E-commerce: the seven top trends for 2015

Business life is currently undergoing a lasting change. Experts are talking about the "Age of the Customer" (source: Forrester Research). They are firmly convinced that companies will only remain competitive if they focus clearly and consistently on the needs of their customers. This also has a massive impact on online retail. The e-business specialist Arithnea in Neubiberg near Munich explains the most important trends that will result from this change for e-commerce in the short and medium term.

1. multi-channel approach becomes business-critical: Companies that do not seamlessly integrate their online and offline channels will face difficulties in the near future. When customers buy or reserve products online, they expect to be able to pick them up or exchange them in-store if they wish. To do this, however, the store must always be aware of what has happened online and vice versa.

2. content and commerce are increasingly merging: Nowadays, online shoppers want a comprehensive "web experience" - seamless brand and theme worlds that pick them up emotionally, appeal to their target group and make the products "come alive". This cannot be achieved by presenting functional product features alone. Those who enrich product information with high-quality and relevant content (texts, photos, videos or blogs) can use this qualitative differentiation to secure market share in a strong growth market.

3. mobile commerce is catching on: Mobile devices are becoming increasingly important not only in the information phase, but also in the purchasing process. The functional scope of the cell phone as a "digital Swiss army knife" is expanding and our everyday lives are becoming less haptic and more digital. Mobile payment will soon become widespread. Customers will then be able to make convenient cashless payments at the checkout by simply placing their cell phone on their hands and authenticating themselves with a fingerprint or PIN.

4. the approach is personalized and targeted to the moment: The systematic recording and evaluation of customer activities - keyword Big Data - enables an increasingly individualized approach to potential buyers. In future, this will go far beyond the usual classification according to target groups such as gender, age or marital status. Geo-location will also become more important: a shopper who is out and about in the city center will receive a discount voucher valid for thirty minutes for a predefined product on their smartphone, in the immediate vicinity of which they are currently located.

5. B2B is oriented towards B2C commerce: Purchasers in companies are mostly B2C customers in their private lives and are characterized by these standards. They expect an adequate and efficient "experience", even when buying screws or excavators, for example. Usability and customer orientation are the key buzzwords that the B2B sector is increasingly addressing and must address in order to remain competitive.

6. companies reorganize their processes: Through an internal realignment, online retailers need to ensure that their back-end processes focus on the customer rather than internal structures, departments or processes. Many shoppers expect a product ordered online to be delivered to them as quickly as possible. This is why companies are increasingly implementing picking and logistics processes for same-day delivery. This also applies to the food trade, which must guarantee a continuous cold chain for fresh goods.

7 Augmented reality is in the starting blocks: The first approaches to virtual shopping are already a reality. For example, customers want to see how a piece of furniture will look in their own home. This trend towards "virtual reality" will continue and expand into "augmented reality" in the medium term. With the help of smart glasses, shoppers will then be able to take a tour of a store - at home and without the hassle of driving or searching for a parking space.

"Consistently focusing on customer needs is the be-all and end-all for a successful online store today. This applies to both B2B and B2C commerce," says Heiko Wilknitz, Member of the Management Board and Business Unit Manager E-Commerce & PIM at Arithnea. "Companies that ignore this and don't offer online shoppers what they expect will simply be left behind in the future."

As a strategic e-business partner, Arithnea realizes solutions in the B2B and B2C environment: from consulting and strategic orientation to creative design and technical implementation to the operation of e-business solutions. Its clients include companies such as Airbus, BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgeräte, Prosieben Sat 1 and Sport 1. Arithnea has around 140 permanent employees, is based in Neubiberg near Munich and has branches in Bremen, Frankfurt and Stuttgart.

Teaser image: Arithnea.com