The year 2020 brought significant changes to the eCommerce industry with an increasing focus on delivering omnichannel shopping experiences. As the whole world fought the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of retailers and merchants were severely affected. The COVID-19 outbreak brought unprecedented changes to customers’ shopping patterns and buying habits. With social distancing norms in place, customers chose to shop online rather than visiting stores for their daily purchases. To keep their operations up and running during these trying times, a majority of retailers, merchants, brick and mortar stores have switched to eCommerce.
As of today, a major chunk of online purchases happens on smartphones. According to BrizFeel, at least 49 percent of online shoppers use mobile devices for their purchases. The proportion of mobile shoppers tend to increase in the coming years as mobile technology continues to evolve rapidly.
Above all, the fight against the novel coronavirus is still on and it continues to alter the shopping behavior of customers. Seeing the current trends, it’s quite evident that mobile commerce is going to play a vital role in 2021. Let’s delve into a technical study about the upcoming mobile eCommerce trends in 2021.
Also read eCommerce-POS Integration: Making Your Retail Business Omnichannel-Ready
The Advent of Voice Shopping
The virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, Cortana, and OK Google have progressed tremendously over recent years. At the same time, several mainstream mobile platforms have upgraded their voice search features to improve user experiences. However, to say that these voice features are limited to mobile searches and other basic use cases would be an understatement.
An increasing number of eCommerce platforms are planning on introducing voice features to enhance their customers’ shopping experiences. As a matter of fact, several eCommerce brands have already integrated voice features into their web or mobile versions. With new advancements underway, it’s quite likely that we see a substantial rise in voice shopping on mobile devices in 2021. According to OC&C consultants, voice-based online purchases are expected to grow to $40 million by 2022. It is a clear indication that voice shopping is going to gain more traction in 2021.
More Advanced Mobile Chatbots
AI-driven chatbots have become increasingly popular in eCommerce. Their unique ability to handle hundreds of customer queries and human interactions makes them an undisputed choice for mCommerce. Chatbot integration enables businesses to enhance their customer service efforts and provide maximum customer satisfaction with minimal human effort. At the same time, their 24/7 availability ensures that customer queries are addressed swiftly without any delay.
Despite the many benefits, several eCommerce platforms are yet to embrace mobile chatbots. In 2021, we’ll see more businesses investing in mobile chatbots to strengthen their eCommerce platform and improve customer shopping experiences.
The Use of AR/VR
Augmented reality and virtual reality are the two most transformative computer technologies that are poised to dominate the tech landscape in the coming years. Augmented reality has already made its way to mobile commerce. An increasing number of mobile shopping apps have started using AR to improve their customer shopping experiences. The use of augmented reality enables brands to showcase their products in the best possible manner.
For example, an apparel brand can implement an AR feature that lets customers check whether or not a piece of clothing fits their personality. Similarly, customers can use AR features to check if a piece of furniture is going to fit in the desired space. It is an effective way to grab the attention of potential customers and boost product sales.
Improved Omnichannel Experiences
Ecommerce brands must ensure that they are able to pull customers through multiple online/offline channels. For example, a successful apparel brand may have a website, mobile app, and social media presence to attract potential customers. According to Harvard Business Review, 73 percent of customers shop across multiple channels. Similarly, a market study by Salesforce reveals that 75 percent of customers expect to get a consistent shopping experience across all channels. Out of these, 73 percent are likely to switch brand if it doesn’t fulfill their expectations.
It is, therefore, quite evident that following an omnichannel approach can provide long-term benefits to eCommerce businesses. In 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak gave a hefty push to omnichannel retail strategies due to the limited exchange of cash. Similarly, a majority of eCommerce platforms have adopted the omnichannel approach to boost their online sales and improve customer shopping experiences.
Mobile Fraud and Scams
Increasing instances of cybercrime and mobile fraud pose a potential threat to mCommerce transactions. According to Credit Union, 65 percent of fraud transactions happen on mobile devices. Evidently, with increasing mobile users, sensitive user data is constantly at risk and more prone to cyber-attacks. Seeing the current trends, it seems conspicuous that mobile fraud instances are likely to increase in 2021.
When it comes to mCommerce, there is no platform that is 100 percent immune to fraud. However, it is observed that mobile apps are more secure as compared to the mobile version of a website. Since websites are more prone to phishing, DDoS attacks, data manipulation, and malvertising, using mobile apps for online purchases may help reduce mobile fraud instances.
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Closing Remarks
Mobile eCommerce trends are going to play a vital role in 2021 and the coming years as well. It is, therefore, essential for retailers, merchants, and eCommerce store owners to stay up-to-date with the latest market trends and plan their business strategies accordingly. The easiest way to keep close tabs on the latest technology updates and follow the trend to deliver improved shopping experiences across multiple platforms.
We, at Oodles ERP, provide end-to-end eCommerce ERP development solutions to build an eCommerce store from the ground up. We have successfully established ourselves as a seasoned ERP software development company that also specializes in providing eCommerce ERP solutions. Our development team uses open-source platforms like Shopify, Prestashop, Odoo, and WooCommerce to build high-quality eCommerce solutions for web and mobile platforms. For project-related queries, drop us a line at [email protected].
