The industry of ecommerce is always changing every year. Through every industry, different trends come and go all the time, and ecommerce isn’t any different. As more and more businesses move to the online world, it can be hard to make your brand stand out from the noise.
In this blog, we share seven ecommerce trends in 2024 to watch out for along with ways you can implement these trends into your online store so you can grow your brand and offer your customers a shopping experience that is next level.
Is your website ready for the latest ecommerce trends?
It goes without saying that your ecommerce website is the most important thing to you and your entire business. It’s the backbone of your brand and you need to ensure it’s up-to-date and optimised so you can effectively implement the latest ecommerce trends.
Your competitor’s website may not have as many features as yours, however if their site is looking fresh and fleshed out, this can be a huge game changer that determines a customer’s perspective of your competitor over you. That’s why it’s vital to ensure you’re not left behind and you’re providing a seamless user experience for your customers.
There are many factors to consider when it comes to your website and providing a positive user experience. For example, your web pages should load rapidly, your products should be correctly categorised, and your whole website should be visually pristine. If it isn’t, you may need to consider a new website design before you implement the latest ecommerce trends.
7 ecommerce trends for 2024
Here are seven ecommerce trends for 2024 you should be considering.
1. Use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for personalisation
Adding personalisation to your customers shopping experience is a fantastic way of providing a positive and seamless user experience, and one of the great ways ecommerce businesses can leverage this is through the use of AI.
Simply by learning your consumers’ behaviours, your brand can provide more accurate and valuable product information for your customers. For example, you could show similar products to last purchase, show products relating to your customers clothing or shoe size, or show unique personalised offers.
According to Shop Circle, 80% of consumers are more likely to make a repeat purchase with a company that offers a shopping experience that is personalised to them. With these kinds of statistics, it’s no wonder so many ecommerce businesses are opting for using AI for personalisation. As well as boosting your customer loyalty, you’re also improving customer satisfaction and increasing your brand awareness.
2. Introduce personalised products
Sticking on the subject of personalisation, it’s been understood that offering personalised products can also make a whole lot of difference to your customers’ shopping experience, because it opens up many more options for them. It also allows your business to target wider audiences and niches too.
You can do this by allowing your consumers to create their dream product simply by customising your existing products. For example, give them the option to choose their favourite colour, or add images or text to your product.
More and more people in today’s modern world want to have their own look, because it gives them a sense of uniqueness to themselves. By offering different product variations and the option to personalise, you’ll open up a whole new revenue stream for your business.
3. Implement voice and image search
One of the biggest ecommerce trends to watch out for in 2024 is voice and image search. Thanks to AI software and machine learning, businesses can implement voice and image search to their website, allowing customers to quickly shop their site and tailor their own shopping experience to their needs.
As expected, voice search enables your customers to search for a product through voice command and avoids the hassle of your customer having to manually type their search. The most used and recognisable voice search functionality is Apple’s Siri.
As for image search, this feature lets shoppers search for a product using images. Your customers can upload an image of a product they’d like to purchase from you and they’ll then be shown a list of available products relating to the image. The exact functionality of image search can vary, but one of the best use cases is Google Lens.
Implementing these two types of functionality to your website will not only give your shoppers a better user experience in terms of accessibility, but it will also boost your store’s discoverability which can lead to more conversions for your business.
4. Provide an immersive experience with virtual reality
Giving your customers the option to use virtual reality (VR) when shopping with you is a great way to offer an immersive experience. VR gives consumers a simulated experience and can allow them to virtually test out your products in their own home.
There are numerous ecommerce brands that are utilising this functionality and the most notorious is IKEA. Consumers can use their app to see if a piece of furniture fits nicely within their room before they purchase. Clothing brands are also using VR to give people a ‘try-before-you-buy’ experience, allowing them to see if a piece of clothing suits them.
This kind of technology helps build trust with your audience as they can see if your product is right for them and not feel the pressure of purchasing immediately.
5. Allow for more payment options
Paying with credit or debit cards is the basis for any transaction system, but your ecommerce site should be more than just that. In today’s modern world, online retailers need to be offering multiple payment options for their customers including Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) options.
Offering a variety of payment methods means you avoid losing customers at the key stage of the customer lifecycle. Some customers like the use of PayPal largely because it’s popular, but also because it’s safe and convenient. As mentioned, there are numerous BNPL options such as Clearpay and Klarna, that are certainly worth having on your checkout.
Setting these payment systems are relatively easy and show you as a credible online retailer. If you’re not already implementing these payment options, they are definitely worth adding to your website.
6. Social media can also be part of your ecommerce store
People are increasingly using social media to shop their favourite products from the biggest brands. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram now allow customers to purchase directly within their apps, giving businesses more opportunity for revenue.
You are most likely using social media already as a marketing tool, but expanding your online store across these popular platforms, also presents a great opportunity. Whilst customers can visit your website to make a purchase, doing this on your social media channels can help boost your sales with ease.
Online shopping through social media is a big ecommerce trend for 2024 because your audience are more likely to share what they find and purchase, which will only increase your chances of conversion and boost your brand’s visibility.
7. Utilise email marketing automation
It’s important to never underestimate the power of email marketing, specifically email marketing automation. By sending your audience a targeted email at the most important stages of the buying process, you’ll help to increase the chance of conversion.
In almost all email service platforms (ESP), you can build automated email journeys where you can target your audience when they’re browsing your site, abandoning their basket and even after they’ve made a purchase.
Within your email campaigns, you can share exclusive discounts, free shipping codes, or show similar products to encourage your customer to purchase with you. And because it’s all automated, you only need to build your email journey and campaigns and let your ESP do the rest.
Want to be the first to know about ecommerce trends?
It’s clear to see that ecommerce is constantly changing with new ways and evolutionary methods coming into the picture all the time. Staying in the know with these ecommerce trends for 2024 means you and your business can keep with the times and meet ever evolving customer expectations.
If you want to be the first to know about new and upcoming ecommerce trends, get in touch with us today. We can help manage your ecommerce site and implement trends that will not only give your consumers a better shopping experience, but bring your online store success.