E-commerce is not an exception to the changes that have taken place in the last two years in the world. Some companies have recognized the need to adopt new E-commerce trends and processes as a result of the situation. The number of E-commerce sales worldwide has exceeded USD 4.2 trillion according to Statista. In response to changing consumer demands and shopping patterns, the e-commerce market undergoes changes every year. The number of businesses moving online is increasing every day, and the level of competition is rising. Online sales have increased by 25% over the past year as a result of the pandemic and the natural development of online commerce.

So how can your business stand out from its competitors? What are companies likely to remain in business for the foreseeable future? Each of these questions can be answered in a straightforward manner. Customer/user satisfaction is at the core of everything we do. Your success will be assured if you manage to prioritize your customers in every situation, work diligently to understand their problems and make an effort to alleviate them. The provision of a smooth and customer-centric experience will then become the foundation of your brand, and everything else will naturally follow.

There is also research to support this core concept. You need to ensure that user journeys are seamless and hassle-free by taking into account factors like page loading speeds, the number of products per page, the type of images you use, and seamless checkout. There are always new trends and techniques that are emerging every year to enhance the customer experience in response to market demands. For example, WebP format images are now preferred over PNG and JPEG as they are smaller in size which increases the page load speed. Different ecommerce plugins such as Magento 2 webp image extension allow you to automatically convert traditional image formats to WebP.

The e-commerce space has seen a massive boom over the past two years due to changes in consumer shopping habits. This year will likely see major changes and advancements in e-commerce, and your business may get left behind if you don’t stay ahead of the curve.

As small businesses plan their e-commerce strategy for 2022, these are the top e-commerce trends to keep an eye on:

Essential E-Commerce Trends in 2022 and Beyond

By staying on top of new developments in e-commerce and devising strategies to meet customer needs, whether you are a fledgling business or a seasoned online retailer, you’ll be in a good position to win and retain customers. Sustainable growth of your business is possible through the use of the right platforms, tools, and technologies.

1 – The Growth of Online Sales Continues

There is no surprise that online sales are increasing at an accelerated pace as the first trend we examine. A recent survey conducted by Credit Karma, a personal finance start-up, indicates that 70% of Brits have adopted online shopping as their preferred means of shopping, up from less than half prior to the Coronavirus outbreak.

It has become more and more common for people to shop from home due to the decline of the high street. In a global survey conducted by Episerver, which surveyed over 4,500 shoppers, 38% of UK consumers indicated that they had purchased something online at least once a week, more than in any other region surveyed. Following closely behind are 26% in the United States and 21% in Australia.

According to Optiseller’s COO Richard Falconer, these figures are promising and demonstrate how much opportunity exists for online sellers. Due to the fact that marketplaces are only going to become more competitive, sellers must set themselves apart from the competition. As a result of the UK lockdown in 2020, eBay alone reported the formation of over 100,000 new ‘pandemic start-ups’. More than 72 million items have been sold through these new businesses to the 29 million eBay shoppers who use the platform on a daily basis. It is important for all sellers to take into consideration their listings, promotions, and positioning in order to remain competitive.

2 – The Demand For Mobile Shopping is Increasing Rapidly

The fact that your website is not optimized for mobile transactions means you will be losing out on business to your competitors. Statistics International estimates that mobile transitions will represent 72.9% of the total e-commerce transitions worldwide by the end of 2021.

This process is commonly known as mobile commerce, or m-commerce, and involves purchasing and selling products and services through the use of a mobile device, tablet, or another hand-held device. The fact that today’s society is mobile-obsessed indicates that there has never been a better time to be mobile-friendly. You might be missing out on all the traffic and potential customers that are checking their mobiles every 12 minutes in the UK, according to Ofcom.

As Falconer notes, “The future of shopping online could be radically altered by mobile shopping. According to Insider Intelligence, the mobile channel is expected to become the preferred method for online shopping within the next five years. Get ahead of the game and make sure you are mobile-friendly.”

3 – Consumer Buying Decisions are Increasingly Influenced by Social Media

Social media plays an important role in the consumer buying journey, similar to e-commerce with its growth of social media platforms and influence on culture. In a study conducted by GlobalWebIndex, 71% of respondents indicated that they were more likely to purchase products and services solely on the basis of social media referrals.

The Deloitte report also points out that consumers who use social media during the shopping process are four times more likely to spend more on purchases than those who do not use social media. To ensure that you are reaching your customers and ultimately selling more online, it is imperative to stay up-to-date on the latest trends.

The Deloitte report provides some insight into which product categories are most effective on social media, even if you are not certain whether your products will perform well on social media. Data from this study indicate that 56% of consumers purchasing baby products are influenced by social media. This is compared to 40% of consumers purchasing home furnishings, 33% of consumers purchasing health and wellness products, and 32% of consumers purchasing car parts and accessories.”

4 – Environmental Factors That Influence E-Commerce

Global attention is being paid to the future of the Earth, especially in light of the fact that COP-26 was recently held in Glasgow.  The marketing report ‘Selling Sustainability: Adapting to the New Conscious Consumer’ by PFS and LiveArea found that consumers are concerned about the environmental impact of changing shopping habits in the UK and Ireland.

The temporary closure of physical stores has given many consumers an opportunity to reassess and reevaluate their shopping habits. It has been reported that more than 37% of shoppers are now more aware of the environmental impact of their online shopping habits than they were prior to the pandemic. While consumers expect online retailers and brands to use recyclable or minimally packaged products, nearly 73% expect them to do so. Nearly one in three customers claim to have stopped purchasing certain products due to ethical or sustainability related concerns, as reported by Deloitte.

As a result of these findings, it becomes clear how important sustainability is to consumers and why every seller should consider their eco-impact whether they use recycled packaging or low-emission couriers.

5 – Providing Support to Local Entrepreneurs

A study shows that nearly 50 chain shops closed per day on British high streets, retail parks, and shopping centers during the first half of the year (2021) as a result of the pandemic. Shoppers in the UK have been encouraged to shop locally as a result of this frightening reality.

In a Shopify survey, 57% of consumers said they’d buy from new and independent businesses for the first time. Whatever your experience with selling online, whether you’ve been selling online for a few months or have been selling online for years using multiple marketplaces, this gives you the confidence to know that consumers will purchase from you if you are an independent business. Unlike the days when people only purchased from well-known brands, today anyone can sell online.

As Falconer concludes, it is clear that e-commerce will flourish in 2022, with a wide variety of opportunities for both new and established sellers. The key is to stay current, differentiate from competition, and ultimately sell more online.

If you are planning to expand your eBay marketplaces or already sell on eBay, there has never been a better time to sell online. To succeed online, sellers must put data at the center of their business operations and keep pace with the ever-changing e-commerce trends.

Final Thoughts

During the coming year, e-commerce merchants should stay aware of a number of exciting trends. The best way to grow your business sustainably is to keep abreast of the changes in the industry and adopt the appropriate technologies and trends.

We hope that this article has given you some inspiration to prepare well for the e-commerce trends that will emerge in 2022. With all the competition out there, as well as the entry of major players into the market, it is imperative that you take every necessary step to ensure your success in 2022. We encourage you to boost your strategies based on the information presented above, to listen to your customers, and to keep checking our blog and social media for the latest e-commerce information.