The most crucial innovations and trends across the consumer lifecycle to embrace in 2018 eCommerce strategy are set to improve your conversion rate and customer engagement. As per an eMarketer study, the eCommerce industry will attain double-digit growth by 2020, with the global sales are expected to surpass the $4 trillion mark.
A couple of industries can certainly boast of a bright future in 2018 while making the world of eCommerce even more enticing. So, let’s begin with comprehending the upcoming trends that will bring up new opportunities for eCommerce retailers for effective eCommerce web development in 2018 and beyond.
Quick Shipping and Improved Delivery Logistics: Shipping times and delivery logistics are one of the very few differentiators in the eCommerce market. Amazon, an undisputed king of eCommerce market and delivery, has consistently remained on its throne and will continue to for the foreseeable future. It is notoriously secretive especially when it comes to specific figures: a recent study on eCommerce growth stated that Amazon shipped over 5 billion product around the globe through Amazon Prime’s free one- or two-day shipping last year. Another interesting study reveals the data on Amazon’s fastest logistic deliveries – just eight minutes for a forehead thermometer and about nine minutes for five pints of ice cream.
In the upcoming year, it is safe to expect Amazon and other major eCommerce players step up their logistics delivery game. Currently, more than 8,000 Amazon Prime members are residing in areas where Amazon offers its one-hour(!) delivery service. Amazon further plans to expand this service this year. It has planned to reduce the time between click and delivery in order to become the best on the eCommerce battlefield. In addition, it will unify these services with other emerging technologies such as driverless freight envisioned by automotive organizations such as Mercedes-Benz. This proves that logistical enhancements will drive the eCommerce market forward this year.
Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Given the demand for machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in various industries, it’s evident that the retail eCommerce industry will continue to be disrupted through the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies in 2018.
Machine learning has already been adopted by several tech giants and other businesses. From product recommendation engines to enhanced search functionality, machine learning has been integrated into a plethora of eCommerce systems. Having said that, 2018 will witness a dramatic growth in adoption of these technologies, enabling eCommerce merchants to provide customers with exactly what they need in less time with minimum effort.
Augmented Reality (AR) Inches Closer To The Mainstream: Since the Pokemon Go boom, augmented reality (AR) technology, which was previously in its nascent stage, has become a novelty. From GPS and AR-based Pokemon go to Snapchat filters, it has been leveraged by many gaming and enterprise apps in the past year. And this year, AR tech is likely to take a giant leap towards a mainstream adoption, with eCommerce businesses leading the race.
However, many leading retail companies have been refining their augmented reality offerings and the results are striking. IKEA, a Swedish furniture retailer, launched its Place app in the last quarter of 2017. This app lets you place various IKEA products in your home environment to see how they would actually look in your home/room. Though the early builds of the Place app were buggy, the latest version is reportedly much more stable and intuitive.
What other trends do you think will dominate the global eCommerce sector this year? Drop your thoughts in the comment box below.
