If you have a brand with an eCommerce website or are running an affiliate blog, you’ll want to see these tips. A lot of emerging eCommerce trends are likely to boom in 2023 and we’re giving you the inside scoop to allow you to get a step ahead. Take a look at our suggestions for eCommerce trends that will take off in 2023 and how to implement them.
Mobile shopping
It’s no secret that people are glued to their phones. It’s also no secret that people are spending more money online rather than in-person shopping. So, it’s no surprise then that retail brands are catching on. It’s important to have your website optimised for mobile use so that customers can easily breeze from where they saw your product to your site and eventually to the sales process without any interruption from glitches or unsightly websites.
These eCommerce trends might be common knowledge for retail brands but affiliate blogs are having trouble with this concept, usually because it’s one person behind the blog rather than a team. If you are running an affiliate blog you might want to run the mobile version of your site past a freelance web developer for a one-off expense for optimisation. If you don’t, you could be costing your site traffic and in turn your affiliate partners’ sales.
Social media shopping
One side effect of mobile shopping becoming more common than sliced bread is that social media is now becoming the place where you spot what you want to buy. Influencers and reviews are always popping up showing you the latest item they’ve tried and it used to be the case that you would then have to go hunting for that item. Not anymore. In fact, there is a trend on TikTok of people simply pointing to an area of the screen and saying “buy this” over the top. That’s lazy, but it might also intrigue you. What are they pointing at? Well, TikTok has introduced TikTok Shop, where influencers can add items that they like for their viewers to buy, like an affiliate blog but on TikTok. Even better, users can then add the item to their bag and buy directly from the site.
And this isn’t a one-off. Platforms all over the internet are seeing the benefits to social media shopping and are making moves to encourage it. Instagram is allowing profiles to establish their own shops, adding product tags, Snapchat has introduced augmented reality options to try on items, and more.
Live stream shopping
And an offshoot of the social media marketing trend is the massive trend for live stream shopping. Granted, it is an Eastern World trend. It’s very popular for Chinese, Japanese and other Asian cultures at the moment to indulge in some live stream shopping as a way to wind down or to find their next buy. It’s the same concept as our shopping channels: a presenter shows off an item and how you can get it. However, there is the added benefit of the para-social relationship between audiences and influencers that will help boost sales.
It hasn’t yet been fully embraced in the West but you can see crumbs of it starting to emerge. Users are joining streams that feature items that are ultimately meant to be sold more and more, like the hugely popular PC building streams. More niche retail streams are common, that focus on an area or item to be sold, so why not expand?
Interactive websites
A lot of web design trends are geared towards the idea of giving customers an experience when they visit. Most websites, no matter the brand or company, are pretty flat. They follow the same template and fill it with different graphics. But trends are changing, and now customers can enjoy backdrops that scroll with them, products that pop into view as they wander the site, and even draggable elements that turn the site into something of a simple game to find what you’re looking for.
If you’re interested in gaining more insider knowledge on affiliate marketing, take a look at our blog, or for more personalized advice, book a free call with a member of our team.
Or for the very best advice, get your free tickets to gain access to our Amplify Virtual Summit. Coming in January of this year, Amplify aims to bring you the latest affiliate, performance, and partner marketing insights from across the globe. Don’t miss it.
