Are you ready to welcome 2019 but wondering how challenging it is going to be especially with regard to eCommerce? Worry not. We bring you the top trends that are projected to make a significant difference.
eCommerce trend 2019 – Voice Commerce
Voice search is a major step towards convenient shopping experience and will have an increasing adoption rate among online buyers in 2019. As per stats, voice search is estimated to be 50% of all searches by 2020 and sales through voice commerce, is expected to reach $40 billion in the U.S. alone.
Another report states that the voice recognition market is expected to grow up to $601 million. Nearly 22% of people using smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, have purchased items online through voice search.
eCommerce trend 2019 – Cryptocurrencies and Digital Wallets
Cryptocurrencies have very low transaction rates and could be added as a payment method alongside credit cards and digital wallets. Shopify and Etsy merchants can opt for Bitcoin and Altcoin as payment methods. Shapeshift has integrated Bitpay and Coingate as their cryptocurrency payment processors.
Electronic transactions through digital wallets such as Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay are gaining popularity. A report states that mobile payments will surpass cash and card payments by 2030. Tactically, sites that encourage customers to use digital wallets can help increase mobile cart conversion by three-fold.
The main advantage of digital wallets is that customers need not carry their credit cards rather securely store the card information online and buy items. Further, Afterpay and ZipPay provide ‘buy now, pay later’ option without 0% interest rates.
eCommerce trend 2019 – Product Visualization: AR & VR
In the past, online buyers had to rely on images and videos to know about the products. But the introduction of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) has opened doors to new ways of experiencing products. Though AR technology has taken a while to catch up, it is worth investing because AR experience is crucial during purchase consideration phase.
Brands like IKEA started implementing AR in 2013 and allows customers to virtually ‘place’ 3D furniture true to its original size, in their home. VR provides immersive 3D experience in the digital world. Best Western offer 360-degree tour experience for its customers. It’s time for exploring how you can use these experience-driven technologies for your brand.
eCommerce trend 2019 – Social shopping and chatbots
According to a study, 54% of millennials (age 18 -36) use social channels for researching products before making a purchase. A survey conducted recently reports that social media influences 58% of respondents in purchase decisions. As per a report, social shopping in 2017 helped top 500 retailers earn an estimated $6.5 billion, which is a 24% year-over-year growth.
Consumers consider chatbots to be a helpful and informative source. As per a survey, 74% of shoppers are willing to make a purchase through chatbot which is higher than 55% reported in 2016. In short, brands should leverage in social media marketing in 2019 to market to sell more products and services to customers.
eCommerce trend 2019 – Progressive Web Apps
Progressive Web Apps (PWA) bring together the advantage of both mobile apps and websites. Unlike a traditional web app, a PWA assures faster loading time, hyper-compatibility regardless of browser or device, top-notch security, location-based tracking, push notifications and analytics advantage as well.
(Know how PWA can reinvent the mobile-web experience of your eCommerce store)
Many brands have achieved higher conversion rates and more user engagement with PWA instead of websites.
eCommerce trend 2019 – Personalized Experience
According to Forbes, customer experience has been the top objective of 75% of the companies.
A global study reports that 87% buyers allow companies to know more about them to offer a personalized experience.
So, at one end, companies strive to offer personalized experience while consumers like the same in exchange of their preference data. Revisit your customer experience strategy this year, to expand the customer base and fight through your competition.
