3 eCommerce Trends You Should Pay Attention To
2022 is going to be a good year for eCommerce if last year’s December is anything to go by. According to Business Wire, online purchases were up by 60.4% in that month, compared to the previous year. Like every industry, eCommerce sees new trends arise every year, and it’s important to pay attention to them, especially if you want to grow your business and stand out among your competitors. The 3 eCommerce trends that you should pay attention to in 2023 include leveraging social media as a sales channel, consumers’ desire to support independent businesses, and visual commerce.
1. Leveraging Social Media As A Sales Channel
Isaac Medeiros is one small business owner who has experienced the power of leveraging social media as a sales channel. The 24-year-old entrepreneur told CNBC that he started selling miniature katanas (Japanese swords) from his Los Angeles apartment as a side hustle in December 2020. A month later, Medeiros was able to quit his full-time job to focus on MiniKatana. The company saw sales of $2.1 million in 2021, a figure he expects to reach $5 million this year. According to Medeiros, all his marketing is done online through social media.
Remarkable Commerce head of product, Brad Houldsworth pointed out that Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest have all become more eCommerce friendly. The social media platforms have added a built-in storefront, shopping tabs, and buyable promotion pins, respectively. He added that 54% of social media users use their favorite platforms to research products. Houldsworth predicts that the leveraging of social media as a sales channel will be given a new dimension in 2022 with the greater uptake of live shopping via live streaming features.
2. Consumers Want To Support Independent Businesses
According to a Mint survey of 1,500 Americans, more than 82% said they would spend more money to support local businesses after the pandemic. 70% said they supported local businesses through eCommerce or by shopping in-store and online. 38% said they supported independent businesses because they want to support local creators and their communities.
The pandemic has awakened a spirit of solidarity in the consumer marketplace, and “Shop local” is their rallying cry. Having integrated merchant services can make local shopping easier for consumers who want to support your small business. And the good news is, the process of integrating your merchant services is very simple. By integrating your payment processing services with your other business tools, your customers can use credit cards, debit cards, web wallets, and other payment methods conveniently and securely.
3. Visual Commerce
Visual commerce is set to become another eCommerce trend worth paying attention to in 2022. According to Houldsworth, it will be the next stage for normal static visuals, and it will take marketing to new heights.
Instead of relying solely on traditional product phones, visual commerce includes interactive content, user-generated content, augmented reality, and videos that are interactive and engaging. You can take advantage of visual commerce by:
- Creating 360-degree product images or videos
- Using product page user-generated content to enhance conversion rate
- Creating visual shopping ads on Instagram and Pinterest
- Creating interactive 3D visuals for highly configurable products
These are just 3 eCommerce trends that are likely to make their presence felt in 2022. Adopt them early to boost your small business’ online presence.
