Ground Report

E-commerce in 2016 will continue to grow. The companies that thrive will be the ones that offer more features, like loyalty programs, while simultaneously removing friction from the buying process.

A Global Consumer Base

Consumers are more willing than ever to make e-commerce purchases from foreign countries. While this could affect local bricks-and-mortar companies, many local companies may, themselves, go into e-commerce to compete for international sales. Making the most of a global consumer base may mean making changes to your e-commerce software and website. For example, if you use Magento as your enterprise solution, you may need to fine-tune taxation calculations to accommodate a more international clientele. Or, you might need website development help to reach customers who speak a different language. The Asia-Pacific region and emerging economies in Africa are proving to be especially enthusiastic about e-commerce in 2016.

Personalized Marketing Technology

Big data and powerful analytics, like those contained in Facebook’s advertising platform, show that personalizing information on a granular level is not only possible, but consumers are starting to expect it. When e-commerce businesses can track and interact with consumers one-to-one, they have the opportunity to optimize customer lifetime value by creating compelling and tailored customer experiences. Theory is still ahead of practice in many aspects of personalized marketing, but most online retailers embrace personalization to some degree. And it’s no mystery why: Moving the needle on personalization can result in impressive improvements to conversions and purchase rates.

More Shopping from Mobile Devices

If your e-commerce experience isn’t optimized for mobile devices, prepare to be left behind. Shopping via smartphone and tablet is quickly becoming the norm. There are large numbers of people whose sole access to the internet is through mobile devices.

Surge in Content Marketing for E-commerce

Original content that can nudge a visitor closer to becoming a buyer remains a strong strategy in 2016. Not only does this type of content engage repeat shoppers and visitors, when promoted properly, it can bring in more organic traffic via search engines. Some of those visitors may become shoppers.

What kind of content should content marketing embrace? It should be entertaining and educational, with strong visual appeal. It may include original video content, or it may be interactive (such as a quiz or calculator). Brands with great content marketing strategies report that the cost of acquiring new customers through content marketing is significantly lower, and the effect on ROI is greater.

Fragmentation Leading to Niche-Based Content Targeting

The rise of social media advertising has shown how targeting a specific audience or niche can be effective. When you understand your customer base thoroughly, you can focus advertising and content marketing to appeal to them and get the most for your investment. Consumer media consumption has fragmented across channels, from the web to mobile to social media to traditional print and television, but leading e-commerce companies have more data and analytics available than ever that can be used to develop and coordinate consumer messaging, showing specific audiences the right products at the right times.

As e-commerce gains even surer footing in 2016, small and medium businesses will need greater focus on content management systems, mobile app development, and software product development to support their e-commerce efforts. We encourage you to learn more about our ecommerce services, whether in the area of basic e-commerce, content management, or enterprise-level software product development.

Original Source – The Biggest Changes Coming to E-commerce in 2016