8 key ecommerce trends for 2018

It is difficult to argue that the main asset in ecommerce today is information about customers and their behavior. The team of Criteo conducted research of data accumulated on the basis of work with thousands of advertisers, and compiled TOP marketing trends that will be relevant for the e-commerce market in 2018.

1. Voice purchases

According to analysts of the company, contextual audio advertising will learn to offer users personalized content and even give recommendations. As a result, people will buy more with smart speakers like Google Home or Amazon Echo.

2. Sales in social networks

It is obvious that every year social networks are increasingly becoming a platform for ecommerce. So, in Western countries Facebook has already launched the Facebook Marketplace - a platform for ads from individuals. And Amazon introduced its Amazon Spark, a service that demonstrates product images and allows you to instantly place an order (hello, Instagram and Pinterest!).

On the diagram below there is the statistics on social media, through which US users made direct purchases in October 2017:

3. Integration of offline and online sales

In general, in the year to come, retailers will pay much attention to attracting offline buyers online. In an attempt to make advertising more relevant and personalized, large online retailers will try to access the internal databases (verbally - customers) of offline sites. So, in August Amazon acquired a chain of supermarkets Whole Foods, thus gaining access to offline customers of the network. In the near future, the company will be able to better understand the habits of customers, and therefore, to increase the average check.

4. Exchange of information

Technological giants, such as Facebook or Amazon, are sensitive to user data and refuse to engage in information partnerships with other market players. But retailers and brands, according to Criteo, are not so scrupulous. For example, 72% of marketing managers believe that the information partnership will allow increasing income, profit (65%) and customer satisfaction (56%).

5. New ways of product presentation

In search of new ways to present the product, the advertising departments will pay close attention to its description and images. To provide the potential customer with the best user experience, companies will start using product photos that show product applications, close-ups in high resolution, 360 degree images and other tools.

6. Law on the protection of personal data

The EU regulation "General Data Protection Regulation (GDP)" will come into force on May 25, 2018. First of all, the innovation will concern companies that seek to interact with European buyers and analyze their behavior for marketing purposes. Globally, the bill will build trust relationships between customers and companies that support transparency of the business.

7. Videos

People spend more and more time watching the video. In turn, advertisers are also paying increasing attention to this format. In 2018 this trend will still be relevant.

8. Partnerships and mergers

Over the past six months in the retail industry of Occidental countries, several significant deals have been concluded. For example, between Amazon and Whole Foods, Amazon and Kohl's, Walmart and Google Express service. Next year, retailers will continue to look for options for strategic partnership in order to remain competitive and enhance their expertise. In addition, as mentioned above, such partnerships contribute to the merging of online and offline worlds of different companies.