The ecommerce industry has produced more than 2 trillion dollars in annual revenue worldwide. There is virtually no looking back today. Ecommerce has literally transformed retail. It has evolved from a tool that simply connects buyers and sellers into an interface that makes online shopping simpler for the modern day consumer. Without this transformation, there would be little reason for online shopping as it is today.
In the last several years there have been several major ecommerce launches. Amazon launched its first ecommerce site, and several other prominent companies have done so as well. These launches are generally accompanied by a lot of talk about online shopping, and the benefits that it offers. However, not all of these outlets are offering the same service. Each one is focused on expanding their customer base and building their online marketplace, while others have focused on making shopping simpler.
This leaves the door wide open for ecommerce sales to grow. There are several factors at work behind the growth. One factor is the young consumers who are spending more money online. They purchase products faster and spend more time on the internet than any other generation. They also are much younger than previous generations who never really took much interest in brick and mortar stores.
Another factor is the shift of consumers from purchasing items locally to searching for them online. For example, when you search for a pair of running shoes on your computer you tend to choose the most relevant site. The reason for this is that you are not physically looking at the shoes, but merely searching for them. As online shopping becomes more commonplace, the growth for ecommerce will reflect the increase of traffic to local stores.
An additional factor impacting ecommerce growth is the integration of ecommerce into the visual commerce. Many online shopping sites have gone to great lengths to create the perfect visual experience. Not only do they display products in stunning colors and high-quality photos, but they provide customers with shopping carts and even ways to order their goods right from their website. Many companies provide the ability to add text as well. The ability for a customer to visually see what he is ordering enables him to make an informed decision rather than just jumping into a store and picking something up.
Small business owners have started to take notice of the growing need for online purchasing by consumers. An essential element of that purchasing is the ability for consumers to customize their experience. Customized products, tailored shopping carts and the ability to order right from a website have all contributed to the growth of ecommerce. As consumers become more familiar with online shopping, they are likely to move away from the more generic sites and visit the smaller, customized ones.
Another reason why online shopping is popular among small businesses is the accessibility factor. Ecommerce makes it possible for small businesses to sell to a larger audience. Consumers no longer have to travel to a store in order to shop. They can simply go online and browse through a selection of products and compare prices from small businesses. That is, if they choose to.
In the coming years, it is very likely that ecommerce will continue to grow in leaps and bounds. One of the things that have contributed to this growth is augmented reality and ecommerce trends. Ecommerce allows consumers to enter a virtual world that includes not only the products that they wish to buy, but also services and items they might not be aware of using. With augmented reality, consumers may soon be able to visit a store that looks exactly like the one they saw online, complete with augmented digital products, but that has all the services and items they were shopping for right there in the store.