Let’s face it: 2020 is proving to be more challenging than expected. However, change is always difficult, especially when it is sparked by a chain of negative events.
Even though it’s not the happiest of times, it is a time of change for both individuals and professionals. From an e-commerce business point of view, there is a palpable shift in the way customers perceive brands and the way they pledge their loyalties.
Furthermore, besides the social aspect, there’s also a change in the technology used to build e-commerce websites. As such, the focus is on customization and improving customers’ buying experience, which can be the decisive factor in the long-term.
In this article, we’ll discuss the top three marketing trends that can influence the future development of any e-commerce business, so make sure to pay attention!
A Different Type of Brand-Building
The idea of brand awareness and branding in general still stands, but it gets new nuances. For instance, a strong brand in 2020 must cut through the social media noise and stand out from the crowd of digital disruptors.
This entails a sturdy vision and powerful values that can carry the brand long-distance. Furthermore, you must focus your efforts on improving the digital experience people have with your brand. Advertising and clever marketing campaigns are not enough anymore.
A strong brand cannot stand alone in the age of social media. With so many channels out there, you need to collaborate and create valuable partnerships with influencers from different platforms (especially emergent channels like gaming and streaming).
You can learn from brands like Burger King and Star Wars. Burker King associated their brand with Stranger Things, and Star Wars has a collaboration with Fortnite. As you probably know, both Stranger Things and Fortnite have a huge following and the word of mouth is strong with them.
Smart Systems for Happy Customers
The success of e-commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, and others is tightly connected to the fact that they continuously work on providing customers with the best shopping experience.
Modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Augmented Reality (AR) help their efforts. AI and ML algorithms can be used to provide each customer with a unique experience, customized to their needs. These smart algorithms learn from each user’s behavior and can offer recommendations that are relevant.
On the other hand, AR is used to bring the online shopping experience into the real world. Using AR, a customer can appreciate if the new chair they want to buy will fit in their home. AR also shows up in online stores that sell clothes, cosmetics, appliances, and more.
In addition, some e-commerce platforms use intelligent chatbots to improve the customer service experience. One chatbot can service several customers at the same time without losing focus or getting slow. It’s also available 24/7 and can help reduce personnel costs.
Voice Search Optimization
In e-commerce, convenience is the word of the day.
And what is more convenient than asking Siri or Google Assistant or Alexa to make a purchase?
Specialists estimate that the number of households with at least one smart speaker is on the rise. But until then, we all have smartphones and tablets equipped with the same virtual assistants.
For now, voice search optimization is more part of a healthy SEO strategy. However, as the trend starts to pick up steam, more customers will use voice search to place an order. So, any website that’s already up to date with the technology stands to gain.
Wrap Up
Small businesses already have a tough time in 2020, but it’s important to approach your marketing strategy with a long-term vision. By building a powerful brand that’s anchored with valuable collaborations and by giving modern technologies a chance, you have more chances at going through these times unscathed.
