While most industries took a hit during the pandemic, eCommerce blossomed. With people being forced to keep a social distance, online orders increased significantly. In the US alone, the eCommerce market grew 44%, with customers spending more than $861 billion online.

The market is moving quickly. So if you want a piece of that 861-billion-dollar pie, you need to be a step ahead of the competitors. That means being familiar with the current trends in technology and eCommerce.

The technology that goes into SAP and eCommerce integration allows for a great deal more convenience. For example, product listing information, catalog information, and shopping cart information can all be communicated seamlessly to the SAP eCommerce software, enabling that information to be carried further down the line and for that information to the used to streamline the process of fulfilling orders.

We’re going to look at the top trends shaping e-commerce in 2021.

Let’s start with…

1.  Growing Use of Conversational Technology

Over the last couple of years, more and more people have been using voice assistants. By 2025, it’s expected that 75% of American households will have at least one smart speaker in their home. Consumers are increasingly using voice assistants such as Google Home and Alexa to look for and purchase different items. Ecommerce businesses now need to optimize their stores for voice searches to stay ahead of the curve.

2.  AR is Slowly Becoming the Norm

What was once considered a “neat feature” has now become pretty common. The usage of Augmented Reality in eCommerce stores grew in 2020, and the trend is expected to continue in 2021. AR allows the customers to see how a shirt would fit them or how a couch would look in their living room. For example, IKEA allows its customers to overlay their products in any room they want and see if it fits their decor or not.

3.  Omnichannel Commerce

Most businesses out there – not just eCommerce ones – are now aware that the average shopper uses multiple devices each day. Now, optimizing for multiple devices and screen sizes it’s nothing new, but that’s just the bare minimum. In addition, you can now sell your products through social media platforms. That means you need to optimize your store for multiple platforms as well. Working with an experienced digital marketing agency will help you cater to customers across several channels and maximize your profits.

4.  Personalized Online Experiences

One of your main goals should be to cater to as many consumer groups as possible. Nowadays, more than 50% of customers believe that a personalized experience while shopping online is “significant” to them. People want to find the products they need with only a few clicks. If your store is constantly recommending the wrong products, the customer will look elsewhere. Personalized emails, relevant discounts, and engaging content will all help you deliver a great shopping experience to your customers.

5.  Sustainability is Growing in Popularity

The last trend is a bit different. Just a few decades ago, sustainability was reserved for big brands. But the recent changes in economic and cultural landscapes across the globe have forced even the small guys to protect the environment. Brands like Amazon have already started investing in sustainability, and now’s the time for the small companies to follow suit. If you do, it will be worth it. According to Harvard Business Review, nearly two-thirds of buyers want to purchase from brands that aim for sustainability.

The Bottom Line

These are just some of the things going on right now. Here’s what you need to keep in mind when working on your eCommerce store:

• You should optimize your content for voice search
• Consider adding AR features to your website
• Develop an omnichannel strategy
• Make sure to provide personalized experiences
• Going Sustainability is something you should invest in

In the next couple of years, we can expect even more changes to come. To ensure that your eCommerce website is ready for the feature, you need to closely follow the market trends.