E-commerce Trends of 2022

E-commerce is one of the few industries that gained momentum during the pandemic. Shopping trends have been modified, and company boards have added new elements to their business models. What will 2022 bring to the e-commerce sector?

Omnichannel

This is a trend that emphasizes multichannel shopping. Customers often make decisions at different points of contact with the brand. Most likely, they will notice a store while browsing social media, getting a recommendation from someone they know, or maybe seeing your outdoor advertisement in the city. Furthermore, users might start their journey with a product on a smartphone but complete the purchase on a laptop.

Personalization

The personalization of products and services is currently outshining nearly all trends surrounding e-commerce. Customers now expect solutions tailored to their needs. Therefore, understanding customer behavior and interests is key to appropriate and reliable personalization.

However, e-commerce technology facilitates the development of personalization through data collection at every step. Nearly every user action is recorded, and countless amounts of data are collected, significantly increasing alignment with customer preferences.

Efficiency and security during shopping, and wallets

As mentioned in a previous post, cart abandonment at the last step of the purchase process is one of the biggest headaches for online stores. In the article, we described several reasons why users leave the site before completing a transaction. Here, we would like to emphasize creating a purchase process that is fast and user-friendly and optimizing the time it takes to move through each step. Additionally, image-based distribution methods boost engagement. Over time, vendors of e-commerce web solutions aim to make image and voice search play an important role in driving e-commerce retail forward.

Search

Another trend projected to be worth $40 billion by 2022 is voice search. Users are increasingly using this method of searching because it is significantly faster than typing. Additionally, image and voice search increases user engagement.

Online reality

When the entire world was locked down during the pandemic, online stores adopted a new approach to customers. Post-pandemic behaviors have emerged, establishing a new standard. Previously known "live" sessions, during which brands invited clients to watch live presentations of products on real people, are here to stay. By operating in real time, brands can engage a broader audience.

Experiencing from anywhere.

Work is ongoing to overcome the barrier where users can try on any clothing or accessory or check if a particular item will fit their interior. For now, activities related to virtual reality remain an unfulfilled dream for many stores due to high implementation costs. However, it is the future of e-commerce.

Artificial intelligence as customer service.

Chatbots are another trend that is growing increasingly popular. Research shows that 60% of users in America prefer digital customer service. Current chatbots may not be perfect, but constant advancements in artificial intelligence are being made.

Mobility.

In recent years, browsing and shopping on smartphones have gained significant traction. Building a store today without paying close attention to such devices is impossible. Additionally, it’s worth noting that Google prioritizes such sites in indexing. Studies also indicate a lower bounce rate during the shopping process on smartphones.