Now that consumers rely on e-commerce and have a huge range of online shopping options what’s next for the e-commerce world? How can e-commerce sites catch the attention of consumers when there are so many e-commerce sites competing for their business? Will giants like Amazon finally start to topple? And how will social media influence the choices of consumers? The trends that are dominating e-commerce in 2018 point to a clear path forward for e-commerce: personalization.

The Future Of Ecommerce 2018

One of the biggest e-commerce trends last year was mobile optimization. That trend isn’t slowing down at all, but the future of e-commerce is changing based on the way that technology has been integrated into the daily lives of consumers. Stores that want to survive and thrive online in the immediate e-commerce future need to engage consumers on a personal level and try to give the shopper a complete shopping experience rather than just having consumers click a few buttons on a website.

The entire experience of shopping online is being revamped to give shoppers an easier and more seamless experience. One step checkouts are going to be very important for stores that want to keep their shoppers happy. More people than ever are shopping on apps and on mobile devices and tablets so creating a fast one click checkout that can integrate with the payment system on their phones is going to be something that consumers expect.

Amazing imagery is going to be standard throughout the e-commerce world. The photos of the product and how consumers can use and enjoy that product have to be the best possible quality. Creativity counts and it’s no longer ok to just throw up any old photo of a product. Photos and images of products need to be creative enough to tell a story and fit in on social media platforms in order to get the attention of consumers. Otherwise, customers will just scroll right past them.

The brands that have the highest conversion rates will be the ones that have created an entire mythos for their products. A signature style of photograph, signature colours or the use of particular filters will be essential to establishing an e-commerce brand that is instantly recognizable by consumers. Creative content is also going to be a big trend in 2018 and beyond. E-commerce sites need to connect on a personal level with shoppers or they won’t get customers interested in those products.

What Is The Future Of Ecommerce

The biggest e-commerce future trends are all centred around two things: personalization and integration. The future of online shopping is all about making the shopping experience unique and reaching shoppers on a personal level. This is going to be accomplished with several different methods that are integrated to promote the growth of e-commerce as a part of people’s daily lives using AI technology as well as phones, tablets and computers. Those methods include:

Instant Gratification

One of the biggest drawbacks to shopping online traditionally has been that it can take weeks for consumers to get their products. Brick and mortar stores have always had an advantage when it comes to providing consumers with instant gratification. But that’s changing in 2018. E-commerce sites are partnering with each other and with logistical innovation teams to speed up the process of getting products to consumers. Amazon now has same day Prime delivery and more and more e-commerce stores are following suit. Instacart can deliver groceries in as little as one hour. Being able to deliver goods almost immediately will boost consumer loyalty for e-commerce businesses.

No Risk Trials

No risk trials aren’t new in commerce, but they are new in e-commerce. And consumers love them. No risk trials solve one of the biggest problems that e-commerce sites have faced in the past. Consumers are hesitant to buy things like clothing, mattresses, rugs and other items that they can’t touch or test before they buy. One of the biggest e-commerce trends in 2018 is the free trial. Companies ship goods to consumers and give them an extended trial period in order to be sure they like the item. If they don’t like it their credit card is never charged, or the initial charge is refunded. This gives consumers a lot more confidence when it comes to buying big ticket items online. Consumers can even now purchase cars online with a seven day trial period in which they can return the car if they don’t like it.

Social Media Selling

Social media is no longer just for connecting with friends or trying to find out what your high school crush is doing twenty years later. Social media is big business for e-commerce sites and that trend is only going to get bigger in the future. Ask an e-commerce marketing agency and they will tell you. Consumers are very interested in what their friends think of particular products, brands, and services. Getting personal recommendations on social media for items and then being able to buy those items directly through Facebook or Twitter or Instagram is part of the streamlining process. E-commerce is booming on social media sites which allow consumers to see a product, get a recommendation from a friend or read reviews of that product, and then buy it with a single click without having to leave Facebook or whatever social media site they are on.

Instant Customer Service

And the final component of this streamlined and personalized shopping service is instant access to customer service through chats and social media messages. Consumers don’t want to spend a long time on the phone or waiting for email when they have a problem. They want to be able to fire off a Facebook message or an Instagram DM to someone and get help immediately. Companies like pet food retailer Chewy.com which have 24 hours a day social media and chat support are drawing millions of new customers each year because they offer customers instant access to support without any extra charges.