Blog Direct to Consumer and E-Commerce

In 2021, we witnessed a rise in eCommerce across different industries. According to our data and analyses, 2022 is going to be nothing different – if anything, eCommerce is going to improve even further and offer experiences that an average consumer can just not say no to.

From Metaverse to cryptocurrency payment gateways, we looked at some of the biggest trends impacting the e-Commerce market today and we’ve picked 7 trends we believe are going to change the e-commerce industry in 2022.

1. Further Adoption AI For Storefront Operations

In the past decade or so, AI and machine learning have advanced considerably to reshape and improve the e-commerce experience for us. We only expect this to continue in 2022. At the beginning most AI adoption was done around mission critical back office operations. However in the past 2 years this trend has moved to storefront operations as well.

AI plays a huge part in offering consumers a personalized consumer experience. As more data is fed to algorithms, AI and machine learning mechanisms are able to provide a much more relevant service to the buyer, especially when it comes to product recommendations.

In a nutshell, what we can expect in 2022 is highly relevant, AI-generated product recommendations for purchasers that take into account their search history, gender, and demography. Also, we see that fulfilment and supply chain operations also aggressively look to AI to improve their operations.

2. Further Adoption of Voice For Commerce Transactions

Did you know that 40% of adults use voice search daily? And honestly, who can blame them? It’s so much more convenient! With voice assistance in the form of Ok Google, Alexa, and Siri on an all-time rise, more people are shifting to voice searches due to the ease.

As such, 2022 is likely to witness more businesses employing natural language processing in an attempt to make their eCommerce websites and stores voice-search friendly. This is one area which we expect to see continuous growth in years to come.

3. Crypto Payment Gateways

It has been a while since cryptocurrency started gaining popularity. However, it is only now that it is increasingly becoming normalized in the realm of eCommerce.

We expect cryptocurrency to become a fairly common method of payment on eCommerce websites and online stores this year. As a business, you should be ready to add a crypto payment gateway to your store as it will help you tap into a customer base that is more at ease with digital currency.

4. Personalisation of Customer Offerings

A personalized consumer experience as a whole seems to be an emerging eCommerce trend. Every day, more businesses realize that in order to succeed, it is crucial to offer consumers exactly what they want. This means the days of creating generic products or services are long gone!

A lot of brands are already bringing customization and personalization to the forefront of their customer experience and jumping on this bandwagon in 2022 is going to be a wise choice for any eCommerce start-ups.

5. More Attention to Sustainability & Eco Friendliness

Thankfully, sustainability is becoming a top priority for businesses and consumers alike. People are becoming increasingly devoted to sustainable lifestyles, and as such, unsustainable business practices are likely to receive a negative response.

2022 will be the year that marks the transition to sustainability for many eCommerce brands. Mostly, we are likely to witness an eco-friendly shift in packaging, an urge to recycle products, and a lot more transparency when it comes to the creation of products.

6. Adoption of Improved Chat Bots

Calling customer care teams is a hassle that everyone wants to avoid, right? That’s where chatbots come in!

Chatbots are nothing new when it comes to eCommerce. In 2022, we will continue to see this trend continue. We likely to see more improved chat bots and also better implementations. This is mainly because chatbots offer a unique, self-help model of customer service that many people actually prefer over getting in touch with a human customer representative.

Thanks to the quick and easy resolution and help that chatbots offer, they are becoming an integral part of customer care across all eCommerce industries. About 1.4 billion people across the world use chatbots today, and this number is only going to increase as this trend emerges further into 2022.

7. Mobile-First Approach

In 2021, it was found that 79% of smartphone users made a purchase online using their mobile devices. As such, it is safe to assume that smartphones and other mobile devices are inherently linked to eCommerce. For this reason, almost every online store that you come across will be mobile optimized.

In 2022, there is going to be even more prominence placed on mobile optimization. We expect eCommerce stores to take mobile first approach in 2022.

About Author

Dasun Premadasa is the Founder and CEO of DASCX, the premiere B2B CX consulting firm for manufacturers in Australia. With over two decades of experience including four large CX and digital transformation programs at 4 different manufacturing and automotive firms in Australia, he's one of the best business technology experts for B2B customer experience.

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