Consumers are shopping online more than ever, with e-commerce sales expected to surpass 735 billion by 2023. With so many shoppers researching products online, it is crucial for e-commerce brands to stay ahead of the latest trends in order to be successful. Here are 4 important e-commerce trends that marketers should embrace:
Make it Personalized
Studies show that shoppers that clicked on recommendations are 4.5x more likely to add items to cart, and 4.5x more likely to complete their purchase.
In the world of e-commerce, providing personalized experiences on your site can result is a massive uplift in sales and engagement. Let’s say a user is browsing on your site for a new camera. The next time they visit your site, they are shown recommendations for similar types of cameras. This is a valuable remarketing technique that personalizes the user experience with the goal of converting your site visitors into paying customers.
Another remarketing technique is showing product listings that reveal what items similar shoppers bought. For example, Amazon offers product listings stating “Users that bought this product also bought” as an effective way to recommend new products that consumers may be interested in.
Driving users back to your site based on past interactions is a great way to provide a personal experience and increase sales. By leveraging consumer data, marketers have the opportunity to create even more personalized experiences for consumers.
Leverage Social Proof
Let’s say you are looking into two similar pairs of running shoes, and you are trying to decide which pair is the best. They both seem like great products, but after comparing the two, you decide to go with the one with the most positive reviews. This is an example of the power of social proof.
Why does social proof work? People are more likely to purchase a product or service when they see that other people have done it. For instance, if you’re looking for a new restaurant to try out and you find one that has an hour-long wait, it must be a great spot.
Social proof is also one of the most effective ways to boost online sales. One way to leverage social proof is through user-generated content. This can take place in the form of positive product reviews, testimonials, earned media or social shares. By displaying this content on your site, you have the opportunity to prove why your products or services are worth purchasing.
Take Advantage of Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
Chatbots are a form of artificial intelligence that can allow your brand to optimize the consumer experience. They allow brands to improve their interactions with customers in real-time, 24/7. By 2020, it is predicted that 85% of all customer interactions will be handled without a human agent.
Chatbots can fit into almost any company’s customer service or marketing strategy. For instance, you can leverage chatbots to answer general product inquiries, take users to a particular product page or guide them through the check-out process. Do you want users to subscribe to your newsletter or sign up to use your services? Chatbots can help with that too. For instance, with the Lyft chatbot, users are able to book a ride without even opening their app. For brands looking to improve their customer service, virtual assistants are a no-brainer.
Create Quality Product Listings
Your product listings can make a huge impact on whether someone decides to follow through with purchasing your product. If you’re simply writing a generic product description accompanied by a basic photo, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to show consumers why your product is worth purchasing in the first place.
Your product listings should provide as much information as possible while providing a value proposition. Who is my ideal audience? How can it improve their lives? Why is it better than my competitors product? Why would someone want this product? These are all questions you should be asking when creating your product descriptions.
The quality and quantity of your product photos are also something that should not be overlooked. Your product photos should be available in various sizes, and users should be able to zoom-in to get a better look. Interactive product listings that allow consumers to view your product at every angle are even better.
Another tip: Recommend other products that the user might need under your product listings. For example, if someone is purchasing a new piece of furniture, offer the matching pieces to go with it.
As the e-commerce industry is constantly evolving, it’s key for marketers to continually stay on top of the latest trends. Brands that succeed will be those that are forward-thinking with a consumer-first mindset.
