4 E-commerce Trends to Watch Out for in 2019

In the past few years, we have seen the dramatic evolution of the e-commerce industry, including the use of mobile apps. We can now see new technologies like Augmented Reality penetrating our online shopping experience.

Whether you are running a B2B or B2C company, here are our top four e-commerce trends to watch out for in 2019:

AR (Augmented Reality)

AR helps customers by creating an environment where the purchasing process can be more realistic.

AR apps can positively impact e-commerce in the following ways:

1. Helping consumers to imagine the product experience before purchasing.
2. Enabling consumers to try out more selections, with less time and effort.
3. Streamlining choices, minimizing post-purchase regret.
4. Virtual retail aisles.
5. AR-powered digital marketing encourages the creation of user-generated content.

Examples:

• Sephora allows customers to try different makeup looks and take pictures with the outfit they are planning to use.
• Lenskart captures the shapes of your face and creates a virtual face so you can try out different frames for glasses.
• Amazon allows customers to try multiple products or appliances.

Machine Learning

One of the most innovative e-commerce trends out there is machine learning. This technology enables a better user experience based on previous data and buying behaviors.

Lanie Larschen details some of the most impressive applications of machine learning in e-commerce: fraud protection, personalization, search engine ranking, product recommendations, and customer service, to name a few.

So, it makes sense to implement machine learning in e-commerce since everyone has unique product preferences.

Examples:

• Edgecase streamlines e-commerce experiences to increase conversion rates. In addition, it analyzes particular behaviours and actions that indicate purchase intent.
• Alibaba prioritizes big data analysis, making the information more accessible to smaller retailers.
• Amazon has product recommendations based on customer browsing history and helps in forecasting predicted demand for inventory.  

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is another e-commerce trend that has penetrated online retail stores.  

Mark Brinkerhoff cited 5 reasons why cryptocurrency is the future of e-commerce:

1. Lower transaction expenses

2. Faster transaction

3. Secure business

4. Peer-to-peer exchanges

5. Rewarding incentives

Examples

Shopify permits merchants to set up their own online shops. As of November 2013, Shopify merchants have the option to receive bitcoin payments with BitPay.

Rakuten is Japan’s largest e-commerce company. In March 2015, it started accepting bitcoin payments after investing with bitcoin payment-processing startup Bitnet Technologies. 

Chatbots

Chatbots use machine learning technology to provide suggestions through chat conversations with customers. Chatbots ask questions from customers to deliver the best possible results.

Examples

eBay first started with chatbots by pioneering a simple Facebook Messenger tool that reminds bidders 15 minutes before an auction listing is about to end. They’ve now expanded with ShopBot, a virtual personal assistant that helps people search products they want, at the price they can afford, on eBay.

Snaptravel has Facebook Messenger bots that assists customers in finding hotel deals. Customers type in their travel cities and dates to get recommendations. They can book hotels right from Messenger.

There you have it. Staying on top of the e-commerce trends of 2019 will leave your competitors in the dust!

If you’re ready to amp up your e-commerce strategy and dominate in search, contact us today!