2021 is a year of following what’s hot and trending fashion-wise, movie-wise, and even diet-wise, so of course, to get the best results in 2021 from your ecommerce marketing strategies you are going to have to follow what’s trending. 

You may not necessarily be selling something that is in vogue or trending, but the right form of advertisement will still have your sales going through the roof.  

Did I tell you that 2021 is also the year of ecommerce and mobile shopping? Well, I have now. So if you are still skeptical about whether or not you should start ecommerce marketing then you are on the wrong bus.  

Everything is going electronic and mobile so as a business person or entrepreneur if you haven’t invested in Ecommerce marketing then you have your work cut out for you. But first you will have to learn about Ecommerce Marketing. In 2021, people order toothpaste online, so what is holding you back.

Not to downplay anything though, you will have to invest in technology and professionals to get positive results, of course, ecommerce marketing is all about strategies, study what works,  compiling data and tests, a lot of trials and failures.  

This is why we bring to you, 10 Ecommerce Marketing Trends For 2021. We have done a lot of the work for you, now it is left for you to source the best strategies for your business type and clientele range.

By business type I generally mean what you sell or the services you provide and your clientele range is the set of people your product/service caters to. 

For example, if you produce/supply pampers, your clientele range will be majorly nursing mothers, so when picking your form of ecommerce marketing, you ask are nursing mothers spend their time on social media or going through emails? 

People differ quite alright but there is always a place you are more likely to get them.

So, what are the ecommerce marketing trends for 2021? 

1. Enhanced User Experience
2. Leverage Content Marketing
3. Virtual Assistants and Chatbots
4. Influencer Marketing
5. Augmented Reality
6. Mobile Shopping
7. Video Marketing
8. Environmentally friendly packaging
9. Social Commerce
10. FAST Delivery

1. Enhanced User Experience

The demand for UX/UI web designers increased in 2021. Why? Every blog, search engine, website, and web store are improving their web designs to be more interactive with their clients. UX  is not just about having a pretty logo and cursive writing on your site, it is not about having colorful designs in complex shapes, UX encompasses end user’s entire interaction with a company and the goods/services it provides through its website.  

Why is user experience important in ecommerce marketing? User Experience is the tech version of a customer’s in-store experience, you thrive to provide the best possible customer service and have them leave with the need to come back for more, that is the same thing with UX. You are thriving to make your customers’ experience on your site/app as smooth and seamless as possible.

You want your client to have a good time on your site and come back again because you are trying to build a strong steady clientele base. In UX you have to know that you are to give your clients the same seamless and smooth experience on whatever device size or brand they are using.  

Imagine a situation where you have a site where you sell shoes and its UX on a desktop is amazing, then an impressed client goes on to tell her friends about it, one uses their phone to access it, let’s say an android, she opens the site and it is grainy, complicated and just plain ugly. Even if your product is good, the web experience is trash and you have lost a potential client. 

In what ways can you then improve your website’s UX? 

• Ensure it is easy to navigate and has well-labeled sections.
• Incorporate personalized product recommendations
• Create an omnichannel experience. Often, marketers feel it is better to play up different strengths on  different platforms but in reality, it is best to maintain the same feel from one platform to the other
• Create a section for customer reviews and feedback. Not only does it let you know what you are doing right/wrong, but it also encourages potential clients to go ahead with their purchase. 

2. Leverage Content Marketing

People have a knack for needing able to relate to something before they can genuinely be interested in it. This and the fact that direct marketing can be annoying are the reason why content marketing is so hot right now. Content marketing is the use of scenarios and stories to passively attract customers to make inquiries about the product/service.

Content marketing is not simply storytelling, it s a strategic inbound marketing tactic to create awareness and interest in a product or service. Basically, this form of marketing is quite deliberate. It is created in such a way that pushes for organic search while producing content that people legitimately want.

Best results are obtained when the content is evenly distributed on different channels. That is, via social media platforms as well as e-mails. This is where marketing strategies and campaign’s come in. They serve as drivers for whatever content is positioned to be put out there.

Also, with the use of different channels, there is a greater probability that your content reaches your target audience.

3. Virtual Assistants and Chatbots

Virtual assistants are there for you, while chatbots are there for your customers. It is all in the programming, a virtual assistant is there to help you with organizing items, taking stock, keeping track of offers, orders, and even your roster for marketing and ad release.  

Chatbots on the other hand are there for your client, to answer questions, quicker navigation, and even just to take their orders. A chatbot is the onscreen version of a salesperson in a store, they answer questions, offer directions, and even help you put your purchase together for checkout. This is a genuinely useful trend! To incorporate a chatbot to your site, you’re going to have to learn about chatbots 

4. Influencer Marketing

The trend of influencer marketing actually started in 2018, but it is still steaming hot. As of 2021, the category of people who are classified as influencers is broadening, from just famous people to people with large followings, generally associated with the product being advertised.

To be a successful influencer, you need to develop your personal brand. Fans or followers need to feel some level of attachment to you or the value you offer. Influencer marketing is yet another strategy that has to do with the masses’ needs to be able to relate to something.

As seen by the large number of followings and engagements on Twitter and Instagram, influencer marketing is a trend that is not about to fade anytime soon.

5. Augmented Reality 

Augmented reality is a form of software that allows the potential client to place their proposed purchase where it would be to get a feel of how it would look if it were there. The issue a lot of people have with online shopping is that they don’t really know how their purchase would look and feel but augmented reality is the remedy for this problem. You can never go wrong with investing in augmented reality.  

An example of AR in ecommerce would be, a client who wants to buy a couch from your site would like to know how it would look in their living room, with AR. They simply have to take a picture of the spot in the living room the couch would go, and the software would give a picture of what it would look like if place there in the right rations, in a 3D perspective. 

6. Mobile Shopping

We have reached the point where people want to sit in their rooms and get everything on their shopping list. Advertising online is great, but having a full store with flexible payment options and delivery services is what’s best.

You can decide to have an app developed to serve as your store or you can just develop your page to have the feel of an app store, with a checkout and billing options. 

Developing a mobile shop is the best way to stay ahead of the game and create awareness for your business, with a mobile store your products can go to places that you haven’t. They do marketing and sales for you.

(Don’t forget to read our article 5 reasons why you should make mobile marketing your priority for more ideas about how to boost your online sales).

7. Video Marketing

Video marketing is the use of video content to advertise your products. Video content is favored by a lot of people because the video gives you a chance to actually see the quality and texture of the product they want to procure. 

Especially when mobile shopping is involved, a lot of people want to avoid what you ordered vs what you got situation but video content helps them see the product being handled and get and give them a thorough feel of the product. You can create video ads and also a source for video reviews to be done for your product. 

8. Environmentally friendly packaging

People are now more aware of the effects of non-biodegradable materials on the earth, and sadly before now a lot of products were packaged with these materials like Styrofoam and plastic.

So in a move to save the earth, people are now sourcing for environmentally friendly items. Join the fight and gain more clients by moving your products into biodegradable packages. So when inquiries are being made for products with environmentally friendly product packaging, your product comes up.

Hopefully, this trend has come to stay.

9. Social Commerce 

Social commerce is a subdivision of ecommerce, that utilizes social media platforms and media that supports social interaction to encourage the purchase of a product.

Social commerce has taken a dominant stand in the world of business and advertisement as it is a powerful tool that can reach a lot of people at once. In social commerce, you can effectively use every other marketing strategy with little work and large results.

(Read more about cross channel integration for social commerce in our article: 10 Email Marketing Trends for 2021).

10. FAST Delivery

Nobody wants to wait for months before receiving their products, that is so 20th century. This is the era of immediate service. If you don’t already deliver goods then you are 20 steps behind and if you don’t already deliver fast then you are 10 steps behind.

Yet another useful trend, fast delivery reduces the risk of a product getting damaged on the voyage, it improves customer satisfaction and cements the trust between the service provider and client. 

2021 is a year of better, better, better, and every trend keeps you light years ahead of others, so don’t wait to see because you will be left behind.