eCommerce trends 2022 – Prepare your business!

There is no doubt about it that these last years have been strange years for everything and everyone, and this includes online businesses. The Internet buying and selling sector is one that has benefited from the unfortunate situation of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic. Sales through eCommerce have skyrocketed these last two years. Have you made good use of these opportunities? The current context has accelerated Internet sales, and 2022 promises to be the same, or even better. What will be the eCommerce trends for this year?

Be that as it may, it seems that market changes are here to stay. Whether you already have an eCommerce shop, or are thinking of taking the steps to setting up your store, read this post about the new trends that are coming, so you can sell more in your online store with these eCommerce tips!

eCommerce trends: the future of eCommerce

The trend before this year was positive and stable. Online buying and selling was growing little by little, and more and more dates were marked on the calendar for online shopping, such as 11.11 (singles’ day) or the famous Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

However, as we mentioned before, these last two years the growth has accelerated, and not only because of the pandemic…

• There are more people with Internet and WiFi in the world.
• The infrastructures are more developed.
• The shipping and collection systems (contactless this year and essential) are more agile.
• There are more tools for the automation of processes. For example, this great useful tool helps you to convert binary to text online… Is it not a GREAT idea

All of this, together with the pandemic, has made it possible to talk about new trends in eCommerce for 2022, a year that is expected to generate very positive changes and very pronounced growth for all online stores. 

eCommerce trends for 2022

What will the eCommerce news next year be?

• 5G speed.
• Big data.
• Augmented reality and virtual reality.
• Blockchain.
• Virtual Wallets.
• Voice commerce.
• Artificial intelligence and automatic learning.
• ROPO (Research Online Purchase Offline).
• Chatbots.

5G speed

We already know (we have mentioned this in many previous occasions) that the loading speed of our website or eCommerce shop is essential when it comes to selling more. The faster our website loads, the better sales we will have. The arrival of 5G is a great advantage for the eCommerce sector, and will (we assure you) translate into a significant increase in sales.

Big data

Big data is not something new, we have been living with this trend for several years; however, due to technological advances, we are able to store and process more data. The information that can be obtained from this can help us personalize our eCommerce and greatly improve the user experience by adding value to the offer, selling sensations… Big data doesn’t go out of style!

Augmented reality and virtual reality

Relatively new technologies, augmented and virtual reality are beginning to take strength with the new glasses, helmets and even game consoles.

One of the first brands to take advantage of this trend was the eyewear brand Ray-Ban. In their online store, it was possible to try on their eyewear models using a phone or computer camera. Have you tried it out yet? 

This technology requires effort and is not adapted to all products and services, but if you think you can take advantage of it, try it!

Virtual wallets

I’m sure you’ve started to hear a bit about virtual wallets, but to be clear, they are a solution that allows users to accumulate money in a virtual tool to make purchases on the Internet without having to enter their card or account data during the process.

This wallet must be recharged with money, and can only be used on sites adapted to this payment method. 

With this solution, you increase the confidence and sense of security of your customers. What are you waiting for? Virtual wallets are similar to PayPal, and really easy to understand and implement through various tools or plugins in your store.

Voice commerce

I’m sure you have, or know someone who has, a smart speaker at home. Google Home, Alexa… There are many models and we can ask them to play music, what the weather will be like, to tell us the news or to look for information… Soon, we will also be able to make purchases through these voice systems… And you must be prepared!

It will be as simple as saying… “Ok Google/Alexa, I want to add these headphones, in black, to my cart.” It seems a bit far away, but we assure you it is just around the corner…

Artificial intelligence and automatic learning

Can you imagine entering an eCommerce site and finding every corner customized to your tastes, interests and relationship with the brand? This is getting closer and closer to reality thanks to artificial intelligence…

With chatbots, email marketing, heat mapping tools, and many other artificial intelligence solutions, we will be able to personalize our store, make our users comfortable, and therefore, guide them to making purchases. In other words, if you manage to incorporate this type of technology into your processes, you will acquire competitive advantages that will respect your competitors.

ROPO (Research Online Purchase Offline)

82% of mobile device users browse stores on them, but end up buying in the physical stores. This is what is known as ROPO, online search, offline shopping.

I’m sure you’ve done it yourself. They tell you about a product, or you see it on TV, and you look for it online before you buy it! You want to know what it looks like, what features it has, what people who have already bought it before you think…

Just because we talk about eCommerce , doesn’t mean we have to completely abandon the physical or offline world. These two worlds have to end up living together and feeding off of each other, and thus, multiplying our sales and benefits.

Chatbots

Last but not least, we have the chatbots, which are programmed customer service that answer the doubts of customers in the online world.

This tool is, let’s say, the virtual salesperson of your store, and it is essential that it is optimized to the maximum and that it looks as human as possible. Work on it because this year, whoever has the perfect chatbot will make the best sales – this is a key element!

In addition to all these trends… Don’t neglect your eCommerce ads! Online campaigns together with a good SEO strategy is part of your online marketing and you can’t abandon them.