The ecommerce industry is booming. With the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the shift to online shopping, ecommerce software is more important than ever for retailers looking to sell their products and services online. As 2024 draws to a close, several key trends will shape how e-commerce platforms and solutions are built and enhanced in 2025.
Personalization has been an ecommerce trend for years, but improvements in 2024 will take it to the next level шт 2025. Retailers will leverage more customer data and advanced segmentation to provide ultra-customized product recommendations, tailored content, and personalized promotions to each shopper.
Ecommerce software will tap into richer customer profiles incorporating browsing history, purchase data, reviews and ratings, wish lists, and more. Granular segmentation will help group customers into micro-categories to serve them relevant offers and experiences. For example, past shoe purchasers may be split into runners, office workers, or fashionistas to show the most pertinent products.
Platforms will also get better at making real-time recommendations. As a customer navigates an ecommerce site, the software will suggest items based on what they’re currently viewing, have recently viewed, or have in their carts. These “in-the-moment” offers perform better than recommendations based on historical data.
Removing friction from the online checkout process is an ongoing battle. Customers abandon their carts when too many obstacles stand between them and the final purchase button. That’s why the best custom ecommerce software development services constantly strive to eliminate barriers and simplify transactions.
In 2024, expect to see faster and more user-friendly checkouts. Shoppers will no longer tolerate a lengthy process requiring an account sign-up before buying. Guest checkouts and one-page flows will become the norm. Biometric authentication using fingerprints or facial recognition will replace typing passwords. With connected devices on the rise, Internet of Things (IoT) payments allowing customers to tap and pay will simply gain adoption.
Other frictionless features like saved payment methods, automatic address filling, and pre-populated forms will also reach wider implementation. The overall experience will feel smooth, easy, and designed for conversion over clicks.
Mobile has overtaken the desktop as the dominant platform for online shopping. And the gap is only growing – over 70% of ecommerce traffic now originates from smartphones and tablets. That’s why ecommerce software in 2024 places a high priority on mobile optimization and creating exceptional experiences for these devices.
Expect to see increased use of responsive and adaptive web design allowing sites to intelligently adapt to any screen size. Page layouts will automatically rearrange themselves to emphasize critical elements like search bars, product images, or calls-to-action. At the same time, unimportant content will recede to secondary positions or hide altogether.
Sites will reduce their dependency on text and leverage more touch-friendly interactions like swipes, tabs, and hover expandos. Checkout flows may also differ on mobile to reduce typing. Location-aware features will also engage users with proximity-based promotions or in-store pickup options.
Live video commerce, also called “livestream shopping,” brings the interactive experience of TV shopping networks to ecommerce sites and apps. It allows influencers or brand reps to present products in real-time video streams while consumers watch and purchase directly from the live feeds.
This trend was born in China and is gaining steam in Western markets, too. The format brings excitement and urgency that converts viewers into buyers at rapid rates. Watching the videos also feels more engaging than scrolling through static product images.
In 2024 and beyond, more ecommerce platforms will integrate live streaming capabilities. They’ll allow brands to plan and broadcast shoppable video events from any device. Viewers will then be able to instantly claim limited deals, receive coupons, or place orders without leaving the video interface.
Payment security is paramount for every ecommerce merchant and customer. As hackers grow more sophisticated, software must provide ironclad protection against fraud while maintaining a smooth purchase experience.
In 2024, multi-factor authentication became standard for high-risk transactions. Rather than just entering a credit card number, users may need to approve the purchase via a text code, email confirmation, biometrics, or hardware token. While adding extra steps, enhanced verification gives both merchants and shoppers confidence in large or unusual orders.
At the same time, artificial intelligence and machine learning will power better threat detection behind the scenes. By analyzing past patterns, fraud prevention algorithms can spot anomalous activity indicative of stolen payment info or account takeovers. Charges get flagged for review before any funds leave customer accounts. AI will bolster security while keeping legitimate purchases moving swiftly.
The retail landscape has fractured across physical stores, desktop sites, mobile apps, marketplaces, social platforms, and more. Customers jump freely between these channels, forcing merchants to adopt an “omnichannel” presence. The problem is that the backend infrastructure hasn’t caught up. Inventory, order/customer data, and operational systems remain disconnected.
In 2024, expect platforms promoting unified commerce (UC). These solutions integrate systems managing in-store, ecommerce, order fulfillment, accounting, CRM, and more. UC provides retailers with a single view of critical business data and customer interactions across touchpoints. This benefits the customer experience and operational efficiency.
Rather than distinct software stacks, UC enables real-time visibility and coordination. Buy online, fulfill from the store. Return to the store and record against the online profile. Ship from warehouse, deduct from marketplace listing. Streamlining commerce unlocks flexibility and cost savings at scale.
A growing faction of digitally native vertical brands (DNVBs) now sell direct-to-consumer (D2C) through their own online storefronts. Without retail mediators, D2C ecommerce allows for better customer relationships and margin control. The model has gained traction, particularly amongst boutique consumer goods, apparel brands, and consumer technology companies.
Look for continuing growth here in 2024 as tools enable simpler D2C build-outs. Startups and small brands will leverage e-commerce platforms, which require little upfront investment or technical skills for DIY setup. Turnkey solutions can have SMBs selling through hosted sites in under one business day without dev resources.
Existing brands will also double down on owned D2C channels in complement to traditional retail distribution. Ecommerce software makes managing both under the same roof more seamless. Unified inventory, CRM, and order routing allow brands to optimize distribution per product. D2C opens the door for limited editions, early access, and special promotions to loyal customers too.
According to some estimates, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) make up over 90% of all retail establishments globally. Yet less than a third sell online today, representing massive untapped potential. These businesses will finally board the ecommerce train out of necessity in 2024.
Pandemic closures and shifts in consumer behavior underscored the existential need for SMB digitization across retail sectors. In 2024, turnkey SaaS platforms will provide the ingredients missing from prior piecemeal solutions ― simplicity, affordability, and integrated tools catered to smaller teams.
With retail tech stacks converging across POS, inventory, logistics, and online storefronts, SMBs will bootstrap mobile-first, omnichannel presences. DIY ecommerce builders require no coding or design skills. SMBs will also leverage marketplaces while still owning the customer relationship via branded custom domains.
Monolithic commerce platforms historically came as closed systems with front- and back-ends tightly coupled. But companies now demand more flexibility in swapping parts in and out ― especially consumer-facing elements that become outdated quickly.
That’s driving adoption of headless commerce architecture separating the front-end presentation layer from the backend infrastructure. Headless commerce powers the data, business logic, integrations etc. behind the scenes through APIs. Front-end experiences then get built using modern frameworks, microservices and UI libraries.
In 2024, new brands will gravitate towards headless for future-proofed foundations. Those running legacy platforms will “rebuild the plane mid-flight,” transitioning piecemeal. Going headless allows ecommerce players to optimize experiences across channels and touchpoints. Developer talent and innovation shifts left toward customer UI innovation, too.
Headless architecture provides back-end flexibility. Yet many front-end elements like product listings, search, carts, checkout etc., still get rebuilt from scratch. That’s where “composable commerce” comes in ― the idea that you assemble digital experiences from pre-built, independent components.
Think of composable commerce like LEGO blocks for ecommerce. Brands can mix and match vetted front-end components from a variety of sources to accelerate building sites. Creating differentiated experiences becomes more about creative assembly vs coding everything yourself.
In 2024, component commerce will allow brands to amplify what makes them unique rather than getting locked into off-the-shelf templates. Developers can also share and monetize innovative components through marketplaces, fostering collaboration across teams. Speed and agility will define the next era of composable commerce.
Ecommerce moves fast while customer expectations rise even faster. Retailers no longer compete on products alone but rather end-to-end experiences. Monolithic platforms struggle to keep pace with demands for constant optimization. That’s why composable solutions built on service-driven architecture will support brands chasing what’s next in 2024 and beyond.
Modular commerce building blocks that connect like LEGOs empower innovation at the edge. Personalization can happen at the interaction layer closest to customers. Developers expand capabilities through shared components vs reinventing every wheel. And front-end agility de-risks embracing emerging engagement channels like live video shopping.
With smarter back-end services and structured front-end composition, ecommerce platforms will turn rigid roadblocks into springboards for differentiation. Merchants will lift-and-shift composable pieces to adapt in step with customer needs. Composable commerce ultimately helps retailers deliver the right experiences to the right shoppers at the right moments.
