2012 was a really good year for the consolidation of eCommerce. It kept growing and introducing new trends that are making online shopping evolve and improve. In 2013, expected to be even better, we’ll see even more changes.
In this post I want to introduce some of the eCommerce trends that, in my view, will be decisive in 2013.
1. The mCommerce and tCommerce boom
The most important trend for 2013 will undoubtedly be the strong growth of shopping via mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). This boom will be especially significant in Spain, one of the countries that has most widely adopted these devices to go online.
The big challenge online stores face in 2013 is adapting their eShops to mobile and tablet versions. Many companies still aren’t preparing their eCommerce stores to compete in this post-website era, missing out on sales opportunities and potential customers.
We need to bear in mind that brands are now targeting a new type of consumer who increasingly shops and researches on mobile devices. Companies must be smart enough to offer highly personal, unique and interactive shopping experiences that fit the new consumption habits driven by smartphones and tablets. Because it’s not just a new type of consumer, but new habits too: mobile shoppers can buy from anywhere, at any time and on any impulse.
Besides developing mobile and tablet versions of their eShops, companies should also keep investing in developing and refining complementary technologies such as geolocation, QR codes, more apps… to boost interaction with their customers and run more personal and rewarding marketing campaigns.
2. The rise of video in eCommerce
Video has been a star trend online for years, but in 2013 it will become essential for eCommerce. This year we’ll see online stores include more and more videos, since they add great value: they grab shoppers’ attention, bring to life products that can’t be touched when buying online, improve the shopping experience, build loyalty, generate trust and credibility, help with Google rankings, expand search channels to include others like YouTube (the world’s second most visited search engine) and drive virality on social media.
3. Mobile payments
The third major eCommerce trend for 2013 will be the rise of mobile payments. Although credit cards are still online shoppers’ preferred payment method, mobile payments are the future.
The trend is so clear and the potential market so large that, for years, multinationals from very different sectors—phone makers (Samsung, Apple…), mobile carriers (Movistar, Vodafone…), card networks (Visa, Mastercard…), financial institutions (La Caixa, BBVA…), major eCommerce companies (Amazon, eBay…), payment systems like PayPal, and even Google and Facebook—have been working to offer secure, convenient and fast mobile payment systems. The big question: who will win this battle?
4. Cross-channel strategies
Until now, most companies with more than one sales channel developed multichannel strategies (creating a different strategy for each channel); in 2013, strategies will be cross-channel. Companies managing several sales channels at once (eShops, physical stores, social commerce…) will focus on integrating their channels and making them complement each other.
Cross-channel strategies aim to integrate online and offline commerce to offer consumers a seamless shopping experience. These customer-centric strategies combine the opportunities of new technologies with the advantages of physical stores. Their great added value is that they don’t pit channels against each other or manage them separately; instead, they bring together the best of each channel under a single global strategy.
Cross-channel strategies let each customer choose and combine the shopping channels that best suit their needs. For example, some prefer to buy products from eShops and pick them up in physical stores, or order them in a physical store and have them delivered home… and there are countless other options. In 2013, companies that don’t unify their channel strategies will be at a disadvantage.
5. Big Data
The amount of information an eCommerce business handles about its environment has more than multiplied since the explosion of mobile devices and social media. The challenge now is knowing how to analyze this information and use it to drive more sales, build customer loyalty, add value for shoppers and create more personal shopping experiences. 2013 will be the year online stores dig deep into analytics tools to make the most of this information.
6. Social media: online stores’ best ally
The last two years have shown that social networks aren’t the best platform for selling—Social eCommerce has yet to find its business model. Even so, social networks have become the best showcase for driving purchases.
In my view, the trend in 2013 will be using social media to boost eShops’ virality. eCommerce stores should make it easy to share images and videos of their products on social networks and encourage their own customers to share them too, attracting new visitors and potential buyers. The big surprise of 2012 was Pinterest—let’s see what 2013 has in store.
In short, although I’ve mentioned some of the eCommerce trends for 2013 in this post, there will surely be others, such as virtual fitting rooms, facial recognition technology or 3D images and videos… What is certain is that those of us who provide technology solutions for eCommerce will keep working to drive its constant evolution and introduce new trends and technologies.
