With new technologies constantly entering the marketplace, marketing is an ever-evolving field. With each new development, it becomes more critical for marketers to keep up with the latest trends and changes in order to ensure that their strategies are effective.
Luckily, there are many apps that allow merchants to stay ahead of the competition. The Shopify app store is regularly updated with innovative apps that can help your business achieve its goals.
1. Dropshipping
As customer buying habits continue to evolve, eCommerce marketers must be agile and constantly adapt their marketing strategies. Whether it’s an algorithm update that changes the way search results are displayed or a new feature that makes a familiar social media platform feel fresh again, marketers must be ready to adjust their marketing strategy in response to emerging trends.
One of the most significant developments in 2023 is the growing popularity of dropshipping. Dropshipping is a retail fulfillment model that allows businesses to sell products without owning or holding inventory. Instead, merchants use a third-party supplier to handle product sourcing, order processing, and shipping on their behalf.
Then, once a customer purchases a product from their website, the merchant has their supplier ship the item directly to the consumer. This hands-off approach to eCommerce allows business owners to offer more products, increase sales, and expand their customer base. And, with tools like SaleHoo and SupplyMeDirect, it’s easy to start a profitable dropshipping business with minimal startup costs.
Another trend to watch in 2023 is the increasing importance of data privacy. As customers demand greater control over how their personal information is used, marketers must ensure they’re complying with regional data protection laws and providing transparent privacy policies. Additionally, they should be prepared for the increased scrutiny of brand practices by regulatory bodies and consumers.
Other marketing trends to watch in 2023 include influencer marketing, mobile optimization, blogging, visual storytelling, push notifications, and social commerce. Businesses can leverage these trends to connect with their audiences on the platforms they’re using and deliver the right content at the right time.
For example, a clothing brand may use Instagram Reels to showcase their latest styles and then link them back to the corresponding items in their store. Or, an athletic footwear brand may run a connected TV campaign that promotes its newest running shoes alongside relevant content to attract and engage shoppers.
In addition to adjusting their marketing tactics, eCommerce brands should also focus on improving the performance of their websites and hone their SEO efforts to win more feature snippets on Google Search. This will enable them to keep their sites at the top of consumers’ searches and stay competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace.
2. Customizable Checkouts
When you’re an eCommerce retailer, it’s important to meet customer needs at the exact moment they’re making a purchase. This means that you have to know their shopping experience and make adjustments to your checkout page accordingly. Otherwise, you could lose a sale.
For instance, suppose a shopper is about to complete their order when they decide that they need gift wrapping for the item. If they can’t find this option on your checkout page, they may abandon their cart. This would be a waste of their time, and you’d be missing out on the revenue.
Fortunately, you can prevent this by adding the right customizations to your checkout page. This allows you to meet your customers’ specific needs and increases conversion rates.
Here are some ways to customize your checkout page:
Add Google autofill for address and billing information – This is an excellent way to reduce the number of mistakes made by shoppers. It’s also an excellent way to increase conversions by providing convenience to your buyers at a crucial moment in their buying process.
Offer multiple payment options – Most consumers want to use the payment method that they’re most comfortable with. This is especially true when they’re purchasing a high-ticket item. Make sure to provide as many payment options as possible on your checkout page.
Feature a live checkout progress bar – This will help shoppers see how close they are to completion and encourage them to continue with the transaction. It’s also a great way to build trust and brand loyalty.
Present irresistible cross-sell and upsell offers – These can be displayed as “order bumps” on the checkout page or as one-click upsells on the thank you page. Including these offers can boost your average order value and boost your profits.
Consider allowing your customers to create an account on your site at checkout – this can help you generate more leads and grow your email list. However, you should avoid asking them to do so if it will add too much friction to their buying experience. It’s better to encourage them to do so by offering a coupon code that will be applied once they’ve completed their checkout.
3. Ready-Made Sites
As technology continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, it's crucial for marketers to keep up. These marketing trends can help them remain relevant and competitive with their customers.
Ready-made sites are a website design solution that comes with everything a business needs to get started online. These websites usually have a wide variety of themes to choose from, and they can be customized to suit a specific industry or niche. They are a popular option for small and midsize businesses that are looking to grow their visibility in the digital space.
A ready-made site allows you to save time on the design and development process. It also reduces the cost of a new site by eliminating the need to pay for custom design and coding work. Plus, many of these sites offer built-in content management systems to make it easy for you to update and add new content to your site.
Another benefit of a ready-made site is that it can be used to test out an idea before investing in a fully custom design. This can be a great way to see how your audience responds to a particular design and marketing strategy before investing a lot of money in it.
Finally, a ready-made site can be a good option for smaller businesses that don't have the budget to invest in a fully custom design. By using a ready-made site, you can ensure that your business is up and running quickly, which will give you more time to focus on other aspects of your business.
Whether you're an agency that specializes in building custom sites for clients or an independent web designer, marketing trends are changing faster than ever before. By following these trends, you'll be able to stay ahead of the curve and deliver quality work that your customers will appreciate. This will help you build long-term loyalty with your customers and make the most of your digital marketing efforts. So, don't miss out on this opportunity -- start implementing these marketing trends in 2023 today!
4. Customer Service
Customer service is a top marketing trend to watch because it can make or break your business. Customers are looking for more than just a product — they want an exceptional experience, from the moment they make contact with your company. In fact, a recent study found that customer service has overtaken product and price as the most important brand differentiator.
To deliver exceptional customer service, you’ll need a team that understands their needs and how to meet them. According to Motteram, most people have 7 basic customer service needs: friendliness, courtesy, empathy, fairness, responsiveness, control, and alternatives. Using these principles as your guide, you can help your team provide the best possible customer service.
Another aspect of excellent customer service is being proactive about solving problems. For example, if your products are running out of stock or your website is going to have downtime, reach out to your customers before the problem occurs and let them know what you’re doing to resolve it. This lets them feel like you care about them and their shopping experience, even if they’re disappointed about the outcome.
In addition to providing excellent customer service, you’ll also need to be mindful of privacy regulations. Customers are increasingly concerned about how brands are using their personal information, and regulators are stepping in to protect consumers. This means you’ll need to update your policies and be extra vigilant when collecting data about your customers.
Finally, remember that great customer service takes a lot of physical and mental energy. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that your team is well-rested and happy. When your employees are happy, they’ll be able to create amazing customer experiences.
As you can see, there are many new marketing trends to watch in the new year. Keeping up with all of them is impossible, so it’s important to focus on the ones that will give you the most competitive advantage. With a little research and careful planning, you can create a winning marketing strategy that will help your business thrive in the future.
Shopify Development Trends: Most Shopify store owners focus on their digital marketing alongside their web development. Keeping up with the cutting-edge Shopify Apps in ensuring a frictionless checkout for their online store, with additional tools to fill the Shopping Cart. Online shopping continues to grow year-over-year as the user experience improves with tailored customer service practices. Behind the scenes, are Shopify partners such as TheGenieLab. We are helping business owners and shopkeepers to drive continuous improvements through digital marketing services. Furthermore, they are providing Web Development in Shopify, BigCommerce, and other eCommerce store architectures. If you need a hand in any aspect of eCommerce, feel free to reach out to us at wish@thegenielab.com