According to Ecommerce Guide, the top ecommerce trends of 2011 will be social media integration and the use of web site analytics data and tools to gain further insights into the behavior of online shoppers. While neither of these methods of increasing sales are new, the ways that ecommerce retailers will use them are expected to differ significantly from the ways that they have been used in previous years.
Simply using analytics data as a way to measure site traffic based on page views, for example is a thing of the past for many online store owners. Instead, web analytics tools and usage in 2011 will focus on understanding why some site visitors abandon their shopping carts and why some convert into repeat customers. Known as “Behavioral Analytics,” this method has been around for a few years, but is expected to gain more wiespread usage in the coming year. Whether emerchants choose to track behavioral analytics through their own analysis of site data or by using a program to sift through the data for them, the idea that the how and why of customer purchasing behavior is more important than the when and what is expected to be an important one in 2011.
Social media integration is another trend that will continue after gaining momentum in late 2009 and 2010. As ecommerce retailers become more aware of how social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook can benefit their businesses, they will be devoting more marketing $$ and time towards socially promoting their businesses, products, and services. Including Facebook fans in email marketing campaigns, and offering more direct promotions in the way of coupons, fan exclusives, and web-only sale events are just some of the ways that merchants are expected to socially integrate their businesses this year.
As the Internet evolves into a place where user feedback and interaction influences the way that products and services are advertised and offered, any individual or company selling a product or service online should plan on experimenting with new ways of analyzing visitor data and interacting with customers on a social, as opposed to a strictly corporate basis.