In the world of e-commerce, which is becoming increasingly competitive, you must follow e-commerce trends to stay ahead of the competition. Regardless of how well established an e-commerce business is, there is a good chance that it will fall behind at some point if e-commerce trends are not followed. Regardless of your position in the world of e-commerce, it can only be a matter of time before you find yourself in a tough spot if you do not follow the trends and catch the harmony in today’s world. Therefore, it is of great importance for an e-commerce entrepreneur to actively analyse and adopt e-commerce trends. This way, you can push your brand forward and stay ahead of the competition in the world of e-commerce.
In this article, we explain the top e-commerce trends of 2021. These trends will give you an idea of what the future of e-commerce will look like and allow you to create a roadmap of which trends will shape your brand.
How e-commerce trends have been shaped in 2021?
- Online sales grow dramatically
Today, it is quite clear that e-commerce sales are constantly growing and there are always valid reasons for this growth. The most popular activity in the digital world is online shopping. This popularity is also supported by research data. Global e-commerce sales are expected to reach $4.891 trillion, a 26.7% increase from last year (eMarketer, 2021). Furthermore, total e-commerce sales are expected to reach $6.388 trillion by the end of the year. This figure is almost double the total e-commerce sales of 2019.
Although the popularity of online shopping has peaked, it varies from region to region. With the increase in e-commerce brands, online shopping is developing in proportion. There are, of course, the main reasons for this increase. Firstly, the convenience that people enjoy while shopping online is one of the major reasons for this increase. We also see that more and more online shoppers are shopping on reliable and advanced websites. Until recently, people were reluctant to use e-commerce when it came to reliability. This situation has changed drastically as e-commerce websites become more user-friendly, shifting the perception of a reliable website to the other side. Of course, along with all this convenience, the ever-evolving e-commerce trends ensured that the user did not remain indifferent. Thus, the growth of online sales became unstoppable.
- E-commerce by COVID-19
One of the biggest impacts on e-commerce trends in 2020 was undoubtedly COVID -19. Restrictions put in place across the globe as part of the fight against the pandemic led to shop closures due to curfews in a remarkable period. Therefore, online shopping has become the first and only option for people who do not want to give up the traditional style. As an example, we can mention a $24 billion increase in the net worth of Amazon, an e-commerce giant, during this period. Most experts predict that the popularity of e-commerce that comes with Covid-19 is not just a surge that is limited to this period, but it will be permanent. This is because people are satisfied with the convenience of online shopping. The predictable result of this satisfaction is that online shopping behaviour, like most digital habits, will last.
According to market experts, the e-commerce sector has benefited the most from the Covid 19 pandemic. It is expected that the active online shopping rate will increase from 15% to 25% by 2025 (MarketWatch, 2020). This represents a significant increase of 67% in 5 years. The Covid-19 process, which had a positive impact on e-commerce, had a very negative impact on traditionally run stores, even wreaking havoc for some. These stores are expected to close in a big way in the next 5 years.
You can read in detail the impact of covid-19 on e-commerce by clicking on the link here: Stats roundup: the impact of Covid-19 on ecommerce
- Mobile shopping is becoming increasingly popular
Recently, mobile commerce has seen remarkable growth. Total sales via mobile devices reached $2.66 trillion in 2020. It is expected that this figure will reach $3.16 trillion in 2021, an increase of 18.8%, and as much as $3.79 trillion in 2022. Such numbers and ratios are too important to ignore. In this case, enriching the e-commerce experience for mobile customers and making that experience more convenient should be seen as an opportunity for brands to drive positive results. Of course, a big reason for e-commerce growth is the increasing use of mobile devices. After all, today’s consumers not only store online, but also use their mobile devices for initial research and a digital shopping spree before making a purchase decision.
Mobile devices that are always with the users are the right tool to start e-commerce. When you optimise your e-commerce website for mobile use, you need to make sure that your online store is also optimised for mobile devices. This will make your e-commerce experience accessible and convenient for a much wider audience.
- Young Consumers will Change the Business Environment
More than half of consumers have increased their online spending during the coronavirus pandemic. The increase in online purchases, of course, applies to consumers of all ages. However, the group that has radically brought about this change is undoubtedly the younger generation. According to the survey results, two out of three consumers (67%) in the 18-34 age group spent more on online purchases than they did before the pandemic (Shopify, 2020). This growth is progressing more slowly among older people. While the increase in online purchases for consumers aged 35-54 was 57%, this rate remained at 41% for consumers over 55. These findings show e-commerce brand owners that they should prioritise the younger generation when targeting them.
So where can you best target the younger generation? More than half of young people who shop online from independent brands discover those brands through social media. Then, the right decision would be to increase your social media marketing efforts to the younger generation that you are primarily targeting. Of course, besides social media, do not forget that as an e-commerce brand, you should also have a holistic and harmonious identity in the digital sphere.
- Augmented Reality is Changing the Way We Shop
Augmented reality technology, which is relatively new to e-commerce trends and enables the evolution of shopping styles, is expected to be actively used in more than 120,000 stores by 2022 (Prnewswire, 2018). Perhaps the constant worry since online shopping has entered our lives is that we cannot see the product live and have a chance to try it. Augmented reality technology is a marketing method that aims to bridge this gap. Thanks to augmented reality, users can better visualise the product they want to buy and have a great shopping experience. This technology, which provides a great service to the online consumer, will give effective ideas about the extent to which the product offered meets people’s needs. It will also offer a more convenient online shopping experience with a more personalised experience for the consumer.
- The Big Role of social media in E-commerce
Just like the increase of shopping in the digital world, the number of consumers shopping through social media is also increasing rapidly. With the activation of “buy” buttons on Facebook and “check out” buttons on Instagram, social media has become a major player in the world of e-commerce. Having settled in the middle of our lives, social media naturally has the power to change almost all behavioural patterns as well as buying habits. At this point, brands should make the right plans to improve their position in social media and become the discovery of the target audience by turning all this data into an opportunity. Consumers tend to prefer other mediums in social media. You need to correctly identify this trend and correctly determine which social media channel you will find your brand’s target audience on. Otherwise, even if you are the brand that best fits the e-commerce trends, you will not be discovered by the right audience. If social media maintains its place in the lives of users in the digital world at this level, it should be included in e-commerce marketing plans. With the right actions, you should turn it into an opportunity.
As technology advances and consumer identities evolve, e-commerce trends are on the rise, and embracing and adapting will give you a roadmap to make your e-commerce brand a success. When you decide to adopt and plan for any of the e-commerce trends, your goal should always be to improve your customer’s shopping experience and expand your audience. In all of this, do not forget to align the trend you are adopting with your brand. Of course, do not forget that e-commerce trends are constantly evolving. By aligning your marketing style with the new trends, you will achieve successful awareness and transformation in the digital realm.
