2021 has been an eventful year, to say the least, especially for the eCommerce industry. With online shopping growing up to $183 billion because of the resurgences of the COVID-19 virus, people now rely on mobile apps and platforms for all essentials. The new normal also witnessed heavy usage of artificial intelligence and augmented reality for seamlessness in the shopping experience. One of the examples of how the eCommerce industry is already into the next frontier of delivery method is when Amazon uses the Amazon Scout – an electric autonomous delivery system that literally ‘rolls’ to your doorstep to deliver your orders. And this is just the beginning.
AI And ML-Backed Upsells
Amazon isn’t alone in thinking along the lines of Machine Learning to stick to its commitment to same-day deliveries. Each day more businesses have been integrating Artificial Intelligence to elevate their workflows, processes, and customer experiences. Not only does AI make better predictions on recommendations, but also offers a more humanized experience similar to that of a brick and mortar store.
Voice-Searches
With homes and offices managed by smart voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, voice-searches, voice searches are growing exponentially. As per reports, the market for voice search may reach around $4 billion in 2022, as shopping is supposed to increase by 55%. It’s imperative to say that for eCommerce business owners integrating the right keywords and phrases, and implementing the right voice-search optimization strategies can bring significant changes.
Personalized Merchandise And Products
Considered to be a millennial thing (since the 2000s was the time when many marketers started personalized email campaigns for more engagement) – personalized products have now become a part of everyday life. Be it clothing, accessory, or automobiles, brands like Gucci, Dior, Porshe – all offer personalized products that provide exclusivity to customers in their shopping experience; thus adding brand loyalty.
Furthermore, with better accessibility, people worldwide have now become a global target audience for numerous, previously exclusive entertainment, sports industries. Such a rise in international viewership and fandom has also seen a rise in demand for exclusive fan merchandise – something that’s only going to rise in 2022.
AI-Driven Customer Service Management
Be it mid to large eCommerce enterprises, customer service is the essence of their business. As technology advancements such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are slowly automating and replacing manual processes, the eCommerce industry has embraced the change via smart chatbots to ensure quick turnarounds and faster resolving of issues. They can also be instrumental in:
- Collecting feedback data, conducting surveys
- Responding to Frequently Asked Questions
- Providing product suggestions
- Notifying about current offers, discounts, sales, etc.
- Handle multiple users/customers at the same time.
Augmented/Virtual Reality
A lot of people often fret about online shopping because of the chances of ending up with an entirely different product than what was promised. To sort this out, business owners now deliver promising digital platforms that can help the customer know exactly how the product looks in reality, thus encouraging them to make good purchase decisions. It is estimated that more than 120,000 stores will be integrating AR tools in 2022 for a superior shopping experience.
Omnichannel Selling
Sprout Social reports say that multiple viewing of products can help audiences to make better purchase decisions. Therefore, brands often expand their horizon of reach and leverage social media to build awareness. Also, as more channels showcase your products, people become more aware of the brand and create engagement. This way you can be in the direct line of purchase with bigger brands like Amazon, etc.
Bottomline
Other emerging trends like headless eCommerce giving customers more control over their branding, sustainable products, and packaging, safer payment options will continue to rise in the first half of 2022. With more and more inclination towards data analytics, marketers and business owners now have the power to derive insights and prepare well for the future. However, if you’re a business owner still on the lookout for the right development team to help take your business online, here are some of our suggestions:
Tunga, Amsterdam
They’re an online platform to hire experienced developers with different specializations and flexible contracts to help you grow your business. Their affordable fees can be a good starting point for small business owners or solo-gigs.
Perception System, California
They’re a software and mobile app development agency, with years of experience in healthcare, education, retail, etc. Their 700+ global clientele includes several prestigious brands, especially if your business hails from the industry they’ve served in.
CodeClouds, Indiana
An award-winning eCommerce development and design agency with a decade of industry experience, their global team of 400+ experts is an excellent source to hire eCommerce developers.
