11 Trends in Ecommerce Marketing You Need to Know in 2023

The ecommerce industry is rapidly evolving to keep up with the changes in consumer preferences and demands. And with the help of new and advanced technologies, ecommerce retailers have a much easier time adapting their digital marketing to these changes.

As long as you know which ecommerce marketing trends to adopt, you have a good chance of fulfilling the changing needs of your customers. There are several ecommerce marketing trends that can help you deliver better experiences and increase sales from online shopping.

The Biggest Trends in Ecommerce Marketing to Follow

In this post, we’re going to discuss some of the biggest marketing trends in ecommerce that you should know.

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #1: More Visual UGC

You already know that user-generated content, such as reviews, can be an excellent way to win the trust of ecommerce consumers. You’ve probably even included reviews on your product pages so you can drive more conversions.

But you could go one step further and start implementing user-generated visuals in your digital marketing and ecommerce strategy.

Visual user-generated content is trending in ecommerce marketing mainly because it appeals to consumers and drives better results than written content. This is because the people can see exactly how your customers are interacting with your brand.

If you want to follow this trend, you can showcase user-generated visuals on your product pages or on your social media for ecommerce marketing. You can even do both.

But how can you collect UGC?

You can encourage your customers to share the products they bought on social media, and tag them with a branded hashtag. Then you can then collect those photos, and share them on your social media. Additionally, you could also display some of the best user-submitted photos on the relevant product pages.

Daniel Wellington does a great job of utilizing this trend. They display photos submitted by customers on the product pages of their online store. The following is a screenshot on the UGC section of one of their products. As you can see, they’ve carefully selected some of the most visually appealing images that would win over their online shoppers.

Image via Daniel Wellington 

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #2: Growth in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Usage

One of the most significant ecommerce trends is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. You can use them to deliver more personalized customer experiences and enhance productivity for retailers. And with the rapid improvements in technology, it’s highly likely that ecommerce retailers will be making more investments in tools and platforms that implement AI and/or machine learning.

In fact, the Zebra Retail Vision Study found that 68% of respondents plan to invest in machine learning and cognitive computing in the near future (by 2022). Retailers plan to use the technology for personalizing customer experiences and enhancing the way they forecast and manage inventory demand.

You can use the AI technology and machine learning to make smarter, more accurate predictions and recommendations for your digital marketing.

For example, you may currently be using retargeting tactics in which you display social media ads or send product recommendation emails for products that your customers seemed to take a keen interest in.

But a lot of retailers continue to make the same recommendations even after the customer has already purchased the product or a similar product. So the recommendation is no longer relevant to the customer, making your effort more or less unnecessary.

Instead of this, you can use AI to understand the online shopping actions certain customers have taken so you can make more accurate recommendations for your ecommerce marketing. Maybe you could recommend a complementary product that the customer might need along with the product they have already bought, for instance.

And of course, you’ll be providing them with recommendations and experiences relevant to their past online shopping behavior even when they visit your ecommerce business. Maybe you could display a series of products from the categories they seem to favor the most.

There are tons of uses for AI and machine learning

You can even use the technology to provide your shoppers with a personal shopping guide.

For instance, Unisport has introduced The Ultimate Boot Selector, which helps shoppers find the perfect pair of boots that specifically meets their needs. Using this trend, they’ve been able to woo online shoppers.

Image via Unisportstore

People who shop online will have to answer a series of questions that will single out the best types of boots for each individual. For example, they’ll have to answer questions like which position they play, what type they prefer (speed, comfort, control, etc.), which price range they can afford, etc. All this information helps in delivering the perfect recommendation designed specifically for each shopper for your ecommerce marketing.Image via Unisportstore

Based on your answers, the technology will pick out the top three boots that most fit your needs and preferences. As you can see in the screenshot below, the recommendations are sorted based on relevance.

Image via Unisportstore

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #3: Enhanced Mobile Experience

Another important trend you need to follow is the introduction of better mobile experiences for ecommerce consumers. It has long been considered that people mainly use mobile devices to conduct research about products online. And then they make the actual purchase using their desktop.

This means there are high mobile ecommerce sessions but lower revenues coming from mobile.

Nearly 51% of all web traffic originated from mobile devices in 2019. So, if your ecommerce website isn’t designed for mobiles, you’ll lose out on loads of customers. That’s why you should jump on this trend and develop responsive websites.

By doing this, you could see an increase in revenue coming from mobile shoppers. Even if there isn’t a significant improvement in revenues from mobile devices, it will still impact your overall revenue because the enhanced experience could entice online shoppers to buy from you even if they do it through desktop.

Either way, an enhanced mobile user experience is crucial for ecommerce marketing. Make sure that your mobile webpages load quickly and properly so visitors can view every element of the page perfectly.

You need to make sure mobile visitors don’t face any issues with navigation and browsing. They should be able to easily find what they’re looking for and read the information they need. You can use the Mobile-Friendly Test to see just how well your website caters to mobile visitors.

As you can see in the screenshot below, Kohl's website is mobile-friendly. But the tool has detected some page loading issues. So if you want to see exactly what’s wrong, you can click on that to read up on the details of the issue.
Image via Google Mobile Test Tools

Once you expand on this, you can learn more about the issue. And the tool will tell you exactly which page resources it was unable to load. So you can easily detect any issues and make changes and improvements as necessary. IN turn this can boost your ranking on different search engines.

Image via Google Mobile Test Tools

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #4: Increased Use of Social Media Buy Buttons

Social media platforms continue to play a huge role in the lives of everyday consumers. And they also have a significant impact on ecommerce marketing by driving traffic to ecommerce websites. This is why it’s one of the most important ecommerce trends.

Statistics released by the Pew Research Center shows that 15% of online shoppers in America have made a purchase after following a link from social media.

But to improve these numbers, retailers will have to make online shopping from social media much simpler and more seamless for their customers. So it’s expected that there will be more retailers implementing “Buy” buttons on social media platforms whenever possible.

These buttons will enable online shoppers to purchase products they like without having to search for the product in the brand’s website. They can either complete their purchases right on the platform or get directed right to the product page which will help in boosting ecommerce marketing.

Pinterest

The best example of social media “Buy” buttons is in Pinterest buyable pins. That’s because shoppers can complete their purchases without having to leave Pinterest.

The following pin from Afloral is a great example of this ecommerce trend. As you can see, there are some product details such as pricing and stock availability. And there’s an “Add to Bag” button right below the image.
Image via Pinterest

And if you add this item to your bag, you can complete your checkout right from Pinterest. The screenshot below shows the checkout page on Pinterest, where users can add shipping address and payment info without having to leave the social media platform.

Image via Pinterest

On other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, the “Shop Now” or “Buy Now” buttons are only available when you display ads to your target audience.

Instagram

Instagram is starting to make improvements by introducing Instagram shopping for ecommerce marketing, which will enable retailers to add product tags in their organic posts.

Users can tap on these tags to get an expanded view of the product details such as pricing, product description, etc. And they’ll also see a “Shop Now” button that will take them to the product page from where they can complete their purchase.

But Instagram shopping is currently only available for select retailers. However, many influencers have jumped onto this ecommerce trend and they regularly partner with brands and help sell their products.  Once Instagram decides to make this online shopping feature available to every retailer, the “Shop Now” button on Instagram will be a huge hit.

Image Source: Instagram blog

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #5: Increased Use of Chat Support

The key to success for ecommerce marketing is to provide exceptional online shopping experience and customer service. You need to put your customers first and ensure that they don’t go through any trouble while trying to buy from you.

This means if they have any issues or questions while shopping and can’t find the answer or solution immediately, you’ll need to deal with it as quickly as possible. This is why nearly 19% of large and 18% of small businesses said that customer experience is their most exciting opportunity.

The best way to improve customer experience is by providing live chat support or implementing chatbots.

Avaya reported that consumers prefer to communicate with businesses through messaging rather than through phone calls.

So you can enhance their experience if you provide answers and solutions in real time using chatbots, social media messaging apps, or live chat support.

Chatbots

Chatbots are a rising ecommerce trend mainly because of the efficiency. Although they fall under Artificial Intelligence, it’s crucial to explain their benefits in customer support more clearly.

Statistics from a joint study conducted by Bentley University and NeuraFlash found that 100% of people believe that chatbot conversations are more preferable if they’re actually able to save time and make it easier to solve problems.

And with improvements made to AI technology, retailers will now be able to use chatbots to automate conversations and deliver personalized support experiences to customers. Customers will be able to use chatbots as a self-service feature especially in case they need assistance with routine transactions. But in case of more complicated queries, chatbots can bring a live agent to the chat to assist the customers.

Live Chat Support

Live chat support is also crucial and is gaining more popularity among ecommerce retailers. Shoppers may not be able to find some of the information they need through the FAQ page or the product description. And if they send you an email, it might take you several hours to respond. If they want to call you, there might be a long wait time.

That leaves live chat support, which enables shoppers to interact with real people and get their issues resolved instantly.

It’s no wonder popular retailers like H&M have started jumping onto this ecommerce trend and started providing live support.

Image via H&M

Warby Parker, an online eyewear store, uses this ecommerce trend to satisfy their customers. It makes it easier for customers to reach them by highlighting all the communication options. And to avoid customer disappointment, you can follow their example and display exactly when the live chat agents are available.
Image via Warby Parker

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #6: Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a popular choice for ecommerce marketing today. A recent study conducted by Twitter has revealed that consumers trust influencers almost as much as their friends.

Some more interesting statistics from this study are:

• Almost 40% of users reported having purchased a product based on an influencer’s tweet.
• 49% of the respondents reported having relied on influencers for product recommendations.
• This was surpassed only by recommendations from friends, which was reported by 56% of the respondents.

Image via Twitter

The right influencers and an effective campaign can work wonders for your ecommerce business. Selecting the right influencer is crucial to the success of your campaign.

For example, if you have an ecommerce business that specializes in fitness gear, an influencer who promotes health and fitness will be an apt choice.

Various marketing tools for influencers such as BuzzSumo or Ninja Outreach can help you identify the right influencers and connect with them.

Revolve, an online fashion store, effectively uses this ecommerce trend to promote their products and boost sales for ecommerce marketing. They are known to regularly post images on Instagram of influencers wearing Revolve clothing. Influencers also use hashtags to promote the brand in their endorsements.

Image via Instagram

Going a step further, Revolve even hosts vacations for these influencers where they are seen wearing Revolve outfits. These influencers are known to share pictures from these events thus promoting the brand.

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #7: Videos

Videos are great at capturing the attention of viewers for ecommerce marketing. Audiences enjoy videos a lot more than image or text advertising. This is because videos usually involve a story-line. This helps audiences relate to videos better and increases engagement for ecommerce marketing.

Videos, especially live videos, are one of the emerging ecommerce trends. Over 500 million Facebook users watch videos everyday. Facebook has also reported that people are likely to spend 3x more time on watching live videos than previously recorded ones. This means that both previously recorded and live videos can be a game changer when used in marketing.

Nine Line, an online apparel store, has adopted this ecommerce trend well. It is known for creating humorous and engaging product videos.

Image via YouTube

The example above showcases their product and does a great job at marketing as well.

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #8: Content Marketing

Quality content can help you rise above your competition in ecommerce marketing where consumers are flooded with information everyday. Your target audiences do not have the patience or interest in the old banner or pop-up ads anymore.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has published a report that says that ad blockers are used by 26% of desktop and 15% smartphone users. Hence the only way to effectively overcome this barrier and engage your target audience is through effective content marketing.

Blogs, podcasts, or video series are great ways of keeping your audience engaged while promoting your brand.

Zappos, an online footwear store, uses this ecommerce trend to promote itself. It has a fantastic blog, using which it promotes its company culture. They do not believe in traditional forms of advertising which are sometimes too pushy.

Image via Zappos

Instead they use their blog to communicate their passion and their values to all. This is a unique strategy to help you stand out among your competitors.

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #9: Personalization

While quality content helps you rise above your competition, personalizing your content helps boost retention for ecommerce marketing and is thus an important trend. Any online store will always have a combination of first-time visitors and repeat customers. Hence a one-size-fits-all strategy will definitely not provide a great customer experience.

Personalization can provide your customers an amazing user experience. Imagine a situation where you are able to provide product recommendations based on past purchases or preferences of a customer! Your customer is guaranteed to shop online and return, since they believe you know and understand them well.

The ecommerce giant, Amazon, uses this ecommerce trend to its advantage. It provides a personalized experience to every visitor to its website. Using your location, they will refer you to the local site that might be more relevant.

Image via Amazon

They display your wishlist and a list of the items you have viewed on your previous visit. This is certainly a great user experience. You don’t need to search again for the item you had selected but dropped off last time without purchasing.

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #10: Easy Shipping & Returns

For ecommerce websites, a key consideration for customers is the shipping costs and return policy before making a purchase. Hence your shipping or return policy may not be a direct strategy, but can still serve to attract customers. You should thus consider using this ecommerce trend to your advantage.

Free shipping is quite lucrative for customers and hence can help you gain more visibility.

Similarly, for ecommerce marketing a flexible return and refund policy with easy pickup is something that is coveted by customers. If leveraged effectively, free shipping and easy returns can attract customers to your website and also boost loyalty.

Amazon’s Prime delivery services offering allows customers the flexibility to choose free same day or two-day shipping.

Image via Amazon

The shorter the delivery time, the higher the chances of customers choosing them over their competitors. Also the availability of free shipping for over 50 million items is certainly a great selling point.

Ecommerce Marketing Trend #11: Remarketing

Remarketing is simply a marketing strategy where an ad follows you through your online journey.

For example, consider a situation where you have searched for hotels on a travel website, for an upcoming vacation. However, you did not make a booking immediately. You decided to come back again later, review some more hotels and then make a booking.

Later that day, while browsing through your Facebook or LinkedIn newsfeed, you might come across an advertisement for the same hotel. You might even see them on the Google search page or other websites.

What this strategy does is that it showcases your product multiple times to a customer, thus increasing the chances of a purchase. This ecommerce trend is gaining popularity and many brands have started using it.

Travel ecommerce websites such as Booking.com have started adopting this ecommerce trend. They do a lot of remarketing based on searches conducted by users. So if you have searched for hotels in Dubai and later are browsing the web, you might come across ads as shown below.

Image via Inc.com

Not only do these ads increase the customer touch points of ecommerce marketing, but also reinforces the need for a purchase.

FAQs

Q1. What are the latest trends in ecommerce for 2023?

The latest ecommerce trends include:

• Increased use of visual content and videos.
• Growth in AI and machine learning usage.
• Enhanced mobile phone experience.
• Increased use of social media “buy” buttons.
• Increased use of chat support.
• More personalization.
• Increased use of influencers.
• Easier shipping and returns.

Q2. What are insights for an effective strategy for ecommerce marketing?

To craft an effective marketing strategy for an ecommerce business, it’s important to know and utilize the biggest ecommerce trends. In 2023, those trends include:

• Increased use of visual content and videos.
• Growth in AI and machine learning usage.
• Enhanced mobile phone experience.
• Increased use of social media “buy” buttons.
• Increased use of chat support.
• More personalization.
• Increased use of influencers.
• Easier shipping and returns.

Q3. Is it better to outsource ecommerce marketing than to do it in-house for your startup?

That depends on how much experience you and your in-house team have with tha kind of marketing. If you have little or no experience, I strongly recommend hiring an ecommerce marketing consultant or agency.

Final Thoughts

These are five of the biggest ecommerce trends for that you can implement right now in your marketing efforts. All of these trends may seem different in their own way, but they share a common foundation. They’re all based on the need to provide better online shopping experiences, which can improve your relationships with customers.

So come up with a plan to implement these trends into your strategy and see just how much they can boost your performance. Got any questions or doubts about any of the points? Feel free to leave me a message.