5 Ecommerce Trends to Watch Out For

The ecommerce industry has been experiencing exceptional growth over the past few years, particularly in the UK. At present British retailers export more than the rest of Europe’s e-retailers combined and by the end of this 2012, online shopping in the UK is expected to have grown by 13% equating to £77billion.

This is the second largest market value in the world, just below the US. With the use of the internet being part of everyone’s daily routine, the increased accessibility of it through more handheld devices and the great convenience of online payments; many shoppers simply prefer to buy online. With such a great demand and extensive market of people to sell to, both local and international, many start-up ecommerce websites are emerging.

So for people involved in this dynamic industry, it’s important to stay up to date with new changes, updates and trends. They hint what direction the online shopping world is heading in and allows them to adapt and survive the changing climate.

Ecommerce Trends

The following 5 trends are things to look out for this year. (according to Litle & Co)

1. Unusual or Commoditised Products

Unique and individualistic products perform well online, as they use this differentiating factor over price wars with similar online businesses. Demand can be driven by an established brand and reputation of quality goods.

More mainstream, commoditised items on the other hand are highly competitive but through an affiliation with major retailers, smaller businesses with niche and complimentary products can penetrate mainstream audiences.

2. Third Party Ecommerce Site Providers

As more ecommerce start ups emerge, many of them are looking for global ecommerce solutions from professional companies who understand the industry better than they do. Companies like Advansys work together with clients to produce effective ecommerce websites that work towards achieving their strategic business goals. What some providers haven’t perfected, unlike Advansys, is the ability to provide cross channel ecommerce and mcommerce thus enabling the business to operate better, increase sales and stay in tune with this changing industry.

3. The “Mom and Pop” Effect

In the online world, smaller, home grown and traditional stores have a greater chance of success than in the real world which is dominated by chain stores and large retailers. In some cases smaller stores even have an advantage. CEO of Tacit Knowledge, Chris Andrasick explains, “Smaller stores aren’t saddled with anachronistic organizational structures that segment a business by channel, such as store, catalogue or digital.”

4. Remarketing

There is a constant need in the ecommerce world to generate continuous interest in your store and products through remarketing. A popular form of doing this is through online ads tailored to display what a website visitor/potential customer is interested in. Provided the individual doesn’t feel like their privacy has been invaded or unnerved by the specificity of the ad, they could be more easily persuaded to make a purchase.

5. Mobile

Figures from Think Mobile with Google state that 81% of Smartphone users access the internet from their mobile device and 59% use this service while they’re waiting.

This has prompted thousands of ecommerce websites to optimise their site so it can be viewed and used easily on smaller screened mobile devices. Doing this provides an ecommerce store with an increased opportunity to make a sale.

Now while these are the current trends, they are likely to change and quite possibly become obsolete. Therefore it is important for ecommerce retailers to stay up to date on industry news, establish a loyal customer base and compete on great value and customer service.

Effective ecommerce solutions can help you better manage your online business. Contact Advansys to see what work they can do for you and see Advansys reviews from previous satisfied customers.