Designing for the Future of E-commerce: Key Trends and Best Practices/

The e-commerce industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. With projected revenue of nearly 5 trillion dollars in 2021, the e-commerce market is constantly expanding and evolving to meet the needs of modern shoppers. From traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to online giants like Amazon, businesses are vying for a piece of the e-commerce pie.

Improving the UX/UI: E-commerce Trends for 2018

As e-commerce UX has evolved, certain UX/UI patterns have been established along with other e-commerce UX design best practices. E-commerce trends for 2018 see some fundamentals improving (search and discovery, shipping speeds, mobile UX) while advancing and refining the traditional e-commerce model with innovative layers of tech (AR/VR, artificial intelligence, shop-the-look, etc.).

One of the big trends is personalized, relevant, and seamless e-commerce UX. Given technology’s constant influence on consumer behavior, companies must create experiences for today’s shoppers that are based on individual, contextual intent. Seamlessly integrating the “magic hand” of AI and machine learning into the shopping experience will certainly help this trend evolve further and improve the user experience.

Other emerging hot trends in the industry include high-quality photography, AR, GIF animations, quick-start seamless videos, and 360-degree views. These features all help sell products faster, with many companies experimenting with 360° product views that have led to an increase in conversion rates of at least 10%, and for some products, up to 40%.

Augmented Reality in E-commerce

The augmented reality e-commerce trend is heating up, and many established brands, from IKEA and Sephora to Lacoste, are jumping on the bandwagon. For example, a leading Japanese fashion e-commerce site Zozotown has introduced a smart bodysuit called Zozosuit, aiming to help customers know their body measurements before buying clothes online. The outfit has stretch sensors that allow users to instantly measure their bodies. By placing a smartphone in front of it, your body measurement data can be transferred via Bluetooth from the outfit to the Zozotown mobile app.

The Future of E-commerce

There are many exciting trends in the e-commerce industry on the horizon. In the short term, these and other groundbreaking developments will continue to enhance the online experience for the consumer. Additionally, in the longer term, we can look forward to more innovation taking place, from pioneering technologies utilized by established brands and new startups, to trailblazing e-commerce UX designs by savvy e-commerce designers and e-commerce website design firms.

Conclusion

As the e-commerce industry continues to grow and evolve, businesses must keep up with the latest trends and technologies to provide the best possible online shopping experience for their customers. With the right combination of UX design, innovative tech, and a customer-centric approach, e-commerce companies can stay ahead of the game and thrive in the digital age.