Ecommerce continues to grow in 2018 and into 2019, both around the world in in the UK. There are a number of trends that continue to pick up speed, whether that’s mobile ecommerce or the marketing methods digital marketers use to find customers.
Consider the following statistics on ecommerce if you were in any doubt on how it is evolving:
- Ecommerce accounts for 19% of total business turnover in the UK in 2015
- 80% of UK buyers conduct online ecommerce research, even when they plan to buy in-store
- Online shoppers now account for 25% to 31% of sales of ecommerce retailers
- 2017 saw an increase of 13% in ecommerce sales from 2016
So what trends can we expect through 2018 and into 2019?
Multiple channels
Social media and other multimedia channels are becoming increasingly common.
Online shoppers don’t tend to stick to one channel in particular. They will find the products or services they need across multiple channels and multiple devices.
Marketing automation
More ecommerce businesses are making the most of automated purchase journeys, and marketing automation software.
This helps to streamline the buying process, and how products are marketed in the long term.
Voice search
It’s estimated that 50% of all online searches will be done via voice search by 2020.
Think about your keyword optimisations and SEO. Will people be able to find your site through voice search? Will the phrases you currently rank for translate well to spoken word phrases? People tend to type differently than what they would actually say aloud when searching.
Same-day delivery
Free delivery has long been an expectation of certain customers, but now same-day (or at least next-day) delivery is more common than ever.
This delivery service can be great in meeting expectations of customers who need their products right away, and create return business in the future.
2/3 of online shoppers state they would rather receive products within hours, rather than days. In fact, it’s been shown that 25% of consumers are willing to pay premiums for same-day delivery. However, less than 33% of customers are willing to pay extra for quicker delivery.
Video use is on the rise
Videos can be a big help in encouraging potential buyers to convert, as videos help them to evaluate products. It also keeps them on the page much longer.
VR
Virtual reality, or augmented reality, can provide a more unique buying experience for customers.
Whether this is a tour of your store, a product guide or otherwise, VR is becoming more common. More people have VR headsets, and even cheap headsets including Google Cardboard are increasingly common. Otherwise, PCs and mobile phones support many VR modes, such as being able to look inside stores via a guided tour with a 360 view.
Cryptocurrencies
While Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies aren’t exactly mainstream quite yet, they are definitely more public than they were a few years ago.
In fact they are so on the cusp of being mainstream that more ecommerce stores are accepting cryptocurrencies as a payment method. So this could be an option in the near future for any retailer.
Mobile site speed
Mobile website speed is becoming an increasingly important metric. Google has stated multiple times how mobile-friendliness is a big ranking factor, as well as site speed. This also applies to mobile site speed.
Having a fast mobile site doesn’t just provide a better experience, but it means you have the chance of better rankings in the search results, as well as the best opportunity of ensuring customers convert on your website.
If you needed convincing to optimise your mobile site further, then consider that by 2020, 45% of ecommerce purchases will be made via mobile devices.
