The ecommerce shopping market is fiercely competitive. Marketing experts are trying to figure out how to improve sales and profits. In many instances visitor count does not correlate with sales and profits. Here are a few top trends which are likely to impact profitability of ecommerce shopping cart sites in 2013.
Reviews and Customer Feedback
Customers and site visitors have come to rely heavily on reviews and feedback given by buyers. This trend in ecommerce shopping cart is likely to continue in coming years. There are several psychological factors which influence purchasing decision of visitors. Reviews are looked upon as genuine user feedback and mean much more than an advertisement placed by manufacturers of products. Future buyers are therefore going to read reviews and form opinion about a product rather than rely on paid advertisements. Modern day customers are better informed about products and will make a purchase only after perusing several user generated reviews and feedback.
Multiple Payment Gateways
There was a time when the only way to pay online was through credit cards. Then PayPal came along and changed the face of online payment transactions. The trend in ecommerce shopping cart is likely to favor multiple payment gateways. To be successful, Ecommerce sites would have to cater to this requirement. When you consider that abandonment rates increase dramatically at the payment stage, provision of multiple payment gateways becomes imperative.
Online frauds, SSL certificates and Security
Online frauds are a cause for major concern today. Many eager online buyers refrain to make purchases because of the fear of frauds and tricksters. Once again, the fear of getting duped or identity theft leads to abandonment at the time of online payment transaction. Providing suitable safeguards in ecommerce shopping cart is not sufficient in encouraging site visitors to make a purchase. There must be clear and visible assurance on the ecommerce websites which guarantee safe transactions. SSL certificates go a long way in this direction. One must therefore ensure that an ecommerce site incorporates certain security features which are essential to safeguard interest of customers.
Discounts and Coupons
Some marketing experts believe that discounts and coupons are killing ecommerce shopping carts. It’s a sad commentary on the ecommerce industry but true. Cut throat competition has led to heavy discounts and customers have started demanding sharp cuts in online retail prices. There is no way that an ecommerce site owner can avoid this kind of disruption. In fact, the trend of offering discounts and coupons is likely to continue and perhaps gain further momentum in 2013, whether you like it or not.
Conclusion :
Though the ecommerce shopping cart will become as common as our street corner grocery store, the dynamics of it are going to change. Heavy discounts and deeper price cuts will dominate the online scenario.
Security of ecommerce sites will be topmost in the minds of buyers and the flexibility in payment methods will dictate success or failure of an online ecommerce entity. It’s therefore essential to incorporate all these features in an ecommerce shopping cart.
Checkout the Trendiest Cart this Year- Avactis!
Kalpana Dogra
Marketing & Communications for Avactis
