Top 7 Ecommerce Trends to Watch Out for in 2021

We all know eCommerce has an ever-changing face. The year 2020 was a huge one since the pandemic accelerated changes in the industry that had already been happening. So, no matter how mature your eCommerce store is now, it's essential to know the latest trends shaping future eCommerce; otherwise, you risk falling behind your competition in 2021.

Here are 10 eCommerce trends that you need to be aware of in 2021:

#1 Buy Now Pay Later will Become the Norm

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) has become increasingly popular in recent years and is now more widely used than ever before. As more and more BNPL businesses are emerging and more online merchants adopt this payment method, we expect this trend to continue until 2021. It may even become the preferred payment method.

The opportunities offered by BNPL have many advantages for retailers, online store owners, and customers alike. They allow customers to allocate the cost of things they could not pay a few weeks or months ago, depending on BNPL's ability. It can also help increase the value of your shopping cart and lead to higher online purchases.

In the case of a commercial partner who has received an anti-dividend, the respondent to the dividend has passed, for example, when 0% of interest. So it's a win-win for everyone.

#2 Voice Commerce Will Continue to Rise

More and more people are increasingly relying on voice assistants like the Amazon Echo with Alexa and the Google Home with Google Assistant from waking them up to doing grocery shopping. By 2025, 75% of US households will have smart speakers, and as soon as by 2022, voice commerce sales are forecasted to reach $ 40 billion.

If that sounds like an opportunity you can't afford to miss, then you need to optimize your online store for voice search.

Below are the four ways to do it:

Optimize your website content to increase your chances of appearing in voice search queries,
Add a new skill on Alexa and Google voice assistant devices,
Offer voice-based navigation on your website and mobile version of the store,
Make your products easy to purchase with a simple flow using voice command.

#3 Mobile Shopping will Remain Dominant

The growth of the mobile phone business has been significant. Since 2016, mobile phone sales have grown by 15%. By the end of 2021, 73% of retail sales will be mobile phones (Statista, 2019). Improving the business experience of mobile customers can be a massive opportunity for businesses to take advantage of.

E-commerce has grown in part due to the growth in mobile phone use. People shop online; they also use their mobile phones to browse or research before making a purchase. As confidence in online shopping grows, consumers will feel more comfortable than ever when shopping with mobile phones.

#4 Omnichannel Selling will Continue Growth

Omnichannel selling is providing customers a seamless and consistent experience across multiple channels and devices. With the boomed adoption of mobile and voice assistant devices, the number of omnichannel shoppers will increase even more in 2021. Many successful brands are already aware that customers want to view content in multiple ways.

So, how to take advantage of this situation?

First, you should take a deep dive into understanding your customer behavior across channels: things that matter the most to them in each channel and how frequently they visit them.

Next, use the data to create a personalized, seamless omnichannel experience. You may consider setting up a chatbot to automate and speed up this process.

#5 Young Consumers Spending will Increase

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on eCommerce cannot be denied. More than half (54 percent) of consumers increased their spending online after being affected by a coronavirus.

Although consumers see this transition to the online store of all ages, the younger generation is responsible primarily for this trend in stores.

The survey results show that two out of three (67 percent) young consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 now spend more money online to buy things than before the pandemic (Shopify, 2020).

Slightly slower growth in older groups. Consumers aged 35 to 54 increased their online spending by 57 percent, compared with 41 percent among consumers aged 55 and over.

This means that as an e-commerce owner, you must target the younger generation to increase your sales potential.

#6 Focus on Sustainability

Consumers are now more concerned about corporate social responsibility. Research shows that 87% of people would buy the right product for society and the environment if given the opportunity, and 88% would be more loyal to a company that supports social or environmental concerns.

If your company has no social or environmental commitment, you can start by inspecting your packaging. Is there a way to make it more sustainable and environmentally friendly? Also, you can send receipts only on emails instead of paper slips.

The next big step would be to decide how you will contribute to the environment and tell your customers about it.

# 7 Self-Service Platforms will Gain in Popularity

The eCommerce trends for 2021 will favor platforms that deploy & sell quickly online, without the need for a small army of developers & consultants. Instead of going the expensive route of your e-store for the first time, look for platforms that will help you move quickly.

If your brand is already established, you can create templated content that quickly entertains your audience. For instance, If you run a WordPress eCommerce site using WooCommerce, you know that the default WordPress site interface isn't all that it could be.

The same applies to the standard site search -your visitors find it difficult to find what they need. That's why WooCommerce has multiple plugins to make your site easy to navigate. The Smart WooCommerce Search plugin goes beyond showing fast and relevant results to visitors that match their search goal.

Similarly, the WooCommerce product video plugin enables you to add a featured video to your products to represent brand authenticity and make your signature product more visible. eCommerce is the best solution for small online businesses to sell quickly and grow rapidly.

Final Thought

With these seven trends gaining traction already, 2021 can be a year of opportunities if you adopt them as soon as possible. Omnichannel, personalization, and flexible payment will definitely entice more customers to choose your brand over competitors. But don't be too overwhelmed with all that is happening in eCommerce now; just remember two things:

Invest time in understanding your customers since you can't know your customers enough,
Choose proven eCommerce solutions - this will help you stay zen during times of transition.

Ashlie Lee

Ashlie Lee is a content writer by passion and profession. She started her journey with Motifcreatives. She primarily writes for guest post articles falling under various niches. The main area of her interest and expertise in Web design & Digital marketing. Her work has been published on many high authority websites. She believes that writing is an effective way to communicate at better levels.