6 Ecommerce Trends Set to Shape Shopify Stores in 2023

Ecommerce has come a long way in the last few years. 

Once a lesser-used consumer strategy, online stores are quickly becoming the most popular way for B2B and B2C customers to buy products and services. The B2C ecommerce market alone is set to reach an expected value of over 8 billion by 2023. 

This is great news for Shopify developers, who can use their in-demand skills to create custom stores and shopping experiences for a range of growing brands. However, as customers and ecommerce environments continue to evolve, it’s important for Shopify experts to also ensure they’re keeping up with the latest trends. Changes happening around the world, and in the technology, landscape can drastically influence how you produce your future Shopify apps, themes, and stores. 

Today, we’re looking at just some of the key ecommerce trends likely to influence your Shopify store design and development strategies in 2023 and beyond.

1. A Rising Demand for Research

As many ecommerce managers and store owners know, the economy has gone through a troublesome time during the last year. Around the world, customers are dealing with cost-of-living crises, recessions, and economic downturn. As a result, many clients are spending less time shopping, and more time researching every purchase. 

As inflation concerns continue to grow, business leaders and technology experts in the Shopify landscape will need to implement new strategies for gaining the trust of their target market. For instance, we’re likely to see a greater focus on blog sections in Shopify stores, designed to provide users with information to guide their purchasing decisions. 

Shopify developers and designers may also need to start adding new details to product pages, from 360-degree videos to in-depth use cases, to support the buyer journey. The more companies can inform and educate their buyers before they need to make a purchasing decision, the more likely they are to earn consistent conversions. 

2. Social Media Selling Increases

Many Shopify developers and designers are already taking advantage of the close integrations Shopify has with social media channels like Facebook. Integrations between Shopify and Facebook Shopping or Instagram Shopping tools allow brands to create a cross-channel strategy for sales. At the same time, leveraging social media in any online sales strategy is a great way to build relationships with customers, and boost brand credibility. 

Going forward, the focus on linking Shopify with social media is likely to increase, as the global social commerce market accelerates towards an expected value of $2.9 trillion by 206. Many brands will be looking for developers to create automated connections between social media stores and ecommerce websites, so business leaders can cohesively track all sales opportunities. 

Taking full advantage of the rising demand for social media selling could also mean leveraging Shopify apps to help with automating social posts and promotions. Companies can even add their own Facebook Messenger channel to Shopify for customer service.

3. Higher Focus on Sustainability

Customers aren’t just concerned about rising prices these days, they’re also worried about how their shopping habits influence the health and safety of the planet. Connecting with customers on a deeper level will require companies to rethink their ethical and eco-friendly strategies, starting with how they run their Shopify stores. In fact, studies show that customers are up to 4.3 times more loyal to companies with the right sustainability practices. 

The good news for Shopify designers and developers, is there are various tools available on the Shopify App store which can help to boost a company’s green status. There are solutions for sustainable print-on-demand partnerships, as well as apps which allow companies to showcase how each purchase is helping them to give something back to the environment. 

Developers can even build applications into the Shopify shopping cart which demonstrate a company’s commitment to making every order carbon neutral. Strategies like these could be the key to ensuring more lucrative customer relationships. 

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4. Personalized Experiences Become Crucial

One of the biggest problems many consumers have had with making the switch from in-person to online shopping, is a loss of personalization. The digital world often lacks the human, empathetic, and creative elements of buying an item from a traditional retail store. However, while impersonal interactions are common in ecommerce, they’re becoming less accepted. 

Around 27% of consumers say one of the most frustrating things they hate about online shopping is receiving inconsistent and irrelevant marketing from brands. Once again, developers and designers working on modern Shopify stores can turn to apps as a way of eliminating this problem. Shopify’s app store is home to a host of tools which teams can use to build data-driven product recommendations into the purchasing journey. 

Automated tools can rapidly collect information about a person’s experience with an ecommerce website, and use data about their previous transactions to suggest new products. There are also simple tools available with AI functionality built-in, for a more intelligent sales experience. 

5. Self-Service Continues to Grow

While online shopping might not be the most personal experience, it is one of the most convenient ways to manage the entire purchasing journey without the assistance of a sales expert. The problem for many consumers comes when they have a question or issue with a purchase, which requires immediate feedback by a service representative. 

Not every ecommerce business will have the right number of staff on-hand to provide consistent, 24/7 support to every buyer. As a result, UX and UI designers on Shopify have begun implementing self-service solutions into every part of the buyer journey.  

Technology experts can start by designing simple chatbots and automated apps which can answer common questions quickly, without the need for human input. It may also be important to create more comprehensive FAQ pages, so clients can find answers to questions in one convenient location.

6. Headless Commerce

In recent years, the concept of headless commerce has been gaining increasing attention from innovative brands. The headless architecture of a Shopify Plus store, for instance, allows B2B and B2C brands to separate the front end of the store from the back-end. This gives developers and designers more freedom to build customized experiences. 

Headless commerce solutions make it easier to create and provide more personalized and memorable shopping interactions. Although developers may need to learn a little more about headless design to get started, once they have their system up and running, they’ll have access to comprehensive customization options, faster loading times, and more control. 

A headless strategy also allows developers to create a more scalable store, capable of adapting to the rapidly changing ecosystem of the ecommerce world. Going forward, we’re likely to see more developers, designers, and business owners experimenting with the headless capabilities Shopify Plus has to offer. 

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Preparing for the Evolution of Ecommerce

It’s difficult to say for certain how ecommerce will continue to evolve in the years ahead. In the last couple of years, we’ve seen significant changes in the way businesses reach, convert, and engage their audiences through Shopify themes, stores, and apps. 

For any Shopify designer or developer, the key to consistently attracting new clients and leads will be staying ahead of the latest changes in the landscape. If you already have what it takes to keep your clients one step ahead of the transforming ecommerce market, join Storetasker today to start pursuing your career as a Shopify expert. 

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