E Commerce and ecommerce technology have become an important part of daily life, owing to the ease of having goods shipped to your home at the touch of a button.

From a customer’s view, technological advances have had a significant impact on the ecommerce industry, changing how customers interact with brands and enabling them to shop more efficiently. Customers can now monitor their orders, look for the best offers, and much more.

For an enterprise’s view, tactical strategies, competitive marketing, and a professional workforce must all be backed up by cutting-edge technology. 

New market prospects will eventually emerge as a result of all of this growth.So, let’s take a look at some of these ecommerce technology trends and what they mean for ecommerce success.

1) Importance of Having Omni-Channel

Cross-channel analysis, consideration, and purchase are all part of modern shopping habits. 

Customers anticipate seamless experiences across multiple platforms and devices, according to estimates, demonstrating the value of omnichannel readiness for today’s companies.

Using the right technology allows you to give your customers not only what they want,  when they want it, but also how  they want it.

Here are some examples of approaches and technologies that work well in a multi-step customer journey:

• Video Chat – Customers can connect face-to-face with your company through video chat, providing a customized, cross-channel, visually demonstrative, and consultative experience.
• Co-browsing – It’s a visual communication system that keeps the agents and customers on the same page at the same time, allowing agents to direct customers through the processes with ease.
• Screen sharing – It’s a way of engaging with your customers in which they share their screen with your agents to help them fill out forms, complete purchases, and so on.
• Document Interaction- It gives your agents a secure way to communicate with your customer’s records, and it incorporates e-signature technology for added security.

2) Need for Substantial Personalization

Personalization is the most prominent eCommerce trend right now. Consumers have come to expect a personalized shopping experience that caters to their specific needs. According to Loyalty360 statistics, more than 74% percent of consumers reject deals that aren’t personalized or dependent on their previous interactions with the company. This demonstrates the importance of personalization in marketing and tailored customer service.

Understanding consumer’s tastes and attitudes is the key to successful personalization. Thankfully, ecommerce technology has progressed to the point that it can now provide that degree of insight. 

• Almost every online user activity is recorded and processed, resulting in a massive amount of data known as big data.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning analytics drive consumer behaviour patterns while also analysing data, providing companies with a loop of preferences and aspirations that opens up limitless possibilities.

Personalization has become the standard thanks to big data, machine learning, and AI, with companies tailoring their support and services to reflect this.

3) Increased Mobile Usage

Mobile platforms have grown in value to the point that m-commerce has become a distinct term and has emerged as a concept in its own right.

Failure to have a mobile-friendly shopping experience would almost definitely cost you future customers who value mobile. 

It’s critical to arm yourself with mobile-friendly technologies if you want to increase your chances of future success.

• Ecommerce mobile apps – Apps provide consumers with ongoing interaction with your brand as well as the opportunity to learn about new and appropriate shopping opportunities.
• Location-based marketing – Make use of your customer’s geographic position to sell goods that are important to them.
• VR/AR guidance – Integrating VR and AR technologies gives your consumers a more engaging mobile shopping experience, allowing them to engage with your brand on a deeper and more meaningful level.
• Internet of Things (IoT) – The Internet of Things stems from a desire to gain a deeper understanding of consumer trends through a variety of connected devices. It has almost unlimited potential for providing customised mobile shopping experiences to your customers.

4) Rise of Conversational Marketing

Traditional marketing platforms have a one-way flow. Conversational marketing, a recent phenomenon, has opened up two-way communication, resulting in multiple opportunities for ecommerce success.

It makes more sense to get input directly from consumers rather than trying to forecast it.

On the basis of this, you can start a customised, real-time, one-on-one conversation with your customers, confident in the knowledge that you fully understand their needs.

Some of the most effective technologies for nurturing consumer conversations are listed below:

• Chatbots – Chatbots are fantastic conversational marketing tools, with the ability to handle many conversations at once. They offer answers to your customers by combining information from different sources while maintaining a clear tone for your brand.
• Live Chat – Live chat helps the customer service representatives to connect with customers in real time. Based on their conduct, you can send out a pre-emptive chat invitation to specific customers.
• Mobile Messaging – Smartphones are just another way for the company to communicate with customers. Instead of talking with them via promotional emails, use instant messaging applications to communicate with them.

5) Adoption of AI and Chatbots

Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a significant role in our daily lives, influencing how we live and function. 

Voice-powered assistants like Google’s Home, Apple’s Siri and Amazon Echo are just a few examples of AI and automation tools with customer service applications for your company.

According to research showcased by Voicebot, this form of voice-activated search is already being used by 45% of millennials for online shopping.

For enterprises, chatbots and virtual assistants are the way of the future. Some companies are already incorporating chatbots into their processes to enhance customer service and raise brand awareness.

Chatbots will enable your customers to order food, check in their luggage at the airport, book a hotel room, plan their flights, and get suggestions for almost everything. For example, the Starbucks chatbot informs customers about their order status, payment details, and so on.

6) Significance of Image Search

Customers can easily photograph objects they’re interested in and find similar examples on other sites using image search technology, which ecommerce companies are integrating into their websites.

Consider someone who comes across a piece of furniture they really like but cannot afford it. If your company sells similar goods at a lower price, incorporating image search into your website could help you capitalize on this opportunity and generate additional revenue.

7) Efficient Checkout Processes

Cart abandonment is the most aggravating cause of lost sales because it indicates that a customer was considering purchasing your product but changed their mind at the last minute.

According to SalesCycle analysis, Cart abandonment is at a global rate of 79 percent, demonstrating the magnitude of the problem.

The checkout process is one of the most common reasons customers abandon their carts. 

Inefficient checkout procedures increase the likelihood of your users abandoning their cart, regardless of how well the lead has been nurtured.

As a result, if you want your ecommerce business to succeed, adopt strategies that allows for fast and easy checkouts, such as:

• Using fast mobile payment solutions like Apple Pay and Android Pay
• Allowing the customers to save their credit card information hence simplifying repeat transactions.
• Providing easy, one-page checkouts.
• Making variety of payment options available.

8) Email Marketing Automation

The importance of automation in email marketing cannot be overstated. Pre-set triggers allow you to deliver hyper-relevant and timely messages to your subscribers in a seamless manner, delighting them.

According to Mailgen, 89% of marketers consider email to be their primary lead generation platform. Thus, being more strategic and automating the email marketing campaigns for a smoother and more efficient process is well worth the effort.

Say, if a customer abandons his cart, for example, an email will persuade him to return to the site and complete the purchase.

The most efficient way to send emails to cart abandoners is to automate your email marketing. 

When you automate your email marketing, the email is sent as soon as someone triggers an online trigger.According to Statistics showcased by Zephoria, Automated emails get 119% more clicks than broadcast emails and B2C marketers who used automated emails saw conversion rates of up to 50%.

9) Product Tagging

Another emerging trend, led by Facebook and Instagram, is the introduction of a useful feature called shoppable marks. This tool allows businesses to add the item’s label in a post, reel, videos etc. in order to attract customers’ attention.

What is the advantage of this? Isn’t it that it aids in the continuation of indirect marketing? 

• It helps in elevating the customer’s shopping experience enabling them to tag their friends’ in the image of the products
• Furthermore, it provides a fantastic opportunity to allow them to purchase an item in just a few clicks. People are enthralled with it and are willing to go along with it.
• It helps in generating additional revenue. Facebook leads in this area and provides you with a fair opportunity to achieve something comparable when developing a promotion-oriented strategy.

You are free to create a tag called “Purchase Now.” What exactly does it do? It’s simple to notice with a link to the item you’re promoting directly underneath your Facebook message.

Also, Facebook allows you to create interactive promotions that are linked to a few different products. So, if you want to show off your products to people who have formally expressed interest on your website, you can run a promotion of this kind.

10) Significance of Online Research

Customers have been very astute in recent years. They don’t go shopping unless they have all of the necessary information. If they are shopping online or in-store, they still choose to gather the necessary details. To understand the modern customer behavior, you must:

• Perform a keyword research
• Identify trends and present the big picture to attract customers’ attention
• Examine social media which can provide great insights
• Make the most of your networks by allowing them to spread the word about you.
• Continue to assess where you stand in the competition.

According to various surveys, a large number of consumers still conduct online research before purchasing something because it is their hard-earned money at stake.

Furthermore, with so many options available, price comparison is a key part of online research.

Having a website, rather than having an office, has become increasingly important in recent years. Customers collect information from there to determine whether or not they want to work with you. 

It is imperative that you employ one of the best Content Marketing Services in order to provide your customers with more information about your brand.

They create the best content by selecting the most meaningful terms. Being in front of web advancement trends means attracting new clients, satisfying existing clients, and encouraging more developed clients to return.

11) CRM Integration

Customers interact with online retailers through a number of platforms, including online marketplaces, eCommerce websites, chatbots, email, and social media, all of which must be carefully handled in order to enable the best possible customer experience.

Online retailers are introducing advanced eCommerce CRM (customer relationship management) systems as an integral technology in the ecommerce Industry to keep up with the competition. 

CRM eCommerce integration offers a central place for consumer data that can be used to improve marketing effectiveness, in addition to providing a better customer experience.

• Sales data can also be used to better prepare and predict inventory. By optimising order fulfilment and timely communication, automated, coordinated data improves overall business performance.
• Online retailers frequently use native integrations to link their eCommerce tool not only to CRMs, but to all the networks and systems that collect customer data, in addition to built-in integrations and integrated eCommerce CRM systems. 

They will maintain a consistent customer experience across platforms and channels in this way.

12) Ecommerce Subscription Services

Subscriptions are becoming a more common way to purchase goods and services online.According to UnivDatos, By 2025, the eCommerce subscription market is expected to expand by 68%, with revenue reaching $478.2 billion USD. According to the Subscription Economy Index, In the last eight years, subscription services have grown by 403%.

Replenishment (automates purchases), curation (provides personalized experiences), and access (provides lower prices or members-only perks) are the three categories of eCommerce subscription services. For the best results, put your subscription model in one of these three categories.

13) eWallet Technology

It is no longer optional to enable your customers to use eWallet functionality, also known as mobile wallet.According to finaria, digital payments accounted for $3.04 trillion USD in 2017 and they are expected to grow to $6.6 trillion USD in 2021, more than doubling in just four years.

EWallet utilization provides consumers with ease of use and enhanced security, in addition to increasing sales and conversion rates for merchants. 

They no longer have to enter credit card details on websites or hand over their cards to cashiers; in addition, many eWallets provide or demand dual authentication before use.

14) Progress Web Apps and Gamification

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are websites that can be accessed directly from a browser and provide many of the same features as a native app. These applications are not available for download from an app store.

• PWAs are designed to assist shoppers in completing tasks quickly, while websites are tailored for consumers to obtain informational content. 
• They have features and functionalities that are fast and dependable, resulting in a highly engaging shopping experience.

For certain people, shopping online lacks the immersive experience of shopping in a store. 

Gamification makes online shopping more enjoyable by incentivizing consumers to act in a certain way in return for additional benefits. Promotional competitions, spin-to-win opportunities, and tiered VIP loyalty systems are three popular gamification methods.

15) Magento – Global eCommerce Platform

Magento is the most popular eCommerce platform in the world, powering over 250,000 businesses thanks to its dependability and scalability. 

Its clients are usually enterprise-level online stores with a high volume of items and financial means to hire licenced third-party design, production, and programming services.

Shopify, Yo!Kart, BigCommerce, VTEX, WooCommerce, and Tictail are some of Magento’s biggest rivals, with some of them better meeting the needs of smaller eCommerce retailers.

Conclusion:

Many successful eCommerce businesses have gotten to where they are today thanks to cutting-edge technology. Take advantage of the ability to learn about emerging technology in order to provide better service to your clients with the company’s bottom line being benefitted as well. Your closest rivals will undoubtedly introduce some of these eCommerce trends this year and beyond to gain an advantage. Which ones do you intend to implement in order to establish yourself as a leading eCommerce brand? Need help? Contact Magneto IT Solutions, an eCommerce development company, from where you can hireecommerce developers for imparting the best ecommerce solutions to you.