As we all know, e-commerce is a fast paced and ever-growing industry that strives to stay at the forefront of developments in technology and consumer behaviour. This means online stores are constantly looking to differentiate themselves in unique and exciting ways. Therefore, over the past year we have seen lots of new, wild innovations aimed at changing the way in which we shop. There are many out there, so we have outlined below the most impactful and exciting e-commerce trends we anticipate will become the next big thing in 2023 and beyond.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality can be described as immersive shopping. In a nutshell, the goal is to allow customers to virtually walk around a store, be it a car dealership or clothing boutique, and interact with employees before checking out items like they would in real life. All of this without even leaving the house.
In fact, a whopping 63% of US consumers1 claim their shopping experience would improve if AR functionality was present, and 35% of people said they would shop more online if they could virtually try on a product.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is making it even easier to learn about shoppers’ preferences and behaviours. AI collects data on how customers shop and when they buy certain things. For example, remembering preferred checkout methods to ensure a smoother and quicker purchasing journey for customers through dynamic checkout buttons2 is just one example. Shopify, luckily for you, offers some themes with this specific functionality embedded.
This technology can’t be replicated in-store, which is why online shopping has become a lot more customised and seamless.
On-site personalisation
Online shopping is a lot more personalised than in-person shopping thanks to personalised product recommendations from AI data collections. When shopping feels more personalised, it can lead to increases in revenue by up to and over 40%3 . Imagine going to a store and only seeing products you love, chances are much higher you will complete a purchase.
Voice searching
Smart speakers are becoming really popular and can be found in most households. Some studies have predicted that 75% of US households will own a smart speaker by 20254 . These speakers can be used to shop online, utilising voice search to order food and purchase items without lifting a finger or getting off your couch. E-commerce companies have a great opportunity to take advantage of this technology and use keywords and content in order to be found with these unique types of searches.
Influencers and content creators
Influencers and online celebrities are becoming more and more famous as time goes on. People often know TikTok stars before actors these days. Meaning, partnering with influencers to promote your products and services through socials media campaigns and on your e-commerce site can make a huge impact, reaching new demographics and convincing a lot more people to become your customers. Fans will trust influencers’ opinions and want to get their hands on the products they’re promoting as a fear of missing out plays an important role.
Customer feedback and reviews
Online stores are often automated to send an email following a purchase, asking a customer to provide feedback about their shopping experience and purchased items/services. This is a way to better understand customers’ behaviours and the reason behind their purchases. In turn, this helps you create a more personal and enjoyable shopping experience, as well as providing valuable insights into the reasons your customers purchase your products. This will enable you to better position your business and it can help you convince more visitors as to why they need your products/services.
Mobile shopping
Here we are again with mobile shopping. If you designed your website without thinking mobile first, you seriously need to consider updating your online presence. If online shopping wasn’t convenient enough, people can shop from just about everywhere thanks to mobile shopping. More and more e-commerce sites are making their websites mobile-friendly which is why if you don’t hop on this train now, you will miss out big time. Statista recently revealed that over 70% of e-commerce sales come from a mobile phone5.
More payment options
Choices and options are vital. If your online store does not offer a wide variety of payment options these days, ranging from debit and credit cards to PayPal and even crypto you risk losing a chunk of your revenue. The more options customers have, the more likely they are to make purchases. Customers can also save their preferred payment method, which makes it even easier to check out instantly.
More videos
Since people can’t see the items in person, videos help them visualise the products, understand how they work, see them from different angles and better recognise their benefits. Videos can engage customers and keep them on the site longer, creating more purchases by explaining and showcasing products more impactfully. On top of that, if you, the business owner, are talking about your products and how they work you also manage to personally connect with customers on emotions.
Subscription services
Subscription services are becoming increasingly more common in e-commerce.
Many online businesses focus exclusively on subscription boxes, which are automatically sent to customers every month or so for a monthly fee. From beauty and healthcare to clothes to mystery boxes, it’s no surprise that people love receiving packages with curated items. You should expect subscription services to get bigger and bigger in 2023 as merchants figure out more ways to provide value to their customers.
E-commerce trends are constantly changing, and innovation is as fast as ever. Therefore, make sure you are keeping up to date with the latest innovations.
Are you not sure what your business needs to succeed in 2023?
Whether it is a mobile optimized website, choosing and setting up a subscription service, or you just need to reignite your business, we can help.
Get in touch for a free no-obligation consultation and we will identify your business’ needs to create your success.
Thrive – making your vision our priority
Resources -
[1] Augmented Reality
[2] Dynamic Checkout
[3] On-site Personalisation
[4] Smart Speaker
[5] Mobile
