Retail businesses and other vendors in 2023 need to develop an online presence. The trends show e-commerce is rising steeply, and by 2026, global online sales will reach $8.1 trillion. The e-commerce sector reached 22% of global retail sales, up from 14.1% in 2019.
You can join digital transformation that has spread across all industries or stay behind the chance to scale up your business. It's hard to think any current retailer can create a business model without an online component.
Whether working on an exclusively online shop or an extension of your traditional retail business, e-commerce can open up countless opportunities besides pure sale numbers. E-commerce web development services can assist your company in creating an exciting online experience.
Top eCommerce trends
As the global population grows, a staggering 68% of people use smartphones today. If we know that 70% of online purchases go through smartphones, those people are potential customers of your new webshop.
With that knowledge, there are some key trends in eCommerce you should consider when thinking about eCommerce web design solutions.
The rise of social commerce, or the integration of social media platforms with websites, allows shoppers to browse, discover, and purchase products from social media platforms. Projections show this trend will continue to grow in the coming years.
Asian markets are leaders in Live shopping, an experience fueled by technology where you can watch live streams and make purchases. The live streaming online shopping is expected to reach $245.15 billion by 2026. Using AR and VR tech, utilizing influencers, and creating a personal shopping experience like a department store visit drive this industry.
Online retail experience faces the increasing importance of personalization. Companies are using data and artificial intelligence to personalize the shopping experience for each customer. You can experience personalized product recommendations, focused search results, and special offers catered to your preferences.
Why should you consider creating an eCommerce website?
If thriving revenue and user statistics are not enough, here are some other things online retail presence can do for your business.
Smaller companies can struggle to reach new customers and markets. In a globalized world, online shops can help bypass such obstacles. You can get new buyers and markets or expand your traditional retail shops with a well-thought-out online presence.
You can strengthen your brand with more online sales and, preferably, a connected social media presence. Having control over how you present and market your products and reaching more people as they discover your company will gradually boost your brand recognition.
Key consideration for your eCommerce website
Creating a successful e-commerce website requires careful planning, and several critical factors can significantly impact your project's success.
Before you start with the project, define your goals. Your initial plan should include the product you will sell, the target audience, and unique features and functionalities.
What you want and what you can get depends on the budget. Before you decide on an e-commerce web design solution, define your finances. Investing in your online store is pouring money into the foreseeable future and company development.
It would be best to consider customization options of the platform or service you will hire to create an outstanding web store. Aside from the ability to add custom features, it would help if you looked into scalability options. One platform with a long tradition and among the leading e-commerce solutions is Magento 2, an open-source solution known for scalability, focusing on mobile-friendliness and a vast community.
The choice of platform is critical. However, the job is not done when you build your online store. Magento support and maintenance will fuel your growth and ensure the website is up and running and protected from infrastructural and malicious cyber-attack issues.
E-commerce website key elements
To have online success, you must attract people to your shop. While advertising and social media are excellent choices for building an audience, organic search is still significant. The e-commerce web development service you will use should consider all the integral elements that make a website SEO-friendly, like optimizing headlines, metadata, link structure, product descriptions, etc.
Buyers don't care about the website's underlying technology but want an attractive and easy-to-navigate shop. Presentation is critical in sales, and a beautiful landing page with seamless navigation can keep the wandering customers on your site.
Companies build online shops to sell their products. But how they create product categories and place items on the website can make a difference. Product placement and presentation go hand in hand and should be well thought out.
Aside from a user-friendly experience, you will want to offer convenient payment options when you attract customers. Customers will appreciate familiar payment options if your shops accept on-site payments or use third-party services like Stripe and PayPal.
What is behind the scenes is also essential. You will want reliable hosting that can take on estimated traffic to your shop and an option to scale up if business starts rolling. Security is the pillar of every webshop because you will handle people's money and personal data. Security certificates and data policies are integral parts of your future shop.
Customer support is what differentiates quality online shops from average because customers won't take lightly the absence of timely help. Chatbots, email support, and even phones can significantly improve your online rating.
Conclusion
E-commerce is increasingly becoming the primary driving force of retail. Because of that, businesses must think of the best online store strategies to expand their customer base, find new markets, and increase sales.
Creating a plan and choosing an e-commerce website development platform is a good start. Making sure your site is mobile-friendly, SEO optimized, and can handle traffic are fundamental concepts you should follow on your e-commerce journey. Think about the infrastructure and support and maintenance of your future webshop.
Simultaneously, you should attract and retain customers with competitive pricing, user experience, seamless navigation, and popular payment options. It sounds easy, but checking all those boxes is a challenge, and having a reliable development partner can help you navigate potential problems.
