To overtake competitors and increase sales and the number of loyal customers, businessmen, and marketers need to follow the trends in the development of e-commerce.
We have prepared a review of techniques and tools for 2024 that can inspire you to upgrade your business.
The best thing you can do for an e-commerce business is contact professionals who provide ecommerce consulting in various business areas. They know precisely all the trends and can offer suitable development paths. What do we see among the most exciting development methods in 2024?
Key Takeaways
- Emphasize personalization in e-commerce to cater to individual customer preferences and improve sales.
- Ensure your e-commerce platform is optimized for mobile shopping to enhance customer access and engagement.
- Integrate virtual and real-world elements to create immersive shopping experiences and improve customer loyalty.
- Leverage artificial intelligence for more than just analytics—use it to personalize marketing and improve customer service.
- Maximize product and process visualization through videos, AR, and VR to enhance the online shopping experience.
- Adopt new payment methods, including installment payments and cryptocurrencies, to accommodate diverse customer preferences.
Personalization
A personal approach to the buyer is critical. Therefore, many large businesses choose e-commerce consulting so that professionals can provide the necessary services based on their many years of experience. At the same time, ecommerce consulting may include personalization and the resolution of any conflicts, development, and increasing demand in the market. Is it possible to please everyone simultaneously, for different characters, preferences, genders, and ages? Modern technologies can analyze buyers’ online behavior and offer needed goods or services. Examples of successful personalization are:
- product recommendations;
- personal discounts;
- individual offers based on purchase history.
Shopping with a mobile phone
This is a trend every year, starting when mobile devices are connected to the Internet. If you haven’t yet adapted your online store for mobile devices, correct this shortcoming and increase customer traffic. If you already have a mobile application, invest money in its development and improvement. To stand out from your competitors, you must have:
- modern interface and high-quality content;
- high download speed;
- entertainment for clients;
- the ability to check the availability and reserve goods at the nearest store;
- personalized recommendations.
Merging the virtual and real worlds
Already, the most prominent businesses are focusing on gamers and gamification. Nike’s example of the metaverse will inspire you to create your virtual world. Its use attracts attention and increases loyalty. When discussing the merger of online and offline, we must remember omnichannel sales. Continue to bring different sales channels closer together to provide the customer with a unified and consistent buying experience. For example, the cosmetics chain Sephora already offers customers the ability to scan products in the store and immediately watch reviews and video tutorials on the mobile app.
Artificial intelligence – not only analysis and generation of reports but also a translator of speech scripts
AI systems can adapt advertising campaigns based on user behavior. Through machine learning, entrepreneurs reduce costs and increase marketing efficiency. Thus, chatbots allow you to respond to customer requests quickly, and a personalized product feed can increase sales by 35%.
Maximum visualization of products and processes
In this aspect, online trading still needs to be improved in stationery stores and showrooms. But technology does not stand still; with its help, you can improve your video content. What new tools can be used:
- Video demonstrations of products. Arrange an interactive experience so customers can feel the product from a distance and see it in action.
- 360-degree videos. Sellers note that after a comprehensive review of clothing or shoes, the number of returns on marketplaces has decreased.
- Built-in video reviews. Writing takes a long time and is not always convenient; invite your customers to leave a video review. Such reviews look more convincing and inspire more trust than comments.
- Live broadcasts. Invite an expert to your live broadcast to increase the flow of viewers. By combining product demonstrations and expert responses, you can encourage real-time purchases.
- AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality). Advanced users will appreciate the ability to “try on” products virtually or see how they will look in real life. You can place the sofa you like in the room using a camera. VR technologies provide full-fledged virtual shopping tours or product demonstrations in 3D.
- Educational videos. Many people do not read instructions but search the Internet for videos about the product’s use and properties. Then, all that remains is to use it correctly.
New methods of paying for goods
It’s a shame that some customers leave without purchasing something because they couldn’t pay. The more convenient and quick options you can offer, the fewer unfinished purchases will remain. Pay in shares. This modern version of installment payment has been gaining popularity since the beginning of 2023. The mechanism is straightforward and convenient for the buyer: paying in equal installments of 25%. The more concise and transparent the payment method, the easier to decide on an expensive purchase.
- Contactless payments. In e-commerce, they are carried out through automatically generated QR codes, which prevent mistakes in the details when making a payment.
- Cryptocurrencies. Due to the cryptocurrency market’s volatility, the payment method has not yet been fully mastered and studied. Whoever can apply it first will be ten steps ahead of the competition.
- Intelligent payment assistants. As AI progresses, payment assistants may appear to automatically select the best payment method, taking into account discounts, cashback, and other benefits.
Whether you want to scale, open a new business, or increase sales, pay attention to the latest trends in e-commerce.
Essential Industry Insights for Further Reading
- 2024 Trends: AI to Revolutionize E-commerce Personalization: An exploration of how AI-powered personalization, or hyper-personalization, is set to enhance the e-commerce shopping experience in 2024.
- Top personalization trends in 2024: from AI to hyper-personalization: Insights into the future of personalization in digital marketing, focusing on AI advancements and hyper-personalization.
- Ecommerce personalization in 2024 – trends and opportunities: A detailed look at the journey of personalization in e-commerce and the evolving trends that businesses need to pay attention to.
- 14 Ecommerce Trends to Expect in 2024: A comprehensive overview of upcoming e-commerce trends, including social commerce, sustainable shopping, and advancements in AR/VR.
- AI Trends in eCommerce 2024: Analysis of how AI is shaping the future of e-commerce, from personalization to predictive analytics and the increasing importance of data privacy.