Online shopping is increasingly significantly, not only globally, but also in South Africa. Omni-channel selling is also showing an increase, with consumers shopping around for products in-store, online and also social media. We have decided to share some of the e-commerce trends that you should keep in mind for 2020/2021.

Conversions:

Many of our clients used to focus on clicks, but for 2021 it is recommended to rather shift your focus on conversions of your digital marketing. Look at your sales funnel and determine how you can improve the entire online experience of your consumers. Decide when to start conversations with consumers to create meaningful interactions which ultimately can lead to an increased conversion rate.

Chatbots:

With consumers wanting immediate feedback, it is often difficult for SMEs to keep up with the demand. Chatbots have become increasingly intelligent, ensure that you use them to work best for you!

AR – Augmented Reality:

Many new tools have been launched to incorporate AR into an online store, such as 3D Modelling Tools which are especially successful for furniture and home deco stores. Incorporate AR into your online store to enhance the buying experience by allowing consumer to physically see, experience and plan their shop before buying the product.

Videos:

With consumers spending more time watching videos, often even without sound, it has become vital for online stores to showcase their product offerings via video to engage with their consumers. Videos make the product seem more personal and will allow customers to easier relate to your offerings and brand. There are so many different video types that you can implement on your store, such as How to Videos, Full 360 Views, In Action Videos, Unboxing Videos and more.

Voice Search:

With over 20% of searches being done by voice and an expected increase of up to 50% in 2020, your company will have to optimise their website and product offerings for Voice Search. Focus on long tail keywords and how people would speak out a search query instead of the often “lazier” way of typing out search queries.

On-site Personalisation:

Personalisation has been relevant for a while in e-commerce, but the focus is shifting to creating a personalised website experience, especially for returning website visitors. Take your data and use tools to create personalised website experiences for each user. Focus on products sections recommending related products and showcase a personalised product experience relevant to returning visitors on their next visit to your site, e.g. previously viewed products and related products. With certain tools it is possible to offer consumers a brand-new starting page upon returning to your website.

Personalised Products:

This goes hand-in-hand with the previous point. Offer your customers personalised products, relevant to their needs and wants. Remember that every consumer is different. A different approach in fashion will be a fit finder for consumers to easily and quickly find the right sized item for them.

Omni-channel:

Consumers are shopping around for products across various platforms and often outside of traditional e-commerce platforms, such as trying on products in-store, comparing prices online and buying at a pop-up store. This is already widely popular with Google Shopping and selling on social media channels, such as Facebook and Instagram. Focus on the platforms that could be valuable for your business and start selling across various sales channels.

Transient Brick and Mortar:

This might not be relevant to everyone, but with brick and mortar stores becoming less significant, many stores are focusing on rather opening pop-up stores, participating in markets, selling from food trucks etc.

Payment Methods:

Offer consumers various online payment methods, such as Credit Cards, Snapscan, Miles and More. Another trend is to separate the buying and payment process, by allowing consumers to buy a product and then ask for payment afterwards. Test this and determine if it works with your consumers.

Selling Subscriptions:

Selling products via subscriptions and bundles is becoming increasingly popular in e-commerce. If your product offering allows this, test implementing it into your business model. This can be in terms of physical and digital products, as well as services. The perceived value is very relevant when it comes to subscription sales. Focus on amazing unboxing experiences and relevant product bundles to ensure that consumers come back again.

Direct-to-Consumer (D2C):

With many brands already embracing this, an increased trend is predicted for many more brands to start selling directly to their consumers and not through outlets or suppliers. If you are a B2B consumer dealing with agents, consider selling directly to the end-consumer.

Automation and Ease:

You can easily implement automation with many tools to allow you to automate tasks so that you can focus on the relevant interactions with consumers and on what matters most to your business, e.g. re-ordering, invoicing, etc. Focus on making your e-commerce experience much faster and leaner by moving away from systems that don’t allow you to personalise your online store or to change things by yourself. Move away from companies having a hold over you by owning the code of your online store and rather move onto systems that easily allow you to take charge of your store.

Environmental Impact:

Consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental impact of online shopping by looking at the packaging materials used when receiving their online orders. Minimise waste and unnecessary packaging but ensure that your products arrive in the perfect state at the consumer. Become packaging savvy!

We hope you enjoyed our insights into 2021 e-commerce trends. Remember to make the shopping experience user-friendly and convenient for your consumers! If you need help with any of these tasks, contact us for a Quote today!

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