As a customer, if you’ve ever browsed for a couch, clothes or technology online, you’ve likely noticed the huge increase in advertisements for those products on your social media feeds and while you’re visiting other sites.
This is thanks to something called cookies, which track what you look at on the internet and collect information about you that businesses then use for ads. And while this may seem a little annoying (and somewhat invasive) it’s done for a reason.
The internet is a saturated place. Whether you are selling a product or a service, there are likely hundreds of other businesses doing the exact same thing, vying for those same customers. Temu is an e-commerce shopping platform that offers varieties of products for your everyday needs.
And as a business owner, you need to do more than just take advantage of the information cookies provide to advertise to your target market. You need to get to know your customers on a more personal level, in order to offer them the experience they are truly looking for.
While this may seem intimidating, you shouldn’t worry about starting a new business. In fact, there are over 550,000 new websites created every single day, meaning many are willing to take the plunge in order to become successful. And you can too. All you need to do is take the time to research your audience.
This will give you a better idea of what type of advertising or influencers they respond to, how they like to shop online and the main websites they already interact with. Once you have all this information, you will be in a much better position to connect with potential customers and make the money that everyone dreams of.
When starting out on your eCommerce business journey, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the information out there. How do you suss out the spammers from the real sites that will help you succeed? The first step is to do your research.
And while you could spend hours scouring the internet to discover how your field is changing and what your consumers want, you could also just check out the eCommerce trends collected by WebsiteSetup below.
The Growth of eCommerce: Stats You Need to Know
Since its inception, online shopping (also known as eCommerce) has been extremely popular because of the convenience it provides shoppers. They can browse on their own time, buy with ease and save time since they don’t have to travel or wait in lines. And this popularity has only grown since the Coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020.
By following CDC guidelines, shoppers stayed home and reduced unnecessary travel. And while this helped keep everyone safe, it was a big shock to business owners who were used to consistent foot traffic and in-person sales. But the shopping didn’t stop, as many consumers turned to their favorite store’s websites to get what they needed.
From groceries and necessities to tech and toys, people were willing to spend more money to get what they needed sent directly to their homes. And for those businesses that didn’t have a good online presence, they likely lost a lot of sales to their competitors with a killer website.
In the years to come, it’s unlikely that the love of online shopping will stop or slow down at all. So if you want your business to succeed, you’ll have to meet your customers where they’re at: online.
Creating a beautiful, easy-to-use website is crucial to maintaining and growing your customer base. But making that site can be easier said than done.
To learn more about the best CMS’, as well as how eCommerce has grown throughout the pandemic, look at these statistics:
- There are many CMS’ for business owners to help them create a good website. But the most popular one is WordPress, which runs over 39% of all eCommerce websites.
- It’s estimated that over 2 billion shoppers will make purchases of goods and or services in 2021.
- United States eCommerce sales hit $794.5 billion in 2020, a 32% increase from 2019.
- It’s estimated that 95% of purchases in 2040 will be done through eCommerce sites.
- Another CMS, Shopify, saw a 62% increase in the number of shops created on it’s platform from March 2020 to April 2020.
- There will be over 450,00 eCommerce jobs by 2026.
Consumer Trends in the eCommerce Space
To take your business to the next level, you need to understand not only how your industry is doing as a whole but also how your consumers behave. And if you’ve owned your own business for quite some time, you might think you have a good handle on your audience. But you need to think again.
Customers have changed a lot because of the pandemic. Not only have they become more conscious of where they spend their money (both socially and environmentally) but they are also willing to do a lot more research on the competition before making a purchase. Because of all these changes, even if you think you know your audience, you may need to go back to the drawing board.
One big addition to how consumers behave online throughout this past year is the sharp rise in online shopping. From delivery of their favorite restaurants to two-day shipping on a brand-new TV, consumers have come to expect fast and free delivery from all the places they shop at.
Luckily, those businesses that weren’t able to get a delivery system set up in time could turn to 3rd party services like UPS and DoorDash to get the job done. And moving forward, the importance of delivery is likely going to grow as everyone gets used to things showing up on their doorstep.
To see how shoppers have grown since the pandemic began, check out the statistics below.
- Almost all consumers (98%) said they will be loyal to brands that have delivery services.
- If you are deciding between a customer service rep and a chat box, keep in mind that 68% of consumers admit they have more brand trust if they can easily talk to a person.
- 11% of consumers admitted that convenience was the deciding factor when it came to where they spent their money.
- 84% of shoppers are willing to never visit a website again after just one bad experience.
- Consumers say that convenience is much more important than cost, as they are willing to pay more for faster service or a better experience.
- Older shoppers are now willing to shop online, with many continuing to shop online even after social distancing restrictions lessened.
- Online and mobile restaurant orders grew by 138% from 2019 to 2020.
eCommerce: What You Really Need To Know
Getting into the eCommerce industry is tough, but not impossible. Though it does require a complete commitment, so if you are looking to expand your online presence, be ready to jump in headfirst.
Because even though this year has brought about a lot of uncertainty, there are a few things that have become crystal clear due to the past year’s events. And that’s the fact that shoppers love the convenience of online shopping, and they are not willing to give it up anytime soon.
So get ahead of the game and get started on your website now, you’ll be thankful you did.
About the Author!
Sarah Hollenbeck is a writer and marketing specialist from Austin Texas. Throughout her career, she’s worked with B2B and B2C clients to ensure that brands can properly connect and communicate with their target audience. She is passionate about businesses that are looking to shake up their industry and improve the world at the same time.
Some tasks, such as distributing orders between managers, do not bring the company money at all, but they need to be done, otherwise all processes will stop. Automation of such tasks helps employees to do more things that require a creative approach or bring profit.