2024 ecommerce Marketing Trends to Watch
As we edge closer to 2024, the digital marketplace continues to evolve at a breakneck pace. With 2023 came new innovations like AI, new personalized and cross-channel experiences, and much more. For an ecommerce business, especially those in a competitive industry, staying ahead of the curve is not just about embracing current trends but anticipating future ones.
As brands and marketers gear up for another year of innovation and competition, understanding the emerging trends can be the difference between thriving and merely surviving. While some businesses may stick with the “tried-and-true” tricks they’ve had success with in the past, many of these businesses will be disrupted by new tactics, which is why staying on top of new trends is so crucial. Here are the ecommerce marketing trends Upscribe is anticipating we’ll see in 2024 that are shaping the future of online retail.
Personalization 2.0: Hyper-Personalized Experiences
In 2024, personalization will move beyond simply inserting a customer’s name into an email or sending them a birthday coupon. Ecommerce brands are now leveraging AI-driven analytics to create hyper-personalized shopping experiences. With advancements in AI, analytics, and machine learning, stores will better be able to predict shopping habits, suggest products uniquely suited to individual tastes, and offer personalized discounts that encourage customers to complete purchases. Hyper-personalization is making customers feel uniquely understood, increasing brand loyalty and conversion rates.
Voice and Visual Search Ascendancy
Voice search has become more sophisticated, with many households now using voice-activated devices to shop online such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple Siri. Brands that optimize their content for voice search are gaining a significant edge. Unlike the standard text-based search we’re all used to, voice search generally presents less options or alternatives to the user, and users will be much more likely to choose the option that they hear first. This requires businesses to conduct a thorough assessment of their websites and product pages, and ensure that you’re talking about your products in a way somebody may talk about in a conversation, in natural sounding language. Adding FAQs to your product pages is a great way to add additional content to answer questions people may have to help them find your products via voice search.
Additionally, visual search technology has advanced, allowing customers to search for products using images. Integrating with platforms like Google Lens and Pinterest Lens, ecommerce businesses can capture the attention of visual searchers. Conduct a thorough audit of all images on your site and ensure you have multiple angles, colors, variations, and more captured to give your products more of a chance of coming up in a visual search. In addition, ensure you have an image sitemap so search engines can easily crawl and find all of your images!
Augmented Reality (AR) Shopping Becomes Mainstream
AR technology is no longer just a novelty; it’s becoming a mainstay in the online shopping experience. From trying on clothes virtually to visualizing furniture in a room, AR provides a tangible feel for products that were once considered a challenge to sell online. In 2024, AR will not just enhance the customer experience but will also help to reduce return rates by helping customers make more informed purchasing decisions. That’s great for them, great for your reviews, and great for your bottom line!
Sustainable Practices as a Marketing Leverage
The environment and sustainability are a pressing global concern, and consumers are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on a brand’s environmental impact. In 2024, ecommerce brands that transparently communicate their sustainable practices, from eco-friendly packaging to ethical sourcing will get a pretty significant competitive edge, particularly amongst eco-minded Gen Z and Millennial consumers. This trend is so powerful that it’s no longer just a niche market but a broad-based expectation among consumers.
Social Commerce and Shoppable Posts
Social media platforms continue to be a dominate ecommerce, with shoppable posts and stories making it easier for consumers to buy products directly through their favorite social media platform. Whether they use platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, or TikTok, all of these platforms are constantly refining their shopping features, blurring the lines between social networking and online retail. In 2024, social commerce will become a primary sales channel for many ecommerce businesses.
Omnichannel Becomes Omniconnect
The omnichannel approach has evolved into ‘omniconnect’ – a strategy that focuses on creating a seamless customer experience across all channels and devices. Whether it’s online, in a physical store, or through a mobile app, brands are integrating all their customer touch points. The data collected through these channels allows for consistent messaging and a unified brand experience. Even if you don’t have a physical store, think about all of the ways that a consumer can interact with your brand, and ensure that each of the interactions are well connected (such as the hand off from a sales made on your website to customer service or support handled via X (formerly known as Twitter), or the experience between buying on your website and buying on your mobile app.
AI-Driven Customer Service
Customer service in 2024 will continue being revolutionized by AI. Chatbots are becoming more advanced, capable of handling complex queries and providing personalized service round-the-clock. These AI-driven assistants are reducing wait times and improving customer satisfaction while gathering data to further enhance the customer experience.
Connected TV
Connected TV is rapidly becoming the most popular advertising format in the US. Unlike traditional TV, connected TV advertising solutions allow ecommerce brands access to unparalleled targeting and analytics. As traditional TV advertising diminishes, connected TV allows ecommerce businesses the ability to reach the right viewers at the right time, and even take action directly from whichever TV, tablet, or device they happen to be watching the video on.
B2B ecommerce
As more and more millennial and Gen Z (digital natives) move into the workforce and into management and decision making positions, many B2B transactions will increasingly move online and represent a seismic shift in how B2B businesses interact with their buyers.
Millennial and Gen Z retail buyers expect a B2B sales process to be as easy, if not easier, than ordering a new pair of Airpods on Apple.com. Traditional B2B sales models, which require a “discovery call” with a sales rep are slowly going to the wayside. B2B businesses that take advantage of ecommerce-style solutions are going to win, and win big. The added transparency around pricing, features, and support will help to lower sales cycle times and provide an opportunity for businesses to sell in a more personalized way to their B2B clients.
In addition, B2B ecommerce in the US is predicted by Forrester to reach $3 trillion by 2027, which still only makes up a small percentage of the total US B2B sales!
Subscription Models on the Rise
Subscription services are expanding beyond media and software into broader ecommerce. With consumers appreciating the convenience and personalized nature of subscriptions, more ecommerce brands are offering subscription boxes for everything from meals to makeup. This model provides businesses with a predictable revenue stream and deepens customer relationships.
To learn more about how Upscribe can help you grow your subscription business, set-up time with us here.
Conclusion:
The ecommerce landscape of 2024 is one of dynamic change and exciting possibilities. Staying ahead in this environment requires a willingness to adopt new technologies, a commitment to sustainable practices, and a focus on creating seamless, personalized experiences for consumers. Brands that can successfully navigate these trends will not only captivate their audiences but will set the stage for success in the digital marketplace of the future.
The biggest takeaway is that 2024 is all about leveraging technology to create genuine connections with customers. By keeping a pulse on these trends, ecommerce brands can anticipate changes, adapt their strategies, and continue to grow in an increasingly competitive market.