8 New Trends in eCommerce to Try for Your Business

DynamicWeb

Technology changes fast, and eCommerce is at the forefront. Like the growth of the internet in the 1990s to the critical infrastructure it is today, eCommerce platforms continue to remove the barriers for customers to purchase more quickly and efficiently. As a world-leading provider of eCommerce, CMS, PIM, and Marketing solutions, we have the inside scoop on new eCommerce trends. But before we share our insights into the new trends in eCommerce, let's take a look at two key data points: 

• In the United States in 2021, the value of B2B eCommerce sales reached 1.7 trillion dollars. The sales are expected to grow at an impressive 10.7 % rate, compounded annually. In 2027, the United States B2B eCommerce sector will likely generate more than 3 trillion dollars in sales. 
• Across the globe in 2021, retail eCommerce sales totaled 5.2 trillion dollars. Over the next five years, the number is expected to grow 56%, reaching approximately 8.1 trillion dollars by 2026. 

Read on to learn about these exciting future trends in eCommerce:

1. Web Content Personalization
2. Predictive Search
3. Voice Search
4. Chatbots
5. Flexible Payment Options
6. Headless eCommerce
7. Shift to eCommerce
8. Sustainability

Web Content Personalization

Web content personalization allows brands to personalize the website in real time based on a visitor's purchase history, onsite behavior, customer profile, and more. To tailor the content displayed to the users, brands must responsibly use explicit and implicit customer data. For example, a buyer for one of your products might see an exclusive promotion for product X when they land on the homepage. In contrast, a different buyer sees a promotion for product Y, all based on the data collected from the buyer.  

We expect web content personalization to grow because 80% of consumers are more likely to complete a purchase when provided with a personalized eCommerce experience, and 60% of consumers report that a personalized eCommerce experience will likely lead them to make repeat purchases.

To learn more about web content personalization, read our blog What is eCommerce Personalization and Why it Matters. 

Predictive Search

To a shopper, a predictive search feature feels intuitive and quickly leads them to the products they seek. Predictive search uses AI and Machine Learning to complete customers' search bar inquiries. We are likely to see more and more eCommerce stores deploying predictive search features to accelerate the buyer journey and improve the customer experience. 

Voice Search

Smart speakers and voice assistants are becoming an integral part of everyday life for more and more people. As more homes and businesses adopt voice-enabled solutions, voice search features are a must. We anticipate seeing more selling on platforms enabling voice selling - like Amazon, Google Shopping, etc. To provide voice search, eCommerce solutions need to have all the product details and terms necessary for customers to describe and place an order by voice fully.

Chatbots

An intelligent, AI-based chatbot is like having a 24/7 sales representative in an eCommerce store. A chatbot automatically guides users to resources and, ultimately to complete a purchase. Implementing chatbots reduces the burden on sales and customer service representatives and improves the customer experience. 

Flexible Payment Options

These days customers have various needs when it comes to making a payment. Flexible payment options are on the rise for both B2B and B2C. We anticipate seeing more options like ACH or, in the case of B2B, automatic invoice generation so customers can manage and pay their open invoices. 

Headless eCommerce

Headless eCommerce is an eCommerce architecture where the customer-facing front-end is separated from the back-end commerce functionality so that it can be updated without having to make changes to the front-end. With headless eCommerce, businesses gain complete control and flexibility over their front-end user experiences, not limited by the rigid structure of traditional eCommerce solutions. Enterprises are increasingly adopting headless eCommerce solutions to benefit from flexibility and control. 

Shift to eCommerce 

These days it seems like everything is online; however, that is not entirely true. Many complex and mature business models have yet to embark upon digital transformation, but change is coming. We can expect a major new trend for more sophisticated business models to shift to the online marketplace. 

Sustainability

Customers and businesses are increasingly committing to care for the environment. We will likely see more companies partner with sustainable packaging providers and adopt sustainable shipping methods. We can also expect to see more enterprises broadcast any and every sustainability effort throughout their website and brand. 

On that note, we are proud to share that we run several thousand eCommerce solutions on green energy. At our data center, we work with suppliers with A+ energy efficiency ratings, 100% Co2-neutral, and run on sustainable energy, mostly from Nordic hydropower. 

If you're looking for ways to optimize your eCommerce performance, we can help. If you still need to begin your eCommerce journey, let's get started today. 

To learn more about eCommerce trends, download the free whitepaper: The Latest B2B eCommerce Trends - How Self-Service Portals and eCommerce are Transforming B2B.