Mobile Commerce Trends to Look Out for in 2018

Ever since shopping experience has come to mobile, the once brick and mortar restricted industry has opened new horizons for global buyers. Every year we are seeing new concepts and technologies coming up in the industry to transform the ways mobile users are operating in the shopping cycle.

What was started as an individual product page with descriptions, mCommerce app development has now moved on to implementation of technologies like Augmented Reality to bring the product inside users’ homes, virtually. mCommerce market has made a big leap from where it started.

With new trends coming up every year, 2018 is no different for the industry. The year already has new trends lined up for the mCommerce App Market, giving plenty of space for innovation and a greater chance at redefining customer engagement.

Let us look at mCommerce App Trends set for 2018.

Here are the Trends that will Define 2018’s Mobile Commerce State –

1. Rise in Chatbots

Backed by some of the prevalent eCommerce giants – H&M, Nordstrom, and Starbucks, Chatbot as a concept has come into the spotlight when it comes to finding a solution to be available to the consumers, 24X7. There are a number of advantages that the technology comes tagged along with, which will make more mCommerce app brands implement it in their marketing plan.

• Being able to respond to users in real time 24X7
• Gives an opportunity to learn about the customers and give them personalized shopping experience

Read: How Chatbot is Shaping Business Growth Story

Being majorly used as a decoy human in 2017, Chatbots will find themselves answering questions like what will go best with what in the coming time. By using technologies like AI, Chatbots will predict what the users might ask for next or what they will buy next, giving the users a whole new level of personalization.

2. Greater Implementation of Augmented Reality

It is impossible to discuss mCommerce App Trends in 2018 without a mention of AR. While the technology was in its infancy stage in 2017, Y 2018 will see a new found application of the technology in the world of mobile commerce. Even with the number of brands offering this service being very limited in 2017, mCommerce app users have definitely announced their impression on the technology.

• 40% Shoppers said they will buy a product is they get to experience it through AR before they buy it
• 61% Users prefer brands who make use of AR over those who don’t
• 71% Shoppers feel greater loyalty towards the apps that offer AR facility vis-a-vis those who don’t.

3. Single Click Payments

The ability to support repeat purchase without having to enter the same set of details again and again, has been the top source of Amazon’s growth. By lowering the barriers between the users and the time it takes to attain the product, mCommerce industry will see a rise in impulse buying in 2018. For the industry that is known for its high abandonment rate, Single Click Payments will influence the revenue graph this year.

4. Increased Use of Automation

From sending out timely updates on social media and floating out emails informing of new product launches to managing the loyalty or reward program, mCommerce application companies will be using the various automation tools for managing a number of their business activities.

More and more brands will be making use of 6the automation tools to streamline their activities focused towards user re-engagement in 2018.

5. Omnichannel Shopping Experience

mCommerce in 2018 will see brands getting inclined towards creating an omni channel presence. They will aim at creating an impression in all – brick and mortar stores, desktop, websites, and mobile devices. The reason behind this inclination can be attributed to the growing competition in the mCommerce industry.

For a brand to create resonance in users’ minds, they will have to be present in every area where the user operates.

6. Personalized Experience

In 2017 over 53% mCommerce users said that the stores that offers them a personalized experience are the ones that they find valuable and worth making purchase from. In 2018, the number will only increase. Brands will be investing in personalized marketing activities in big numbers this year.

From personalized mails based on users’ buying choices to using technologies like AI to tell users what they will buy next, mCommerce industry will find out ways to take personalized service experience to a whole new level this year.

7. Greater Investment in Beacons

With over 3.5 Billion Beacons expected to be installed by end of 2018, Retailers will be investing more than $2.5 Billion in Beacons this year to help monitor and understand the buying behaviour of mCommerce app users.

Read: All there’s to know about Beacon Technology for Mobile Apps

8. Video

While being prevalent in the mCommerce industry since a very long time now, videos will continue to be one of the most used ways to showcase a product in 2018 as well. From new approaches like using Boomerang to now Live Videos, brands will find a way to incorporate video feature in their mobile application.

Apart from using videos to give users a look into their products, brands will also set a budget for appearing in the videos made by video based entertainment agencies, in order to reach greater visibility.

9. Shoppable Tags

Introduced by Instagram last year, shoppable tags are the easiest ways to give quick information about the product to the app users. Living up to its name as Tags, they contain just the name of the product and its cost. The tag, when clicked, opens to a new page with details of the product.

While used only by Instagram presently and that too in limited geographical areas, 2018 will see more of them across a number of different platforms.

Here were the 9 trends that would impact the mCommerce industry in 2018. This year will be all about going bold and experimental with technologies, to bring unmatched personalized shopping experience to the users’ fingertips.

Are you ready for the new Shopping Revolution?

THE AUTHOR

Saurabh Singh

CEO & Director