ecommerce-cartA user-friendly navigation, good product descriptions, different payment options and a smooth checkout process should form the basis of an online store that intends to succeed. How online retailers can stand out from the competition is pointed out in the following, highlighting the most important trends in eCommerce.

Fact is that online commerce will continue to grow in the next year although the enormous development puts online retailers under constant competitive pressure. Demanding clients and the steadily decreasing gap between the point of sale and online shop are in addition a huge task to master for online dealers. So, take a look at the following trends that cater for greater efficiency in today’s digital commerce:

Emotionalization
A long-term customer relationship needs emotions, services and contents, therefore do not just dump products and offers on your website visitors, but package information into descriptive stories. The production of the brand and its range will more than ever take center stage in 2015. Online shoppers not only look for the best and highest quality products, but expect that the shop is entertaining as well besides providing additional information around the brand.

Consolidation
Especially small online retailers struggle with the growing competition. In fact, it is predicted that many start-ups and smaller providers will not survive in 2015. Hence, to thwart the pressure from the competition, many online retailers are planning to optimize their core business.

Mobile
As expected, mobile devices will propel the eCommerce tremendously in 2015. In particular, the tablet boom will continue unabated and influence the shopping behavior of customers. Thus, especially for mobile devices, an optimal shopping portal should be in place, since mobile commerce is continuing to boom. Just keep in mind that tablet users prefer to buy while sitting on the couch during a commercial break. The further development of mobile payment will only reinforce that fact. At the same time, shopping is becoming more interconnected and tablets find their way to the point of sale and drive the so-called “touch commerce” forward. QR code scanning or shopping via the display in the store will in the future belong to a connected offer in stores.

Payment
Whether digital wallet or fingerprint scan, the payment options are always becoming more innovative and hit the nerve of the customer who can, for example, already pay cashless via iPhone App or use PayPal's fingerprint scan for authentication. Fact is that the smartphone quite often already replaces the conventional wallet and will be a trend that continues in 2015.

Personalized touchpoints
Online retailers evaluate amounts of data in a more and more structured manner and will incorporate the customer data in their strategy. This includes answering to tweets and Facebook comments as well as adjusting the touch points to customer reactions. The online dealer is becoming more personal and practical.

Customer Experience
Stores are becoming showrooms and online stores are becoming the catalogue since customers are looking at the products in the store but most likely search for the best price on the Internet.
Today’s central 360°video displays simply provide a digital brand world with optimum product presentations that bring many advantages.

Start to set yourself apart from your competitors in a time when online retail and point of sale are merging. Mobile price comparisons in the store or product videos at the POS show that the sales strategy is being extended to the online world.

By Daniela La Marca