Ecommerce Trends for 2021
03/12/2020 | Share:
2020 has been a turbulent year for most people all over the world. With people confined to their homes and certain businesses required to close, brick and mortar stores without an online presence have struggled to survive. It’s due to the pandemic that businesses have had to evolve a lot quicker than they would have naturally, catapulting them into the online world.
Due to its relatively safer approach in terms of spreading the virus, 2020 has been the year of ecommerce. Now that the world has taken a huge leap, what trends can we expect to see in 2021?
Ecommerce will continue to grow
You don’t need an economics degree to work this one out! People who have already made the jump to ecommerce will likely stay there and grow their businesses that way. As more uncertainty looms due to COVID-19, others will flock to ecommerce to ensure their business’s survival and to compete with those that have already made their ecommerce model work.
Cryptocurrency payments
Whilst cryptocurrency payments are possible on some websites, we’re likely to see this option appear more frequently across ecommerce platforms as cryptocurrency becomes more widely understood by the general public. PayPal even has plans to integrate cryptocurrency payments in 2021 without requiring additional integrations on the merchant’s part.
Sustainability Practices
Experts say we are in the middle of a climate crisis and as we get closer to that deadline of irreversible change, businesses that are sustainable and environmentally focused will hold more value for customers in 2021. A business that is working to reduce its carbon footprint or become carbon neutral will help customers feel like they’re doing their part for the planet by choosing to shop with these businesses.
Augmented reality (AR)
We’ve been familiar with AR for a while now, especially when it comes to social media filters and mobile gaming. However, its value to the ecommerce industry is just getting started! In 2021, augmented reality will allow people to gain a better understanding of the products being sold – all through the power of technology. This is particularly important for industries such as clothing and fashion or even furniture. With the ability to see how things look before buying them, AR brings more of the in-store shopping benefits to the online world.
Facebook Email Marketing Tools
According to social media experts, Facebook has been experimenting with email marketing tools that you can use to send marketing messages to your followers on the platform. Whilst not live yet, we expect developments in 2021. You’ll be able to upload contacts, compose marketing emails and analyse results all in a user-friendly way. Whilst this is not likely to replace standard email marketing any time soon, it certainly offers something to businesses unfamiliar with standard email marketing tools. Keep an eye out for this one, we’d recommend trying this when it goes live!
Use of SMS for Ecommerce
Finally, the increasing use of text messaging for ecommerce is something that we can expect to see. Some examples include abandoned cart prompts, order updates or letting customers know about an exclusive offer.
The benefit of using SMS over email is that the open rates are much higher. Everyone gets marketing emails but people at this stage don’t expect an SMS. This is why average email open rates are between 20 – 30% and SMS is around 90%. As this trend spreads throughout 2021, the effectiveness of SMS may weaken.
