28/Mar/2024
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The e-commerce industry is constantly growing as more consumers turn to the convenience of online shopping. This means that competition is always increasing and so to stay ahead of the game, ecommerce retailers need to keep up with emerging trends in the industry and implement them in their business.

In 2018, eCommerce retailers will notice that a lot of the trends are not brand new but are becoming more crucial to add to your business to stay ahead of the game. To ensure that your brand has a solid marketing strategy for the upcoming year, check out the top 5 trends to look out for in 2018.

1. Mobile Checkout/Digital Wallet

Mobile experience will be key to eCommerce in 2018. As mobile traffic surpass desktop, having a responsive site is no longer the most demanding requirement of your ecommerce site. 2017 saw an increase in the use of smartphones for online shopping and thanks to the introduction of digital wallets from the likes of Amazon and Apple Pay, we now predict that there will be a higher need for quick and easy payments made through the consumers digital wallet. Advancements in these simplified payment technologies on mobile will see an increase in the demand of simplified payment methods on eCommerce sites, including facial and fingerprint recognition. The convenience of one-click purchasing is appealing to consumers and is a feature which every online retailer should implement on their site this year. By the end of 2018, it will become obvious that online merchants who have chosen not to buy into this simplified payment method will no longer be able to afford to go without it.

2. Faster Delivery

As each eCommerce site gradually adapts to the new trends being introduced every year, it’s becoming harder to identify the USP of each site. However, in 2018, we believe that we’ll see an increase in the provision of same day/next day delivery by sites so as to differentiate themselves from competitors and make them the obvious choice for consumers to choose. Consumer expectations for deliveries are becoming more demanding with studies showing that customers would pay extra for more prompt delivery.

3. Influencer Marketing

In 2017, the use of influencers to promote products online through social platforms became common practice by e-commerce retailers and we believe that this will be no different in 2018. Online influencers are more effective than ever at driving the marketing strategies of online brands and have proven to drive growth for indigenous brands here in Ireland. There is no need to enlist the powers of costly celebrities to endorse your products anymore instead, micro-influencers have proven to be effective in gaining the consumer’s trust in the product as the promotion feels more transparent, natural and honest. Tapping into influencer marketing should be part of your e-commerce marketing strategy for 2018. Some of the most commonly used strategies include product reviews, offering influencer discounts to drive conversions and giveaways.

4. Augmented Reality

The use of AR by e-commerce retailers is set to be huge in 2018 especially in the homeware industry. The idea of trying before you buy is being presented to consumers by the likes of IKEA and Amazon, both of which have developed apps which allow consumers to see how various products will look in their home prior to purchasing. AR lets consumers experience products in an almost real life format, so by experimenting with product placements in the home, this in turn should help to reduce the number of returns which is one of the major problems for ecommerce retailers. By the end of 2018, there will be increased competition in the AR space for ecommerce.

5. Chatbots

While chatbots are not new to 2018, they will still be dominant in the ecommerce industry. Chatbots are crucial for online retailers these days as consumers now expect their concerns and issues to be addressed with an immediate response 24/7. As chatbots evolve and become more advanced, it becomes clear that consumer are unaware that they are communicating with a computer program. In today’s world, a brands reputation can be tarnished by bad customer service and slow-response times through one social post which is why if your business hasn’t implemented a chatbot on their ecommerce site then that should be a priority for 2018!


The eCommerce industry is constantly evolving and new trends come into play, so while these trends are paramount, it’s important to keep an eye on emerging trends and updates throughout the year. These 5 trends are worth looking at and implementing in you marketing strategy for 2018, as they may make this your best year yet!