And we're back! Ready to put the spotlights on some 6 more powerful ecommerce trends that will shape the online shopping landscape in 2017. Which could either shake up or skyrocket your business. It's up to you!
As you'll see, none of them will come as a surprise to you! They're all actually complementing the “movements” pointed out in our previous post:
- the user-friendly content comes to enhance the ultra-personalized shopping experience
- a quicker payment process actually complements the whole “simpler UX” ecommerce trend
- whereas the multi-channel shopping experience is nothing but a result of the mobile-first mentality that players in the ecommerce “arena” will have to embrace. Or be left behind!
Therefore, let's stop with our “teasing” here and let's dig into our list of ecommerce trends with a huge impact on your own business in 2017:
7. Safeguarding Your E-business with Fraud Management Tools Is a MUST
In 2017 handling security issues half-hardheartedly has become a colossal risk for you to take!
Just think about all the critical cyber attacks that have shaken up the online world in 2016: LinkedIn, Yahoo, Mark Zuckerberg's account have all turned into “vulnerable victims”.
Want to have your company name listed there, as well?
If not, then putting your Drupal ecommerce website under the shield of fraud management tools is a must! Use them for tracking down any fraudulent activity on your website.
Use them for winning your visitors' trust. Who'll otherwise take a step back if your ecommerce company conveys the unwanted message that you're taking security and privacy concerns way too lightly. That they risk to be left exposed while they browse through and shop on your website.
In other words: put HTTPS encryption on top of your priority list in 2017! There's no other way around it.
8. Voice Search Optimization Is No Longer Just an Option
Numbers tell it better than we could ever do it: 20% of search requests have been made through Google's voice search facility in 2016. And this trend is not going anywhere in 2017. Anywhere but... up!
So, what do you do? You get your Drupal ecommerce website voice search optimized!
What does that mean? Well, it means that you make sure to sprinkle conversational long tail requests throughout the user-friendly content on your site. “User friendly”and “attractive” content: do keep that in mind!
This way, you're creating the perfect online shopping context for those potential shoppers who'll be using the search voice facility for placing requests on your website.
It might look like just an emerging trend to you know, but be better than that: future-proof your e-business by anticipating this voice search trend turning into a megatrend in 2017!
9. The Streamlined Product Return Experience: One of the Influencing Ecommerce Trends in 2017
It's no just through your fraud management tools that you build a sense of security in your website visitors/potential customers. You'll manage to do that with the help of a clearly formulated and streamlined product return feature, as well!
Accept it: there will be online shoppers who'll return the products bought on your website! No need to get discouraged, no need to turn your back on this “harsh” reality!
Instead, turn it into an opportunity to keep them engaged (ironically!): anticipate it and be prepared for it! Before they've had the “chance” to return their products, you will have already won your customers' trust. And so, their loyalty for your brand won't end after their first return if you turn this process into an agreeable experience!
10. Reader-Friendly, Engaging Content: An Evergreen Ecommerce Trend
Trends emerge and seem to have the potential to shape the online shopping landscape for many years to come and yet many of them quickly fade away! Still, engaging, attractive content (as opposed to the impersonal, generic one) is.. here to stay!
… and to dictate how online retailers connect with their customers for a long time from now on!
Therefore, if you haven't yet spiced up your Drupal ecommerce website with lively, attractive and user-friendly content, you shouldn't lose any more precious time.
Accompany stunning product imagery with engaging copy. Tell your products' story in a way that would captivate your visitors. And don't stick to your website only!
Blogs, newsletters and live chats make some great engaging content “environments” that will help you reach out to your customers and tell your story! Storytelling, another “power” word that will shape the online shopping landscape in 2017 more than ever!
11. Omni-Channel Shopping Experience: An Ecommerce Reality in 2017
And you can't deliver an omni-channel shopping experience without setting the right context for a multi-channel shopping experience, right?
Therefore, in 2017, more than in 2016, focus on getting your ecommece business “equipped” with features such as real-time stock information or multichannel wish lists.
Then, once you've put together your rich collection of shopping channels to “wow” your potential customers with, make sure you keep your brand's message consistent across all of them!
Tip: turn omni-channel selling into an opportunity for you to gather priceless behavioral data about your customers (data coming from multiple sources): dta on their shipping option preferences, what products they like best, their shopping patterns and so on.
12. Speeding Up The Checkout Process Turns Into a Top Priority
After they've rewarded you with their time and since are now ready to reward your brand with their money as well, you can't be as reckless as to discourage your customers with a multi-page, super long payment process!
Do your best to simplify it, then... simplifiy it some more! “N” fill in forms to complete, an overload of data to deliver, too many boxes to check and pages to go through will, no doubt, be discouraging for your website visitors.
Therefore, aim at delivering them a hassle-free shopping experience! Which would be impossible in the context of a way too demanding, overly complex payment process.
It's now that we can say that we've reached the end of our list of 12 ecommerce trends to adopt and to adapt to in 2017. Only if you still want to “say afloat” in the ever-changing, ever-transforming online shopping landscape.
Have we left out any powerful trend from our list? Do feel free to “scold” us, if so!
