Nobody will deny that e-commerce has become one of the powerhouse industries recently. It continues to grow at a rapid speed and leave regular stores behind them.
Such tendencies are bound to stay because people have become more dependent on technology and are spending so much of their time on the internet.
E-commerce is everchanging and is always welcoming to those who bring something new to the table. It is really exciting to predict what will happen in the future, and if you are looking to get with the program, this article will give you a general understanding of what you can expect in the near future.
Continuous Growth of Print on Demand
There have been some skeptics who claimed that print on demand was a one-time thing only. Well, look at how things stand right now.
Print on demand has become one of the cornerstones of e-commerce and will remain in that spot for years to come. If you have some personal doubts, you can always look up for more information about this subject online. Printify is one of the leading platforms in the market and answers to questions like “What are the benefits of Print on demand?” or how and where to start.
The Device Usage Debate
Plenty of entrepreneurs are starting to adjust their optimization priorities. There has been a lot of talk about how popular mobile browsing has become.
At first, most stores were optimized for desktop users, but things have changed dramatically. In fact, the situation has become the opposite.
The majority of new e-commerce websites will make more effort into improving mobile user experience.
According to SocialMediaToday, about 56% of people are browsing for goods and services using their smartphones or tablets.
Of course, the biggest winners in all of this will be those who can optimize the website in a way that it caters to both. Thankfully, there are plenty of themes and other customization features that can help you with this problem.
New Markets
Depending entirely on your local market just does not cut it anymore. More and more entrepreneurs are looking for ways to expand their operations.
Countries like China, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Singapore, and South Africa are thought of as ones with the most potential to play a leading role.
While there are some regulations, it would seem that global trade is not in that big of a danger. Thus, if you have what it takes to promote yourself and reach these new landscapes, you should do it without any doubt.
Retail Versus Online
There are always two sides when it comes to this debate. One says that retail is as strong as ever whereas the other believes that those days are more or less numbered.
Everyone has an opinion and it should be respected, but recent trends indicate that we are heading in a world where almost everything will be available on the internet, and it does include products and services.
New Emerging Technologies
It is not just the entrepreneurs themselves who are looking to move forward. No, there are plenty of technologies who become the game changer and take e-commerce to new heights. One of those is vacuum cleaning robots. If you are looking one for your home, get started soon. This technology is soon going to flood the market with every house owning it.
This is a very healthy sign for those who are willing to bet their future on e-commerce. New and improved features push the industry forward and leave no room for those who are sleeping on their laurels.
Rise of the Video
Borrowing statistics from SocialMediaToday again, it has been determined that roughly 60% of shoppers would rather watch a video review than read a description of products.
And then you have influencers on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram posting videos and promoting various brands.
Digesting videos is easier for an average person, so it is no surprise that videos will be playing an even bigger role in the future of e-commerce marketing.
Personalization
A successful e-commerce shop has recognized how important it is to hone shopping experience for its visitors.
While it is impossible to get personalized offers for every single individual, there are a lot of great algorithms out there who are collecting information and are constantly improving suggestion lists.
On the other hand, this could be a double-edged sword. Some buyers have become fatigued at watching these suggestion lists popping up every minute, and would rather have some sort of satisfaction of receiving a curated discount code or a simple personalized email.
Next time you sit down and review this part of your business plan, consider addressing the audience using their names when sending the next email, give them a sneak-peak of upcoming products, and kindly ask them for feedback.
In a word, the future looks anything but dull for e-commerce. It will be fun to see how things develop and how everything will look like in the next 10 or 20 years. If you are in this industry, make sure to keep up. Otherwise, you could fall so far behind that coming back would be impossible.