The ecommerce industry is one of the largest in the U.S., and it’s showing no signs of slowing down any time soon; in fact, its expected to reach a massive $684 billion by 2020. But just what is it about online shopping that draws consumers in like a moth to a flame? Let’s take a look.
The Perks of Personalization
The Internet may have a lot of risks and drawbacks, but it also offers unique experiences. You won’t hear an ad calling out your name as you walk by a row of brick-and-mortar stores, beckoning you to come in and check out their new styles, but when you log into an online account on an apparel site, you get a nice big hello. Despite the fact that that you can’t actually try anything on to see how it fits, you are addressed by your first name and usually have a large list of recommendations waiting for you based on previous purchases — half of the work is already done for you, and with a certain sense of customization. It’s been statistically proven that 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they’re being treated, so this added personal touch can make a world of difference for a credit-card-wielding individual.
Technology Takes Off
There are some things that simply need to be tried and tested in-store to understand how they feel and look…right? Wrong, actually! While certain items, like chairs/couches or hats/sunglasses, used to require the consumer to be physically present to get a sense of how they felt about the product, technology has created a shortcut in the form of augmented reality (AR). Apps like Vertebrae and Shopify are allowing customers to view products as they would look in their homes — or on their heads.
“The worlds of physical and digital retail are blending, and AR provides retailers interactive ways for consumers to shop for products online,” said Vertebrae founder and CEO Vince Cacace. “For consumers, AR creates a more contextual and personalized shopping experience that makes the products they are considering come to life outside of a flat web page.”
Convenience Reigns King
Last, but not least, shopping online is easy. You don’t need to take a shower, get dressed, and hop in your car to buy a laptop, or a couch, or clothes anymore. There is pretty much no limit to what you can get delivered right to your door these days, usually within a week. With services like Apple Pay and Amazon Pay, you only have to enter in your credit card information once; checking out can take less than five minutes, making ecommerce as dangerous (if you’re an impulse buyer) as it is convenient.
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