E-Commerce Trend Watch: From Mobile To Ai

Massive trends continue to change the e-commerce marketing landscape this year. According to this articles, here are some e-commerce trends that retailers have to take note of.

It’s still mobile, mobile, mobile, where the growth of the platform couldn’t be emphasized enough as it has found its way at every stage of the purchasing process. The most progressive retailers now develop their marketing and content with mobile first instead of simply optimizing websites for mobile. Mobile payments, too, are on a roll, with brands needing to make their checkout process as seamless and frictionless as possible for mobile users.

Image source:Pixabay.com

Personalization is high up on the list, too, covering everything from informed targeting to breaking away from one-size-fits-all websites. The conversation needs to be revised in a way that the homepage offers something for everyone, not giving the same thing to all visitors. Along with this is dynamic automation, where retailers should avoid mass outreach and instead enhance relevance and touch each customer based on their inclination to buy or interact with you.

Artificial intelligence (AI) remains big, with potential for better direct interaction on social media platforms via chatbots and live support. In addition, there’s the drive toward seamless experiences, where the explosion of mobile usage in-store entails a greater focus on the need for seamless shopping and consistency across all brand channels.

Image source:Pixabay.com 

Finally, there’s the rise of more delivery expectations, where delivery options continue to expand and embrace customers’ diversifying needs. Same-day service and local drop-off are only some features of this trend in the ever-moving world of e-commerce.

Abhishek Gattani is the head of search at Walmart Labs and spearheaded the launch of the company’s 'Polaris' search engine, which currently powers many of its e-commerce products globally. For similar reads, follow this link.

The Walmart effect: How the retail giant became an institution

Walmart remains to be an American institution. For 55 years, the chain of stores made an impact in the lives of millions. It has also been a key player in U.S. labor, retail, and economy. But how did the company achieve the success it enjoys up to this day? 

Image source: Walmart.com

Founder Sam Walton had a vision when he started Walmart-- "Everyday low prices." Through the years, the business has given millions of consumers what they need for lower cost, which meant leverage over the competition as well. Having over 10,000 retail stores is enough proof that consumers have trusted the company through the years. 

Another quality of Walmart that became a part of people's lives is that it became a one-stop shop for their needs. From food to novelty items, people no longer need to search far and wide to get what they need. A few decades ago, this idea of having a variety of products in one big store seemed to be impossible. These days, stores are expected to have all of a person's material needs and more.

Decades after, Walmart is still a major player in retail and economics. As the largest private employer in the world, it has changed the lives of many in the workforce. And despite the influx of technology in everyday life, Walmart continues to do its core service but with adjustments. Its entry into the e-commerce game is proving to be a promising endeavor as it modernizes what it has been known for through these years. 

Image source: Huffingtonpost.com

Abhishek Gattani served as the head of search at Walmart Labs, spearheading the launch of Walmart’s 'Polaris' search engine and e-commerce platform. The platform led to a 15 percent increase in sales since its launch, and today powers many of Walmart’s e-commerce products, including Walmart.com, store search, mobile web, and mobile apps. For more on Abhishek and his work, visit this LinkedIn page.

Responsive Design, The Walmart Way

Walmart Labs is charged with developing innovative technology solutions for one of the world’s largest retailers. Its approach to design and development revolves around delivering better service to the company’s consumers.

Responsive design is one of the hallmark achievements of the Walmart Labs team and is the guiding principle to many of its developments. The need for responsiveness is especially apparent when catering to customers across multiple online channels. Not everything that works on one platform would work well on another.

Image source: facebook.com/WalmartLabs

Responsive technology meets the challenge, allowing the company’s e-commerce systems to adapt to the needs of customers while maintaining the desired level of convenience and familiarity across all platforms.

One of the key accomplishments toward this end is an overhaul of all websites in the Walmart umbrella. The upgrade, which was completed in 2015, allows an individual website to adapt its displays according to the visiting customer’s screen size, allowing for an optimized and easy-to-use website experience regardless of the device the customer uses.

Responsiveness doesn’t just stop at website design. Targeted recommendations and improved mobile e-commerce solutions are also a new development pursued by Walmart Labs. Over the years, it has several companies specializing in the development of sophisticated programs accomplishing a broad assortment of tasks from assessing customer needs and wants through predictive analytics to effective e-receipt delivery.

Image source: facebook.com/WalmartLabs

Abhishek Gattani serves as the head of search at Walmart Labs, having spearheaded the creation of its search platform Polaris. Visit his company’s website for more on its new e-commerce developments.