Ecommerce is continually evolving with advanced technology & trends. From secure checkout to faster payment, we have seen some big developments in the field of ecommerce. In order to stay at the cutting edge of the online industry, every retailer or website owner need to be updated with latest technologies that can be utilized in the vast field of ecommerce.
Every online retailer needs make their check-out process as easier and seamless as possible for smartphone users. Several businesses have already come up with their own mobile applications with easy check out options. If you own an online store or wondering to come up with a one, here are some advanced ecommerce trends that may rule 2017:
1. Social Commerce
Today, social media is not just limited to chatting and making friends anymore. It has grown as a powerful marketing tool that helps business owners promote their products & brands in the best way possible. We have already seen a remarkable growth in social media marketing last year. Specially, growth on the smartphones has been a winner in this trend. All you need to do is making the right strategies for your target audience. With a proper planning and well-though strategies, it’s easy to attract customers through social media.
2. Streamlined Product Return Policy
Several online consumers don’t get fully satisfied with the products that they purchased from a particular ecommerce website. And this is where a streamlined return policy comes in convenient. You can provide your customers with an excellent return feature so that they can replace or return the products without any bother. The streamlines return policy has been achieving immense popularity among business owners. So, make sure you provide a distinct and easier return policy to give your consumers a sense of comfort and security.
3. Chatbots
In 2016, several websites have adopted artificial intelligence and ecommerce personalization. And, we will be seeing these two trends combine in 2017 that will provide a new way of online shopping and communicating – chatbots. Chatbots will help consumers to engage with your app through instant messenger. The advanced chatbots will detect exactly what the consumer is looking for, answers customer queries. recommend products, and places orders.
4. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has already reached to the level where it is helpful to many people’s everyday lives. The growth of digital assistants, Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Amazon’s Alexa are examples of this trend. Different assistants have different kinds of features. Being a retailer, you should keep an eye on how these trends change the buyer journey.
5. Omnichannel will be everywhere
Today, retailers are finding the new way to bridge the gap between physical and online shopping. In 2016, several retailers have linked their bricks with ecommerce websites such as Glitch app from Adidas. In 2017, more businesses will be moving to this trend. More and more retailers will come up with multiple selling touchpoints for customers to interact with.
6. The Rise of Fast Delivery
In the last few years, the delivery time of ecommerce websites has immensely reduced and become faster. Nowadays, smart consumers expect to be capable of clicking and collecting. Several online stores offer the next-day delivery option if the product is ordered before 10 pm. Therefore, the precise and faster delivery will continue to grow in 2017.
7. Push Notifications
Don’t underestimate the power of Push Notifications. You can combine the usage of emails with native push notifications. In 2016, browser push notifications emerged as an effective tool to target all the customers in one place. It is also easier to hold share different kinds of marketer-customer communication such as real time post-purchase updates and displaying product recommendations.
eCommerce is gaining popularity day by day with a high-competition and risks. To stand out from the crowd and make your business successful, you need to accept the latest trends dominating the eCommerce industry. All the trends mentioned above are likely to rule the eCommerce in 2017. So, if you are looking forward to growing your e-store, make sure that you adopt these trends this year.
Author Bio:
Gaurav Mali works as a content writer and project coordinator at Baymediasoft, a top Magento Development Company. He is passionate about keeping himself up-to-date with the latest web and mobile technologies.