The Latest eCommerce Trends: Waterfall Consumer Financing, AR, and More

eCommerce is in a constant state of evolution and the next year will be no different. Marketers and online stores need to look to future trends to stay ahead of the game and beat the stiff online shopping competition. But how can one predict new eCommerce trends? What are the popular concepts and tools that we see becoming staple eCommerce integrations? Well, we have compiled this article of the latest eCommerce trends according to reports and recommendations from top marketing experts. Using this as a guide, you can consider the implementation of these ideas, strategies, or integrations to leverage the potential of your online platform. 

Waterfall Consumer Financing

Payment plays a pivotal role in the success of one’s online store. The ways consumers pay can differ from store to store, and customers continue to develop stronger feelings about payment methods and processes. Waterfall consumer financing is becoming a particularly beneficial payment system that attracts more sales. ChargeAfter is a leading consumer financing company that provides eCommerce platforms with one of the most powerful waterfall consumer financing integrations on the market. Customers browsing platforms with the feature can access financing right there on the website through ChargeAfter’s extensive network of lenders. These shoppers receive instant access to financing at the push of a button during checkout on one’s eCommerce platform as well as repayment plans without interest or the necessity for credit checks. As a result, websites that offer waterfall consumer financing experience greater sales.

AR

Augmented reality, AR, is no longer a new concept. However, the ways that it is used continue to evolve and its use becomes more pronounced with each AR development. eCommerce platforms are able to enhance the online shopping experience with AR, providing customers with 3D renders of products in real-time so that shoppers can see how a particular piece of clothing would look on them or an item would fit into their home. 

Voice Search

Smart speakers are becoming incredibly popular. In fact, statistics report that more than 75% of American households will have a smart speaker by the year 2025. These handy gadgets enable customers to quickly and easily shop without having to lift a finger. Voice search sits at the heart of these devices’ capabilities, and the use of keywords and content strategies tailored to voice search on one’s eCommerce platform would enable customers to shop more easily from the platform. 

Headless Commerce

Headless Commerce may be an entirely foreign concept to some online store owners, however, platforms that are already utilizing headless commerce architecture benefit from its incredible functionality. In a nutshell, headless commerce refers to “decoupling of the front-end presentation layer of a website from the back-end eCommerce functionality.” This allows websites to be more fluid and agile in their API integration across their platforms, speeds up the website creation process for faster turnaround, and facilitates marketing innovation without limiting back-end functionality. 

Subscription Loyalty

Subscriptions are already extremely popular and beneficial as they drive customer loyalty. Increasing the customer lifetime value of your shoppers is critical to the success of your online store as customers are easier to retain than they are to acquire. All sorts of subscriptions are available to shoppers. One may offer discounts when subscribing to a newsletter, coupons as a part of the engagement, or place important resources behind paywalls to encourage subscription participation. At the end of the day, subscription services drive more sustainable long-term growth than once-off purchases. 

The latest eCommerce trends, including waterfall consumer financing, AR, voice search, and more will dictate how online shops operate in the year to come. As an eCommerce owner, it is wise to be aware of these trends and make necessary additions to your platform to leverage their growth potential. 

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