Trends in eCommerce technology include mobility, digitization, customization, speed optimization, chat-bots, and more
According to research conducted by Big Commerce, 80% of people in the U.S. make purchases online at least once a month. While the majority of people shop on large marketplace websites like Amazon, roughly 30 to 40% also purchase from online retailers like web stores, independent boutiques, and category-specific e-retailers. This year we’ll see several e-commerce trends emerge with the potential to transform how we shop and communicate with online stores.
1) Mobile first
In 2016, mobile eCommerce services accounted for over $25 billion in sales, an increase of more than 25%. This figure is predicted to continue to increase, reaching over $30 billion in 2017, and $42 billion by 2020. Mobile traffic has overtaken the desktop. Google is working on a new, mobile-first web index and marketing strategy. According to these trends, it’s critical to business to put mobile first, rather than simply optimizing for mobile.
2) Digital payments
Mobile payments are on the rise as smartphone users adjust to the convenience of contactless payments. Starbucks was an innovator in mobile payments, becoming one of the first to offer products based on an online payment model. In 2016, an increasing number of customers adopted digital payment methods, using their phones, cards and even watches to complete contactless payments. PureNet predicts that every customer will expect to be able to complete their transaction using a digital wallet in real-time.
3) Personalization and Customization
The amount of data available increasingly allows content, ads, and products to be shown to the right people at the right time, across the web and social networks. The continuing sophistication of personalized recommendations will be trending for eCommerce this year. Retailers will embrace personalized experiences – even using e-mail marketing to cater personalized emails to consumers, rendering unique customer experiences. and Artificial Intelligence by starting to collect behavioral data like browsing history, geo-location, and social media from website visitors and developing highly targeted campaigns based on customer segments and previous online experiences.
4) Fast delivery
Ecommerce delivery timescales have reduced drastically and become much faster, boosting customer relationships with eCommerce sites. Delivery and returns have always been one of the pain points of the online shopping experience, but improvements in eCommerce technology have improved delivery significantly. PureNet predicts same-day delivery will continue to rise in 2017, and more eCommerce integration with drop-off point providers such as Doddle.
5) Competitive Platforms
eCommerce Technology will continue to play a greater role in automating the retail experience. With the help of the latest technology, salespeople will be able to focus on building relationships with customers to increase sales. In order to stay competitive, businesses must invest in high-performing eCommerce solutions. Providers such as Charter Global, apply leading technology tools to deliver customized eCommerce solutions to mid-size and Fortune 1000 companies. Experienced providers offer expertise across multiple, proven Cloud-based eCommerce platforms such as SAP HANA, SAP Business One, Magento, PCI DSS, Spring MVC (Framework ), Magnolia CMS/ Blossom module, HTML5, CSS3, JQuery, and Struts.
6) Chatbots
Chat-bots are AI-led automated messenger services that allow your customers to engage with your brand via instant messenger via machine learning. Over the last few years messaging apps have exploded in popularity, and thanks to eCommerce personalization, artificial intelligence technology has been adopted by many large retailers. This year will see these two trends combine to deliver a new way of shopping and communicating.
