In 2021 in-store experiences became more personalized, and a rise in mobile-first web stores was seen. There was a growth in omnichannel selling. Subscription commerce and voice commerce were other noticeable trends.
In 2024 brands are focusing on headless ecommerce, social shopping and more. They want to offer more consumer-centric experiences because they know that without these, it will be difficult to succeed. Here are some ways to succeed in the U.S. ecommerce market in 2024.
Any product, launch, offer, or sale-related content needs tailoring for the right channel and the right customer. Brands that want to drive engagement and tailor content need to consider headless commerce. Headless commerce refers to separating units responsible for performing particular services. This means decoupling the frontend displaying the UI layer from the backend (business logic). All separate units communicate via APIs.
What does headless commerce offer?
- Unlimited UX control
- System scalability
- Flexibility and almost limitless customization opportunities
- Lightning-fast performance
- A short time to market
- Omnichannel retail possibilities
Headless ecommerce gives brands the freedom to deliver great shopping content to shoppers 24/7. Patrick Friday, CEO at Vue Storefront, says headless ecommerce is all about composing systems by putting together loosely coupled elements in a LEGO-like way. Vue Storefront is a fast-growing, open source ecommerce frontend. It takes a future-proof, headless design approach.
One of the important things to take note of would be the Progressive Web Apps ( ). It is a kind of app that functions both as a web page and a mobile app across devices. PWA is easy to develop, and the cost involved is very less. Still, it is powerful enough to deliver a native-like user experience while enhancing the conversion rate and providing clean browsing. Even if the internet connection is poor, it works seamlessly. PWAs are popular among companies like Microsoft and Google and can be uploaded to app marketplaces like AppStore and Google Play. You can click here to get detailed information about it and change your ecommerce game forever.
Social shopping
Trust is one of the main currencies of ecommerce, and brands need to be transparent and authentic. They also need to be readily available to customers, especially where they spend most of their time: on social media. Brands are rethinking social platforms as integrated channels for sales.
Instagram and TikTok are leading the trend for social shopping. Instagram recently launched Shoppable Product Guides with a fast checkout experience. In the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt pilot program in collaboration with Shopify, brands could add product links within TikTok posts.
More brands are creating product guides today with animated walkthroughs and voiceovers. When they share these across social platforms, it helps consumers to understand products better, which increases conversion rates.
Omnichannel selling
Technology allows ecommerce stores to be built with an omnichannel strategy in mind. You want to deliver a consistent consumer experience at all touchpoints. Many consumers won’t purchase a product unless they see it multiple times.
Focusing on a single channel can be successful. But it limits the chances of connecting with customers on other channels where they may go to research brands and products. Expanding reach to include social media channels and large retail websites puts products in front of more people more consistently. Only by pushing into new markets will brands broaden their customer base.
Personalization
Personalization is altering products to suit the needs and desires of customers. There are differing degrees of personalization. Products can be entirely custom-made with customers choosing designs and colors. They can also be made-to-order products. The production method is standardized, but there are various options to choose from. Personalization not only increases customer satisfaction but creates more brand loyalty.
Spotify is one brand that’s gained customer loyalty by adopting personalization. It allows users to curate playlists and provides recommendations. The experience for users is relevant to their habits and interests.
Brands need to take a look at how they capture user data and figure out if they have the insights they need to personalize the user journey. If they don’t, they may need to update their data management tools.
Livestreaming
Content that creates a compelling experience is what fuels the success of livestreaming. Beauty and apparel brands are leading the way. They may livestream several shows a week in different formats – from workshops with experts to talks with influencers. Statistics show this increased conversion rates in online shops.
The first step is to find the platforms where a target audience is active. There are many livestream apps brands can choose from on the market. They need to research and plan the content of their livestream based on their followers’ preferences. They can broaden their customer base by working with targeted influencers who can bring their audiences to online events
Automation
When brands can automate repetitive storefront tasks, it saves them time and energy. They can then pursue the more important aspects of running an ecommerce business. A variety of ecommerce software solutions are available on the market. They can help manage a variety of operations, from launching new products to managing customer reviews. Adopting ecommerce storefront and automation platforms offers a great competitive advantage. Some automation platforms allow brands to connect all their data across email, ads and even analytics apps for automation purposes.
Chatbots
For ecommerce businesses, customer service plays a major role. Few companies can afford to hire enough customer-service representatives to handle and respond to all queries. The advancement of chatbots and integration into customer service provides a solution. Chatbots can perform various different tasks, such as collecting feedback from surveys and answering frequently asked questions (FAQ). They can even recommend products and inform consumers about current offers. If queries are too complex, they can channel customers to appropriate live representatives.
Augmented and virtual reality
Visiting an online store offers a great deal of convenience and saves time and effort. However, there may be a gap between what consumers see online and what they receive. Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) helps to fill the gap. It gives consumers a good idea of what it’s like to use the products in real life. The adoption of AR/VR is still relatively slow, but an increasing number of ecommerce stores are starting to use it. They realize what a difference it can make to the shopping experience.
Conclusion
The ecommerce landscape is changing every day, and shopper expectations keep increasing. Brands need to be customer-centric to succeed. In 2024 – and beyond – they have to do more than just deliver products. They have to create the right experiences so shoppers can make better decisions. One of the best ways to stand out from the competition is to invest in the right technology so they can create the best shopper experiences.
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