mobile commerce

Ecommerce has reshaped how people shop these past few years. More and more people now search information and buy products or services online. 

And this current trend is here to stay. That is why online buyers and sellers have to adapt themselves to become smarter and then benefit of all opportunities offered by ecommerce.

Here are a few brief thoughts about the future of ecommerce.

Ecommerce as Custom-Tailored Experience

I think there is no doubt that successful ecommerce sites will have to create a unique experience for each visitor.

What I mean is that online retailers will have to provide you with a custom-tailored experience that can remember your preferences, estimate your level of interest in a certain item, and make dynamic adjustments to prices and options.

In brief, do everything so you have a great online shopping experience, and therefore transform your visit into a sale. 

In my opinion, by implementing powerful online marketing features, combined with attractive design, Ecommerce of the future will look like a static catalog less and less, and feel more and more like a dynamic offline shop.

Adapt to visitor’s environment

Don’t get it wrong, ecommerce websites already adapt their shop to visitors, but I’m sure this will go further.

Today, when you visit multilingual online shops, have you ever asked yourself why your default language (if available) is displayed?

Actually webmasters can set language of their website according to your web browser preferences or your IP location. For instance, if you have your browser in Chinese, ecommerce websites can choose to display their website in Chinese to you.

The same applies for mobile devices. When you visit an online shop from your iPhone or Android, you can be redirected to a mobile version if available.

However, I'm sure online retailers could go even deeper to adapt their shop windows to their visitor’s environment. Many have talked about a convergence of “mobile, local, and social”. I think ecommerce is clearly going this direction too.

1. Mobile

As Internet users access Internet from their mobile devices (phones, tablets) more frequently, mobile commerce (also known as m-commerce) has been booming the last few years.

Even though mobile commerce is still an emerging channel and only accounts for a tiny share of all ecommerce market, I'm convinced it will continue to grow in the next years.

2. Local

Online retailers could go further in terms of local customization. I’m actually thinking of three examples:

- Adapt your shop window according to your visitor's location. If your visitor is located near the seaside, maybe you could show him sunglasses and swimming suits! If he’s near mountains, he could be interested in walking shoes, backpacks, or hiking jackets.

- Adapt your shop window according to weather. Imagine today is really sunny, what about display sunglasses and swimming suits in your main shop window? 

- Adapt your shop window according to period. Many offline and online shop already do it. For example, if your target market is located in a country where Christmas is celebrated, show them items related to Christmas. 

3. Social

Social will also be the key of ecommerce in the future. Why? Because you are more likely to buy something that your friends recommend you.

Adapt to visitor’s behavior

In addition to adapt your windows to your visitor’s environment, you could also think of adapting your shop to your visitor’s behavior.

Let’s pretend one of your visitors visited cameras in your online shop. Well, maybe when he comes back to your homepage, it could be relevant to show him some cameras.

This technique could be actually similar to retargeting, also known as behavioral retargeting. You could therefore target your consumers based on their previous actions on your website, especially when their actions did not result in a sale.

China is Future of Ecommerce

China will undoubtedly play a major role in the future of ecommerce. China is expected to overtake the US as the world's largest ecommerce market by 2015, according to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

China's ecommerce market is projected to reach more than 2 trillion RMB (approximately $314 billion) in transaction value by 2015, the number of Chinese ecommerce shoppers growing to 329 million during the same period.  See our previous article about China's Ecommerce Market in 2010.

How do you see the future of ecommerce? Feel free to share your thoughts below.