The hottest eCommerce trends in 2018 your business should target
Experts feel that out of the eCommerce trends 2018 is bringing, there are seven major ones that business leaders should watch the closest.
1. Micro-moments will be the new way to analyze consumer behavior
Digital consumers have extremely high expectations at this point. They can generally be divided into one of three different categories:
- Researchers who love to look up every single topic on their phone before making a buying decision.
- Locals who are part of the approximately 33 percent of mobile users who search for location-based results.
- Movers and shakers who need same-day shipping, so they can get products right away.
Experts refer to the events that lead to these three groups buying goods and services with the term micro-moments. You should expect to take a good look at how these kinds of events drive traffic to your business and how you can tweak your business model to match consumer expectations.
2. Virtual reality is going to take buying experience to a new level
A recent survey found that over one-third of all consumers would buy products over the Internet if they were able to test them out using a pair of VR goggles. Even the least expensive VR systems look Google Cardboard can turn a client’s smartphone into a functional pair of goggles. You’ll want to consider Facebook 360° videos and other technologies to incorporate VR into your business model so that consumers can try out products before they buy them.
Most popular social video sharing sites are now allowing users to post videos designed to work with VR headsets. You may want to start adding this kind of content to your existing channel in order to let people have a look at new products and services in 3D.
While it’s not quite like the real thing, your client base will certainly appreciate the offer.
3. Data is going to rule the online business arena
Many people already note that big data is a big deal, but predictive analytics might be the most important eCommerce trend 2018 brings with it. Your goal as a manager will be to make new decisions based on sales data. More than likely, you’ve already done this. Managing sales data was important in the era of ledger sheets. What’s changed, though, is how fast machines can manage data today and how much data is being produced. You’ll need to make sure that you can make decisions every bit as your competitors.
4. Faster customer serving chatbots and messengers will set the bar for quality and assistance
Before you say that chatbots can’t offer the same level of service as real humans, take a look at these statistics:
- 89 percent of consumers won’t deal with companies that offer slow customer service.
- Chatbots can save 4 minutes of time on average per each consumer question.
- Apps to construct chatbots serve the top four social networking sites.
Wisely using chatbots can ensure that your actual support personnel are free to handle only the direst of circumstances while saving your clients time. More clients now report that they’re not even able to tell the difference between an extremely well-crafted chat script and an actual sales associate.
5. Artificial intelligence is going to bring a huge impact in the field of organic search results
Advances in artificial intelligence are influencing desktop and mobile consumers equally. New algorithms will automatically sort the search results that consumers get when they look up a topic. This translates into more natural organic search results. Make sure that you keep your product search functions updated with all of these advances, so people can find the things they want to buy.
6. Micro-managing product customizations will be a thing
A recent survey illustrated that the idea of customizing product choices appeals to over six out of ten consumers. One of the top eCommerce trends 2018 will bring is the ability for consumers to customize nearly every aspect of their purchasing decisions, which means you’ll need to be able to manage the choices that they make.
You should probably start by experimenting with personalization of products for a relatively small segment of consumers. That way you know what kinds of things people like to choose between before you offer a full-scale rollout of these sorts of options.
7. M-Commerce will pick up faster than ever
While it might seem obvious, mobile commerce is growing at an even faster rate than it was merely six months ago. Recent marketing data reported that smartphone users now account for almost half of all m-commerce sales. Consumers apparently spend 85 percent of their time on using smartphones messing around with various mobile apps. Only around five percent of that time is ever used on making a purchase.
This means you have plenty of time to deliver a pitch to a fairly captive audience. That being said, don’t forget to still stay desktop friendly. You’ll want to reach as large a market segment as possible.
Keep your eyes peeled for more trends
While these seven trends are sure to define the eCommerce scene in 2018, you’ll want to keep your eyes open at all times. Hardware vendors are working on technologies that in the earliest stages of development. You’ll stay a step ahead of the competition simply by staying ready to adapt to the changing market conditions brought on by consumer habits and changes in technology.
Check out this latest infographic that highlights your business goals to keep up with these eCommerce trends in 2018:
