Ecommerce is changing at its fastest rate ever from the mobile revolution to omni-channel user experience. Ecommerce technologies are evolving with cutting edge location based apps like Uber, subscription ecommerce marketplaces like Dollar Shave Club and social media influencing many online shoppers.
Here are Major Trends Shaping Ecommerce in 2016:
Subscription Ecommerce:
Subscriptions are the fastest growing segment in ecommerce and signify a new concept of buying where a consumer can save money and time by getting services/products delivered periodically as a subscription similar to newspapers and magazines business models with a single order. One of the popular examples of an ecommerce subscription is the Dollar Shave Club monthly subscription that went viral with millions of customers. Their razor-blade promoting video on YouTube encouraged customers to buy razor blades on a subscription basis for $2 a month.
Ecommerce Marketplaces:
Most of the consumers prefer ecommerce marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Flipkart, Wayfair etc for online shopping because they can find a wide range of products and services while selecting a particular item. Many ecommerce businesses know the benefits of ecommerce marketplaces and hence the need is growing faster than ever.
Social Ecommerce:
Social media in the past was primarily used to connect with customers and get them to like or comment on the content. However, now social ecommerce is changing with the advent of social media integration on ecommerce websites considering the wide range of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. These social media networks help ecommerce businesses to generate brand awareness and promote their products and services online.
Data-Driven Marketing:
Data-driven marketing is the most effective ecommerce marketing strategy for collecting, analyzing and executing on insights from unstructured and multi-structured data that’s integrated from across the enterprise. Millions of companies both small and large are realizing that being data-driven is absolutely crucial in the success of their business. Ecommerce platforms generate a lot of data from several sources and this requires a data driven marketing approach to efficiently analyze and draw insights from it.
Seamless Online & Offline with Beacon Technology:
Beacon technology can be used to send information from your ecommerce sites to customers through ads, promotions and coupons near physical store locations. In addition, it can also be used as point-of-sale (POS) systems enabling customers to avoid long lines at the stores. Beacon technology can even be used to ask for “on-demand” assistance from store clerks right from mobile devices whenever required. The technology works well on your smartphones, iPhones, IPads or tablets that keeps searching for a beacon.
Beacons help retailers to improve the customer shopping experience by providing them with fast and smooth transaction times. With Beacon technology, retailers Like Apple, Lord & Taylor and Macy’s have found a way to bridge the gap between online and offline shopping experiences.
Pop-ups:
Pop ups are making a huge comeback. The new pop-ups generally give away something for free in exchange for email addresses. The new concept of pop-ups never come back generally or rarely come back when the customers have signed up for the email list.
Virtual Sales Force:
A huge shift is coming in the ecommerce industry as many companies are beginning to treat online employees like they would treat mortar sales people. Instead of waiting for customers to buy, ecommerce sites are using pop-ups and other tools for sales and convince customers to buy before they make the final decision.
Mobile Commerce (mCommerce):
Online Shopping via mobile is gradually moving up every quarter. Be sure to make your sites mobile-friendly in order to remain competitive in the market.
Loyalty Programs:
The online loyalty program has not seen much growth as other marketing techniques. The new sophisticated technology tools can improve it and credit card companies need to get involved.
Niche Flash Sales:
Flash sales usually come from ecommerce sites that do not have sales often. The point is to run flash sales for your regular customers.
Real-time Analytics:
Analytics comes in to play towards the end of the month. Higher ups in the company sit down; try to figure out what aspects of the site is hurting business and what is earning. In 2016, more advanced real-time analytics can show how customers react while on site and help to make a decision on the spot.
Conclusion:
The world of ecommerce is constantly changing and hence it is important to make sure that the most interesting ecommerce trends save you some cash and push your online business to the next level.
Zahoor Bhat has over 10+ years of experience as an online editor and media manager. He has worked with major online news and content sites as a media manager. He is well versed with major content management systems and web platforms such as WordPress and social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google Business, Yelp, Instagram & Linkedin. He is an expert in content creation, proofreading and finally making it live. Being a social media expert, he is able to make relations with social media influencers and make sure to generate leads and grow business via different social media platforms.