The year 2023 will undoubtedly be an exciting and pivotal time for eCommerce - perhaps more so than we’ve ever seen before. Technology innovation is booming, eCommerce sales are expected to steadily increase after an initial stabilization in 2022 post-pandemic, and human beings are craving meaningful connections more than ever before, both with each other and with their favorite brands.
What do these three things have in common? Connecting them is the key to successfully positioning your brand ahead of the curve in an extraordinarily competitive market. One might go as far to say they are the key to economic survival. We’re thrilled to share five trends we recommend staying on top of and implementing within your store to make the most of the year 2023 and beyond. Change is on the horizon, and we are here to help you navigate that change and conquer it.
Social Media
Ding ding ding! Whether you love it or hate it, Social Media is the number one way you can maximize your brand in 2023. Regular, varied posts give you the opportunity to control the narrative of your brand and influence how consumers view your authentic personality. Whether you spark a connection with new clientele or form a deeper bond with loyal customers, Social Media is the best tool you have to forge personal connections.
Take it a step further and add shoppable pages to your accounts! In today’s fast-paced world, closing a sale is in part dependent on your customers’ attention span. Make it simple, make it fast. Finally, don’t forget to encourage your followers to interact with your brand. Inviting consumers to leave questions, thoughts, or reviews in the comments section of an active profile leads to people feeling heard and seen by the brands they love, which in turn encourages loyalty.
Check out Shopify’s guide on how to set up these sales channels on Facebook and Instagram here! Similar services are offered on Google Shop, TikTok, Pinterest, and more.
Cementing Consumer Loyalty
You’ve piqued the interest of your target audience. You’ve closed the sale. With looming concerns such as inflation, supply chain issues, and a possible recession, cementing consumer loyalty is a MUST as we enter 2023. How do you keep customers coming back? One word: trust. As we enter the new year, a popular trend for trust building in eCommerce is blended experiences; in other words, a mix of in-person benefits that drive return in your eCommerce sales.
A good way to do this is by offering a membership program that provides not only discounts or free shipping, but thoughtful, intentional benefits to your customers. Examples could include exclusive access to products or people, specialty gift items that will enhance user experience of your main products, or a newsletter providing a story and further insight of your brand’s world.
Not sure where to start with building meaningful subscription experiences? Check out Appstle on Shopify today! It’s the perfect app to help you organize, enhance, and control your membership program.
Real-time Customer Service
A great way to capitalize on meaningful experiences is simply to overhaul your customer service. How do you do this? Offer real-time interactions. It’s always beneficial to have a chat bot available for weeding out FAQ’s or smaller issues, but when a customer wants to talk to a person, let’s face it, nothing else will do. To boot, they’ll want to reach a person easily, efficiently, and consistently whenever they have the need.
Other ways you can offer real-time interactions is by moving your customer service to Whatsapp Business or encouraging your target audience to reach out via Instagram direct messages. Whatever you choose, make sure you have dedicated personnel to handle the volume! Consistency is key in these scenarios. Providing customers with consistent, timely responses when they want to get in touch with you lowers their stress and deepens their loyalty.
Solid Foundation - Have a Well-Built Website
It sounds simple, but if you want your eCommerce business to shine and thrive, you have to have a solid foundation. The market right now is extraordinarily competitive, and in order to stand out it is essential you have a functional, modern, up-to-date website. Visually appealing, high quality imagery says to customers that you care. Intelligent, thought-out copy gains trust. Speed, intuitive UX, and efficient landing pages? That directly correlates to happy consumers and loyalty. Customers want to shop on a site that makes them feel like they’re shopping at the best.
Ready to take the next step to a better website? Hazil Studios is thrilled to help! Inquire about our store build options here or join our newest educational venture eCommunity here to learn the ins and outs yourself!
Live Shopping
Consumers love the convenience and comfort of shopping online, but there are those nostalgic for the people-to-people interaction of going to a brick and mortar. Live shopping is the perfect answer for those people! Putting on a live shopping experience for customers in the form of a live-stream interactive platform allows consumers to connect and form a connection (read: trust) with your staff, enjoy a social interaction, and shop all at the same time!
Pro-tip: offer a discount promotion that is only valid while the live-stream is taking place. This will help encourage sale conversions and make cart abandonment fears a thing of the past.
For the quintessential live shopping experience, we recommend integrating the “Live Shopping and Video Streams” app from Shopify. Take a look here!
Happy New Year!
Do you have any additional trend ideas you think it’s important to stay on top of in the coming New Year? Have you found success in any of the ones we’ve listed here? Drop us a comment in eCommunity to share your experiences and interact with fellow entrepreneurs today!
Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year from the team at Hazil Studios!
