E-commerce is evolving at a lightning-fast pace. If you want to keep growing your sales and conversion rates over time, it is important to stay ahead of the latest online shopping trends. In this article, we will cover 13 major e-commerce trends in 2019. Keep reading to find out what these trends are and how to implement them in your online business.
1. Animation
Movement on a screen versus static pages will always attract attention. This is one of the reasons autoplay videos are so popular on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Use animations and motion on your website or email marketing campaigns to draw attention to specific details and engage viewers. Don’t overdo it, and be careful not to distract from the most important actions you want a customer to take (such as completing their purchase).
2. Social shopping and native shopping
Popular visual platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest are continually improving the ways e-commerce brands can market to their customers creatively and organically. In-app shopping experiences can let your customers buy products without having to leave their preferred platform, fostering a greater sense of trust and security for shoppers.
3. Automation
The more tasks your business can automate, the more easily scalable your business model becomes. Many aspects of targeting, marketing, customer service and fulfillment can now be automated to lighten your human resources in 2019.
4. Influencer marketing
Although this trend is not new, it continues to become more widespread and more profitable. Social media influencers are becoming increasingly savvy by forming creative partnerships that allow growing brands to connect with niche audiences and build a relationship of trust through word-of-mouth marketing.
5. Artificial intelligence
The rise of artificial intelligence (better known as chatbots) is one of the most popular e-commerce trends in 2019, helping brands interact with their customers at scale. In addition to answering the most common customer questions, messenger bots are also able to facilitate the buying process for online shoppers.
This e-commerce trend offers enormous value to busy consumers who demand immediate answers, whatever the time of day or the platform on which they chose to contact a business. Artificial intelligence lets e-commerce businesses support customers on all platforms simultaneously.
6. High-quality photos and videos
Stock photos can make it hard to differentiate your brand. Use branded photography and videography on your website, email and social media to create a memorable experience for shoppers. 360-degree product videos are another popular e-commerce trend in 2019.
7. Diversity in representation
Better late than never, as the saying goes, but more and more e-commerce brands are starting to understand that they can attract customers by using models who look like real people.
Aerie, a division of American Eagle, recently shook up the lingerie industry by launching its new campaign #AerieReal: an inclusive marketing campaign featuring models with various disabilities, conditions, illnesses and even body hair. Their efforts were so refreshing that their campaign went viral and Aerie received publicity from news outlets around the world. Most importantly, women of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and life experiences were able to see models who looked like them for the first time. Unsurprisingly, American Eagle’s stock price rose considerably following the campaign.
8. Augmented reality and virtual reality (AR and VR)
Imagine being able to design your home or office without having to buy the items first. With augmented reality and virtual reality, this is becoming a common application for innovative e-commerce businesses. Magnolia Market is a great example of how to turn browsers into buyers through an AR shopping experience, letting app users visualize home products before buying.
9. Machine learning
AI-based e-commerce is still in its infancy, but 2019 is the ideal time to start using its superpowers. Unlike simple automation, advanced machine learning lets you deeply personalize how individual users perceive your brand.
Beyond personalizing specific fields based on customer data, email marketing campaigns can be triggered by customer behavior patterns such as purchase history. For example, if a customer usually orders a product every few months, the system can send reminder emails to order it again later.
10. One-click purchasing
In 2019, your online store must be mobile-friendly. And, of course, your checkout process must be as simple and easy as possible. But if you really want to follow e-commerce trends in 2019, go for one-click ordering. It can increase impulse purchases, raise your conversion rate and satisfy customers in a hurry.
11. Voice search
With Google Assistant and Alexa becoming more and more popular, voice search on mobile devices is increasingly used to make purchases. By optimizing your online store for voice search, your business will receive more traffic in 2018. For best results, make sure to reflect the language your target customers actually use.
12. Image search
Search engines such as eBay, Pinterest and Google now let users search for products by taking or uploading a photo. Visual search lets users easily find similar products and compare options.
13. Next-day delivery
How can your business compete with Amazon Prime’s 2-day shipping? Offer next-day delivery. If your company is unable to process orders quickly at scale, outsource shipping and fulfillment to a third-party logistics company that can deliver quickly. While last-mile delivery poses many challenges, technological advances are helping merchants overcome them.
Which of these e-commerce trends will you start implementing?
Start with the trends that you believe will bring your business the best return on investment. Whatever you choose, make sure to test and retest your shopping experience consistently, and to continually analyze your results to optimize performance.
Did you find this article helpful? Let us know, and if you would like to know how we can help your new business, or if you would like to learn more about our e-commerce website development services, do not hesitate to call us at 1-877-426-7272 or use our contact form in the menu above.
