E-commerce is BOOMING in 2021 : The Digital Marketing Trends You Need to Know!

Let’s face it. The past year has been crazy with the pandemic affecting people all over the world. The good news is that with the widespread availability of the vaccine in the U.S., we are finally heading back to a somewhat sense of normalcy. The silver lining is that the pandemic has changed how people buy their goods forever. With the quarantine, everyone has become accustomed to buying what they want online since they couldn’t go to the retail stores. 

Sales have been exceptional from 2020 going into 2021 and show no signs of stopping! While eCommerce experienced record highs during the pandemic, statistics predict that continued growth will lead to 95% of purchases made online by 2040! Online sales were up 30% last fourth quarter over the same time the previous year. The bottom line is with the convenience of shopping online, consumer buying habits are changing to give eCommerce a distinct advantage. 

A digital-first mindset is critical for companies to succeed in 2021 and beyond.

Everyone knows that Millennials and Gen Z are already shopping online. Still, the pandemic has made online shopping essential and driven even reluctant online shoppers to sites like Amazon, Etsy, and other popular marketplaces where they can shop multiple vendors in lieu of going to individual online retailers. 

To be successful in today’s online market, businesses must focus on a two-pronged approach to selling online and advertising. To fully optimize the digital market, you want to strategically drive eCommerce sales through your website and via large platforms like Amazon. eCommerce has become a lifeline to customers since the pandemic, resulting in a continuous increase in sales. 

An integrated product marketing strategy that targets your audiences on multiple platforms creates opportunities for you to earn the trust of homebound shoppers. With larger audiences, businesses can scale the trust earned by consumers fairly quickly to enter historically challenging markets.

In fact, community input, or reviews, is one of the most vital aspects of swaying consumers’ decisions. A massive 74% of customers reported that reviews are essential when making a purchase. 7 in 10 shoppers prefer e-tailers with product reviews and emphasizes the importance of building trust within the market. 

Having a strong PR effort around obtaining product reviews from top media sites can really influence a person’s purchase decision. We’ve seen the ROAS almost triple in some cases with a good media review. Having 3rd party validation on your product is critical to building that trust from your potential customers.

Online shopping is the most popular internet activity worldwide. In 2020, online sales amounted to 4.28 trillion U.S. dollars, and e-retail revenues are projected to grow to 5.4 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022! 

Advertising to a new generation of buyers

With the exponential growth in eCommerce and new products launching into the market every day, online content is becoming more critical than ever! Identifying the right audiences and presenting engaging content can make or break business success in the marketplace. After all, content is king! 

An abundance of online shoppers engage on social media, making social media ads a great way to reach your target shoppers! An extensive range of customers can be found on popular social media platforms, allowing businesses to hone in on improving strategies and increasing sales. 

Again, content is king, and video is the king of the content! Creating premium video ads and posts is a crucial ingredient to gaining an engaged and loyal audience. Video ads are also effective in catching the attention of the curious, younger generation Z shoppers. 

Adding automation to your strategy

It is 2021, and there is a hefty toolbox of digital tools to add automation to your processes to support your success! When you consider the many tasks that require attention within operations – and the workforce it needs, it can seem like a costly endeavor. But with the tools available, you will be able to streamline, monitor, and schedule at a fraction of the cost!  

Here are some automation tools that will make your life easier! 

Social Media Scheduling

Tools such as Sprout Social or Hootsuite can do the heavy lifting for you, saving you time and labor costs. With the ability to schedule a week or even a month at a time, you can strategize, schedule, and track your social media performance across all your channels! 

Automated Emails

Through popular email tools like MailChimp, ActiveCampaign or Omnisend, you have the power to create, schedule, and send to different audiences in your email database with just a few clicks! Plus, easy-to-read analytics identifies what content is capturing your audience’s attention. 

Automated Order Processing Across Platforms

Are you selling on multiple channels? Order automation software like ShipStation can sync with orders across different selling platforms to streamline your fulfillment process, making it intelligent, quick, and sustainable. 

Although you will have to explore automation software to determine the ones most beneficial to your business, they are well worth the time! 

As an eCommerce brand, you must engage your target customers across multiple selling channels to convert sales online. It is equally important to ensure that you are piquing customers’ interests through numerous touchpoints to generate results. While eCommerce is trending towards bigger and better things, brands must adopt an omnichannel approach to deliver a seamless customer experience to be successful in the future of eCommerce. 

Click here for another great blog post on eCommerce and sales funnels.