8 eCommerce Trends That Shaped 2019

Originally published as a forecast for 2019, this article reviews eight technologies and customer-experience practices that were gaining momentum in eCommerce at the time. Many later became established capabilities, while the forecasts and source statistics below should be read in their original historical context.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

According to SuperData research, virtual reality adoption was expected to grow quickly, with augmented reality software eventually generating more revenue than VR as devices like Oculus Quest helped bring the technology to mainstream audiences.

Mobile AR has also seen steady growth as developers turn their attention to AR offerings. Microsoft and Magic Leap have worked on consumer versions of their AR products, and Apple has continued to expand its AR ambitions with dedicated hardware and software.

AR and VR show no sign of slowing down and continue to spread to medium-sized and small businesses alike.

Photo: www.q3tech.com

Modern shipping & delivery

Delivery continues to change. According to statistics, a large share of customers are willing to pay for same-day or faster delivery. Because of that, sellers need to provide more speed and convenience to meet these expectations.

Another trend that continues to mature is drone delivery. Amazon and Google have tested deliveries-by-drone in the UK and Australia, though implementation is not as straightforward as it could be due to a shifting set of practical and legal barriers. This technology is still expected to expand further as regulations catch up.

Photo: thehustle.co

Personalization and Automation

Customer personalization is a strategy many e-retail businesses continue to rely on. It's not surprising, since a significant share of customers prefer to buy on an eCommerce platform that can deliver personalized recommendations. Amazon, for example, has built personalization into its core experience by giving customers recommendations based on their purchase history. This trend continues to grow, providing a more tailored experience for shoppers.

Along with personalization, more and more retailers rely on automation in its various forms. Automation increases the effectiveness of different types of businesses and results in more accurate inventory control, order management, and real-time sales tracking. As technology keeps evolving, new developments in this field continue to appear — including tools that let merchants run their store with AI without needing a developer.

Voice Search

Voice search is one of the eCommerce trends that has steadily gained ground. According to Comscore's forecasting, voice searches were expected to make up a large portion of total searches, and voice search has moved closer to becoming an SEO standard. It's important to take this into account, since an eCommerce store that isn't optimized for voice search risks losing significant traffic opportunities.

Walmart, Staples, Domino's, and Lyft were among the early adopters of this technology, giving customers voice-based search options. Voice search continues to become more widespread and more accurate over time.

Photo: bethelsoft.in

AI and Chatbots

Chatbots have evolved to become more intelligent and human-like over time. With the use of AI, they can respond to both written and spoken requests, making interactions feel like a conversation with a real person.

According to a survey by Oracle, a large share of businesses planned to adopt chatbots, and companies that have already adopted this technology tend to save significant time and costs. This shift toward AI-driven tools is also why more merchants are exploring ways to run their store with AI for support, recommendations, and day-to-day operations.

Advanced product filtering

Product filtering by attributes isn't a new concept, but many eCommerce sites still don't provide efficient and accurate search results. Without this functionality, customers may be tempted to search for the product they need on a competitor's website instead.

By adding specific filters such as price range, size, color, material, and style, merchants make it easier and faster for customers to find the products they're looking for. Applying product filtering improves user experience, increases customer loyalty, and leads to higher satisfaction rates. This is especially relevant for stores selling across multiple eCommerce marketplace services, where consistent, accurate filtering helps shoppers compare products more easily.

Quick checkout options

Expedited checkout continues to take center stage as one of the key eCommerce trends. Checkout is often a lengthy process and frequently results in cart abandonment. According to statistics, average cart abandonment rates remain high across devices, and a notable share of cart abandonment happens because of a complicated checkout process. Because of that, online retailers should simplify their checkout process, ideally completing it within one page and without requiring customers to register.

Video Content

Last but not least among eCommerce trends worth following is the growing role of video content. Customers often prefer watching a video over reading product descriptions, and product videos help them feel more confident about their online purchases.

Some video platforms even allow customers to buy a product directly while watching a video about it. This makes it easy and convenient to complete a purchase right from the video screen without losing context.

Photo: www.audreyyao.com

Do you plan to implement any of the eCommerce trends outlined above in your business? Let us know in the comments below.

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