Online Shopping Trends: What's New, What's Coming, and How to Win

Key insights from the eighth edition of "The Future Shopper Report 2024" by VML and explanation what's crucial for online businesses right now. I've added practical advice to all the trends, so you can adapt them to your business.

If you're connected to the world of online sales, I've got news for you: 2024 is throwing not just depression, existential crises, a desire to buy an air fryer, and dreams of traveling to Japan at us, but also some serious business challenges. I'll break down key insights from the eighth edition of "The Future Shopper Report 2024" by VML and explain what's crucial for online businesses right now.

Let's figure out how to stay afloat without getting sucked into the endless race for customers. I've divided the recommendations into three categories:

For those who sell services
For those who sell products
For those who earn from online activity

I recommend checking out each one, even if it doesn't seem directly relevant, because ideas for growth are hiding everywhere.

Why is this important overall?

If you ignore trends, your strategy may become outdated and bring you much less profit than your competitors. The online space increasingly resembles an explosive cocktail of innovation and shifting needs. Want to be ahead? Then use these insights.

Personalization: 65% think brands should better understand their needs. No, this doesn't mean mind-reading, but collecting data and offering what's truly needed is worth a shot.

Advice: Collect and analyze customer data (for example, through surveys or website analytics) to offer relevant services and content. This will create a sense of individual approach. Create personalized email sequences or bot messages, where each step is designed for the client's specific needs. For instance, offer bonuses for participating in preference surveys, then use that data for recommendations.

Quality of Service: 56% of clients are ready to jump ship to competitors if the service is bad. Clients have become picky? Sure, though they've always been that way. It's definitely a reason to think about improving support.

Advice: Invest in training your support team to resolve issues promptly and politely. Quick responses and a human touch can become your competitive advantage. Implement a virtual assistant with a human touch. Give it a name and backstory so clients feel they're interacting with a real person, not just a bot. For example, an assistant named Lisa who knows how to make communication pleasant and easy.

Flexible Payment Options: 58% are willing to pay using "Buy Now, Pay Later" schemes. Maybe think about how to implement this option in your case.

Advice: Test different partnership options with financial platforms and gather feedback from clients to understand which terms are most convenient for them. Organize a "Flexibility Week," during which you explain how this option will improve their lives.

Reviews and Case Studies: 37% trust reviews as much as a best friend.

Advice: Ask satisfied clients to share their experiences, and share these stories literally everywhere! Believe me, it will work in your favor. Launch a series of posts called "Success Stories" featuring testimonials from happy clients. Invite them to record short videos mentioning specific results they've achieved thanks to your services to build more trust.

Mobile Optimization: 36% of all online purchases are made from phones. If your site runs like an old operating system, prepare to lose clients. Make sure everything works quickly and intuitively. Yes, even the payment form. The fewer steps to purchase, the better!

Advice: Conduct an audit of the mobile version of your site to ensure everything works quickly and without errors. Minimize the number of fields in the payment form and add a "Buy in One Click" button. Run a mobile stress test — gather a focus group of users to evaluate your site. See how easily they can complete an order. Give them specific tasks and track the time!

Process Speed: 63% of people want to shorten the path from "Oh, cool idea!" to "Buy." Time to simplify! Again — the fewer clicks, the better.

Advice: Optimize your sales funnel by removing unnecessary steps. Think about what can be automated to help users reach their goals faster. Add a game element: challenge clients to complete an order in 30 seconds, perhaps with a countdown timer, and receive a small surprise or discount. This engages them and speeds up the process.

Omnichannel Experience: 64% prefer brands that operate both online and offline. Clients now want the most seamless experience, like a luxurious sweater.

Advice: Integrate online and offline experiences by, for example, offering the ability to pick up online orders in a physical store or providing not just a digital version of a service but also a physical one (are you a photographer? Print the photos). This will make clients fall in love with you over and over again. Create a loyalty program that bridges both worlds. For example, online purchases earn points for bonuses in the physical store, and vice versa. Make the omnichannel experience more exciting.

AI in Customer Interactions: 55% have already used AI, but 41% are not ready to let AI organize their lives.

Advice: Use AI for personalization and predicting customer needs, but be sure to explain how it works so users understand and trust the technology. Add interactive explanations about AI's operation right on the site — for example, through pop-up tips with fun facts. Clients will feel more confident and see that AI is not only useful but also friendly.

Price Sensitivity: 68% believe brands are hiking prices because of the crisis. So be honest. No, discounts and free shipping aren't outdated yet, though it's best to use them wisely!

Advice: Maintain transparency in pricing and announce discounts in advance. Show why your product is worth the price by highlighting its value. Launch a "Price Breakdown" segment: share on social media or your site how the product's cost is formed. This adds transparency and shows you're honest with clients.

Retargeting: 61% find ads helpful if they show the right products. Use this, but without overdoing it.

Advice: Set up retargeting so it appears natural and isn't overly intrusive. Use personalized offers based on users' past actions. Try retargeting with an element of surprise: personalized banners with creative messages. For example, "We saved this for you, but it's missing you!" — this can increase engagement.

Battling Marketplaces: Their share dropped from 35% to 29%, but they still inspire people to shop. Strengthen your D2C channels and make them attractive — exclusive content, original offers. It's all in your hands.

Advice: Offer something exclusive on your site that can't be found on marketplaces. These could be special product versions or bonuses. Create hype with a countdown to their release and share details on social media to build a wave of interest.

Delivery Speed: 31% want delivery "within two hours to your door." Sounds like a challenge, right?

Advice: Analyze your supply chain and identify stages that can be shortened. Establish partnerships with local courier services and promote "lightning-fast delivery." Emphasize this in advertising campaigns to attract those who value speed.

Gamification: 64% of shoppers want to be entertained while shopping. If you have nothing interesting, maybe it's time to add games, interactive promotions, or contests?

Advice: Implement interactive elements like spin-the-wheel, quizzes, or loyalty programs with game mechanics. This increases engagement and keeps attention. Set up a "shopping challenge" with prizes — for example, every fifth order earns them a discount or surprise. This makes the shopping process more fun and retains customers.

Return Policies: Simpler and clearer is better. And make sure customer support knows how to answer questions.

Advice: Write return policies in plain language and make them as transparent as possible. Add return instructions on the site and in every package. Create a creative video explaining how easy it is to return a product. This will reduce buyer concerns and show that you care about the customer experience.

AI for Logistics and Advertising: 50% see more positives than negatives in AI but still want control.

Advice: Use AI to optimize delivery but be transparent about how these technologies help consumers. Integrate AI into advertising campaigns to create super-targeted offers, but emphasize that clients can always opt out of personalization if they wish.

Influence of Friends and Social Media: 19% listen to friends, and social networks continue to rule the world. Build real, sincere relationships with your followers.

Advice: Be genuine and share stories that truly resonate. People appreciate authenticity, and it strengthens trust. Turn followers into your "internet friends" through sincere stories or posts with questions and polls. Organize discussions on personal topics to create a sense of real communication. This will increase loyalty and engagement.

User-Generated Content (UGC): Want more trust? Ask followers to share their experiences with your product or service.

Advice: Encourage followers to share their experiences, for example, by holding contests for the best review or post. Repost content from followers to show you value their contributions (just remember to support reposts with context; they don't work on their own). Launch a flash mob or challenge related to your content and offer something interesting in return — like an exclusive feature of the best works mentioning their authors. This creates a sense of involvement and gives you plenty of authentic content.

Authenticity: Fake enthusiasm is of interest to no one anymore. Only honesty.

Advice: Keep being yourself. If you don't like something, don't be afraid to say so. Share not only what you liked but also areas for improvement. Show behind-the-scenes of your work: failed attempts, funny moments, and the process of creating content. People like seeing real life, not just the perfect picture. This builds trust and brings you closer to your audience. By the way, all partnerships should feel natural and align with your values.

Interactivity: People want to participate, not just watch. Polls, live streams, quizzes — use them all! Just sitting and waiting for a beautiful client with beautiful money doesn't work anymore.

Advice: Launch polls, games, and live streams where you can interact in real time. Interactive formats engage and create a sense of presence. Start quizzes with fun or interesting facts about yourself or your product. The more engagement, the more interest in your content. Conduct "live reviews" of followers' content during live streams, whether it's their comments, questions, or creativity. This adds interactivity and turns viewers into active participants in your content.

Collaborations and Drops: Turn what you think into an event that people discuss and anticipate.

Advice: Drops or exclusive events create hype. Create collaborations with other influencers and add an element of surprise. For example, launch a joint project in the format of a "secret mission" to surprise and attract attention. Arrange a series of mysterious teasers before announcing the collaboration: posts with hints, quests to find information, or a series of stories where viewers can guess the future partner. The more game and surprise, the more buzz around the project.

Analytics: See what works best and adapt. Data is power if used wisely.

Advice: Don't ignore the numbers. Analyze when your audience is most active, what content gets the most responses, and regularly optimize your strategy. Analyze your most successful posts and create a "themed week" dedicated to your audience's favorite topics. For example, if they love travel content, do an inspiration week sharing interesting facts, stories, and contests.

AI in Content Generation: 48% don't mind consuming content created by AI, but transparency is important.

Advice: Experiment with generating content using AI, but always note that it was created automatically, and maintain a human voice. Use AI to create memes or creatives but add captions in your style. This will look authentic and give the content uniqueness. Use AI to create creative concepts but add your unique touch: for example, create a series called "AI vs. Human" where you compare your content with AI suggestions. This will not only attract attention but also spark a discussion about the future of creativity.

Be Flexible and Attentive. The online space changes faster than memes in your feed. Those who can adapt will always be one step ahead. Use these insights, change strategies on the fly, and don't be afraid to experiment. The world of sales loves those who aren't afraid to act and be flexible. So less procrastination, more action — and onwards to results!