Square : 4 eCommerce Trends to Watch in 2019

As we look to the state of eCommerce in the year ahead, it seems that many of the projected trends feature emerging technologies. These technologies are now poised to influence the way consumers shop. Let's take a look at trends that are expected to make an impact in 2019.

Mobile will begin to dominate.

Using mobile devices like smartphones and tablets for eCommerce will be more popular in 2019, according to data from 451 Research. China is expected to be the leader of this trend, spending more than $1 trillion with mobile devices this year. In the United States, mobile is expected to grow to 44.7 percent of eCommerce transactions in 2019, and 53.9 percent in 2021, according to Statista. So, if you offer eCommerce, it's important that your mobile shopping experience is as good (if not better) than your desktop experience. That means you need an easy-to-navigate site, readable fonts, and an easy checkout process.

The multichannel approach will prevail.

If you want to get technical, you can talk about touchpoints and marketing models. But the simple explanation is that the more access consumers have to a brand, the more likely they are to buy. For example, a consumer might see an item of clothing advertised on Instagram, then click to the website to check it out, and then go to the store to try it on before buying. And this can happen in any order. That's multichannel shopping, and it's becoming an increasingly effective way to capture the attention of consumers - and sales.

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Social media shopping will become more seamless.

As social media and eCommerce become more integrated with our everyday lives, people are growing more comfortable with the concept of clicking to buy when they scroll through their social feeds. For example, on Instagram, businesses can tag
specific products in their photos and videos that they post in their feed or stories, and these items link directly to their business profile, which then takes shoppers to their website. And on Pinterest, Shop the Look pins
enable people to purchase products from home decor and fashion pins. These are just a few of the current options available. There's no doubt that the options for buying through social media will only increase, so expect consumers to do more shopping while they're scrolling.

Subscription eCommerce will continue to grow.

From beauty products to dog toys to meal kits, subscription boxes reached $2.6 billion in sales in 2016, up from $57 million in 2011, according to McKinsey & Company. McKinsey's research found that it's not necessarily the subscriptions themselves that consumers like; in fact, customers churn quickly if they aren't completely satisfied. However, there are plenty of opportunities for businesses to create subscription options that offer consumers convenience, let them obtain lower prices, or enable them to discover new products.

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