Featured article by Calvin Paige, Independent Technology Author
Being able to conveniently shop online is a luxury that consumers are able to enjoy thanks to the emergence of e-commerce. For one, it has given birth to several successful solely digital retailers by giving them the opportunity to target and sell their products to online communities. Likewise, it has also created opportunities for other established brands without an online presence to create one and expand their reach. At the center of this change is how the customer’s retail experience has transformed over the past couple of decades. In order to look at a few of these changes, this article will discuss interesting ways that the latest e-commerce trends have changed the customer experience in recent times.
Enabling Customers to Purchase via Email
In spite of all of the digital advancements and multiple platforms that continue to emerge, email still happens to remain one of the most prominent ways to market. For one, email is said to drive more revenue than all social media platforms combined and beat just about everything else when it comes to a return on investment. E-commerce has taken advantage of this by enabling customers to make purchases via email. This means that the entire buying process can be carried out within an email which could save a customer a lot of time and hassle.
More Personal Engagement
As of recent, brands have begun to understand how important it is to ensure each customer’s experience with their brand is as intimate and personalized as possible. In response to this, they are continuously looking for ways to humanize their brands in order to achieve greater connections with the people that are interacting with their brands. For the average customer, this ongoing e-commerce trend means that they will often see emails addressed to them personally, social media content that seems to correlate with their interests, and a brand personality that seems to have things in common with them. They may also find that some of their favorite brands have become media platforms churning out all sorts of content in order to keep them engaged, informed, and entertained.
The Use of Voice Search
When Siri first emerged on the scene, there were many mixed reviews. Some people were fascinated by the idea of artificial intelligence and some saw it as a shortcut to do mundane things. It is likely there were people who never thought they would use it at all, but over time it is becoming a way of life for some. Voice search is a trend that will likely continue to grow in the e-commerce world, especially as it can be used to make online purchases. If, for instance, you wanted to buy a wall charger for your Fitbit on Mobile Mob while you were driving, voice search could help you do everything with a simple voice command. This is definitely a new way of shopping in comparison to the conventional way of doing so. It also adds a different dynamic to the customer experience in relation to e-commerce.
Influencer Marketing
Using influencers as a way to market seems to be taking several industries by storm. It is especially a trend that seems to be continuing in the e-commerce world. What this means for consumers is that they will now regularly see some of their favorite celebrities or leaders subtly marketing or advertising products or services for businesses. Seeing as these influencers usually have a substantial number of followers and strong influence, it is likely that customers will be more willing to take what’s being marketed into consideration. The good thing about this method is that influencers are usually likely to market products through a social media post or video which means that influencers can include links for prospective customers to make purchases immediately. Influencer marketing is more or less word of mouth which is said to be one of the most effective forms of marketing. This trend is also beneficial in the e-commerce sphere because it can be an affordable yet effective way of marketing.
Mobile Optimization
Mobile has become an increasingly popular way for people to browse the internet and do just about everything else. Everything that is needed can be found right there in that little hand-held device. This has prompted e-commerce to take advantage of this by meeting customers where they are. For many brands, this has meant tailoring their marketing efforts for mobile. It also requires businesses are able to ensure their sites are responsive for mobile users seeing as 57% of mobile shoppers are said to abandon a site if it doesn’t load within three seconds. Additionally, mobile optimization also demands that they can carry out mobile-optimized searches, have digital wallets and also product videos. In terms of digital wallets, this form of mobile commerce has enabled one-step purchases which makes shopping quicker and less stressful for consumers. The focus is of course on speeding up the mobile check-out process as that is where the money comes from. It has also meant that brands have begun creating apps that customers can use to both interact with their brand and carry out core functions.
Better Use of Data
In order to capture ready-to-buy customers, it is important that adequate data is available to do so. You’ll need to find out the answer to questions how customers shop online, why they convert, and also why they don’t. The right research and data can answer some of these key questions which is why it’s becoming an area of interest for many businesses. More and More organizations are investing in collating and making sense of big data to see how they can better meet the needs of their customer.
Shopping or finding specific services has become something you can do without moving an inch in this day and age. E-commerce has attempted to make the customer experience as fast, efficient, and seamless as possible in order to improve the way consumers mane transactions as well as sales. In the near future, it is likely that even greater developments will emerge to take the online shopping experience to even greater heights.
