5 E-commerce Trends Of 2022

What is E-Commerce?

E-commerce just means buying or selling goods and services on an online service/ over the internet. It can also be known as internet commerce or electronic commerce.

What are the key trends in E-Commerce?

87% of UK consumers shop online which shows the change from shopping in person to online, which shows that the UK is changing and ecommerce is becoming a big part of this change. This opens doors for many businesses who want to expand and grow their brand internationally, allowing them to reach customers abroad to buy their products.

The country that represents the largest e-commerce market in the world is China, then the United States and the markets in India and Southeast Asia are growing at a rapid speed.

There are opportunities for brands with e-commerce since they have the chance to grow an international market for themselves and have the advantage to profit off online customers, the way to do this is to stand out from other brands, make your brand unique and to build a shopping experience for your customers that is easy to follow and has similar qualities that they are used to when shopping in store. 

1. Ambassador marketing

Having influencers in the industry created a new marketing method for businesses to showcase their products and reach millennial consumers. This way of marketing products started around 5 years ago but many brands have realized that using this method doesn't always lead to the business making sales, and it is something that consumers have become fed up with seeing since it didn't seem original or genuine.

Even though influencers still have a place in the industry as a marketing method, many brands are looking for an alternative way, which is why a new trend called ambassador marketing was created and has become a different method that businesses can use to market their products. The way that this works is having these ambassadors talk about the brand and products to new and loyal customers who then become supporters for the brand by promoting the products online. This works better since it is more of a natural style to promote on social media, which creates good connections with the audience compared to having celebrities just showing the product off.

2. Augmented reality

AR can improve brand awareness by 70%; this type of marketing gives customers a type of experience without them having to physically be somewhere. The method has been around for a while, but this idea of marketing has recently become a bigger thing. Many brands are creating an app or a feature on their website to showcase and create an experience for customers to try virtually online. It helps gain a better understanding of how a product will look or be used to the customer before actually buying it giving them the same experience they would in stores but online.

L’oreal has a makeup app which allows users to try on different makeup products; it's like the snapchat filter but in makeup form, the app scans the customers face and then they can choose a specific product and it’ll show them how that shade will look on their face. Ikea also has a similar feature on their app like L'oreal, where customers can see how a piece of furniture will look in a certain space in their house. It lets them see whether that furniture will fit in the space or match the theme and colours in your house. This method of advertising your products can help businesses create a good customer relationship and customer base since you're able to provide the same service online to the same service they could have in store.

3. Voice search

In the US, 42.7% of the population uses voice assistance such as Siri, Alexa and Google assistant, which shows how voice ecommerce has become a growing market. The global voice assistance market is expected to grow by 77.7% between 2021 to 2027 and to reach $1.3 trillion.

Voice search is used in many different ways to browse search, which is why it is slightly different compared to your standard SEO. The main way they are used is by asking questions which means you need to note down on why, what, when and where on keywords that will be used in content writing.

When customers use their Google assistance, they ask questions or speak to it like they would to a normal person. For example, if they were looking for a specific product online they would just search up ‘Leather Sofa’ whereas when speaking to their voice assistant they would say ‘ where can I buy a leather sofa’ or ‘where to buy a leather sofa’. So to make sure your product comes up in the top search results, you have to use specific keywords in your headline and products like ‘buy’, ‘can’, ‘from’. Use a few specific words that describe the products in your content this way when someone's searching for a ‘leather sofa’ it'll filter it specific to the product you have.

70% of answers on voice search come back as a Rich Answer.  on google; this is when google takes a snippet of an answer which then is the top search in google and this usually sits on the right side of the page when results appear. The way you can increase the chance of being the Rich Answer on Google is by having your content answer specifically to the questions, with it being clear and accurate. The answer should be around 29 to 49 words, and the question being responded to in the second heading. Having FAQs in your content can also help achieve being the Rich answer so that something to add to your content.

4. Cross-border marketing 

Many ecommerce platforms such as Amazon, Ebay and Etsy have helped open the door for small businesses to build a customer base overseas without it being complicated.

The opportunities for businesses growth are direct, with China being currently the largest ecommerce market globally. $2.78 trillion in online sales in 2021; the US being second and Japan coming fourth after the UK. $7% of UK businesses want to grow their marketing overseas in 2022. Here are some tips that you can use to create a successful campaign.

Doing research of different cultures in different countries, there are many brands that haven't done their research before targeting their customers overseas which lead to their brand failing in that country. Before launching your brand in another country you have to do your research because something that might be normal In UK might not be normal in Germany, which is why there might be a few things that you will have to change in the way you market your product in a different country. Some way to avoid offending their culture and embarrassing your business is by researching the country's language, slang, national holidays, online trends; you can also use local freelancers to build your content in that country.

Not all countries use google as a search engine, so you will have to research what the most popular search engine is in a certain country since that is the search engine that their local people will use when searching for your brand or product. Also look at what social media platforms are popular in the country you want to expand to. It is very important for you to use the normal and popular apps because this is the best way you will be able to reach the target market specific to that country. This will be the best way for you to connect with locals and give your brand a better recognition within their country.

Make sure to research advertising rules and regulations in other countries since it can vary in other countries compared to yours. Some countries can be stricter than others, so when making you advertise for that country you have to make sure it fits in with the guidelines, otherwise you won't be able to advertise it, and lots of time and effort will go to waste if that happens.

An important thing to do is advertise your products in the local currency in that country. You don't want to complicate things for your international customers and make sure to add in any additional fees or charges that they have to pay to make it simple and convenient for them when showing the prices. 

Many payment gateways such as Paypal, Stripe etc usually charge high currency fees which can then impact your profit margin. Instead, why not open up a global business bank account, this account can let you receive, hold and send money overseas in different currencies without having extra charges.

5. Sustainability and social responsibility

Taking sustainability and social responsibility is about taking a step back and trying to do less, and in a conscious way, this is different from other marketing trends which usually involve doing more. Many consumers nowadays look for brands that match their values and ethics, which is why they can spot the difference between brands who are actually authentic and true to the values and goal to ones that are not.

A way that you can improve your relationship with conscious consumers is by having a low impact website. This is something that you can try. It might not be for everyone, but for a business that values sustainability and it is something that is part of their brand, having a low impact website can be a good choice. Doing this can reduce energy consumption and help connect with your target audience. The way that these websites reduce energy and carbon footprint is by only having key programming scripts and a certain amount of images.

Work with charities and events that give back to the local community and people in need, choose ones that your customers support and value; this gives them the opportunity to contribute to a cause that not only they like, but also the business supports.

To attract the customer you want shopping from your brand you need to represent them on your website, show them that your brand appeals to them. Having a diverse website that showcases your target market is the easiest way to stand out and attract your customers.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, these trends and tips can help your brand become a great ecommerce business. This is something that you won't have to do straight away, take your time to change or improve areas in your business one by one.

We hope you enjoyed this blog! In the meantime, why not read this blog on The Difference Between Reuse And Upcycle