Online retail sales are growing at a rate of 25% each year, and businesses are are beginning to make changes. They are shifting focus in on their eCommerce. However, it takes more than just dropping products onto a website to really make customers want to make purchases. The traditional shopping experience needs to be recreated on the online platform, which explains why online business trends are getting more visual.
One of the biggest visual trends is the need for companies to be able to distinguish themselves from companies such as Amazon, by having their own proprietary brand, product, or offering. The sole re-selling of products is slowing becoming obsolete, because customers need to see what makes each respective business special right in front of them, without having to do additional research to see how much competitors would charge for the same product.
Ecommerce itself is quickly shifting towards becoming mCommerce, or mobile commerce. That is because consumers are using their smart devices to make purchases, and spending more money while doing it. As such, online retailers are working on ways to improve the mobile user experience by making it simple, seamless, and delightful to shop beyond the implementation of responsive design.
Personalization is another feature that the modern customer expects from online retailers. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all messaging. Thanks to the rise of social networks and variety of analytics tools, it’s easier than ever for businesses to extract data on the patterns and behavior of each user, and deliver personalized experiences accordingly.
Last but not least is user-generated content. It’s quite the secret sauce. Items such as testimonials, reviews, and photos all help drive sales by boosting purchase confidence. There is a great deal of value in giving consumers the chance to talk about your products, because it not only directly impacts sales, it also lets consumers know they can trust the brand.