5 eCommerce Trends You Can't Afford to Miss Out On
There’s no doubt at all that the world of eCommerce has seen some major booms and changes over the last few years. With more people than ever shopping online - and more small businesses than ever starting to sell online to meet those demands - there are some clear trends that don’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
There are a couple of underlying themes to these trends worth noting. The first is that customers want to feel secure and confident in shopping online above all else. They aren’t necessarily looking for edgy website designs or really outlandish features. The things that motivate people to buy are simple, easy-to-implement ways that just provide reassurance that you’ll be there for them if they need you.
The second theme is that people are looking for mixed online and offline shopping experiences. So if you have a brick-and-mortar store, retail shop, or popup location - use that to your advantage on your website! Your IRL customers see your website as a continuation of the in-store experience, not necessarily a replacement for it and vice versa. You can lean into this overall theme by implementing the ideas below that allow for online customers and real-life shoppers to become one and the same.
Trend 1: Have a generous return & exchange policy.
Having a generous return policy is one of the absolute best things you can do to boost online sales in 2022. Study after study shows us that online stores that offer returns (or better yet, FREE returns) and exchanges perform better than those that don’t. For people who are hesitant to shop online or even just those who are new to your brand, touting your return policy in multiple places on your site is an excellent conversion booster.
How to do it: How to Manage eCommerce Returns on Your Small Business Website
Trend 2: Offer a Buy Now, Pay Later payment option.
I’ll be honest, I thought the whole “buy now, pay later” thing was going to be a short-lived thing that died out by now. But, boy, was I wrong. Shoppers love this option, especially younger shoppers who are leary of amassing credit card debt. It’s also easy enough to add an option like Afterpay to Squarespace that I say just toggle it on so that it’s there for those who want it. A lot of people will still opt to pay traditionally but you may see a small uptick in sales by appealing to those who may have been hesitant to shop without this option.
How to do it: How to Enable AfterPay on Squarespace
Trend 3: Create a Local Pickup option on your website.
This is one of my personal favorite options when I’m shopping online as it helps both me and the place I’m buying from save a little on shipping - and it can be a little greener, too! Local pickup options combine the best of both worlds; people can browse and shop online but then still drop by to pick up their order. Studies also show that this can lead to an uptick in in-person purchases too - win, win! Think of it just like all the candy and goodies in the checkout lane at the grocery store; you’ve technically already finished your shopping but it’s just so tempting to add a little extra something at the last minute!
How to do it: How to Set Up Local Pickup or Curbside Delivery on Squarespace
Trend 4: Display helpful alternatives to any out-of-stock options.
Oh man, it’s frustrating when you think you’ve finally discovered the perfect product for you only to find that it’s out of stock! Shoppers understand that supply chain issues and shortages may mean that you’re running inventory pretty lean and mean but don’t miss out on an opportunity to sell them something else they may love just because their first choice is not available.
I recommend using some of the built-in merchandising features in Squarespace like related products or product waitlists to prevent online customers from reaching a dead end. If you want to get even fancier, you could also add URL redirects for out-of-stock products so that people land directly on your preferred alternative (just make sure to mention that in the copy otherwise people will be confused).
Related: Built-In Features to Help You Sell on Squarespace
Trend 5: Add a chat option to your site.
I swear to you I’m not writing this post with just all of my favorite things as an online shopper myself but I love this one as well! And this is also another one where the stats confirm it works: the majority of people surveyed say they not only expect a live chat option but use it as an indicator of how good a shop’s customer service is overall.
In this post, I dig into what I call the idea of “Conversational Commerce” but the whole point is that you can (and should) be using live chat as a competitive advantage over your competitors. Nowhere else online are you able to have direct 1:1 conversations with your customers and help guide them to exactly what they’re looking for. You can’t have those conversations via social media or even email. Live chat is a way to bring what makes you special in-person to your online space.
How to do it: Best Live Chat Widgets for Squarespace
Bottom Line
These are some trends I can get behind! I love that when it comes to eCommerce people have shown that what they’re looking for are clarity and connection. They want to be reassured and to feel confident in their buying decisions. They want to know that there are real people behind the brand and they want to communicate with YOU! If you’re looking for ways to increase sales or build your audience, I suggest starting with the 5 things on this list. I can guarantee your audience will love them!
Looking for more? Check out: 7 Ways to Build Trust (and Boost Sales) on Your eCommerce Website
