Every sales manager, marketing director, or business strategist knows eCommerce stores are a never-ending project. These days online retail sites need to be updated at least every year, especially with the recent industry changes. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the mainstream use of online retail and helped to position several eCommerce stores within the market. This brought drastic changes to the once usual customer habits and eCommerce global trends. That’s why you need to keep an eye on the latest shifts of the market and optimize your company’s store according to the eCommerce trends for 2022. 

With 2021 fast-tracking towards an end, every eCommerce store should be enhanced for the future. Trends are always evolving, but adopting the biggest ones can aid your company’s sales strategy and help to retain customers. At Resolve Digital, we work closely with our clients to keep track of the latest market trends and perform all the necessary upgrades. After monitoring the eCommerce global trends for 2022, we decided to compile them in this article to help sales, marketing, and business professionals prepare for the upcoming year. 

Why you should stay on top of the eCommerce business trends in 2022

Now that online retail has become mainstream, thousands of businesses have built an eCommerce store to avoid falling behind. In fact, Statista’s recent reports show the percentage of eCommerce sales out of the total retail sector has skyrocketed in recent months. Its massive growth was originally caused by the pandemic, as the first spike happened during Q2 of 2020. Still, the latest trends of eCommerce demonstrate it generates over 12.5% of US retail sales. 

(Statista - Key Figures of E-Commerce)

In a way, the rising trends of eCommerce have leveled the playing field by taking away all physical limitations customers used to face. Still, this has also increased the competition for brands once dominant in the online shopping landscape. Now more than ever, your eCommerce store needs to stand out from your competitors to attract, engage, and retain all leads. 

So how can you make sure your eCommerce site will only benefit your sales? The answer is fairly simple. You need to optimize your store according to the latest market trends to keep up with the ever-changing customer habits. That’s why it’s crucial to learn all the latest eCommerce trends for 2022 with enough time to implement them. This will help you stay informed and aim for innovation. Down below you’ll find a compilation of 10 key eCommerce global trends that will change online retail in 2022 and beyond.

What are the future trends in eCommerce? 10 key eCommerce trends for 2022

1. Personalization is here to stay as one of the eCommerce biggest trends. 

From customized packaging to tailored marketing efforts, personalization plays a crucial role when it comes to customers’ purchase decisions. It’s directly linked to one of the main factors influencing consumer behavior. One of the psychological factors affecting consumer behavior is the customer’s perception of the product or service. A recent study published in the Journal of Information Technology Management revealed consumers purchase personalized products online because of the following reasons: uniqueness seeking, emotional attachment, identity expression, enjoyment, vanity, innovation, ownership, and perceived control. These are decisive factors that can tilt the scale in your favor if you offer personalized goods, packaging, and marketing efforts. 

• Resolve Digital Insider’s Tip:

80% of customers are more likely to buy from companies that provide a tailored experience, so you need to implement this major trend of eCommerce as soon as possible. Start by creating tailor-made offers according to how the user interacts with your eCommerce store (using data on user behavior) and their geolocation. 

2. Mobile load times will be an even more decisive factor.

It’s no secret that mCommerce is one of the major eCommerce trends for 2022 and the years beyond. Millions of consumers make purchases from their phones almost daily, changing the old ways of online retail. At the current growth rate, mobile eCommerce sales are expected to generate over $432.24 billion in 2022. Because of this, mobile load times are directly related to the rise of mCommerce sales. If your website takes over 3 seconds to load, 53% of your potential customers will go with the competition. Optimizing your store for the eCommerce trends for 2022 means making sure your mobile site loads seamlessly in 1-2 seconds. 

• Resolve Digital Insider’s Tip:

There are three main reasons your site still doesn’t work on mobile, and one of them is a slow mobile load time. You can get closer to the 3-second benchmark by reducing the amount of JavaScript, getting rid of bloat-filled plugins, minifying core files, and compressing all of your images.

3. Modern payment methods will become increasingly common. 

If you want potential customers to leave your site with a purchase, your eCommerce store needs to let them pay in as many ways as possible. Consumers want flexibility, so letting them pay via check and credit or debit card is no longer enough. Recent eCommerce payment trends showed card-enabled digital wallets are a favorite with the newer generations of consumers. Digital natives often gravitate towards PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay for their online purchases. Buy Now, Pay Later has also become a common occurrence these days. It’s a smart move to optimize your eCommerce store for this new financing model, as it shows no signs of slowing.

• Resolve Digital Insider’s Tip:

All eCommerce stores with products over 100 USD should offer a Buy Now, Pay Later option during checkout. Integrate Afterpay or Affirm to your site if you want to stay up to date with the eCommerce trends for 2022. 

4. Your eCommerce store will need to be optimized for voice search. 

The usage of mobile search will only keep increasing during 2022. It’s been one of the major trends of eCommerce for a while now and is still being picked up by many late adopters. From voice assistance on smartphones, tablets, and computers to smart home devices and TV controllers, this eCommerce trend has continued to evolve. Now, 40% of consumers use voice search to make online purchases every month. More smart devices specialized in voice assistance will surely hit the market soon, meaning this is one of the eCommerce trends for 2022 that can change the game. It all depends on which companies adapt first, so your eCommerce store shouldn’t fail to be optimized for it. 

• Resolve Digital Insider’s Tip:

Voice search users want direct answers to direct questions or queries. Take this into consideration when creating content for your eCommerce store, answering strategic questions on the FAQ section. Make sure your site’s architecture and navigation match the common flow of voice search questions and the subsequent user journey. 

5. Video consultations and Livestream shopping continue to gain traction. 

Video consultations aren’t exactly breaking news now that we’re reaching the end of 2021. They were the obvious next eCommerce solutions when the world went into isolation at the beginning of 2020. Livestream shopping might be similar to video consultations on paper, but it’s all about connecting your products with the audience in new ways. At its core, it consists of live videos featuring influencers showcasing your products, while the audience can buy them on the spot. As you can see, product video has taken over the market, surpassing pictures and graphics on their effectiveness. If your company still doesn’t offer virtual consultations or Livestream shopping, it’s time to discuss this with eCommerce software providers to create technical improvements for your store.

• Resolve Digital Insider’s Tip:

Incorporate Livestream shopping into your eCommerce growth strategy. This is one of the biggest eCommerce trends for 2022 and will give your store a competitive advantage against similar brands. Two of the most popular Livestream shopping platforms to merge with your site on an eCommerce integration are LiSA and Bambuser.

6. Sustainable and ethical shopping has proven to be more than just another trend. 

There’s no doubt some of the rumored eCommerce latest trends will eventually come and go. But sustainability and ethicality are not those types of eCommerce trends for 2022! Consumers have shown us over and over again that their beliefs will influence their purchase decisions. In fact, according to Mintel statistics, 56% of US consumers will stop buying from companies they believe are unethical. Ethical consumerism is now a rising trend, and there’s no reason to believe it’ll cease to be so anytime soon. Because of this, it’s in your company’s best interest to make consumers trust your products, the way you create them, and the ethics behind them. Otherwise, you risk losing customers in the long run. 

• Resolve Digital Insider’s Tip:

Be open about any sustainable business practices and the ethicality of your products. Include those details in the FAQ section of your eCommerce store and talk about them as part of your marketing strategy. Be transparent with your customers and you will see a positive shift in your customers’ perception of the company. 

7. AI will be one of the major trends in eCommerce for 2022. 

From chatbots to machine learning to create the ultimate personalized shopping experience, artificial intelligence will keep evolving as one of the eCommerce trends for 2022. Just by taking into account the current value of the global AI market, priced at $ 327.5 billion, it’s easy to see its future influence in the industry. AI analyzes the browser and shopping history of every lead that gets to your eCommerce store, helping to tailor the user experience. It will also continue to help streamline the business process, aiding customer service representatives. Overall, artificial intelligence and machine learning make your eCommerce solutions more efficient and customized to the user’s needs. It’s one major trend of eCommerce to keep an eye on for 2022!

• Resolve Digital Insider’s Tip:

Use Artificial Intelligence alongside another major trend of eCommerce for 2022: personalization. Several AI engines, such as Boomtrain, can be integrated into your eCommerce store to analyze the way customers interact with your store and provide multi-channel personalized experiences. 

8. Social media shopping will increase its popularity. 

Social media keeps evolving and finding new ways to generate commercial interactions. Its latest innovation? Direct social media shopping. When Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok ads first influenced consumer behavior, customers had to get out of social media to make a purchase. Now, Instagram’s new social commerce feature has changed the way eCommerce trends for 2022 will influence the market. Instagram Checkout lets users buy products directly on the mobile app or desktop site. This feature has turned mainstream, as thousands of businesses have adopted it into their eCommerce solutions. This is one of the eCommerce global trends you don’t want to ignore. 

• Resolve Digital Insider’s Tip:

Make sure to optimize your brand’s social media channels for social commerce before this 2022 trend is picked up by a larger number of competitors. Integrate Instagram Checkout with your eCommerce store to allow users to purchase from your company right on the social media platform. You can also include direct links to certain products on other social media platforms, whether it is through stories or an AI like Beacons.

9. Multichannel customer service can give your eCommerce store an edge.

Customer support always plays an important role in whether or not clients buy again from your company. Because of this, having a multichannel customer service strategy is not only a smart move but a necessity as well. It all needs to start with an optimal web self-service, as67% of consumers use web self-service knowledge to find answers to their questions first. Live chatbots are one of the most common trends of eCommerce when it comes to AI, so it should be a good place to start as well. In addition, offering mobile customer service, social media support, and email queries will complement your multichannel strategy. 

• Resolve Digital Insider’s Tip:

Try to diversify your customer support in as many ways as possible to improve user experience and client satisfaction. Start by polishing your self-service customer support. Then, make sure all human-powered support channels are optimized for an efficient customer service experience. Finally, integrate a chatbot AI, such as Botsify or MobileMonkey, with your eCommerce store.

10. Augmented reality will boom in 2022 as a global eCommerce trend. 

Augmented reality and virtual reality are two eCommerce trends for 2022 that bring online shoppers closer to the products and services your company offers. A survey from June 2021 showed 20% of US retailers expected to invest in AR and VR for their company’s eCommerce store. Augmented reality can help your business personalize user experiences and even boost its brand awareness with social media filters. It’s convenient to identify which augmented reality tools could benefit your company and start looking into ways to implement them. 

• Resolve Digital Insider’s Tip:

There are many options to integrate augmented reality into your eCommerce store. A few popular ones are virtual try-ons, interactive user manuals, and virtual product placements. Discuss possible upgrades with trusted eCommerce software providers and budget the potential costs of each alternative. 

Need to optimize your site for the eCommerce trends for 2022? Let us help!

As you can see, there are several new trends for eCommerce coming in 2022. The online retail industry is always evolving, prompting companies to adapt to these changes to stay relevant to today’s consumer habits. The good news is each one of these market shifts signifies an opportunity to improve your eCommerce store and attract more customers. Optimizing your site according to the eCommerce trends for 2022 will help your business achieve long-term growth and complement your sales strategy. 

At Resolve Digital, we understand performing a complete overhaul of your eCommerce store can seem daunting. Still, if you want your platform to bring in more revenue in the next year, you need to make it future-proof. We offer eCommerce solutions and store optimizations, helping you save both time and resources. Our clients are always looking for ways to innovate and we are more than happy to provide all the technical development so they can focus on their business strategies. If you want to keep your store up to date with the latest eCommerce trends for 2022, consider partnering with us to optimize your site. Contact us today to learn more about our services!