Trends / Tools to Support E-Commerce in 2022

The world of e-commerce has evolved a lot over the last three years, post the Covid-19 pandemic. What are the emerging trends / tools to support e-commerce in 2022?

More Payment Options

Credit and debit cards have been used commonly, instead of cash. Online customers may want to pay using any number of methods. The more options you can offer to your customers, the more they will be enticed to shop online at your e-commerce store.

One emerging trend is digital wallets such as Touch n Go, Grab Pay, Boost and etc, which lets customers pay using a QR code that’s unique to your business.

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is another payment trend that’s soaring in popularity. These let customers pay in installments for larger purchases, but without having to qualify for credit checks and traditional financing. Among popular BNPL options in Malaysia are Hoolah, Atome, Pace and Pay Later by Grab.

Mobile Shopping

Smartphones are part of the daily lives of almost everyone who belongs to the target group of online retailers.

Live shopping is another phenomenon that has come to stay. The livestream market in the U.S. alone was estimated to reach $11 billion in 2021, and Coresight Research predicts it will grow up to$25 billion by 2023. Big surprise, no?

Live shopping enables a real human connection between brands and companies with potential customers. In the process, a brand becomes more approachable and, in many cases, more likeable.

Livestream shopping is cost-effective. If live shopping is not carried out by well-known influencers, this type of marketing or sales channel is usually cost-effective. As a general rule, there are fewer preparations to be made than, for example, in the case of an elaborate marketing video. At live events, not everything has to look perfect, and that’s what often makes live shopping so charming.

Videos, Videos, Videos

Engaging with customers nowadays are mostly through videos nowadays. It’s not going away anytime soon. Creating videos for your website is a great way to instantly grab and engage a customer and inform them about your product or service. As long as the video is interesting and catchy, it’s much easier to catch potential customers’ attention.

Due to low attention span, the importance of videos can’t be understated. Videos can help you explain and showcase your products better than images ever can. You should consider adding videos of your products in your e-commerce store.

Chatbots for Improved Shopping Experience

Chatbots interact with online shoppers much like an in-store sales associate would do. Today’s shopper wants to be able to find and buy a product in just a few clicks, and if they can’t, they get frustrated. This is where a chatbot can step in and save the sale.

Don’t think that chatbots are only for big business. Small businesses can also set up chatbots for frequently asked questions (FAQs). Customers that bought products online always have enquiries, it will be much easier through chatbot (up to still extend). With chatbots, you surely save some money on hiring customer service staff.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning make it possible for the customer to have automated, personalized shopping experiences. AI is continuously collecting data on how a customer shops, when they buy purchases and what they’re looking for in a product or a service. This technology definitely can’t be replicated in the service in-store.

In general, people want to know that brands care about them. With AI, it will be programmed accordingly. We have currently seen the opposite behavior on social media, where AIs learn from humans’ more negative remarks, but it’s highly likely that consumers will crave the impact. If bots can learn how to form sentences to convey an emotion, companies can soon teach them to offer comfort and products based on customers’ moods.

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