E-commerce marketing trends in 2021
Rajendra Zadpe
With 2020 coming to a close, it’s the perfect time for us to take a look at the ecommerce trends that will dominate the new year.
As a marketing director or Shopify store owner, you always need to keep your finger on the pulse.
That’s because the landscape of the ecommerce industry is constantly evolving. Consumer buying habits have changed. So your sales strategy from back in 2015 won’t necessarily work on your ecommerce website today.
But once you’re able to recognize the latest trends, it will be much easier for you to adapt your sales and marketing strategies accordingly. That’s what inspired me to write this guide.
I’ve taken the time to research and analyze the latest ecommerce tendencies of 2021.
Based on the data that I’ve found, I’m expecting these trends to continue throughout the second half of the year as well.
1. Increased conversion rates
Conversion rates will always vary based on a wide range of factors.
- Industry
- Country
- Product
- Traffic source
- Device
These are just a few categories of how conversions are measured in terms of averages and benchmarks.
For example, according to research from Growcode, the average ecommerce conversion rate for the arts and crafts industry is 3.83%. Whereas the baby and child industry has 0.84% conversion rate. Germany’s ecommerce conversion rate is 2.22% and Italy’s is 0.99%.
But with that said, the overall ecommerce conversion rates across the globe are rising.
2. Artificial intelligence
AI is on the rise in seemingly every industry. This technology is being used for such a wide range of purposes and applications.
But in the ecommerce world, AI chatbots are starting to become the new norm.
Even if you don’t currently have a chatbot on your Shopify store, I’m sure you’ve seen these before when you’re browsing the web. Adding it to your ecommerce shop will be extremely beneficial for both you and your customers.
3. Mobile commerce
With ecommerce growing year-over-year, mobile commerce is following suit.
In the United States, mobile commerce sales have accounted for 44.7% of all ecommerce sales in 2019. That’s up more than 10% from just two years ago. By 2021, it’s expected that 54% of all ecommerce sales in the US will come from mobile devices.
These numbers are even more astonishing on a global scale.
Consumers no longer need to be on their computers to buy something from your ecommerce shop.
Look around. People seemingly have smartphones glued to their hands for every waking minute of the day. Take advantage of this.
4. Flexible payment options
The days of businesses only accepting Visa and Mastercard are over.
In addition to all major credit cards and debit cards, ecommerce shops are starting to accept alternative payment methods as well.
- PayPal
- Venmo
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Cryptocurrencies
Don’t get me wrong; it’s not like these methods have taken over and made credit cards obsolete. But alternative payment options are becoming more readily available for consumers who shop online.
Here’s something else to consider. 45% of online payments came from stored credit cards, compared to just 17% that were entered manually.
This piggybacks off of our previous point about mobile commerce. If your ecommerce brand has a mobile app, it’s easy for you to securely store payment information for your customers. Then at checkout, they won’t have to manually enter anything. They’ll be able to complete the purchase with just a few clicks.
5. Voice search
The way that customers are browsing online is changing in 2021 as well. Voice search is at an all-time high, and continuing to rise.
According to The Verge, roughly 25% of American households own a smart speaker. 40% of those homes have multiple smart speakers.
Furthermore, 62% of people who own a smart speaker made their purchase in the last six months, meaning this trend is very new.
Here’s something else to consider. According to Google, 41% of adults and 55% of teenagers use voice search more than once per day.
Conclusion
These are the top 11 ecommerce trends that have taken over 2021.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, all of these trends have been backed up by research, facts, and statistics. Based on the data, it looks like everything on this list will continue trending upward as we close out the year and continue to remain relevant in 2020.
There are certain trends on this list that simply cannot be ignored. For those of you who haven’t been prioritizing mobile users, it’s time for you to leverage mobile apps increase your sales.