3 Trends in the eCommerce Industry That Are Driving Sales

3 Trends in the eCommerce Industry That Are Driving Sales

As the average consumer becomes more accustomed to on-demand retail and entertainment experiences, it’s getting more difficult to drive sales with “traditional” eCommerce thinking. Buying online is normal, and eCommerce offerings need to be really inventive to drive sales.

So, what are the trends defining eCommerce sales, and how can you build them into your offering.

Private Messages are a Sales Platform

Private messaging services on social media networks and through apps like WhatsApp have become a viable sales tool. This is thanks mostly to the power of chat bots.

Although it feels like everyone is into eCommerce, there is an untapped market segment that is still a little unsure of interacting with a machine or platform to make purchases.

The beauty of private message channels is that they offer the consumer the feeling of a human engagement, but without the need to employ staff to guide the purchase journey.

A chat bot offers brands and retailers a number of benefits:

• They can be matched to your brand persona
• They are affordable to build and maintain
• They are becoming increasingly complex and authentic.

The ability to create a ‘real’ interaction, prompted by the customer, gives brands an eCommerce opportunity that mixes the familiarity of talking to a shop assistant, with the cost-efficient performance of digital wizardry.

Paid Social Media Posts

Although paid social posts are not a new idea, they continue to be a huge sales driver for brands utilizing their social media channels for eCommerce.

The trend is towards more bespoke executions that use new platform offerings to make sales. Instagram albums, WhatsApp statuses, and 360-degree posts on Facebook are all potential sales tools because they are new.

Promoting an image on any channel is just not enough – brands that are looking to boost their numbers need to use the latest tools out there to reach early adopters and build a younger, more tech-savvy market for themselves.

If you’re not already doing it, get a social media or tech expert to do an audit of your brand and see which new opportunities could apply to you.

Native Ads

Traditional display ads are becoming less effective every year. Viewers have become blind to them, since they have been so heavily abused by advertisers and publishers alike.

Ecommerce advertisers are turning to native advertising platforms like Taboola and Outbrain, because their ads blend in with surrounding content. Since native ads provide a more seamless experience, they are more trusted.

Buy It Anywhere

Hosting a great eCommerce site that allows customers to safely order and pay for products is no longer sufficient to driving great sales. Your online store needs to be bolstered and grown on every available channel.

A simple example would be leveraging your Facebook page as a secondary store front.

While you can use, the generic Facebook offering to set up your store quite quickly, you can also take things a step further. Using a platform like Shopify, you could release special products, discounts, or ranges that are only available on your Facebook page.

This means that you have a merged market, with multiple channels for purchase. Add an IM service or a WhatsApp delivery bot and you’re in business.

Think Customer

As technology develops, you can expect to see more brands focused on making use of different eCommerce channels.

Make sure you’re not left behind. Think like a customer and use these handy tips to thrive.