These are exciting times indeed to be working within e-commerce. An estimated 1.9 billion shoppers will make online purchases over the course of 2019 – and this number will only increase as time goes on!
E-commerce sales now account for a staggering 13.7% of retail sales worldwide. As this percentage increases too, it’s critical that e-commerce businesses are able to follow trends to capture a slice of the pie and boost their revenues.
What are the key e-commerce trends to follow in 2019, though? Here’s a closer look to inspire you and help you move your business forward.
Progressive Web Apps Will Become More Popular
Did you know that the average American smartphone owner installs an average of 0 native apps per month? The initial infatuation with apps has all but disappeared and now users are cautious when installing apps due to security concerns and the lack of convenience.
Progressive Web Apps are here to save the day, though. These powerful applications can be installed over the web and they have a space on the home screen of smartphone users. They offer all of the functionality of native apps thanks to “service workers” (a powerful piece of web technology) without having to be installed on the device itself.
These apps are performant, lightweight, and offer key functionality. As PWAs become more and more powerful, we can expect for e-commerce stores to begin offering these to their customers.
Consumers Exercise Their Ethics
Customers are taking sustainability seriously. In fact, 66% of consumers say that they would be willing to spend more on a product if it was one that came from a sustainable brand. Customers are putting their money where their mouth is, meaning that e-commerce stores should really try to stock sustainable products.
As this dynamic continues, we can expect for customers to continue demanding sustainably sourced products and for e-commerce stores to feed that appetite. This will ensure success for e-commerce stores that stay on target while helping us all to contribute to a fairer and more even world.
Chatbots Seal the Deal
If you ask an e-commerce consultant what the key trend will be for years to come, they will most probably make a reference to chatbots. These powerful pieces of technology make it possible for you to engage with your customers and offer them personalized service without having to invest in a large customer support team.
Chatbots are becoming more and more sophisticated, pioneered by giants like Facebook and Google. By helping you to offer around-the-clock personalized service, these chatbots can help you secure more sales and delight your customers.
We are in the early days of chatbots and we can expect for them to become even more sophisticated as time goes on. If you aren’t on top of this trend yet, you should be sure to invest in it – follow the lead of companies like Velvet Caviar known for iPhone cases and other leading e-commerce retailers.
Voice Search Grows More Popular
Voice search is huge right now. Google Home and Alexa are really helping to push this unique form of search and it’s also more common in countries with high rates of illiteracy. Voice search means that everybody can get online and your potential customers are going to use it more and more as time goes on.
This is why it’s recommended that e-commerce stores carefully assess their SEO strategy and work to incorporate best practice to rank for voice searches. The SEO community is blazing with enthusiasm for this new area.
AR and VR Grow Larger
It seems like just yesterday that augmented and virtual reality were reserved for science fiction. That’s not the case now, though. Most high-end smartphones have AR capabilities, while VR headsets like the Oculus Quest are bringing VR to the mainstream.
These devices make it easy for customers to sample products before they purchase them, getting up close and personal with them. Customers can now see what products look like in their homes and even on their bodies, so e-commerce stores are going to start producing quality AR and VR content to put their best foot forward.
We hope that this look at the e-commerce trends to follow in 2019 has been useful for you – there’s a lot to keep on top of but it’s worth it!
