. Whether we like it or not, the world is changing and the new norm is here.
There is no denying it, now is the time of convenience, and up to 66% of consumers are more likely to buy from a business based on availability and accessibility, while 47% will choose based on price/value; people are seeking ways to make their lives easier.
This means your eCommerce business needs to take the necessary time to learn about the new emerging trends for the next year to come and gear your business towards success over your competition who will still be living in the past.
Now let’s dive into the new eCommerce trends for the coming year
Voice Search Is On The Rise!
Think about how many times you have personally searched for something using your voice, whether to find that perfect YouTube video, get directions on Google Maps or find a product online, voice commerce is slowly becoming more prominent.
Nowadays, with the increased acceptance of using smart home devices like Google Home or Alexa, or even Apple’s Siri, people are finding that the accuracy and convenience of this new technology is making texting more and more obsolete.
47% of all voice searches are towards finding a product, which means your business must work on optimizing for those commonly searched voice queries by including them as long-tail keywords within your future blogs, and image descriptions to give your business an edge, and tap into this massive emerging market of voice-driven eCommerce consumers.
SMS and Mobile Messaging Shouldn’t Be Overlooked
Although it might seem like outdated technology, SMS, and mobile messaging is fast becoming the easiest way to reach out to your customers. With the focus on everything being mobile-friendly: mobile shopping, mobile checkouts, and mobile payments, now your business can take advantage of direct-to-consumer texting!
Consumers love it when brands take the extra steps to make it personal, and with people spending on average 4 hours a day on their smartphones, it would be a complete shame for your business to miss out on this opportunity for increased brand awareness and connection with your customer base.
Moving forward, try an SMS marketing campaign and see how the results will completely blow most email marketing campaigns out of the water!
Optimizing For Mobile Shopping
As an eCommerce business, you need to make sure to have your business optimized with the mobile shopper in mind, this means:
- Having responsive, eye-catching website design
- User-friendly navigation
- Fast website load times
- An intuitive checkout process
- Compressed images and videos
- No noisy and invasive pop-ups and ads
- High-quality content without too much fluff
By making these necessary changes to your current eCommerce business, you are guaranteed to see an increase in how well your page ranks on Google, as well as increased visibility to potential customers!
Making Your Products Available On Google
The above point talks about how to optimize your eCommerce shopping experience organically, which due to the nature of SEO, will always be a long-term game. However, you can quickly transform your eCommerce business by listing your products on Google FREE!
In recent years, Google has emerged as one of the most powerful sales and marketing channels for eCommerce retailers to boost their online visibility and attract a massive audience for increased site traffic and sales.
To get started, first set up a Google Merchant Center account, and submit your product feed in the Merchant Centre. Show your products in multiple countries of sale to start selling globally with Google. If you’re struggling to find products to sell, this will certainly help- 7 fastest growing product categories this year.
Remember, the power of Google Shopping:
- Its ability to allow your business to visually represent a product, which in a sea of text, while help make your eCommerce business stand out
- Ability to show your products in multiple countries and drive sales of your products globally
- It will boost your audience, reaching across your region and internationally, unlocking huge growth for your brand
Here’s how you can get started with setting up your Google Free Product Listings.
Design, Design, Design!
The design of your brand will make a big difference in revenue and profitability beyond simple first impressions. Subtle changes in the colour of your website, the nuances of a hover animation over a “buy now” button, and even the layout of your store, will all play a role in increasing conversion for your eCommerce business!
94% of a website user’s first impression are design related
- Kinesis Inc
Great design doesn’t just stop at your store. Think about how Amazon has their logo on everything from their storefront, advertising, packaging and other materials. This is your chance to build brand awareness for your eCommerce business among consumers through intentional and strategic design, which in turn will connect you with your customers on a deeper level, and boost repeat sales.
Remember, design is everything for an eCommerce brand, and arguably the most important part is the packaging combined with the unboxing experience. Check out our recent article on how you can creatively customize your packaging, without breaking the bank.
Diversification in Your eCommerce Strategy
If there is one lesson that can be taken away from this COVID-19 pandemic, is to not have all your eggs in one basket.
Businesses who relied on Amazon FBA learned the hard way when Amazon shutdown all FBA shipments for non-essential items from third-party sellers. This meant that if a business solely relied on Amazon FBA, then their business was in major trouble.
So the takeaway here is to not be afraid to branch out!
2021 is going to be a fantastic year, full of growth and prosperity, and with the plethora of emerging marketplaces such as Walmart, Buy on Google, and eBay your online eCommerce business will have no troubles in reaching more customers, building brand awareness, and ultimately, increasing sales. Have some solid eCommerce solutions to help you get the best of shipping and fulfillment for your eCommerce business to rock 2021.
Handling eCommerce Payments
Once you diversify your business, it will be important to also change up your accounts receivable infrastructure to scale with accordance to your new eCommerce business model.
It’s time to move away from manual processes like mailing invoices, and rather, setting up online payment options through your bank, or third-party software like Stripe or PayPal.
This shift towards electronic disbursement will save your eCommerce business time and money, and will keep your business thriving in the “era of convenience” that we are all living in now, meaning, people want an easy checkout process, so this will give them just that.
Recap
2021 is gearing up to be an explosive year full of insane growth for the eCommerce industry, but with that, come’s change.
Make sure your business is ready by adapting with the times, and looking into the following trends:
- Voice commerce
- SMS and Mobile Messaging For Connecting With Your Customers
- Optimize For The Mobile Shopper
- Leverage Google Marketplace
- Diversify Where Your Business Sells
- Set Up Different eCommerce Payment Options
By adapting to this new era of convenience, you are setting your business up for success, and building infrastructure that will establish your eCommerce business and brand as a leading player in your industry.
