The e-commerce space has been witnessing changes right from its inception. The past few years have belonged to the mobile, as stats show the shift of shoppers towards this channel of selling. In 2017, mobile devices accounted for an estimated 19% of all e-commerce sales in the US; the figure, however, is projected to reach up to 27% by the close of 2018, says an Invesp report.
For this reason, more and more sellers in this domain have been paying attention to their mobile apps. It is but obvious that they need to embrace the latest trends in shopping app development to ensure that they stay ahead in the race. Therefore, it becomes important that they keep themselves updated with all that is happening in the mobility space. Here are all the trends that are expected to be dominant in 2018.
Personalization with AI and Machine Learning
Sellers will need to be smarter to catch up with the growing competition and personalization is the magic word for them. AI and machine learning are the technologies that will empower the mobile apps to deliver personalized shopping experiences. The smartest of the mobile apps will use them to gather data related to user preferences and adjust themselves accordingly. For instance, the apps can be designed to deliver push notification-based recommendations based on the user search history.
Chatbots will be an essential element
In the coming time, it will be practically impossible to imagine a shopping app that does not have a chatbot support for the users. Another use case of AI, these smart bots take personalization a step further by offering a conversational interface on the e-commerce application. They are empowered with natural language processing that makes them capable of delivering seamless customer support. At the same time, bots can be used for automation too.
AR and VR will make it “super” big
The technologies of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality will become mainstream for shopping apps in 2018. Although these technologies have been mainly used in the gaming space, e-commerce sellers would want them in their apps too. The most wonderful use case of AR and VR in online shopping is virtual try rooms which enable the shoppers to actually experience the way a garment would fit or a furniture piece would look in their room.
Digital wallets will be the new way to shop
Although most online shoppers are comfortable with the concept of online payments with credit cards and net banking, the trend of digital wallets will get bigger in 2018. Digital wallets enable them to pay directly without using cash or card, making payments convenient than before (with fewer details to be entered). Hence, digital wallets will become an integral part of iPhone and Android mobile app development in India and abroad.
Location-based technology will gain prominence
Another technology that will gain prominence in the e-commerce app space is that of geolocation tracking. With this technology, retail sellers can transform both in-store and online shopping experiences. Such apps are able to track the users and target them with location-based offers and recommendations via push notifications.
Conclusion
Sellers who ensure that these trends are followed while creating or updating their mobile apps in 2018 can get excellent results for their businesses. However, they need to join hands with trusted technology partners to give them the best and the latest in the solutions they create. At Android Developer, we provide high-tech Android apps that are enriched with the best e-commerce features. Clients can get in touch with us to hire Android app developers at competitive rates and with flexible engagement models.
