eCommerce: 2020 and Beyond
The world of retail is definitely undergoing crucial changes. Most of them are attributable to technology introduction and it’s becoming an ever more commonplace in all domains of humans lives. Although, it’s not all about technology, as aspiring business retailers should take into account the new business models which are affecting eCommerce as well as changing consumer behaviours and expectations. This article gives a brief account of projected trends and expected changes in the big world of eCommerce, along with relevant implications of these evolutionary changes for both merchants and users to their services.
The Internet Is Crushing Department Stores!
Department stores used to be the go-to place for people who needed to purchase a variety of products in one place, and its still working that way for many people. But let’s think if it’s a feasible shopping mode in future. You may be aware that the world speeds up each and every day as we keep looking for options to get everything done with less time and a lot less energy. So, it’s pretty obvious that the internet can offer millions of items at a click of a button. Thus, it seems that in the next couple of decades (if not sooner) going shopping in an actual department store might just run into a curious old-fashioned hobby that than a part of everyday life.
Online Retail Will Diminish The Need For Offline Stores
Even today it’s hard to find a relatively big and successful offline store that has not yet built its presence online. In fact, in the 21st century, if you are not online by any means, people will start to doubt you exist! In the next few years, the online retailer is expected to win ever more customers – you can already observe the process of offline stores offering more options and items online. Going online is cheaper, faster and a lot more convenient for both the customers and the merchant, so it’s not surprising that the era of online retail is gaining momentum, while most offline are staying in the past.
Mobile Is The Internet
Now, while everything is getting faster, all the devices are getting smaller and lighter in order to make things more portable for us. It’s no wonder that mobiles are the main device with the help of which everyone is going to communicate, surf the web and shop in future. The representatives of the younger generation already feel surprised when they come across a website without a mobile app, and this is only the beginning, it seems very realistic that it could come to the point where everyone will only be using notebooks and computers to do the more serious technical tasks and everything else will be done on mobile phones and tablets. In 2016, $100 billion sales were made on mobile and desktop devices only, and this figure is expected to continue growing. Now, this sounds like a rather lucrative trend to catch onto, doesn’t it?
Social Media Is A Key Driver Of eCommerce
Advertising used to be the greatest tool to tell people that your store exists, but now that there are advertisements everywhere, this is no longer effective. Today, people want a lot more open communication; they trust opinion leaders and want to know what ideas are staying behind each brand. This is why social media is a new main tool and a key driver of eCommerce. Because of this, communication between brands and customers are expected to get a lot closer and far less formal. Brands are already acting like that are in the prime winning situation. It is thus imperative for the business to learn efficient social sharing in order to increase their online presence, convert more visitors into customers and to take a decent share of the online business of the future.
eCommerce While Messaging
Similar to people preferring brands to be more open and act more human, messaging is becoming an important eCommerce tool. A merchant can send texts about sales, special offers or some personal sets of items based on their preferences as well as previous purchases. It also can be message conversation with a consultant on a website. The only way to be on trend is to implement this tool into your business and make it pretty much as personal as possible.
VR, AR And Wearable Devices
Augmented reality and Virtual reality is no longer just science fiction; they are finally becoming our commonplace reality. Along with the help of a wearable device like Google’s Glass, most merchants will soon have a chance to link in the real world and virtual reality in comprehensive augmented devices and technologies, which promises a new and exciting shopping experience. You will be able to know much more about what your customers want which is the most important factor here.
Online Stores Just Have To Fit In
With all these changes that are taking place abruptly and also changing the online marketplace forever, business owners are urged to keep pace with all the changes and also address new customer needs, which are mostly tied to cross-platform usability, easy navigation, mobile accessibility, and intuitive interfaces. Amasty Magento extension is one of the solutions enabling handy and quick optimisation of the online store to users’ demands via quick and simple navigation, sorting by brand and intuitive menu allowing shoppers to find everything and anything they need in a short space of time. As it was righteously noted that the main word characterising a consumer of the future is “convenience,” with any type of product available to shoppers anytime and anywhere, the way they want it. Thus in the modern highly competitive market of everyone who is shopping online, the winner will be the one that makes the sites use comfortable and more fun.
Conclusion
Now, as it comes from all the discussed trends, the irreversible change is already here; it has taken over the way people interact, searches for key products to buy, and conduct shopping. Businesses are also changing in line with the context changes but the key focus of eCommerce players should always remain with the consumer. Overall, having an understanding what it is that drives users to select their shopping destination in favour of another, discerning the features of appealing interfaces and commercial appeals, and also learning to deal with shoppers of the 21st century is a hard battle, but like everything, the winner really does take it all. eCommerce businesses that capture the essence of change and find an appeal to new customers are doomed to commercial success and grand revenues!
