In any industry, whether it is business-to-business or business-to-consumer, you need to personalize your communications. No matter how you use it, whether in marketing or on your eCommerce site, it can result in more sales. It is expected that eCommerce brands will leverage data for more than just insights in the next few years. Online stores will use customer data to expand their product range and to see where and how they can improve the customer experience.

The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the development of technology that mimics human intelligence. By learning and adapting to consumer behaviour, it can produce more accurate and valuable results. The adoption of AI technology can enhance the buying experience for customers. It is predicted that AI will be a major player in eCommerce in the future. Many leading brands and companies invest continuously in artificial intelligence.

A significant percentage of businesses use AI for personalization (70%) and site search (54%).

It is evident that personalization is a trend that’s gaining traction steadily. Through personalization, users can receive suggestions for products and targeted emails based on previous activities. Personalized customer experiences help businesses attract and retain customers without using additional marketing techniques.

Site search powered by AI utilizes machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to determine the intent behind the search query and to provide the most relevant results.

Thanks to the advancement of artificial intelligence, shoppers can conduct searches using images instead of typing keywords.

A rapid rise in social shoppers is also evident. Ecommerce has taken off with the introduction of Facebook and Instagram Checkout’s Buy button. The use of social media has transformed the way we live our daily lives, including how we shop. For brands, this is an opportunity to improve their social media presence, which is an excellent platform for brand discovery.

Through these social media platforms, brands can gain visibility and inspire people while scrolling through their feeds. The power of social media to influence ecommerce trends will only increase as it becomes a regular feature of our lives. As a result, brands need to adopt a social media strategy that focuses on the shopping experience.

Multichannel sales are no longer a luxury – they are a necessity in today’s business world. The fact is consumers purchase products through a variety of channels. It is vital that businesses reach their customers where they are.

As increasingly new selling channels emerge, omnichannel selling has dominated eCommerce since 2022 and will continue to do so in 2023 and beyond. Retailers are challenged to provide a consistent yet diversified shopping experience across all channels, whether in-person, online, or via a mobile app.

Ecommerce storefronts that offer creative and innovative VR experiences will drive consumer adoption. To make an informed purchasing decision, people are concerned about the inability to physically see the products This gap can be bridged by virtual reality technology, which allows online shoppers to better visualize the products in which they are interested.

The impact of this could be profound for ecommerce businesses. A VR/AR experience can shift the perception of products online customers intend to purchase. With virtual reality, you can help your customers better understand if your products meet their needs.

The use of virtual reality is not only enhancing the customer experience, but also allowing shoppers to evaluate and explore products in the same way they would during an in-person shopping experience.

One of the essential tasks when running an eCommerce website is to convert your traffic into purchasing customers. Applying conversion rate optimization (CRO) encourages site visitors to buy your products or sign up for your newsletter.

The future of CRO is customer centric. More marketers will focus on discovering what attracts visitors and what prevents them from taking action, guaranteeing the best user experience possible.

Optimizing the eCommerce site’s performance is a great starting point. Business owners should strategize their eCommerce developments and optimise every customer touchpoint.

Recently, chatbots have gained popularity for their ability to communicate effectively and quickly with people as well as their ability to provide businesses with time and resource savings.

HubSpot’s survey found that 90% of customers prefer “immediate” responses to marketing and sales questions. And 60% of customers defined “immediate” as 10 minutes or less. You know what this means – If you don’t respond to your customers’ queries quicker than your competitors, you might lose a chance to sell.

Because of that, increased store owners are using chatbots as “assistants” for their customer support team. The bot is online 24/7 and can be set up to answer present and frequently asked questions from your customers.

Thanks to technological advances, chatbots can provide more tailored service and product recommendations, making the shopping process more efficient and more enjoyable. This is a promising eCommerce trend that will explore in 2023!

With the advancement of technology and changes in consumer behaviour, one must keep an eye out for these ecommerce trends in 2023. Whichever ecommerce trend you decide to adopt, do it with the aim of improving the shopping experience for your customers and building a long-lasting relationship with them.

Take your ecommerce evolution to the next level by evolving with it side-by-side and taking advantage of these ecommerce trends.

AI is hardly a new concept. As we move into next year and beyond, artificial intelligence is going to continue to permeate virtually every aspect of our lives. More organisations are expected to implement AI in 2023. With its easy drag-and-drop interface, No-code AI will be used by any business to create richer products and services.

AI has the potential to transform and streamline industries across the board, from finance to education. As a result of its ability to train, learn, analyse, and produce large volumes of output, it has the potential to replace much manual work humans are required to do every day, preventing them from focusing on the bigger picture, improving their skills beyond basic needs, and influencing their industries’ future and direction.

There is no doubt that this is the future of the internet. While it is hard to predict exactly what it will look like, what we do know is that a more immersive experience is on the way, with the ability to ‘try on’ clothes via virtual reality already possible. The year 2023 may be the year when phones, headsets, glasses, and more become more integrated into the metaverse.

It is already common for companies to use metaverse technology for training and onboarding, and in 2023, this trend will accelerate.

Several experts predict that the metaverse will contribute $5 trillion to the global economy by 2030, with 2023 being the year that defines how it will evolve in the decade to come.

Like any other year, 2023 will see developments aimed at combating real-world threats. Cybersecurity is one of the greatest threats facing governments, businesses, and individuals today. Businesses should invest in high-quality cybersecurity products and keep them up-to-date and should also invest in staff training to ensure that the team recognises scams and can handle their tasks safely. In the recent past, attacks have spiked in part because of remote workers, who can leave organisations vulnerable.

The next step in application development will be the development of superapps that allow users to control most aspects of their business ecosystem from a single app. Approximately 50% of the world’s population will use superapps every day, according to Gartner. In some cases, these. Superapps may have mini apps that serve as add-ons and provide benefits beyond those already offered.

Superapps can connect to all systems and linked accounts (savings accounts, credit cards, etc.), and perform transactions at all systems (buying mutual funds, stocks, groceries, insurance, etc.) with one app. One superapp will be capable of delivering multiple experiences around a person’s daily life. For instance, an app that provides news, checks the user’s vitals, buys groceries, buys tickets, provides entertainment via OTT, tracks delivery status, tracks bank balances, and notifies about meetings, other tasks, etc.

This is another trend that has been featured on trend lists for several years. However, its effects will likely be felt as late as 2023 and beyond. Connected devices and devices that can interact with each other will become more and more common. It is now possible to connect many “things” to the Internet and to each other using Wi-Fi. Thus, the Internet of Things. There is no question that the Internet of Things will revolutionise the way we live, and has already made connected devices, home appliances, cars and much more possible.

Cloud migration will continue to take place in 2023 with companies transferring their mission-critical resources to the cloud. According to Gartner, by 2023, public cloud spending will reach roughly $600 billion, as businesses increasingly recognize the value of cloud computing. As a result, businesses will increasingly opt for industry cloud platforms, designed to meet the specific requirements, needs, and best practices of industries. 

We are already seeing the emergence of a bridge between the physical and digital worlds, and this trend will continue into 2023. A digital twin and 3D printing are two components of this merger.

A digital twin is a virtual simulation of a real-world process, operation, or product that allows the testing of concepts and ideas in a safe virtual environment.

The use of digital twins enables designers and engineers to test physical objects under any conceivable condition without incurring the high costs of real-life experiments. Manufacturing, machinery, cars and precision healthcare will all benefit from digital twins in 2023.

Currently, blockchain is primarily used in the financial sector, but by 2023, this secure technology will expand to the healthcare, government, and educational sectors.

Companies will be able to decentralise trust and security in a way that is impossible to tamper with, driving innovations in security and data exchange. Blockchain will have endless applications, including the storage and transmitting of personal information like health records, as well as the verification of high-end products over long periods of time.

The threats to the environment have become apparent over the last few years, and most of us are aware of the need to continue evolving our behaviours and practices to be more ecologically friendly. Business and branding are constantly evolving, but in 2023, sustainability will become the number one business branding innovation. As a result, technology will play a significant role in reducing the carbon footprint businesses leave behind.

Consumers will continue to demand energy-efficient and sustainable products and services in 2023, pushing supply chains toward greater transparency.

Digital product teams are now responsible for 76% of generating revenue, so CIOs will have to adopt new practices and technologies for software design, development, automation, operation, and analytics that will improve user experience while reducing system failures. Gartner predicts 80% less downtime for organisations that invest in digital immunity by 2025.

The single biggest breakthrough is customer-centricity should start with employee-centricity or improving the employee experience (EX). This is because “when you love your work, then customers will love your work”. The biggest thing to loving one’s job are work relationships. For instance, Gallup’s studies show that if you have a good friend at work, you are 700% more likely to be engaged (motivated). This is also why bosses need to be approachable and likeable (think Putin vs. Zelensky). Dr Mathew Lieberman’s studies show that only 0.8% of leaders focus on “social” and thus only have a 12% chance of being rated great. But as soon as a leader focuses on “social”, their chance of being rated great, skyrockets to 75% (again, think Putin vs. Zelensky). This is also why working alone at home hurts collaboration and innovation; people solve customer journey problems face-to-face with colleagues – not huddled over a keyboard.

Again, due to the Digital Transformation of the workplace, software (infused with AI) must be developed to compliment the employee end-to-end journey—from recruitment, onboarding and career development. Digital tools should make the average employee look like a genius, and therefore improve employee engagement. In other words, employees need the right hardware and software to do their work right—especially in a hybrid work-from-anywhere (WFA) office.

The “science of happiness” has exposed that innovation increases by 300%, call-centre staff increase sales by 400%, other salespeople increase sales by 37%, and blue-collar workers are 27% more productive when in a good mood (HBR, 2012). Why is this? Because due to the energy enhancing dopamine and serotonin released when happy, every single part of the brain works better. Leaders think people are rational, but the rational human does not exist. Humans are driven by feelings, which then drives performance. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) was wrong when he said “I think therefore I am”, which is not nearly as accurate as “I feel therefore I am”. Feelings make us act; thoughts merely guide us. Hope, faith, love, trust are feelings – not thoughts. Leaders need to realise that they are managers of energy or feelings. It was Napoleon who realised that to win a war peoples’ morale is 300% more important than equipment.

Yet, because of the new digital way of doing work, digital software can easily improve real-time collaboration and thus performance, reducing employee burnout.

Dr Daniel Kahneman’s work on pain, suggests that last impressions are “lasting”. This means we need to focus on the last moment-of-truth, as this touch-point is recalled longest and remains top-of-mind. It’s like the last day of your holiday—make sure it is a fun one.

Using software to personalise every experience (using customer insights) will improve loyalty by enhancing every touch point.

This advice is confusing to employees, because it’s impossible to delight unless you first get the basics right (at all touch-points). The neuroscience backs this up too. Our brain registers the emotion of bad service 300% more than good service. Or “bad” is 300% bigger than “good”. Our brains are just hardwired to lookout more for painful touch-points vs. delightful touchpoints. What’s more, our brains need three delightful touchpoints to cancel out one bad touch-point (i.e. a 3:1 ratio). Which means delightful gets expensive if you have one bad touchpoint. So, forget the delight factors initially, and focus on meeting basic needs first. Then if you have a CX budget leftover, work on meeting wants too.

Digital has become the new basic. AI software can help employees get the basics right, in real-time, by reminding them to do relevant CX things.

It’s now proven using brain scanners that if someone smiles at you (or does a single-eyebrow-flash), it feels like you are actually smiling. The impact of this is huge because the service provider literally creates serotonin in the customer’s blood stream, which unconsciously biases them towards enjoying the CX. In summary, positive energy is contagious, but negative energy (i.e. indifference) will spread through our mirror neurons 300% faster.

Don’t forget, an online meeting with your HD camera on, exposes your body language in high definition.

Our brain does 400 billion calculations per second (bits/second), but we are only conscious of 40 bits/second. This means that the world of CX is an unconscious one. At an unconscious level we are still sipping in smells, sounds, body language and colour, which means that customers are often unaware of why they love or hate the CX.

Again, don’t forget, an online meeting, reveals your facial body language in high definition. Work on your online image. Get the best graphic designers involved in the UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface).

One of the best ways to influence is to build trust by demonstrating empathy. Trust produces oxytocin, which is the platform for starting new relationships and great CX. One of the fastest ways to build trust is to be the first to do a small favour (servant leadership or servant CX). Smile warmly, do a single eyebrow-flash during the handshake and show genuine sincerity when greeting (for example, by asking relevant questions with a caring tone). It’s difficult to fake sincerity because we pick up on the unconscious micro-signals that warn us. Secondly, did you now that the opposite emotion of trust is disgust? What’s more is there is no emotion between trust and disgust. Customers either trust you or they have disgust for you. It’s just the way our brains work—brains have to choose between “are you for me or are you against me.”

With improved Customer Relationship Management data quality, CRM software can assist by prompting relevant CX at every touchpoint, and of course improve Time To Resolution (TTR). This improves the Employee Experience (EX) and reduces burnout. Remember EX is the secret behind great CX.

34% of women murdered in the USA are murdered by the man who loves them. This means that love and hate go together. Indifference (lukewarmness) is the real CX killer when doing mystery shops. We pick up through tone of voice and body language that service providers just don’t care. Studies show that about 70% of all customers are put off by just one employee’s indifference. The question is how do we solve this? The answer is: leaders need to give employees a “why” to improve CX and make the workplace a fun place to be. Remember, we are more sociable than any other species.

With better data quality, CRM software can support the service provider by making them more relevant at every touchpoint. Quality data can be used for segmentation, defection warnings and automatically scripting relevant outgoing messages.

In comparison to our ‘feeling’ brain (limbic system) our ‘thinking’ prefrontal cortex is not that well developed. The novice Chief Customer Officer (CCO) bombards the receiver with too many things, thinking they can take it all in. The expert communicator will not deliver more than two benefits for a product or service, as the drop-off in recollection is drastic. This is why CX practitioners need to offer fewer options and touchpoints—less is more. Receptionists often attempt to give you great service whilst also typing on a keyboard—humans simply can’t do two new tasks at a time. Frontline staff need to choose or their tone will come across as indifferent.

With about 66% of retail staff resignations citing burnout as the cause (Axonify), systems need to support the employee’s prefrontal cortex.  With the assistance of efficiency boosting AI fed CRM (i.e. doing stock take), this allows the more engaged employee to concentrate on the customer.

Asking questions, with the right tone and body language, is now proven to really build trust. Asking questions also demonstrates that you are an empathetic problem solver. Imagine being asked these three questions by a front-line salesperson: “What’s important to you about buying an SUV?”, “What are you driving at the moment?” and “What cars are on your short-list?”

By prompting the most relevant questions at the right time, whilst offering a 360⁰ view of the customer, this is where artificial intelligence (AI) fed CRM and machine learning (ML) can really assist.  By having all the customer data, neatly segmented at one source, would assist both acquisition and retention. Through quality data, CRM, AI & ML can prompt which customers are feeling disgust and about to defect. AI, CRM & ML assists with demand forecasting, supply chain management, and thus improved OTDIFIC (on time delivery, in full, invoiced correctly).