Due to the tremendous growth in online shopping in recent years, ecommerce itself is rapidly changing as well. Therefore, staying up to date with industry changes and your audience’s preferences and needs requires ongoing attention as well.
This week, we’ve rounded up the top-ten must-read articles focused on current ecommerce trends to help guide your strategies as the year rolls on. This includes key social media trends, major Google Business Profile updates, alternatives to paid ads, TikTok shopping updates, ecommerce must-haves, and more.
Let’s have a look now!
“3 E-Commerce and Social Media Trends to Watch Through the Rest of 2022” by Jessica Hawthorne-Castro
Getting the ball rolling this week with three ecommerce trends that are being driven by social media was CEO and Chairman at Hawthorne Advertising, Jessica Hawthorne-Castro. This article is guaranteed to steer your strategy in the right direction for the remainder of 2022.
According to Hawthorne-Castro, emerging technologies such as the metaverse and 5G, as well as social media, are what are driving digital shopping trends this year. She then covers the main social media platforms driving these changes, including Instagram and its Shop Tool, Snapchat and its Snap Scan feature, and TikTok’s overall move to grow ecommerce opportunities on the app.
“To stay ahead of customer trends, brand managers should keep an eye on social media-driven ecommerce in the year ahead,” she concludes. Take a look at this article to find out more.
“Top 10 Social Media Trends to Prepare For in 2022” by Bhavik Soni
Sticking to the subject of social media was creative writer at Auto Monkey, Bhavik Soni, who covered ten more social media trends that online retailers are engaging with right now.
Number one on Soni’s list is short-form videos which many ecommerce businesses are using to highlight products and increase brand awareness. Other social media trends he covers includes the rise of influencer marketing, continued adoption of TikTok for business, augmented reality to drive customer experience, and live streaming.
Social media is one of the best ways to reach your audience today. Have you been keeping up to date with the latest trends? If not, make sure to check out Soni’s article this week to get your brand up to speed.
“What Brands Need to Know About Social Commerce” by Jessica Wong
One of the biggest online shopping trends in the past few years is social commerce, which is well on its way to taking ecommerce to the next level. Founder and CEO of Valux Digital, Jessica Wong, dove into the subject this week, covering everything you need to know about social commerce and how to get started with it.
Wong covers all the basics of social commerce, including how it differs from ecommerce and why it has become so popular with consumers. She then offers some advice on how brands can benefit from selling on social platforms, such as building customer relationships, driving ecommerce sales, and cementing brand value and voice.
Selling through social media platforms can be incredibly beneficial for ecommerce businesses today. Every brand could benefit from social commerce, so be sure to give this article a read.
“TikTok Announces New WooCommerce Plugin to Power more Shopping Options” by Andrew Hutchinson
Most of the major social media channels now offer social commerce options for ecommerce brands. However, this week, TikTok upped its game with a new WooCommerce plugin to power more shopping options for users and brands. Social Media Today’s Andrew Hutchinson covered the news.
Essentially, the new update, “will enable WooCommerce merchants to sync their store catalog with their TikTok profile, powering its more advanced product display offerings,” writes award-winning blogger Hutchinson. The platform first integrated the ecommerce platform Shopify in 2020, however, the addition of a secondary ecommerce plugin is expected to ramp up shopping opportunities for online businesses on the app.
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If your brand is looking to start selling with TikTok, right now is a fantastic time to begin, especially with its huge focus on providing advanced shopping opportunities for brands both big and small. Check out the article to find out more.
“Latest Trends In The Ecommerce Industry” by Nivetha Muralidharan
Covering some more ecommerce marketing trends this week to guide and keep your strategy up to date was the founder of Newgenmax, Nivetha Muralidharan.
Some of the trends Muralidharan covers include the rise in voice search technologies, VR tools, automated email marketing, and big data collection. However, the most prominent ecommerce trend she notes is the rise in mobile shopping.
Today millions of people are shopping directly from their mobile devices. As a result, a huge focus right now for many brands is adapting their online stores to suit their customers, ensuring their sites are mobile-friendly and engaging more with social commerce.
To find out more information on these trends and how to implement them into your business, be sure to check out Muralidharan’s article.
“Top 7 eCommerce Trends You Need to Know in 2022” by Gaurav Jain
Another fantastic article looking into the top ecommerce trends for 2022 was written by MageComp co-founder Gaurav Jain this week. This article is more focused on ecommerce platforms and online marketplaces.
Like some of the other experts this week, Jain noted the increasing uptake of voice search and augmented and virtual reality technologies. However, he also discussed the popular “buy now pay later” model, and other varied payment options to avoid customers abandoning their carts at the checkout, a huge problem for many ecommerce sites.
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The future of ecommerce is changing fast, making it even more important for businesses to keep up with industry trends or they could essentially be left behind. Take a look at this short and sweet round-up of trends this week to find out more.
“Is Google Making Another Push Into Ecommerce?” by Matt Southern
For many years, Amazon has been the leading retail giant in the ecommerce space. However, over the past few weeks, there has been speculation that Google is looking to overthrow the giant, having put a greater focus on its ecommerce strategy. Covering all you need to know about this shift and how to be prepared for it was Search Engine Journal writer, Matt Southern.
“There are two things retailers can do now to position themselves for success as Google brings its ecommerce vision to life,” according to SEO analyst Southern; the first step is to ensure you’ve uploaded and created a product feed in Google Merchant Center. The second piece of advice he gives is to then take advantage of Google’s free product listings to have your products appear in Google search.
Online ecommerce is changing all the time, making keeping up with industry updates, such as Google’s heavier focus on ecommerce, essential for online businesses. To find out more about how Google might change the ecommerce game, give this article a read.
“25 Ways to Drive More E-commerce Store Traffic Without Buying Ads” by Neil Patel
While it’s true that one of the more popular digital marketing techniques used by ecommerce stores today is paid advertising, what happens if you don’t have the budget for it? According to digital marketing expert and co-founder of Neil Patel Digital, Neil Patel, the answer is not to stress: there are plenty of other popular marketing techniques that are just as effective and won’t cost you a dime.
“Many marketers focus on paid e-commerce strategy because they think it’s the only way to outshine the big brands, but that isn’t always the case,” writes digital expert Patel. He then dives into 25 non-paid strategies to drive traffic to your online store, such as starting a referral program, building an email list, and developing a rewards program.
Paid ads definitely have their benefits. However, they aren’t the only way to reach online shoppers. For more tips on how to drive traffic to your ecommerce business without paying for advertising, check out Patel’s article.
“5 Top Google Business Profile FAQs From The Official Help Forum” by Sherry Bonelli
Google Business Profiles are incredibly popular today and for a good reason. They are excellent at driving traffic to your site. However, recently Google has made several changes to the tool that has left many asking questions. Here to help you navigate these changes to update your ecommerce store’s profile was founder of Early Bird Digital Marketing, Sherry Bonelli.
In the article, Bonelli addresses five frequently asked questions on managing Google Business Profiles, including how to manage business profiles in Google Search, what to do if your account has been suspended, and how to add managers or owners to the profile.
Have you recently updated your Google Business Profile? If not, be sure to check out this article to get it up to scratch and drive more traffic to your online store.
“21 Must-Have Features for Ecommerce Sites” by Kristi Hines
With new tools, plugins, updates, and marketing trends changing all the time, it can be hard to keep your ecommerce store up to date. Fortunately, content writer at Search Engine Journal, Kristi Hines wrote a fantastic list for you this week, featuring 21 must-have features for your online store.
According to ecommerce expert Hines, “Certain elements are essential to every ecommerce site to stay relevant and competitive today.” She then jumps into her must-have list, which includes features such as product videos and reviews, loyalty programs, FAQ pages, and email opt-ins.
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If you have had any thoughts about upgrading your ecommerce space, right now might be a good time to check-in. Take a look at Hines’ article to spark some inspiration and get updating your site to meet your customers’ needs and demands.
The Next Step: Improving Your Social Media Strategy
Many experts this week noted how essential social media is when it comes to marketing your ecommerce store. However, with social media platforms updating all the time, keeping your digital marketing strategy relevant can be a challenge.
If your social media strategy could do with a refresh, here’s how to get started.
Step One: Conduct a review of your current strategy, identifying what content is working well and which platforms you are getting the most engagement from.
Step Two: Now take a look at your competitors’ social channels, noting if their strategies differ from yours and how their customers are engaging online.
Step Three: Using the information you’ve just gathered, start updating your strategy with the content that’s working well for you on the platforms that are gathering the most engagement. Consider also giving some new strategies and content ideas a go, such as short-form videos or working with influencers.
Pro Tip: Analyzing your social media strategy regularly is key, but it can be a pain. To help speed up this process so you can spend more time on content creation, consider using social media analytics and automation tools. Some great tools to try out are HubSpot, Sprout Social, and BuzzSumo.
Is your ecommerce growth strategy out-of-date? If so, make sure to reach out today for your free 20-minute consultation, and let’s start building a plan together!
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