Consumers have gotten digital and actively bolstered mobile e-Commerce sales. For them, it’s the trends that influence positively that drives them to engage in online buying. But from e-Commerce companies and online sellers’ viewpoint, it is a bit of uproar on social media and great profit numbers.

A host of reasons contribute to the growing trend in online shopping and its primary factor, the internet seems to be getting faster. The world has moved over 3G and 4G and is already prepping up to welcome 5G networks to assure better speed and reduce latency.

Considering how the internet and mobile device proliferation has turned the wheels of innovation for retail and online shopping, it is obvious that the future of this space will be ruled by the next-generation 5G networks.

But before we go time traveling to the future, let’s first explore the upcoming trends that will have a major influence in online shopping in 2019:

Social Media Takes the Center Stage

One of the common things among the most successful e-Commerce stores and brands is their presence on social media. From Amazon, Flipkart to new start-ups, e-Commerce companies enjoy the attention and make most of their digital presence to build an audience and engage with them for long-term revenue generation and profitability.

As per the statistical data, the global average penetration rate of the social network in 2017 was at 42 percent and North America region alone was found having a social penetration rate of 70 percent. The findings also revealed that there were nearly 209 million social network users in the U.S., falling behind China and India. By 2022, this number is expected to surpass 220 million.

This gives e-Commerce website development services companies a chance to collaborate with social media platforms to simplify shopping experience by adding relevant extensions and features like payment options on Instagram or Facebook account.

Recent research stats on Instagram also finds that the app’s monthly annual users are three times the population of U.S. And about 800 million Instagram users reportedly follow business profiles and more than 33 percent of them have confirmed that they have shopped through their mobile device. A part of the credit goes to the addition of in-app payment option, suggests the report.

In case your business is looking to downplay social media marketing, it would be a major oversight. It would be wise to make the best of Facebook and Instagram ads, Pins and tags of Pinterest and DMs on Instagram accounts for business enquires.

No More Waiting in Long Queues for Household Products

Data from Mary Meeker Report surmises that nearly half of the product searches start with Amazon followed by the Google searches and browsing other sources. This information not only talks about Amazon’s foothold in the consumer market but also about the growing relevance of e-Commerce websites for product purchases.

Consumers are most likely to fulfill their basic household and grocery supply needs by buying from e-Commerce companies like Amazon than stand in queues in supermarkets. Conversely, e-Commerce development solutions providers will have to stay prepared to dodge impacts caused by counter moves by Target, Walmart and other leading names in consumer retail.

Mobile Optimization over Mobile Responsiveness

Any e-Commerce development company that has been building mobile responsive sites must change their priorities to making sites mobile-optimized. This is simply because mobile optimization goes beyond adjusting website layout to device screen, it is focused towards simplifying user experience with better navigation and other features like faster check-outs and payment as well as other convenient options. Shopify Plus saw a drastic change in conversion numbers, faster check-outs and more sales on sites that were mobile optimized.

ChatBots and Voice Assistants

A closer look at the chatbot adoption rate suggests that e-Commerce development solutions are aware of the savings and efficiency their customers are going to have in their business by serving customers 24/7.  Experts now are of the opinion that its time to move on to the next emerging technology, voice assistants.

Besides requesting Alexa or Google for the best pop numbers or movies to catch up, voice devices can be optimized for shopping. Amazon Echo Show and Google Home Hub present visuals of products that make product selection and buying simple will be applied by their e-Commerce counterparts to facilitate online shopping.

Hyperlocal Website Experience

Language, demographics, government, and tax regulations are barriers that many e-Commerce companies have overcome by addressing the local audience by changing their site settings as per the users’ geographic location.

No every international e-Commerce brand and its products are out of reach for customers at regional and hyperlocal levels. By 2019, most e-Commerce development solutions companies will aim at empowering their clients to run border-free business with hyperlocal expansions on the websites.

Apart from these trends that are going to help forwarding thinking businesses hit their bottom line lot quicker than expected, some trends shall prevail throughout 2019 such as:

• Multi-channel e-Commerce Strategy
• Social Media Selling
• Addition of Native Functionality
• Use of Better Content
• AR and VR
• Integration with Machine Learning and AI technology
• The growth of Mobile Commerce

What are your thoughts on this?

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