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Top 3 Ecommerce Trends for 2020

It’s an exciting time to run an eCommerce store. A recent study showed that eCommerce garnered more than 2 trillion in sales in 2018. The number is expected to rise as more people get Internet access in the coming years.

Another study also showed that Gen Z shops more online than millennials and boomers. This tells you that future generations are becoming more open to online shopping than previous ones.

These statistics show you that eCommerce isn’t just here to stay. It’s becoming a staple of life for coming generations, profits from it growing more and more with each passing year.

Why You Need to Know ECommerce Trends

If you own an eCommerce store or are thinking of starting one, it’s important to stay abreast of the trends in the field for two reasons.

First, you know where to invest your hard-earned resources, getting the maximum return for your time and money.

Next, you don’t want to get left behind by the competition. Your competitors are most likely doing their level best to stay ahead. Ensure they don’t by staying aware of what’s about to take the eCommerce world by storm.

In this blog post, we’re going to discuss 3 eCommerce trends that are predicted to hit it big in 2020.

Let’s get started.

Voice Search

Voice search is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of typing words into a search bar, users speak to their device instead. The search engine will then show them the most relevant results.

Due to the rise of mobile phones and digital assistants like Siri and Alexa, more and more people are using voice search every year. It’s expected to reach $40 billion in sales by 2022.

When getting started in voice search, you need to keep in mind two things.

First of all, you need to identify your target customer. This is the person your product is designed for. You need to know their age, spending power, location, likes and dislikes, and more.

If you don’t have a living breathing person in mind, we will be unable to proceed with the next step.

Next, you need to know that voice search queries are often in the form of questions. For example, if someone is looking for the nearest Italian restaurant, they will most likely type “Italian restaurant near me” in Google’s search bar.

Voice search queries, on the other hand, will most likely be: “Where can I find the nearest Italian restaurant?”

You need to be reminded of this at all times while optimizing your website for voice search. You might miss out on excellent opportunities if you fail to choose the right keywords.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is when brands work with individuals with a substantial following to promote their product or service. Due to the rise of platforms like Instagram and Youtube, influencer marketing is quickly becoming a must for businesses that want to reach millennials and Gen Z.

This could happen in several ways. Brands could send products to influencers, ask them to try a service for free, sponsor a video or post, and/or provide them with affiliate links.

Audible, the audio entertainment platform, often works with Youtube influencers. They sponsor all types of videos where the influencers briefly talk about the Audible’s service. Each influencer has a unique affiliate link that allows their followers to listen to one audiobook for free.

The affiliate link is an incredible innovation that serves several functions.

First of all, it allows users to avail of a freebie or discount. Next, influencers sometimes earn a commission when their followers use their affiliate link.

Most importantly, affiliate links let businesses track if their influencer marketing campaign is working or not. Since each influencer has a unique link, they can track which influencer generated the most leads. They can then examine their campaign and make the necessary adjustments.

User-Generated Content

UGC or User-Generated Content is content that’s posted by users who aren’t affiliated with the brand in question. It could come in the form of videos, images, blog posts, and more.

Since they’re created by everyday people, User-Generated Content seems more authentic. They feel more like recommendations from one person to another. It’s the complete opposite of a brand hard-selling their products to consumers.

A recent survey even stated that ads featuring user-generated content generate 4 times higher click-through rates than average ads.

Coca-Cola recently launched one of the most successful user-generated content marketing campaigns we’ve seen in a while. They released their products in new packaging with popular first names on them. They then encouraged users to post pictures of Cokes with their names on them. The campaign has been an international success, starting in Australia in 2011.

Your user-generated content marketing campaign doesn’t have to be on the same scale as Coke’s to be successful. You can start by creating an official hashtag and encouraging customers to use it.

Conclusion

eCommerce is here to stay, the profits growing more with each passing year. To avoid getting left behind by the competition, you need to stay ahead of the trends in the field. You need to determine what will work for your business, optimising your site for success.

Need help with SEO for your eCommerce site? Cornerstone Digital is an SEO agency in Sydney that can lead your ideal customer to your website. Call us on (02) 8211 0668 or email us at info@cornerstone-digital.com.au.

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Darlyn Herradura

A self-professed book and digital marketing nerd, Darlyn Herradura focuses on building trust between customers and businesses with the written word. She understands that creating valuable content is the best way to get found online and happily spends her time doing that.