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eCommerce Trends to Watch in 2017

By Angeley Mullins

eCommerce trends - AmazonReady for your eCommerce business to start off 2017 with a bang? The online world is constantly changing, so now that you’ve staked a claim on the internet, you’ll need to do whatever you can to keep the momentum going. To ensure your business stays on track, here are some foreseeable trends you can use to your benefit in 2017.

Omni-channel sales

In addition to laptops and desktops, many consumers own mobile devices. A shopping experience at the home office could easily transition to a purchase later from a mobile device. Across the board, companies are taking their products to the streets so consumers can enjoy anything — from anywhere.

Take Amazon or Netflix, for example. The ability to watch videos on multiple devices is a huge plus for customers. Big fan of House of Cards? Take that show with you on your daily commute!

Ease of access always wins out in today’s day and age. The same can be said for online businesses. Your customers’ eCommerce experience needs to be fluid across multiple devices in order to accommodate the transient nature of their shopping tendencies. If you’re looking to get online, or you’re already active but need ways to expand, make sure your website is optimized for desktops and mobile devices alike.

Pro tip: Create a seamless customer experience by using an omni-channel sales approach.

Content is still king

You’ve probably heard it before, but good content is king. Content helps you define your business and attract new customers. When people search for your company or industry online, they want the facts — and they want them delivered in a way that makes sense. 

Writing killer web content gives your brand the chance to showcase itself online. From product descriptions to blogs to home pages and more, each location is an opportunity to promote what you do best. Better yet? Great content is a big factor in search engine optimization (SEO), which means you’ll have the chance to jump up higher in Google’s rankings.

And if you’re looking for more ways to get your name out there, consider asking bloggers to write reviews or snatch every opportunity you can for interviews, Q&As, guest blogs and more. As a small business owner, championing your company online like this can make a world of difference.

eCommerce trends - videoIn the same vein as content, consider adding videos to your repertoire. According to HubSpot, including a video on your website’s landing page could increase conversion by 80 percent. That’s a huge potential increase in profit.

Not sure where to start? You could always try live streaming on your social media channels while referring customers back to your site. Or, get your company started on YouTube. With mobile consumption on YouTube rising by 100 percent every year, there’s no downside to posting product videos, inside scoops, video blogs (otherwise known as vlogs), interviews and more.

These videos can be made with your mobile device and easily posted to the web. And since most people are likely to opt for a video over a long, drawn-out section of text, many businesses and entrepreneurs have moved toward video marketing. Place quality video content on your site and let the customers come to you!

In conclusion

In order to boost your business in 2017, be sure to take advantage of omni-channel sales, killer web content and video marketing. Have any trends of your own that you think will make a bang in the coming year? Share them!

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Angeley MullinsBio: An accomplished strategy, marketing, and business development professional, Angeley Mullins has been successful bringing businesses and ideas to market. She currently works on Marketing and Product initiatives at GoDaddy. Her experience is broad across multiple industries including eCommerce, finance, and SaaS/ Internet. She believes that through technology, education, and social awareness, we can solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. Follow Angeley on Twitter @AngeleyMullins.

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