With the impact of Covid-19, it is no surprise to see that the sales in mortar and brick stores have plummeted. Meanwhile, ecommerce is thriving even more than before. The situation was in favor of online stores before the pandemic, but now things have improved to the point where it is only a matter of time before we do all of our shopping online.

Joining the party now is as good a time as any. And even if you already have, there is still a lot to look forward to in the future. Especially when it comes to trends.

New developments change the way entrepreneurs approach ecommerce. And it is not something significant like a global pandemic that affects everyone on the planet. Here are some trends and developments that you can expect to encounter more in the next few years.

Trend #1 – Print on Demand Merchandise

Custom-made merchandise could be just the thing to push you toward getting more customers. And the focus does not necessarily have to be on selling as many POD products as you can. 

While print on demand and dropshipping is a good business idea in general, print on demand can also be used as means of promotion. A perk that you can include in a regular package to show your appreciation for customers.

Giving out stuff like t-shirts at live events could also work as a method to raise brand awareness. However, that might be a bit difficult given the pandemic. Put that in the list of future marketing methods.

Trend #2 – Video Content

Video content is something that Instagram and Facebook have been pushing a lot recently. It seems that visual ads, especially in the form of videos, are more effective than other forms of advertising.

Sure, creating effective videos takes time and talent, and hiring a professional seems like the most optimal option. You will have to switch to video content eventually, and the sooner you prepare for it, the better off you will be.

Trend #3 – Customer Experience

Emphasis on customer experience should be what you need to work on a lot. These days, people are spoiled with so many different stores that they find it hard to choose one.

There are a lot of elements that can make one’s shopping experience more enjoyable. Responsive customer support, a plethora of different payment methods, a simple registration process, free shipping, multiple products, quick deliveries, and anything else that you can come up with. The bottom line is that the more effort you put into this, the more benefits there will be.

Trend #4 – Voice Commerce

Imagine how convenient it is to order stuff using nothing but your voice. This is going to become more common in the future. Stores that fail to optimize their website for voice commerce are bound to lose a lot of potential customers. 

Do not miss out on this. Instead, take a proactive approach and be one of the first to implement such a feature. This way, you will gain an advantage over your competition.

Trend #5 – SMS Marketing

SMS marketing seems like an old method, but it is gaining more traction recently. It seems that texts can be a good way to push offers because people have a tendency to check every text they get immediately. But these messages are not from friends or family.

One has to be careful with spamming too much, though. If you send SMS too often, people will not bother and block your number without any hesitation. 

Trend #6 – Chatbots

It seems that chatbots are bound to replace real people in customer support. Something that is available 24/7 and can respond immediately seems like quite a solid option. And while chatbots cannot replace real humans quite yet because they still lack in some areas, it should not be too long. 

Trend #7 – Virtual Reality

Virtual reality might have been something that people associate with science fiction, but the situation has changed a lot in the last few years. More and more stores are looking to implement VR into their ecommerce services.

Not having an option to try or check products in person is a big disadvantage. But if you put VR goggles on, the problem goes away. Not completely, but to some extent. And it can be the difference-maker between someone picking your store to browse products or looking elsewhere.

Trend #8 – Advanced Customization

Providing customers with options to customize products can improve sales. There are products that should not be limited to only what the original seller and manufacturer have to offer. For example, clothes or accessories can have different colors, right? So why not let your customers pick what they really want, and accommodate such needs?