There are five key trends that will determine what successful e-commerce marketing will look like in 2022. Let’s take a look at what 2022 has in store for us.

1. Change in Shopping Patterns

The buying behavior of consumers has changed with the pandemic. People want to travel less and be around fewer people. BOPIC (Buy Online Pick-Up In-Store) is seeing a resurgence and is becoming even more important. Curb-side pickup and easy returns have gained the most in popularity and are definitely here to stay.

Businesses with brick-and-mortar stores will need to continue to adapt and respond to changing buyer patterns. Pure e-commerce players will need to call out shipping deals, shipping delays, and shipping terms and businesses. E-commerce businesses that also have physical stores will need to continue to add call-outs for curbside pickups and free/easy returns.

2. High Inflation

Inflation is hurting consumers. In November, consumer prices in the United States had risen 6.8% from a year ago and the end is not yet in sight.  It is a matter of time for discretionary spending (such as apparel) to start to decline. You cannot decide to stop eating, but you can decide to continue wearing those pants just a little bit longer. Marketing will have to be very efficient if it is going to want to maintain demand.

There will be a need for an increased focus on-demand activation, targeting consumers with firm buying intent.  

As to whether businesses should pass on price increases, it is recommended they observe their competitors closely. Consumers compare prices online and are not as loyal as they used to be. When your competitors are not passing on (most of) the price hikes, you will have little room to do so yourself.

3. Changed Channel Mix

More and more information is being consulted online, so people are continuing to spend more time in front of their computer (think connected TVs, Tik Tok, all social media networks, etc.)

Companies need to find and target buyers where they are, and this will include more than ever in front of their connected TV.

Video creatives are extremely important (now more than ever), so marketers will need to add them to the promotional mix if they have not done so yet.

E-commerce businesses need to be where their customers are, which is… online. If your budget isn’t shifting into all things online, you’re going to pay a terrible price.

4. Continued Supply Chain Disruptions

Across many sectors, supply chain disruptions will continue unabated. 

Businesses will do well to buy enough in order to be able to fulfill demand and not frustrate consumers with long waiting times, but they should not buy too much. Yes, the supply chain issues will endure, but worker shortages will be more important than demand – demand is actually expected to lower in 2022 (as said above, especially discretionary spending will suffer), buying in too much will make for packed warehouses.

Companies also need to look at their competitors. There is a high chance that there are some big players in their category that didn’t plan for the supply chain disruptions. Less competition equals a better return on investment. In summary, if they can not deliver the goods and you can, you need to double down on your marketing effort.

5. Convenient Shipping Options

Consumers have gotten used to a plethora of convenient shipping options and will not want to give that up. Consumers do not only want fast and convenient delivery however, they also want easy returns.

Companies will have to continue to invest in convenient shipping and returns. This is a cost, but should also be embraced as a brand building and differentiating opportunity.

E-commerce businesses should consider partnerships with companies such as Happy Returns (that provides an end-to-end enterprise return service) where their own resources fall short.

Bottom Line

In the coming year, companies will have to accommodate for the changes in shopping patterns, maneuver with very high inflation, understand where they need to target their customers, navigate continued supply chain disruptions, and continue to offer consumers the convenient shipping options they have gotten used to. For those companies that are agile enough to adapt swiftly to the many changes in the market, the pandemic will end up presenting unimagined opportunities to dominate the marketplace.

The post What Will Successful E-commerce Marketing Look Like in 2022? appeared first on SiteProNews.

Retailers and entrepreneurs everywhere are doing what they can to keep up with these rapidly changing trends and use them to their advantage. If you’re determined to help eCommerce businesses succeed next year, keep an eye out for these emerging trends that are vital to your marketing strategy.

1. The Increasing Role of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) has always played a major part in the eCommerce industry. However, this advanced form of intelligence is developing an even more significant role in eCommerce.

AI can be used in a multitude of ways to enhance the online shopping experience. For example, shoppers can receive personal recommendations that are based on their unique interests and browsing history. By analyzing the online behavior of customers, AI narrows down their options and identifies the products that each person is most likely to purchase. In this way, artificial intelligence technologies act as a personal shopper for each individual consumer.

eCommerce business leaders are becoming more attuned to these product marketing strategies, which means AI is projected to become more essential to online shopping in the future. Always be on the lookout for new ways to incorporate AI into your content marketing strategy.

2. Mobile-Friendly Shopping

More and more consumers are viewing mobile shopping as a simple and convenient way to make purchases. Whether they’re using a phone or a tablet, shopping on a mobile device has become increasingly more common among eCommerce customers.

Mobile-friendly shopping experiences are only becoming more integral to eCommerce. To keep up with this expanding trend, eCommerce businesses need to be proactive in making their websites as mobile-friendly as possible. If customers find that a page takes too long to load or is too difficult to navigate, they’ll be off to another website that’s been properly optimized for mobile devices.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity while forming your marketing budget. Make your website tailored to the mobile experience to boost customer retention and keep buyers interested in your products.

3. Voice Assistants

Whether they’re searching for the next best product or making a quick purchase, consumers are relying on voice assistants to simplify nearly every step of the shopping process. With voice assistants expected to become even more prevalent in the coming months, it’s crucial for eCommerce businesses to use this emerging trend to their benefit.

As you work on improving your eCommerce marketing strategy, think about how you can incorporate voice assistance into your website. Adding voice-based navigation and voice command functions will make it easier for customers to search for the products they want without lifting a finger.

4. Digital Wallets

As mobile-friendly shopping becomes more prevalent, digital wallets are occupying a larger role in the eCommerce industry. It’s vital for businesses to accept digital wallets as a valid payment option when customers make purchases through their site. Not only will this help simplify the shopping process for your customers, but it’ll also make them more likely to rely on your website in the future.

5. Multichannel Selling

A rising trend among eCommerce customers is using multiple channels to shop for products and make purchases. These channels can include anything from Amazon to Facebook, and they all play a major role in each user’s shopping experience. eCommerce businesses are therefore expected to rise to the challenge and embrace multichannel selling as an essential part of their marketing strategy.

Multichannel selling can be difficult, but it often leads to tremendous success when done correctly. By offering your products across a variety of channels, you have the potential to reach a much larger group of customers and boost your revenue.

6. Environmentally Conscious Shopping

Efforts to become more environmentally friendly are being embraced by eCommerce businesses everywhere. Customers are taking notice, too, because sustainability-marketed products are growing faster than those that aren’t.

To show consumers that you’re serious about your pro-environment stance, it’s vital to make room for environmentally-friendly practices in your eCommerce marketing strategy. 

Do your research on environmental sustainability and green consumerism to determine how your own business can fit into a rapidly growing movement. For example, by offering products that are clearly marked as eco-friendly, customers are likely to gain a greater sense of trust in your company.

7. The Expanding Influence of Social Media

Social media has had a prominent role in online shopping for years. However, it’s only expected to become more relevant to your eCommerce strategy.

One of the biggest ways social media has evolved is that it’s now considered a major marketing tool. While social media sites were initially used as a means of communicating with others, companies have now utilized social media to boost market exposure and gain more loyal customers.

There are various ways to use social media to your benefit. For example, many eCommerce businesses have opted to sell their products through social media channels in an effort to reach more customers. You can also choose to promote your products via Facebook, Twitter or a similar website to make your products more visible and increase customer conversion.

8. Personalized Content

Anticipating the needs of your customers is crucial to their overall experience while shopping online. Because every consumer’s preferences are unique, the best way to ensure that their needs are being met is to create content that’s tailored to their habits.

To effectively implement personalized content, you need to learn as much about your customers as you can. From observing the activity of your social media followers to having your customers fill out surveys, there are a multitude of ways to form a more intimate relationship with each of your customers.

Once you’ve gathered enough data, you can use that information to create Google ads, Bing ads, and other types of content that are specifically tailored to your customers. These relevant offers and messages will convert customers like never before.

9. SMS Marketing

SMS marketing is set to make a big comeback in the upcoming years. This trend of sending relevant marketing messages to your customers via text message has seen significant success in past years, which is why eCommerce businesses should be prepared to make the most of it now.

According to recent data, SMS marketing campaigns have a much higher open rate than email marketing campaigns. While the average open rate for email marketing campaigns is estimated to be about 20 percent, the average SMS marketing campaign open rate is approximately 98 percent. This data illustrates that eCommerce marketers have a much higher chance of success if they send consumers information via text rather than email.

To ensure that your own business’s open rate is close to the overall average, be sure to carefully plan out the information you send to buyers. The messages you compose should contain offers that are relevant to your consumers’ needs, wants, and goals. Sending out irrelevant or unnecessary information puts you at risk of losing loyal customers and missing out on the opportunity to gain an entirely new following.

10. Subscription-Based Services

Netflix and Amazon Prime have already shown the world how vital subscription-based services are to eCommerce success. In the approaching months, these services are expected to have an even larger impact on eCommerce businesses.

When offering subscription services to your customers, be sure to include a range of options that vary in price and available features. This will give each consumer the freedom to select the offer that most closely matches their needs and lifestyle. In addition, each option should offer a sense of convenience that customers can rely on to receive the services they want.

Subscription-based services are also highly valuable to businesses. By implementing these offers into your eCommerce marketing strategy, you can save time and money while boosting customer retention in the long term.

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