Future of E-commerce: 8 Trends You Need to Know

A study has revealed that worldwide e-commerce sales have reached $5.7 trillion in 2022 This figure shows an optimistic projection of this industry for the upcoming years.

With more and more consumers shifting towards online shopping, a huge opportunity for new players to enter the e-commerce market has been created.

But with the competition getting fierce, grabbing users’ attention in 2024 and beyond will get difficult. That’s why before hiring developers to create an e-commerce app, companies and brands must be aware of future e-commerce trends to explore better opportunities.

In this article, we will discuss what the future of e-commerce holds and the possible trends that will help you stay relevant in the market.

Future Trends in E-commerce You Need To Watch Out For

As technological advancements and customer behavior are regularly influencing changes, the e-commerce landscape has been in constant flux.

You can play safe by sticking to the familiar practices or you can get an edge over your competitors by updating yourself with the new e-commerce trends. If the latter sounds tempting to you, check out this list of top e-commerce development trends to watch in 2024 and beyond:

1. Voice-Enabled Search

With the increase in the use of smart home devices like Google Home and Amazon Alexa, people have become familiar with voice-activated searches. And now, the e-commerce industry is ready to adapt the voice search feature.

To effectively tap into this growing sector, you should focus on the local SEO and understand your customer’s phrasing.

A study has revealed that around 51% of shoppers take the help of voice searches to find the desired product. Additionally, 36% of customers use voice search to add products to their shopping carts.

2. Headless Websites

Headless websites are likely to become popular among businesses looking for scalable and flexible solutions. These websites make it easy to perform real-time customization and allow seamless backend updates so businesses can stay agile.

As per a report, e-commerce platforms, especially the ones in the B2B sector face difficulties in living up to modern customer experience standards. This is where headless websites enter!

Along with investing in headless websites, companies seeking digital commerce platforms should also focus on scaling their operations globally, satisfying customer expectations, and creating offers.

3. Hyper-Personalization

Did you know that customers today expect brands and companies to engage with them? This can be done by following the concept of hyper-personalization. It also helps you outperform your competitors.

Stop following the generic one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, focus on strategies that are customized as per your business requirements. That’s because, in the coming years, hyper-personalization will no longer be a luxury in e-commerce, it will be a demand.

You can prioritize hyper-personalization by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to gather customer data. Likewise, loyalty programs that offer personalized experiences and rewards can also help you increase your customer retention rate.

4. Social Media

With features like shoppable posts and in-app purchases, social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook are entering into the sales. The seamless integration of e-commerce and social media sites has made it easier for users to purchase any products without leaving the social media platform.

A recent report has revealed that social media users in the USA alone are predicted to surpass 331.09 million users by 2028. It means if you want to stay relevant in the intense e-commerce competition, you must leverage the power of social media. You should also analyze and understand how social media can benefit not just your marketing realm but your entire enterprise.

In simple terms, by integrating the power of social media into your e-commerce business, you can position your brand successfully for the future.

5. Dark Social

Have you ever come across a product recommendation via private messaging apps, like WhatsApp or email thread? It’s called dark social, an emerging trend that is making it difficult for businesses to track accurate customer behavior.

The rise in dark social is set to transform social and e-commerce while amplifying the power of personal referrals. So, as a business, if you want to stay relevant in the market, you must think of creative ways to measure dark social.

Mastering the art of dark social not only offers you a creative edge but also helps you survive in the intense competition. Here’s how you can hop on this future trend:

Boost shareability: Focus on creating irresistible products that people would want to share on private channels.
Discover the unseen: Take the help of appropriate tools and techniques to track the number of hidden content shares.
Build communities: Build and foster communities to maintain a healthy engagement and to gather valuable user feedback.

6. Key Metrics

You must scrutinize the KPIs to evaluate the possible and profitable investment opportunities. Doing so also allows you to identify campaigns and initiatives that have done well and helped you achieve your goals.

Furthermore, KPIs allow you to prevent resource waste and guide you with resource allocation, allowing you to get higher ROI. KPIs such as customer lifetime value, customer acquisition cost, and return on ad spend are most vital.

To stay a relevant e-commerce player in the market, you must track the KPIs diligently in 2024 and beyond.

7. Shoppable Videos

Have you ever seen videos featuring products that you wish to purchase instantly? Well, those are referred to as shoppable videos, which are set to revamp e-commerce in 2023 and beyond.

Such videos create a sense of urgency among customers and motivate them to purchase instantly simply by clicking on the link. Shoppable videos are not only convenient and fast but also interactive. These videos are set to transform the e-commerce landscape for the better.

Many e-commerce companies have successfully integrated shoppable videos into their platforms to enhance user experience and to effectively demonstrate their products.

8. Q-commerce Growth

Q-commerce also known as quick commerce is a popular e-commerce trend that is revolutionizing the way products and services are delivered to customers.

This trend works on a simple concept of fast and convenient delivery. It has successfully gained customers’ attention by delivering them products on time. As an e-commerce business owner, you must take the right steps to integrate this trend to provide quick and efficient deliveries.

After thoroughly understanding the possible trends that are set to shape the e-commerce future in 2024 and beyond, you can hire a reputed e-commerce app development company to avail of the best services.

Why You Must Stay Ahead of the Curve

Staying up-to-date with the latest e-commerce trends and technologies allows you to:

1. Predict New Developments

By staying updated with the latest trends, you can accurately predict what the future of the e-commerce industry holds. You can also properly plan, strategize, and assign resources to achieve better results.

2. Establish as an Authentic Leader

If you wish to be seen as an authentic leader in your industry, be ready to learn and try new things. Doing so will position you as an innovative leader who is willing to go above and beyond to deliver the best products and services.

3. Unlock New Opportunities

When you are ready to embrace the future, you get to make valuable connections that help you stay ahead of your competitors. It allows you to shift from a trend-chaser to a trend-setter.

4. Grow Your Business

Lastly, by staying ahead of the curve, you can grow your business. New trends bring you closer to better sales channels, technologies, and business practices that help you reach your customers quickly.

Conclusion

The future of e-commerce looks innovative and full of exciting changes. So, whether you are an entrepreneur or an e-commerce business owner, update yourself with the possible trends to stay relevant in the market.

In addition, you should hire a trusted company, like Protonshub Technologies to avail the most advanced e-commerce application development services. We work with industry-skilled developers who know the ins and outs of e-commerce app development.

Our team is well-versed with the latest technologies and trends. They closely work with you throughout the process to create an e-commerce app that meets and exceeds your expectations.

So, don’t wait anymore. Get in touch with us today to understand the future trends of e-commerce and to create a scalable e-commerce app.

Frequently Asked Questions

The continuous growth of e-commerce indicates that the industry has a promising future. So, people interested in entering a profitable sector can start an e-commerce business. But it's important to remember that this industry is highly competitive and the number of e-commerce websites is increasing rapidly. It means if you want your business to become successful, you should hire a trusted e-commerce app development company.

With the emergence of new technologies, the e-commerce industry is growing and changing rapidly. Here are a few more things that will shape the future of e-commerce: re-commerce, seamless payment options, subscription commerce, chatbots, and AR/VR.

Depending on the trends and user demand, the fastest-growing e-commerce sector keeps changing. The current fastest-growing e-commerce industries are mobile commerce, social commerce, food and grocery delivery, health and wellness products, luxury goods, and more.

Common challenges that e-commerce businesses can encounter in the future include meeting customers' expectations, low conversion rates, poor customer retention strategy, and limited scalability options.

The Future of E-commerce in 2024 and Beyond