E-Commerce Trends 2022: What the Future Holds for Online Retailers?

North America has more than 1.3 million e-commerce companies, with around 300K belonging to the US. How do you differentiate yourself from other multiple online businesses selling the same thing to customers at competitive prices? The answer is simple: by adapting to the latest industry trends.

 

Online shopping

 

As an e-commerce brand, staying on top of the latest trends is a necessity, not an option. That's because these trends allow you to identify new opportunities for your business. So, what are some trends you should know about in the e-commerce business?

 

Here's every notable trend that you should consider.

Using Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality has been a massive game-changer for e-commerce businesses. Business owners are using AR to help shoppers enjoy an almost realistic shopping experience that helps them make better buying decisions. 

 

Woman experiencing augmented reality

 

From offering virtual fitting rooms to helping customers see a 360-degree spin of an item, augmented Reality has been very helpful for e-commerce businesses.

 

Voice Searches

The United States noted a record-breaking sale of 91 million smart speakers in 2021. Now that an increasing number of people own smart speakers, voice assistance is also improving to help them complete everyday tasks. 

 

Illustration of voice search command

 

From using voice search to ordering food to shopping online and adding memos, customers are making the most of their voice search features. This creates the perfect opportunity for e-commerce businesses to tap into by using content and keywords. Other than that, you also need to ensure that your e-commerce website supports voice search commands to make online shopping easier for customers.

 

Learning About Shoppers Through AI

Besides augmented Reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI) has been one of the most helpful innovations in the past few decades, assisting all industries worldwide. If you don't know what it is, artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that reciprocates the simulation of human intelligence through computer systems. 

 

AI software collecting data

 

It understands our preferences and purchase patterns to offer personalized recommendations, helps companies plan inventory, and optimizes products, logistics, and more.

 

Merging AI with your e-commerce business will help you understand your customers' buying patterns, how they shop, and when they shop. It allows you to improve your products and services and customize them according to your niche.

 

Creating Personalized Experiences Through Big Data

After numerous leaks and conspiracy theories, users know that almost every website collects your data, which puts you at risk. This has resulted in mixed feelings regarding how beneficial big data is and its impact on personalized shopping experiences.

 

For those who are hearing this term for the first time, big data includes all the information you provide to websites or applications online and saved cookies in the browser. Based on all this information, when you start searching for products online, you'll find similar ads everywhere.

 

This, in a way, is great for e-commerce businesses as it allows customers to discover products that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. These recommendations are helpful for "potential" customers visiting your website for the first time or who haven't made any purchases yet.

 

Providing Chatbots

Similar to in-store sales associates, chatbots interact with customers online. Customers today want to find the products they like and purchase without much hassle – and when this doesn't happen, it's quite frustrating. This is where chatbots step in and save the day.

 

An example of a conversation with a chatbot

 

More than 80% of businesses started using chatbots in 2020. If you've not done this yet, you might be missing out on many potential sales. Chatbots can enhance customers' shopping experience by offering them customer support when needed. It can change the way people shop online, search for products and is a very handy marketing tool.

 

Mobile Support

Not every customer uses laptops and tablets to shop online. In fact, more than 79% of people use their smartphones to make online purchases. Why? Because it's convenient and easy – and if your e-commerce website is still not optimized for mobile phones, that could be one of the biggest reasons you have low sales.

 

An ideal e-commerce website should perform very smoothly, with a quick loading time and minimum unresponsive pages. The more time it takes for your website to load, the more customers you lose. Think of it this way: Would you like to wait 10 minutes for one page to load? Yeah, we didn't think so either.

 

Another simple solution could be to create a mobile app—no more hassle of optimizing your website and dealing with load time.

 

Woman collecting her order from the mailbox

Fast Shipping

The most important one of them all is offering quick shipping. The standard delivery time in the US for most orders is 2-3 working days. If your business is taking longer, you need to up your game and look for a better 3PL logistics partner, such as E-Commerce Express. They are an all-in-one order fulfillment company that offers a wide range of services, including 3PL logistics services, 3PL order fulfillment services, branded & custom packaging solutions, and much more.

 

If you want one company to help you with your functions at the most affordable price, there's no one better than E-Commerce Express. Visit their website now to learn more.

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