Boosted by advancing technology and new customer habits since the pandemic, ecommerce sales have been steadily rising and are only expected to keep growing. In fact, projections suggest that U.S. ecommerce sales will exceed $1 trillion this coming year and account for 20% of all retail sales by 2024.
Is your business ready to capitalize on all the latest ecommerce activity?
Here are 7 of the up-and-coming ecommerce trends to expect for 2022 so you can be sure to stay ahead of your online competition:
1. AI Assistance for Cross-Selling
It turns out that machine learning and AI technology might be your best sales assistants when it comes to upselling or cross-selling your current customers.
Algorithms can be used to predict future shopping behavior based on past browsing or shopping activity. Today, there are even ways to automate which ads or brand content a specific customer will see based on their previous online interactions with your business.
2. Smart Mobile Tools for Shopping
Today, many online shoppers are purchasing on their mobile devices. In fact, statistics suggest nearly 73% of all retail ecommerce will be generated via mobile by the end of 2021.
This means that having a website that’s optimized for mobile should just be a given in 2022. Today’s shoppers are expecting instant messaging regarding their order status. What’s more, savvy brick-and-mortar businesses are being sure to enable GPS technology to help mobile shoppers buy both in-store and online.
3. Customer Support Across Multiple Channels 
Are you prepared to interact with customers across multiple online channels?
When customers want to reach out to you for support, some will be looking to speak with a representative via a phone call or live chat. Others will prefer email or DMs with your business on your social media accounts. Automated chatbot tools are one way you might want to consider improving your real-time responsiveness to customer inquiries across multiple channels.
4. Rise of New Online Marketplaces
Giant marketplaces such as Amazon or Walmart may have an advantage in terms of distribution or current audience size, but they can’t offer niche expertise and one-on-one interaction the same way a small business can. Plus, with all the fees and costs they impose on sellers, large marketplaces are now losing many of their online retailers.
In 2022, expect to see this rise of new marketplaces, especially as retailers use sites like Amazon for customer research while launching and managing their own independent sites or creating smaller niche partnerships. For example, check out The Yes, with smart tools for women’s fashion brands, or Farfetch for modern luxury goods.
5. Surge in Subscription-Based Revenue Models
Many consider subscriptions to be the future of ecommerce. Today, more than 80% of US consumers are active subscribers, and subscriptions account for over 20% of ecommerce sales. Whether your business sells products or services, you might want to consider how you can add or expand a subscription model to generate loyal customers and steady, predictable revenue.
As your business transitions to a subscription-based model, don’t forget to adapt your mindset to ensuring long-term “customer success” beyond mere one-off “customer support”.
6. Increased Preference for Value-Aligned Sellers 
With increased competition in the online space, more customers are looking to buy from sellers who share their values.
Some businesses choose to craft their mission and business goals to appeal directly to a targeted niche that upholds certain values. However, even if your business appeals to a broad demographic, you may want to consider publicly supporting or partnering with ethical charity organizations to show how much your brand cares about your impact.
7. More Competition for Online Advertising
As ecommerce activity continues to grow, you can expect to see more brands clamoring for attention and sales. If you’ve been bidding on popular search terms for your online ads, you should not be surprised to see higher rates as more players enter the space.
In 2022, it will be more important than ever to devise a well-thought-out digital marketing strategy that leverages some of the latest technology and trends so that you can stand out among all the competition.
Want to make sure your online business stays ahead of the trends for 2022? If your business would benefit from a customized digital marketing strategy, find out how you can get started by scheduling a brief call with our team here at JXT Group. Just submit this quick online form to learn more.
