Well, 2020 didn’t pan out exactly as we planned, or hoped! The global pandemic affected us both at personal and professional levels. Almost every business sector has undergone drastic changes just to keep pace with the changing realities. And eCommerce is no exception!

However, when nearly every aspect of life has come to a grinding halt, the eCommerce graph is soaring off the charts. As Shopify entrepreneurs, you have to find creative ways to adapt to these changes.

5 Shopify Trends to Watch Out for in 2021

Growth only means more opportunities for success and these trends for 2021 from Shopify development experts will help you stay ahead of the competition.

Personalized Shopping Becomes a Top Priority

A lot has already been talked about in terms of offering a personalized shopping experience to customers but here a few more important trends to watch out for. The pandemic has changed the preferences and priorities of customers drastically. More and more people are shopping online and this trend is here to stay. Shopify stores will have to provide a more customized experience to shoppers.

• It is time to make the search and filtering more robust, improve chat support and guides, streamline return and exchange policy, and focus on converting every shopper into a loyal customer.
• Integrate rewards, make loyalty tiers, give away memberships, offer exclusive access to new products and improve referral bonuses too. It is time every ecommerce business prioritises personalization shopping to reap its benefits.
• Identify the buying preferences of customers, map their product history, design and develop personalized promotions to target these customers.
• Make use of Big Data to offer dynamic pricing – changing prices in real-time – to the right customers at the right time.

Customer Retention in Place of Customer Acquisition

Customer retention is another trend to look out for in 2021. With customer acquisition costs skyrocketing, businesses will have to focus on retention in the coming years.

• Voice based search, as already mentioned, is something your Shopify store has to explore. Even if your customers use voice assistants only as search tools, it is important to optimize your site accordingly.
• Personalized email and mobile marketing is also going to trend. According to Shopify statistics, nearly 79% of its traffic is from mobile devices. Social platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and others are seeing dramatic changes almost every month but email has remained the one constant channel to reach out to customers.
• Video commerce – promoting your products through videos is also going to see a surge. Sales will improve, your site’s bounce rates will reduce, you will rank higher on Google search and the benefits are endless.
• Social commerce is also another trend to look forward to. Your customers spend most of their time on social platforms. Nearly 74% of consumers depend on social media to make their buying decisions. Your Shopify store should have a customized online presence on these sites where buyers can browse your products, watch videos, engage in conversation with the business, and buy products through these sites.

Omnichannel Will Emerge as the New Normal

Omnichannel will bring a variety of fulfilment options to customers. Omnichannel is not about going offline but it is about providing customers with delivery options to choose from.

• Your Shopify store can offer local delivery, which will improve personalization and also help you in controlling your supply chain better.
• Tons of open retail spaces are going to turn into ‘pop up’ stores for ecommerce businesses looking to improve their local click-and-collect centres.
• Returns should also be as hassle-free as purchasing. Streamlining the return process will help you gain customers’ trust and improve credibility.
• It is also important to share customer data across channels – online or offline avenues – personalize the experience so that your Shopify store brand identity seems more seamless.

AR Technology to Shape the Future of Shopping

The biggest disadvantage of eCommerce is the lack of personal touch and interaction. Augmented Reality brings digital shopping as close as it can to traditional shopping.

• AR is going to shape the future of Shopify stores in a huge way. It gives customers a chance to interact with the products, understand its benefits and make a quick decision.
• Bring in the ‘try it before you buy it’ experience to your online store. Trial rooms are inherently in-store experiences which alter the buying behaviour of customers. With AI, customers can live stream themselves on the screen and know exactly how a certain product looks on them. This is going to be a game-changer for many fashion and beauty products.
• Virtual services will also impact the Shopify development in 2021. Virtual tours and video calls offer customers an in-person sales experience.

Improve Digital Experience to Meet Market Demand

Shopify has already given businesses the opportunity to create and offer direct to customer shopping experiences. You have to focus on creating richer digital experiences by focusing on the changing demands of customers.

• The first point is improving your store’s mobile site. Create branding, incorporate AR (Augmented Reality) to showcase your products, add a few informative videos as well.
• Make the checkout experience faster and more convenient. Offer customers more payment options, easier click and collect choices and automate promotions and offers.
• Offer customers more chances at interacting with you. Give them a sneak-peek into shopping events or campaigns, expert opinions, and let them digitally enter into your Shopify Stores.

Wrapping Up

As the future of Shopify looks great, keeping track of these trends will make your Shopify Store a success this year. In addition to these trends, sustainability is also going to get a huge push from customers. Shoppers are going to gravitate towards ethical shopping in order to reduce environmental damage and carbon footprint. Focusing on offering local delivery and pickup options will help your store ride this trend.

At the end of the day, customers lead the demand, and ecommerce businesses need to ensure they meet these demands creatively and consistently.

Author details

John Ahya is the President and Co-Founder of WebDesk Solution, LLC. Living the digital agency life for over 10 years, he explores an extensive eCommerce world. He has immense experience in all major e-commerce platforms and having expertise in Shopify development. Being a nature lover, he likes to breathe the fresh air on the hill stations during vacations.